Avocado Steamed Vegetable Sandwich Vegan Recipe

There's a commercial on TV where a teenage girl panics because her friend (a boy) is coming over for lunch. Her mother has put out a full luncheon spread. But, gasp!, the boy is a Vegetarian. Not to worry! Mom whips out her laptop, does a quick search, and viola! We have a Vegetarian lunch--complete in the 20 minutes.

I know from experience that people freak out when over feeding a Vegetarian. They are apoplectic about feeding a Vegan. Relax! I've was a Vegetarian in the mid-1980s and became Vegan in 1990. It isn't as difficult as you think! We eat the same foods most other people eat, minus the meat, dairy, and eggs. In fact, you have many foods in your fridge and pantry that would feed an army of Vegans if they existed.

I'm a big fan of sandwiches. Today, I'll share with you my recipe for a Vegan sandwich that is easy to make and healthy. This Avocado and Vegetable sandwich is my favorite. I hope you'll like it too.

And, the next time a Vegan or Vegetarian stops by unexpectedly, you'll be ready to feed them.

[All photographs on this page copyright 2013 Melody Lassalle - All Rights Reserved. Do not copy without permission.]

This is a tasty, easy to make sandwich that will please anyone. If they love avocado as much as I do, they'll love this too.

Prep time depends on whether you are steaming fresh or frozen vegetables.

If you've ever tried to save half an avocado for the next day, you know that they can look pretty nasty in just 24 hours. They turn a rusty brownish red or take on a grey quality. It is pretty unappealing.

Some use lemon to keep an avocado from changing color. I don't really like the extra lemon taste myself. What I've found is that the key is keeping light off the fruit.

This is a simple avocado holder that keeps your fruit fresh. By keeping the fruit cover, light doesn't get to it and change the color.

Every now and then someone will tell me that avocados are loaded with fat so they avoid them. But, have they every stopped to see what else is in an avocado?

First off, the fat in avocados is mostly the good type--unsaturated. According to WebMD's "8 Healthy Facts About Avocados" avocados are a good source of this type of fat.

The avocado packs a punch when it comes to nutrition. It's got 5 grams of protein, 22 milligrams of calcium, 1,303 milligrams of potassium, 175 RE of vitamin A, 30 milligrams of Vitamin C, and 8 grams of fiber. We all need that! Avocados don't have any cholesterol and they are low in sodium.

If I'm going to add fat to my diet, I'd rather get it from a tasty avocado than some greasy, slimy food. This fruit is loaded with many of the nutrients we need to stay healthy.

Nutritional information source: The Nutrition Bible by Jean Anderson and Barbara Deskin. Morrow and Company : 1995.

It's hard to find someone in California that doesn't like avocados, but I am sure they exist. What's not to love about this mild tasting fruit?

I don't know how popular the fruit is in the rest of the country or the world. In my household, it ranks number one.

Also known as the Alligator Pear

Did you know that there are about 500 varieties of avocado? These avocados vary in color, size, shape, and flavor. Some have a soft smooth skin, while others have a bumpy skin. Their fruit is usually a yellow to green shade and slightly soft when ripe. Some varieties have a more oily texture.

There are 24 varieties of avocado grown in the US. They are grown primarily in California and Florida. The main difference between the two states is the growing season. California avocados are grown year round while Florida avocados are grown from July to February. Also, the Florida avocado tends to be larger.

Though there are hundreds of varieties, only seven are native to California. You might be most familiar with the Hass, which has an oval shape and a dark, bumpy outer skin, and the Fuerte, which has a smoother, lighter green skin. There are also the Bacon, Pinkerton, Reed, Zutano, Gwen, and Lamb Hass. These vary from the Florida varieties which are the West Indian, Guatemalan, and Mexican avocados.

Eggs and Dairy may lie within

Every sandwich needs bread, but it can be a challenge finding bread without eggs or dairy. Read the label carefully to see if eggs, dairy, and their variants (like margarine or casein) have been added. GoDairyFree has put together a comprehensive list of terms to avoid on ingredient labels when eating dairy free.

Oroweat makes several non-dairy breads. I prefer their rye varieties, especially the dark rye. Many other brands have dairy free versions as well.

There are other options besides bread. Why not try pita bread or tortillas? Both can be found at most stores in dairy free versions and they make for a nice variation to the ol' two slices of bread. If you are adventurous, you can even make your own!

The more the merrier!

I'm not a one vegetable at a time person. I like several and prefer them mixed together. That's just the way I am.

You can use so many different vegetables and fruits for this sandwich. It is only limited by your preference and imagination.

Here are some of my sandwich favorites (I steam them all, except the beets, which need to be boiled separately):

Radishes

Asparagus

Zucchini

Broccoflower

Patty Pan

Crookneck Squash

Frisee

Mustard Greens

Green Beans

Beets (boiled, not steamed)

Some items are best steamed separately. I steam the radishes and squash in separate containers.

It stinks but it tastes so good

Since the beginning of time, garlic has been cherished for it's medicinal properties. It is beneficial to fight bacteria, viruses, and fungi. People take garlic to ward off colds.

Garlic contains anticarcinogens known as phytochemicals. It's been known to lower blood glucose and may have value for heart patients. It is known to boost the immune system, too.

Today, garlic comes in pills, powders, and extracts. You can also buy garlic pre-peeled, minced or whole, in jars. But, why use these when fresh garlic is so easy to come by? It adds flavor to our meals and wards off vampires. It lasts longer in it's natural form and doesn't carry the risk of associated with other forms.

I was really surprised when I saw a relative peel an avocado. I've never peeled one in my life. They are so easy to scoop out that it's an unnecessary step.

Should you peel an avocado first?

You've got a few options

I don't think a condiment is necessary for this sandwich. The avocado does a good impersonation of a spread. But, you might like a little more moisture in your sandwich.

Some ideas:

Vinaigrette

Nayonaise (a brand of Vegan Mayonnaise)

Spectrum Organics Light Canola Mayo

Mustard

Plain Yogurt

Salad Dressing (Vegan, of course!)

Meatless lunches don't have to be boring. The Avocado Vegetable Sandwich is only the beginning! Conquer lunchbox boredom. This cookbooks has so many recipes to try.

This cookbook was voted one of Amazon.com's Best Books of 2014. It is geared towards helping parents of vegan children by providing lunch ideas that children will eat. Recipes are clearly marked as gluten-free, wheat-free, nut-free, etc. This will make it easier for parents to find suitable recipes and end lunchbox monotony.

With 130 recipes, you're bound to find something new and delicious to try!

Thanks for visiting. I hope you'll give this sandwich a try. It's my favorite, after all.