Sunday, August 5, 2012

The C.A.T. Sandwich

This is my signature sandwich. I made it up myself and if I owned a cute little lunch place this would be the sandwich people would come for. This has nothing to do with my cat obsession or my pending Crazy Cat Lady-ness, it just happened to be the acronym that came out of it.
This sandwich is made up of Cheddar Avocado and Tofu. Delicious. I put some real effort into this recipe and took step by step pictures. You're welcome.

1. Preparing the tofu

Before frying the tofu, you have to dry that sucker out as much as you can. I cut the block into 1 cm. thick slices and lay them on some paper towel to dry. Sprinkling them with salt helps draw out the water even faster. Allow to dry for approximately 10 minutes. Sometimes I only dry them for 5 minutes because I am impatient and hungry.
2. Seasoning

Now you gotta had some flavour to these mofos because they are bland as hell otherwise. While I'm doing this I heat up a pan and add 1-2 Tbsp of extra virgin olive oil. Now let's get back to them spices. I always add garlic powder, paprika and ancho chili powder. Mostly because that's what I had when I made this up but it really is delicious. I'll add some cumin or herbs de provence if I'm feeling extra zealous. You can kind of wing it here. Once I've sprinkled on and kind of rubbed each of those into the tofu, I add the panko bread crumbs. I  just sprinkle it on and rub it in a bit too. Doing an egg wash would make it easier to get a thick, crunchy coat but ain't nobody got time for that! Unless you do, then go ahead but I quite like it this way.
3. Frying

If you've dried the tofu enough, it's really pretty easy to get those crisp edges. Just fry it for 2-3 minutes (or until brown) on each side on medium heat. Look at these beauties.
4. Putting it all together

While the tofu is frying you can slice up your avocado and cheddar. I like to use an old cheddar but any cheddar will do (old cheddar will do best). I usually have this on a bagel because it stays together a little better than bread, but this sandwich is messy regardless. I put mayo on mine, because I put mayo on everything. HOLYFRIGLOOKATTHISSANDWICH.

Just delicious. It is large and you will be covered in food when you are done with it but you will be satisfied. This is great for a weekend lunch or with some sweet potato fries/potato chips on the side for dinner. I'm not even a vegetarian and I am obsessed with CAT sandwiches. I eat this for dinner at least once a week. I often make this when I'm craving a junk food-y meal. You will come out of eating it looking like an absolute wreck but it is worth it. I promise.