The vegetarian sandwich that'll fool you into thinking it isn't a vegetarian sandwich. Not because it tastes like meat but because it's filling. That thanks to the bagel it's served on and the slices of nutty swiss cheese. Oh. And mayo. There's the mayo.
I was an odd kid. I dreaded going to birthday parties, loved hammering, and took a typing course at the local highschool when I was 11. For fun. What tween doesn't love office supplies and such?
I've matured now. Grown up a bit.
I now dread going to New Year's Eve parties, love hammering and type every single day. For money.
Clearly I've grown as a person.
I loved typing so much in fact, that that's how I made money during University and for a year or so after. I'm quite a typer. I believe at my speediest, when I was doing medical transcriptions for a living, I clocked in at about 142 words per minute.
I hated that job. And when I say hated it I mean I HATED it. Not the work so much, but my boss happened to be completely insane. Do you know what it's like to work for someone who is certifiably insane? It's difficult. Ignoring the facial ticks alone is exhausting.
But the one truly great thing that came out of that job, other than the satisfaction of quitting to take my first television hosting job, was THE SANDWICH.
The office I worked in had a cafe downstairs and it was there that I was introduced to a sandwich I am still eating and loving today.
3 ingredients, 2 condiments and a whole lotta satisfaction.
Here's how you make it ...
Cut a bagel in half. Any kind of bagel. I like poppyseed.
Toast and BUTTER it. With a capital BUTTER.
Lay 1 or 2 or 3 slices of Swiss Cheese on top.
Click here to see the behind the scenes food styling secret to the above shot.
Top with a huge handful of sprouts. I like alfalafa sprouts.
Here's how you can make them at home in 3 days!
Salt & Pepper.
Add a big squiggle of mustard ...
and a slathering of mayonnaise.
Voila.
The Vegetarian Sprout Sandwich
Ingredients
- Alfalfa Sprouts
- Swiss Cheese
- Bagel
- Butter
- Mustard
- Mayo
Instructions
- Cut your bagel in half and toast it.
- While the bagel is toasting lay a piece of swiss cheese on your counter. Top it with a BIG handful of sprouts (I like alfalfa).
- Squeeze a big squiggle of mustard and mayo onto the sprouts.
- Remove the bagel from the toaster when it's done, butter the bottom and then quickly slip the swiss cheese and sprouts on top. (you want to get the cheese on as quickly as possible so the heat from the bagel helps soften the swiss).
- Top with the other half of the bagel, cut in half and enjoy.
I managed to escape the job I hated with two things. This truly delicious sandwich and the knowledge that I can hate my job, work for an insane person and still come out of it O.K.
And a stapler. I also escaped with a stapler.
The first y8me I had this sannie was at Standford Univ, visiting friends. I thought I’d died and gone to Heaven! Only thing I’d add is sliced red onion, or sweet onion. Yum, yum, yum!
First time...that was 1973!
The first time I had this sannie was at Standford Univ, in 1973, visiting friends. I thought I’d died and gone to Heaven! Only thing I’d add is sliced red onion, or sweet onion. Yum, yum, yum!
I recently learned that legally, according to the US FDA's Food Standards and Labelling Policy, to be called a sandwich it must be "meat or poultry filling between two slices of bread, a bun or a biscuit." Since I haven't eaten meat since 1989, all these years I've been eating these "bread, condiment, cheese, and plant-based filling, not otherwise specified " concoctions and I applaud you for bravely standing up and naming it a sandwich.
And yes, this hits all the necessities - crunchy, creamy, salty, warm and filling.
Back in the day when alfalfa sprouts were available at the grocery store my sandwich was always baby Swiss, sprouts, mayo, avocado and sometimes tomatoes and a little slather of Dijon or brown mustard on wheat bread. No need for meat at all. So delicious.
And speaking of working for crazy people, when I passed 50 I decided I was no longer willing to clean house for crazy people. It was just too much. I'd paid my dues anyway.
Funny how we have these things in common Karen.
I'm going to have to trust you on this---mustard? mayo? OK
.....and it seems I've been lucky so many times to work for crazy, insane, or nut-job bosses. Why do these people get promoted?!?!?
I finally got on board with alfalfa sprouts just about when they stopped being carried in the supermarket! Now all I see is pea shoots and they don’t look so good to me so I am very interested in trying to grow alfalfa sprouts for myself. Where can I find the seeds, although I am in the US so any suggestions from anyone here would be most welcome? Your sandwich looks mighty tasty to me, bagel and all.
As for the stapler (red or not), you deserve it after having to work for your boss, simply as a parting gift for your time and aggravation, Karen!
I also enjoy typing, and did medical transcription for years. Trying to reduce the long-windedness of my boss's dictations, I quoted to him from Proverbs, "Where words are many, sin is not absent." But he only laughed.
I have alfalfa and broccoli sprouts growing on my counter, always have swiss cheese slices in the fridge and poppyseed bagels are my fave. The condiments and s/p are perfect.
Gonna make this tomorrow...got to go get a bagel. Thanks Karen, love it already!
Very disappointed. Thought it was going to be Brussels sprouts.
This looked so good I bought 3 fresh poppyseed bagels and ate this exact sandwich 3 days in a row. And boy was it good. Thanks for the recipe Karen. It went great with an egg cream soda.
Isn't it good?! I don't think I've ever had an egg cream soda so I'll have to take your word for it that it went well. :) ~ karen!