Grilled Ruben Sandwich Growing up in New York, I've been spoiled with amazing ruben sandwiches at some of the best Jewish Delis. I still remember the first time I walked into Sarge’s Deli on the East Side and asked for a Ruben without the meat. The waitress did a double take and I think it was the manager that came over to make sure the order was correct. It was delicious and just the way I wanted it!After discovering Farmhouse culture's Dill Pickle Sauerkraut about six years ago at my local farmer's market, I started making my own ruben in California. They were so yummy my friends and family loved them. The tricky part was finding a good rye bread on the West Coast. The closest bread I can find to New York style Rye is from the Acme Bread Company. This recipe is quick and easy. Although the traditional ruben sandwich is made with Russian dressing, I prefer a thousand island. In this recipe I made a raw vegan thousand island dressing using almonds. I know the go to ingredient for vegan cream sauces is cahsews but a good friend of mine couldn't have cashews because it could interfere with the medical treatment she was receiving. That's when I started trying to use almonds more than cashews and it works! You just have to add some water to the recipes and you can still achieve a creamy consistency. INGREDIENTS:Fresh rye bread with seeds from a local bakery. Farmhouse Culture Kraut Garlic Dill Pickle flavor (Available across the nation, I found some in NY too!)Roasted Cauliflower Steak with Pastrami Rub:2tsp Crushed Coriander1 tsp Ground mustard seeds1 tsp Brown mustard seeds1/2 tsp garlic powder1/4 tsp paprikasalt and pepper to taste I washed and sliced a cauliflower from the farmer’s market. I placed the steaks in a cast iron skillet grill and placed it in the oven on 375 until it was tender. If it browns too quickly you can cover it. Thousand Island Dressing:1 cup almonds soaked overnight1/2-3/4 cup of water1/2 cup red bell pepper1/3 cup relish3T olive oil2T tomato paste2 tsp ground mustard seeds (I used yellow)11/2tsp garlic powder1tsp white vinegar1/4tsp onion powder1/4tsp salt2 splashes of hot sauceOptional: 1T nutritional yeast First I combined all of the dry ingredients for the rub in a small bowl. If you are making more than two pieces of cauliflower, you may want to double the recipe. You can store and save any left over rub for future use. I walked and cut the cauliflower into steaks. I dipped the edges of each slice in olive oil, than dipped it in the dry pastrami rub that I had sprinkled on a plated. I placed it in the oven on a cast iron grill skillet and let it bake. I use my stainless steel frying pan lids to cover it after about 15 minutes so the cauliflower wouldn’t be too crispy.I find the longer the dressing sits the better it tastes, so you can make this ahead of time if you desire. It usually lasts in my refrigerator in a sealed jar for about 5 days or so. I soaked the almonds for about two days prior to making this particular recipe because I didn’t have the time I thought I was going to have to cook. I left them covered in the refrigerator and changed the water daily. The key to using almonds in this recipe to make it creamy, is the water and olive oil. You may find that you need to add a little more than I suggested to get the creamy consistency you are looking for. Combine all ingredients for the dressing in a small food processor and refrigerator in a sealed container until ready to use. When your cauliflower is almost tender, place your bread in a toaster. Spread the dressing, place cauliflower, top with Farmhouse Culture Garlic Dill Pickle kraut and serve. Trust me, the Garlic Dill Pickle kraut is what makes this delicious so if you can find it in a grocery store near you buy it! A good rule to remember is that you never want to heat your kraut because it will kill off the good bacteria. Enjoy! vegan, Quick Meals, dairy-freeMelissa SolorJanuary 12, 2018vegan cheeseComment Facebook0 Twitter Tumblr 0 Likes