My Favorite Grilled Cheese

This is based on the grilled cheese sandwich recipe from Woody's Lunchbox at Disney's Hollywood Studios.  I just tweaked it a bit to make it more to my liking.  It tastes to me like very cheesy garlic bread, but in sandwich form.  And it's so rich that it makes me actually want tomato soup with it.

Ingredients

2 slices sourdough bread 

1 oz. cream cheese

1-2 slices mozzarella (depending on size and thickness -- you want a consistent layer of each cheese across the sandwich)

1-2 slices extra sharp cheddar

1-2 tbs garlic mayo (I make this by putting a bunch of garlic in my food processor with some Vegannaise)

Directions

1) Heat a skillet over medium heat.

2) Apply a thin layer of garlic mayo to one side of each slice of bread.  You don't want too much because it can blacken rather than increase the flavor.  Lay one slice on the hot skillet, mayo side down.

3) Layer cream cheese, mozzarella, and cheddar evenly onto the bread.  Top with the remaining slice of bread, mayo side facing out.

4) When the cheese begins to melt, flip the sandwich.  Cook until both sides are browned to your liking and cheese inside is melty. 

Black Bean Burgers from HNTD

I have a recipe titled "the best black bean burger," but this newer one is actually better AND easier.  It's from The How Not to Die Cookbook.  I'm copying it here so I don't have to get my cookbook out every time I make a grocery list or make these burgers.

Ingredients
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup walnut pieces
1 1/4-inch piece fresh turmeric, grated (or 1/4 tsp ground)
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/3 cup chopped mushrooms
1 1/2 cups cooked or 1 15-ounce can black beans, well rinsed and drained
2 tbs tahini or almond butter
1 tbs ground flaxseeds
1 tbs nutritional yeast
1 tbs chopped fresh parsley
2 tsp white miso paste
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp Savory Spice Blend

Directions

1)  Pulse the oats, walnuts, and other dry ingredients in a food processor until they are finely ground. Add the onion, mushrooms, beans, tahini, and flaxseeds, and pulse until well combined. Add the remaining ingredients and pulse to mix well.

2) Pinch some of the mixture between your thumb and index finger to test whether it holds together. If the mixture is too wet, add more oats. If the mixture is too dry, add a little water, 1 tbs at a time. Transfer mixture to a work surface and divide into four equal portions. Shape each into a patty about 1/2-inch thick and transfer to a plate. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

3) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

4) Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper and arrange the burgers on it. Bake until hot and lightly browned, turning once, about 25 minutes. Serve hot, as desired.

Hearty Veggie Hoagies

I love this sandwich recipe from The No Meat Athlete Cookbook so I'm copying it down here so I don't have to keep getting the cookbook out every time I make a grocery list.  I think my only change is that I don't salt or season any of the veggies in advance; I just put it all together.

Ingredients
One 12 oz. sourdough or whole grain baguette (I usually buy a whole wheat half baguette from the bakery at Whole Foods)
2 tomatoes, sliced
1 cucumber, sliced
2 cup canned or frozen and thawed artichoke hearts, roughly chopped (I prefer the marinated artichoke heart quarters in little jars for this.  Drain but do not rinse.)
1 red bell pepper, sliced into rings
1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/3 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tbs pesto (I usually buy a vegan pesto -- very oily but delicious -- from Whole Foods)
Balsamic vinegar

Directions

1) Slice the baguette in half horizontally (into two shorter segments), then slice off the top third from each half. Scoop out some of the insides of the bottom portion, reserving them for another use (such as bread crumbs).

2) Toast lightly

3) Layer tomatoes, cucumber, red bell pepper, onion, artichokes, and olives.  Spread pesto across the inside of the other side of the baguette.  Drizzle balsamic vinegar over the vegetables, and close baguette.

4) Wrap tightly in parchment paper, then aluminum foil.  For best flavor, let sit (I put it in the refrigerator) for at least 1 hour or up to 12 hours.  Slice and serve.

