A no lobster roll… There is no lobster in this roll

19 Friday Jun 2015

Posted by Zoli in sandwiches, Street food, Vegetarian

Tags

artichoke, hearts of palm, lobster roll, picnic, summer, vegetarian, veggie lobster roll

I do miss lobster. Lobster and sushi. So far not enough to go out and eat it though. If I think about it too much, I just feel too darned bad for the lobster. And shellfish in general.

One time my friend threw a big summer party and ordered a whole bunch of crabs for a crab boil. Then one of the barrels of crabs tipped over. They scampered away, waving their claws menacingly, desperately trying to stay alive and not get boiled to death. It was quite a pathetic sight. I felt pretty bad for them. To make it worse, at the last minute several people couldn’t make it and there were just too many cooked crabs for everyone to eat. My friend tried over the next few days to get through them–crab salad, soup, etc., but a good few of them were just wasted.

So as much as I would like to be by the beach with a lobster roll and a cold beer, I’d rather eat the veggie roll made with artichoke and palm hearts (and a cold beer on my deck). A most light and simple sandwich. Still summery. Still nice. NOTHING like lobster of course.

For those who haven’t had lobster rolls, there are various strong opinions about how to prepare them–what kind of roll to use, what kind of lobster meat, etc. To my mind, the traditional buttered and toasted roll is best, and the dressing on the lobster should be fairly simple–mayo, lemon, paprika… So when making a veggie version, I stuck with that principle and used a mixture of artichoke and palm hearts to mimic the softness of lobster meat and hopefully, the subtle flavor.

Ingredients for no lobster rolls
makes 4 rolls
1 can artichoke hearts, drained
1 can hearts of palm, drained
1 celery stalk, chopped finely
4-5 tbs mayo (more or less, up to you)
1-2 tbs fresh lemon juice
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp paprika
butter
fresh ground sea salt and black pepper
traditional rolls or hot dog buns with the ends sliced off
Serve plain or with lettuce and tomato

1) Chop half the hearts of palm and half the artichokes into larger pieces and the other half, chop smaller. You want different texture in the roll.
2) Mix the mayo, lemon juice, sugar, paprika and salt and pepper together and taste. Adjust seasoning if needed. Add more or less mayo as you like.
3) Add in the hearts of palm, artichoke and celery and mix. Let sit for 30 min to an hour to marinate.
4) Spread the inside of the rolls with butter and toast them on a frying pan or grill.
5) Add the filling, sprinkle a bit more paprika and serve.

Enjoy!

Parathas, part 3 of 3, egg roll

14 Saturday Mar 2015

Posted by Zoli in breakfast, eggs, flatbread, indian, kids lunchbox ideas, paratha, peanut free, quick and awesome, sandwiches, snacks, Street food, Vegetarian

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

breakfast, egg roll, Indian street food, kids, lunch, lunchbox ideas, paratha, vegetarian

A street food popular in Kolkata, also a quick homemade breakfast or lunchtime snack. Not a revolutionary recipe, but a different way to eat eggs, and also quite handy for when you are on the go or for your kids’ lunchbox. (If they like eggs, which my son does not.) Speaking of packing lunch boxes, parathas are tasty as quesadillas or dipped in hummus too.

Ingredients
serves 2, double if needed
2 cooked parathas (see recipe)
2 eggs
olive oil and skillet for frying

Stuffing ideas:
1/2 red or white onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cucumber, thinly sliced
1/2 bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 green chili, deseeded and finely sliced
fresh lemon juice
chaat masala
salt and pepper
ketchup
sriracha or other chili sauce
green chutney

1) Beat the eggs well with some salt and pepper. Heat up 1-2 tsp oil in a frying pan and pour half the beaten eggs onto it. Swirl the eggs around the frying pan to the size of the paratha.
2) Lay a cooked paratha over the egg and cook a couple minutes to cook the bottom of the egg and seal it onto the paratha. When the eggs are cooked through, flip over and finish cooking on the other side briefly. It is done when the eggs are completely cooked and the paratha is hot.
3) Place the egg paratha on a work surface egg side up. Layer whatever filling you like and roll up. I chose cucumber, onion and green chutney this time.
Another option is to mix the sliced onions, peppers, chili, a pinch of chaat masala and lemon juice together and use this as the filling. Or you can dice up the veggies and add them into the eggs before you cook it.
4) Cut in half and roll in paper towel or tin foil to eat as a sandwich. Repeat for the second egg roll.