Not eating out means being prepared. We have noticed that it is not particularly difficult to be eating home cooked meals, it just is a bit more work on the front end of things. Commitment to wake up early, plan ahead, get the proper groceries, and make something so good, you don't crave something more.
We have been preparing a lot of sandwiches lately and as a result- we certainly are making more of the sandwiches at home than ever before. In the morning our kitchen counter sort of resembles that of a deli sandwich line.
Now I have always been a sandwich guy- for those of you who knew me from K-12, you likely remember that I had a peanut butter sandwich every day for lunch- I even wrote my college essay on this unique facet of my life.
However, since going vegetarian and eventually vegan, Jess and I have become much more creative with our sandwich making. I remember my first Haskell-made vegetarian sandwich (YUM.) When Jess and I hiked Mt. Tamalpais (Mt. Tam) in Marin (where Jess grew up), her mom left us a car full of these amazing homemade vegetarian sandwiches at the top for us to enjoy at the end of our adventure. Those were some of the best sandwiches I remember eating and completely changed the way I viewed a simple "sandwich."
It became an aspiration of ours to be able to make such delicious packable, eat on the go meals with complex flavors that leave you satisfied and full.
The secret- not surprisingly- is in the ingredients and spreads.
We began experimenting with different Trader Joe's spreads- the Roasted Eggplant and Red Pepper spreads being our two favorites (Try them out!). We then would add a plethora of fresh veggies from cucumber and tomatoes to multi colored peppers, avocado, sprouts and veggie burgers (either packed or home made- the recipe of which will be coming shortly). Sometimes we even go crazy and add some vegan cheese (!).
We now often use our own homemade hummus and Vegenaise (Vegan mayonaise which is actually closer to mustard than mayo in our opinion) with marinated and baked tempeh or green apple inside.
The bread is clutch here too- Jess loves the breads that are full of all sorts of grains and goodies, and the ones, as she puts it, "are alive." Meaning, they are full of probiotics and minerals that work on your body's behalf. We are currently eating a lot of Ezekiel's bread.
All in all, we have found that the home made sandwich is a wonderful meal that allows you to innovate and still remains easy to transport on days when you are eating on the run and would otherwise be forced to stop in a local cafe.
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