100% Whole Grain Wraps

I found this wrap recipe within another recipe for grilled veggie wraps.  It is easy, healthy, and tastes better than any store-bought wraps I've ever found.  I've made a couple small amendments to the original recipe, including doubling it.  I generally make a batch of these at least once a week.

Ingredients
2 cup whole wheat flour + extra for rolling out the dough
1 cup water
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup ground flax seeds

Directions

1. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat.  You want it to be hot before you put anything in it, so let it heat up while you make the dough.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, ground flax seeds, and salt.  Add the water and knead by hand until it forms a sticky ball of dough.  If this seems impossible, add tiny amounts of water until it works.  (Too crumbly means you need more water; too sticky means you need more flour.  Add whatever you need in miniscule amounts and you can fix pretty much any problems your dough might give you.)

3.  Turn out dough onto a floured surface.  Divide into six pieces, and roll each into a ball in your hands.  Flatten the balls and roll each out into as thin a sheet as possible.  If they tear, just seal the tear by hand and roll over it.  Add a drop of water to seal it shut if necessary.

4. You can lightly oil your skillet, but I don't find it necessary.  Put a wrap in the hot skillet and allow to cook about 30 seconds.  It should brown slightly in places, but if you let it cook too long, it will end up tostada-hard rather than tortilla-soft when it cools (not inedible, just not foldable).  Turn it over and cook the other side for about 30 seconds.  (If you are in doubt about whether a wrap has cooked through, do what I did and tear off a piece and eat it to check.  You will quickly learn how to gauge doneness without eating them.)  Remove wrap to a plate and cook remaining sheets of dough in the same fashion.

Use immediately or seal in a container such as a large ziploc bag and refrigerate for up to a week.

Vegan Po'Boy Sandwich

The recipe below is based on looking at lots of po'boy sandwich recipes on the internet, as well as the way the crispy breaded tofu strips are cooked.

Ingredients

1 package firm or extra firm tofu

1/2 cup almond milk (or other milk)

1 tbsp cornstarch

1/3 cup cornmeal

1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs

2 tbs Kid-Friendly Creole Seasoning

1 tbs grated lime zest

lettuce

tomato

pickles

Remoulade sauce

French bread

Directions

1. Drain tofu, wrap with a clean tea towel or a couple of paper towels, and place a plate with weights such as canned goods on top.  Let sit for at least 20 minutes to soak out the water.

2. Meanwhile, whisk together the milk and cornstarch in a shallow dish. In another bowl, mix together the cornmeal, breadcrumbs, spices, and lime zest. Set aside. Preheat oven to 400F and grease a baking sheet with oil or nonstick spray.

3. Slice tofu into 8-9 strips, lengthwise, depending on how thick you want them. With one hand dip the tofu strip into the milk mixture and then into the cornmeal/breadcrumb mixture. Use other hand to sprinkle dry mixture all over the tofu. Coat both sides entirely and then place on baking sheet. Repeat with the rest.

4. Bake tofu on middle rack at 400F. Bake for 20 minutes, then flip the tofu, and then bake for another 15-20 minutes until crispy.

5. Cut French bread into 6-inch sections and cut open.  Fill with the cooked tofu, Remoulade sauce, lettuce, tomatoes, and pickles.  Serve immediately.

Lazy Chipotle Mayo

I'm not sure how complicated this recipe was when I started making it, but I'm pretty sure it at least had fresh lime juice in it.  Now I just make the laziest version possible, and I don't think Sameer has ever been able to tell the difference.  We use it as a spread on black bean burgers, and it makes the entire sandwich.

Ingredients
1-2 chipotles in adobo, from can (typically found in the Latin-American section of the grocery store's "international" aisle -- please note this calls for 1-2 actual chiles, NOT entire cans of them)
1 cup mayonnaise (substitute vegan mayo to make vegan)
garlic salt, to taste
juice of 1 lime

Directions

1. Put all ingredients in a food processor and blend.  Serve immediately or store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

The Best Black Bean Burgers

This is my third or fourth stab at a black bean burger recipe.  I've made so many changes since the last one that I thought I'd start over with a new post instead of amending the recipe again.  I'm still making adjustments on this until I master the spices and grains necessary to make it the right taste and consistency.  It always tastes good on a pretzel roll with chipotle mayo and avocado though.  And red onion and lettuce and tomato.  And provolone. 

