One of my favorite things in all of New York is the Chickpea "Tuna" Melt at Terri. One of my least favorite things about New York is being poor all the time. Now, $8 sandwiches can really add up when you really, really like them. Thankfully there's an easy remedy in this case -- make the sandwich at home!
Ingredients
Makes 6 open faced melts
For the "tuna"
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, thoroughly rinsed
2 tablespoons vegenaise or other vegan mayo
2 tablespoons mustard
1/4 cup diced white onion
1/4 cup diced carrot
1/4 cup dices celery
1 pinch salt
1 pinch freshly ground black pepper
Cayenne pepper to taste
lemon juice to taste
For the melt
a few thinly sliced pieces of red onion
1 cup cheddar style Daiya or other melt-able vegan cheddar cheese
1 large heirloom tomato
6 slices of your favorite bread, toasted
1 spring onion, thinly sliced
Method
In a bowl, mash rinsed chickpeas until you have coarse chunks. In mug, whisk together vegenaise and mustard. Add this mixture to the chickpeas along with onion, carrot, celery, salt and pepper and mix until well combined. Add dash of cayenne and lemon juice, taste and adjust seasonings.
To assemble, toast bread slices. Layer on a few spoonfuls of chickpea mixture and top with a few pieces of red onion. Top onion with a thick slice of tomato and a sprinkling of "cheese." Broil in the oven for about 5 minutes, or until "cheese" has melted. Sprinkle with a few pieces of spring onion. Serve immediately and enjoy your tasty meal and all the extra pennies in your pocket.
Image © Yvonne Penzakov for BitchBuzz.com