Usually, sandwich night falls on Friday when it is just the three of us and I have made a fresh loaf of challah bread. The meal comes together in half an hour and is so delicious and satisfying. Slices of homemade bread are brushed with strong English mustard, followed by a thick layer of vegan mayonnaise and filled with avocado salsa, green garden leaves, tamari-sesame coated slices of tempeh and charred fennel and red pepper rings.
sandwich night
Preparation – 30 minutes
Serves 3
for the fennel-pepper rings and charred tempeh
1 small red and green bell pepper
1 large fennel
1 packet/200g tempeh
6 Tbsp oil/ghee
3 Tbsp sesame seeds
3 Tbsp tamari
for the sandwiches
slices of your favourite bread
strong English mustard
avocado with tomato, coriander salsa and mustard seeds
bitter salad leaves
salt and freshly ground black pepper
cook the vegetables and tempeh
1. Slice the fennel and bell peppers into rounds and the tempeh into strips or rounds. (Depending on the shape of the tempeh you are using). Set aside
2. In a heavy-bottomed skillet over high heat. Drizzle in a tablespoon of oil and cook the fennel rounds until charred around the edges. When sufficiently charred, scoop them out onto a large plate and repeat the same procedure with the red and green peppers – add to the same plate as the fennel.
3. Lower the heat to medium and pour in the remaining oil, fry the tempeh until golden, flipping over and doing the same with the other side. Once all have been done (may need to do in two batches), return all the tempeh to the pan, sprinkle over the sesame seeds and saute, coating the tempeh with the seeds for 1 minute. Turn off the heat and drizzle the tamari over the tempeh. Stir a few times and scoop out onto the plate. Making sure you brush out all the seeds leftover in the pan over the charred peppers, fennel and tempeh.
to assemble the sandwiches
4. Drizzle each slice of bread with olive oil, a swipe of mustard and spread a thick layer of mayonnaise, add a dollop of avocado salsa, and a layer of garden green leaves, a few slices of tempeh, a generous sprinkle of fennel and pepper rings and season with salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
Enjoy!