Ingredients
2 (16 oz.) cans black beans, drained and rinsed (or 1 cup dried black beans, cooked in a slow cooker)
1 green bell pepper, roughly chopped
1 small onion, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 cup Old-Fashioned rolled oats
2 tbs flaxseed meal
1 tbs chili powder
1 tbs cumin
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 cup cooked brown rice
1/2 tsp hot sauce

Directions

1. [The first 5 steps can be done in advance.]  Run old-fashioned rolled oats through a food processor until at least half of it resembles flour.  Add chili powder, cumin, and garlic salt.  Pulse a few more times to combine, and set the mixture aside.

2. Run onion, green bell pepper, and garlic through food processor.  Set aside and stir in hot sauce and flaxseed meal.  Let sit for 10 minutes while the flaxseed meal gets a little gooey so it can bind everything together.

3. Put (well drained) black beans in food processor and pulse a few times until most of the beans have been broken down, but not completely smooth. 

4. Move beans to a large bowl, add vegetable mixture, and incorporate.  Then add spiced oat mixture and stir until everything is incorporated.  Then add cooked brown rice, small amounts at a time, until mixture is the right consistency to mold into burgers.

5. Mold into 8-10 small patties.  If freezing for later, place patties between sheets of wax paper, stack, and seal in a plastic container or ziploc bag.

6. When ready to cook the burgers, preheat oven to 375 degrees, place patties on a baking sheet (a few sprays of Pam first help to make them flippable), and bake about 15 minutes.  Turn burgers over and bake an additional 5-10 minutes.

Vegetarian Turkey Club

This is a surprisingly low-calorie sandwich for how filling it is.  It's one of the first things I made to replace a beloved meat dish when I went vegetarian many years ago.  You can make the entire thing vegan by using vegan mayonnaise.

Ingredients
2 slices bread (I like 100% whole wheat)
1 serving (usually 4 slices) vegetarian turkey slices (I like Tofurky and Smart Deli brands best)
2-3 slices vegetarian bacon (Morningstar brand, from the freezer section)
2 leaves romaine lettuce
3-4 small slices of tomato
1 tbs mayonnaise

Directions

1. Toast the bread.  Microwave the bacon according to package directions.

2. Apply mayonnaise to one slice of toasted bread.  Pile on remaining ingredients, top with remaining slice of toast, and serve warm.

Brie & Arugula Sandwich

This is my knock-off of a sandwich served at French Roast restaurant in NYC's West Village, where Sameer and I used to brunch.  The only difference is that the restaurant uses an herbed butter where I prefer Dijon mustard.

Ingredients
1 baguette
brie
baby arugula
tomato
Dijon mustard

Directions

1. Slice baguette into thirds (it looks fancier if you do it on the diagonal) and then cut each piece into top and bottom halves.

2.  Fill each sandwich with a thick layer (about 1 cm) of sliced brie, a layer of sliced tomatoes, and a handful of baby arugula.  Apply Dijon mustard, close sandwich, and serve.

Easy Vegetarian Reubens

There are lots of reuben recipes on the internet, some of which I'm guessing are better than mine, but this one is designed to be quick and easy and delicious without a lot of effort.  It's essentially how my mother made non-veg reubens, except with vegetarian deli slices in place of the corned beef.  Here is a recipe with enough ingredients for two sandwiches.

Ingredients
4 slices rye bread
8 slices vegetarian deli sliced ham or other veg meat (I've tried a few things but find SmartDeli brand veg ham works best for this.)
2 tbs butter
4 slices Swiss cheese
1/2 cup sauerkraut
1/4 cup Thousand Island dressing

Directions

1. Spread butter on one side of each slice of bread.  On un-buttered side of two of the slices, spread Thousand Island dressing, two slices Swiss cheese, four veg deli slices (I fold them each in half and overlap them a little, rather than stack them flat), 1/4 cup sauerkraut, and top with remaining bread slice with buttered side facing outward. 

