Sandwiches are a fine thing to have been invented before my time. They are easy, versatile, hot, cold, spicy, zesty, sweet, and amazing. If I'm feeling lazy, I make a sandwich. If I'm really really starving, I make a sandwich. If I'm sad, lonely, happy, mad.... I make a sandwich. I used to be a cold sandwich type of girl, before I met Brent Fresh bread, cheese, cold fresh veggies. Now, Brent has me won over to his ways, and I prefer them warm, toasty, crispy, cheesy, and drippy. I still like them filled with lots of fresh veggies, now I just prefer them in a nice toasty blanket of bread.

Hunger satisfying, protein filled sandwiches can be somewhat of a challenge for any vegetarian living outside of a trendy hipster city. You're basically stuck with cheese and veggies. In Seattle, which is a total trendy hipster city, we have a wide variety of super awesome sandwich shops. Sandwich shops that offer tofu, sietan, and tempeh instead of meat. If I don't have some protein with my veggies and bread, guaranteed I will be hungry in an hour. Cheese totally counts as protein, but I prefer it as a topping, unless we're talking about grilled cheese. Inspired by Seattle's sandwich awesomeness, I decided to make you my very favorite. Tofu marinated with sauces then baked to crispiness, gently nestled into a toasted french baguette, slathered with mayo, balsamic vinegar, and delicious grainy mustard. Topped with sharp cheddar, fresh tomatoes, onions, and crisp lettuce. The king of all sandwiches.

BAKED TOFU SANDWICH RECIPE

makes 12 pieces of tofu  (4 - 6 sandwiches)

prep time:

5 minutes + 1 hour rest

cook time:

60 minutes

INGREDIENTS

12 oz package of extra firm tofu, pressed

1/4 cup barbecue sauce

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 tbsp olive oil + some for the pan

1/8 tsp garlic powder

1 loaf of bread

mayo, balsamic vinegar, mustard

toppings: lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, onions, cheese

Remove the tofu from the package and drain the water. Wrap the block of tofu in a towel and place under something heavy, cutting board, frying pan, etc. You want to press the tofu for one hour to drain out any excess water.

Remove the tofu from the towel and slice into thin strips 1/4 - 1/2 inch thick. The thinner the strip, the crispier the tofu will become when cooked.

In a bowl, combine the barbecue sauce, Dijon mustard, olive oil, and garlic powder. Place the tofu into the sauce and let marinade for 30 minutes. While the tofu is marinating, preheat the oven to 350ºF.

Drizzle some olive oil into a baking pan. Place the tofu strips in the pan, and cover with any extra sauce. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve immediately on slices of bread, baguette, or buns. Serve with your favorite sandwich toppings.