2.  Heat your sandwich in a skillet over medium heat until bread is brown and toasted and insides are warm and melty (heating over too high a heat can cook the bread too fast and leave the insides cold).  Flip sandwich and cook until other side is brown and toasted too.  Serve warm.

Curried Tofu Salad

This recipe is meant to be a vegetarian version of curried chicken salad.  I found it on EatingWell.com, and I'm not sure how true I'll stay to the original recipe since I'm hoping to make it resemble the flavor of the curried tofu in my pot pie recipe, which I love.  I also have to take into account what Simran can chew, so walnuts and grapes and celery might have to be left out of her portion.  I plan to serve it with leftover salad greens and pita pockets.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons low-fat plain yogurt
• 2 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons prepared mango chutney
• 2 teaspoons hot curry powder, preferably Madras
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1 14-ounce package extra-firm water-packed tofu, drained, rinsed and finely crumbled (see Ingredient note)
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1 cup red grapes, sliced in half
• 1/2 cup sliced scallions
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

1. Whisk yogurt, mayonnaise, chutney, curry powder, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Stir in tofu, celery, grapes, scallions and walnuts.  Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Black Bean Burgers

I found this recipe on AllRecipes and it has lots of really good reviews.  Sameer and I recently had a really amazing black bean burger at a local restaurant and I'm hoping this recipe might be a good start toward replicating it at home.

Ingredients
1 (16 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 green bell pepper, roughly chopped
1/2 onion, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 egg
1 tbs chili powder
1 tbs cumin
1 tsp Thai chili sauce or hot sauce
1/2 cup bread crumbs

Directions

1. If grilling, preheat an outdoor grill for high heat, and lightly oil a sheet of aluminum foil. If baking, preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C), and lightly oil a baking sheet.

2. In a medium bowl, mash black beans with a fork until thick and pasty.

3. In a food processor, finely chop bell pepper, onion, and garlic. Then stir into mashed beans.

4. In a small bowl, stir together egg, chili powder, cumin, and chili sauce.

5. Stir the egg mixture into the mashed beans. Mix in bread crumbs until the mixture is sticky and holds together. Divide mixture into four patties.

6. If grilling, place patties on foil, and grill about 8 minutes on each side. If baking, place patties on baking sheet, and bake about 10 minutes on each side.    

[Edited 5/5/13: Based on somehighly ranked reviews I made a few changes for my first try on these burgers -- tried to squeeze dry the beans (I used 1 cup dried beans cooked in slow cooker, which is a bit more than the can worth of beans listed in the recipe) and onion, bell pepper, and garlic.  I also reduced the cumin to 1 tsp and chili powder to 2 tsp because I would rather err on the side of blandness since I'm cooking for a baby (and I plan to make chipotle mayo for Sameer and me anyway, again based on reviewer suggestions).  Instead of 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, I used rolled oats run through my food processor and I used 3/4 cup of them to make the burger a bit less runny.  If I'd had cooked brown rice on hand, I would have included that too because that's what the restaurant in our town uses in their amazing black bean burgers.  I used Frank's Red Hot sauce for the hot sauce because it's what I had on hand.  I mushed the beans by hand and molded patties on wax paper, then popped them in the freezer until I cooked them tonight.  They were pretty fantastic, but next time I will try adding a little garlic salt to the mixture.  I think 1 tsp hot sauce might have been a little much for Sim, so maybe 1/2 tsp next time.  Next time I'll also plan to have leftover brown rice to put in the patties, as well as avocado, some kind of interesting cheese, chipotle mayo (it made the sandwich this time), and pretzel rolls to serve them on.  Lettuce (or arugula), tomato, and red onion are also a must.]

Artichoke-Bean Pita Sandwich

I started making this pita pocket sandwich based on the fact that this artichoke-bean dip resembles tuna salad in texture. All amounts are approximate since I'm trying to type this up based on memory.  It's a sandwich, so you basically just fill it as you like.

Ingredients
Artichoke-Bean Dip
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 tomato, thinly sliced
5 leaves lettuce
avocado, sliced (optional)

Directions

1. Mix the celery and green onions into the artichoke-bean dip.

2. Fill the pita pocket with a thick layer of artichoke-bean dip.  Then add tomatoes, lettuce, and any other vegetables or condiments you like.  Dijon or spicy brown mustard wouldn't be bad.

Arugula, Tomato, and Green Onion Sandwich

This recipe comes from Caldwell Esselstyn's Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease.

Ingredients
arugula
tomato
green onions
no-tahini hummus
whole-grain bread

Directions

1. Toast 2 pieces of whole-grain bread, and spread each piece with lots of no-tahini hummus.


2. On bottom slice, top hummus with green onions cut in small pieces, or thinly sliced red or sweet onion.

3. Cover onion with sliced tomatoes. Add arugula or any other lettuce of your choice.

4. Add top slice of toasted bread and press down, so that it all holds together.

[Edited 4/25/13:  This sandwich was surprisingly not bad.  I would eat it again by choice.  We even used fancy organic flax bread by Ezekiel 4:9 brand.  This was Simran's first sandwich.  I gave it to her to feed herself, and she happily deconstructed it and ate the pieces, including eating straight arugula.]

Black Bean Oatmeal Burgers

Yet another recipe from Caldwell Esselstyn's Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease.  I'm making it because it is mostly made up of ingredients I keep on hand at home.  I'll be serving these burgers on homemade 100% whole wheat buns, which are doing their second rise right now.

Ingredients
1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 14.5-ounce can tomatoes with zesty mild chilies
1 garlic clove, minced, or 1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
2 green onions, chopped
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup cilantro or parsley (I omitted this.  I don't like how fresh herbs tend to stick out and mess up the texture of this sort of dish.)
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Process first seven ingredients in a food processor until blended.

3. Add to oats and stir.

4. Form into patties, put on a baking sheet, and bake for 8 minutes.

5. Turn oven up and broil about 2 more minutes, until tops are nicely browned. (You can also "fry" the burgers in a nonstick pan until both sides are browned -- or grill on the barbecue.)

6. Serve on whole-grain burger buns (recipe recommends Ezekiel 4:9 brand) with lettuce, tomato, onion, mustard, ketchup, or no-tahini hummus.

[Edited 2/27/13: These are quite good, with a sort of Mexican flavor.  The one thing I would change is how I served them.  They're a little mushy and fell apart when I ate one on a bun.  I'd like to try making them as croquettes and serve them over a sort of taco salad.  Simran ate almost half an entire patty.  It took some chewing and she has no teeth, but it didn't prove a problem for her.]

Sloppy Lentil Joes

This is yet another recipe from Caldwell Esselstyn's Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease.  I look forward to the look of disgust on Simran's face when she tastes it.  Sameer and I will be eating scoops of it over Basic Kale (Esselstyn's recipe recommends serving it over greens, and I think the vinegary flavor of the kale will go well with it), but I'll also have homemade rolls on hand for making it into sandwiches.

Ingredients
3 1/3 cups water
1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)
1 bell pepper (any color), seeded and chopped (1 cup)
1 tbs chili powder
1 1/2 cups dried lentils, red or brown
1 15 oz. can crushed or diced tomatoes
1 tbs low-sodium tamari or Bragg Liquid Aminos
2 tbs mustard, Dijon or your choice
1 tbs brown sugar (optional)
1 tbs rice vinegar
1 tsp vegetarian Worchestershire sauce (Annie's brand makes a good vegan one.  I always find it in the fancy section of the condiments and salad dressing aisle of my grocery store.)
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Place 1/3 cup water in a large pot. Add onions and bell pepper and cook about 5 minutes, until onions soften slightly, stirring occasionally.

2. Add chili powder and mix well.

3. Add remaining water, the lentils, tomatoes, and the rest of the ingredients.  Mix well, bring to a boil, lower heat, cover, and cook over low heat for 55 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Indian Potato Sandwiches

Sameer grew up eating these sandwiches.  He introduced me to them in college.  They're tasty, easy, and not that bad for you.  Make sure to set aside plenty of time to bake the potato, and leave the butter out to soften while you do so.

Ingredients
Sliced bread (Sameer would probably say to use white, but I'm not buying white bread for just one meal, so we're using the whole wheat sandwich bread we always keep on hand.)
Cucumber, peeled and sliced
Tomato, sliced
Russet potato, baked, peeled (optional), and sliced
Butter, softened
Cilantro chutney

Directions

1. Butter a slice of bread.  Add a layer of warm baked potato slices, a layer of tomato slices, and a layer of cucumber slices.  Apply a thin layer of chutney to a second slice of bread, and close your sandwich.  Serve while still warm.

Creamy Avocado & White Bean Wrap

I saw a link to this recipe when I was making another recipe from EatingWell.com and it sounded appealing.  I'm pairing it with soup to make it more meal-like and winter-appropriate.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar (I substituted champagne vinegar because of personal preference.)
• 1 tablespoon canola oil (I used extra virgin olive oil because it's what I had on hand.)
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce (I love these things!)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups shredded red cabbage
• 1 medium carrot, shredded
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 15-ounce can white beans, rinsed
• 1 ripe avocado
• 1/2 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
• 2 tablespoons minced red onion
• 4 8- to 10-inch whole-wheat wraps, or tortillas

Directions

1. Whisk vinegar, oil, chipotle chile and salt in a medium bowl. Add cabbage, carrot and cilantro; toss to combine.

2. Mash beans and avocado in another medium bowl with a potato masher or fork. Stir in cheese and onion.

3. To assemble the wraps, spread about 1/2 cup of the bean-avocado mixture onto a wrap (or tortilla) and top with about 2/3 cup of the cabbage-carrot slaw. Roll up. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Cut the wraps in half to serve, if desired.

[Edited 2/3/13: I blended the avocado and white beans with an immersion blender instead of just mashing them. Simran loved it. Sameer and I both really liked these wraps but I will make the following changes in the future: don't bother with cheese -- we couldn't even taste it; put the red cabbage and vinaigrette ingredients in a food processor to get them more finely chopped and easier to eat; use an additional teaspoon or so of chipotles in adobo -- the bites that featured that flavor were significantly tastier than the bites that didn't.]

California Wrap

This is the first time I've added a meal to this site since Simran was born 10 weeks ago.  I've been cooking and eating as fast as I can lately, but since she is sleeping in Sameer's arms at the moment, I'm updating tonight.

The California Wrap is one of the best sandwiches I've ever had.  I stole it from The Other Side Cafe in Boston, which closed earlier this year.  I wanted to make sure to write the recipe down so I don't forget what goes on it and end up unable to recreate it when their menu ceases to be available online.

Ingredients
Sandwich wrap (tortilla works)
Cucumber, sliced up julienne-style
Carrots, julienne
Red onion, sliced
Havarti with dill cheese, sliced
Alfalfa sprouts
Lettuce, chopped
Avocado, sliced
Cucumber dill dressing

Directions
Lay out the wrap.  Place a thin layer of cheese in a line down one side.  Pile on top of it thin layers of avocado, cucumber, carrots, red onion, a couple of tablespoons of dressing, and then lettuce and sprouts.  Roll up tightly, slice at an angle down the middle, and serve immediately.

Garden Pretzel Sandwich

While Sameer is out of town, I've been mostly eating sandwiches for dinner.  Tonight I'm making a Garden Pretzel Sandwich, a rip-off of the best sandwich served by The Cup Joint, a Hoboken, NJ restaurant that no longer exists.  It is one of the tastiest sandwiches ever made.

Ingredients:
Pretzel bread
Provolone, sliced
Avocado, sliced
Red onion, sliced
Lettuce
Tomato, sliced
2 tbs pesto mayonnaise

Directions
Cut open pretzel bread.  Place a layer of sliced provolone and red onion slices on bread and melt in a toaster oven.  Add lettuce, tomato, avocado, and pesto mayo to sandwich and serve warm.