Sammiches!

Vietnamese-style. Banh mi chay, to be exact. I was fiending for these, so I used store-bought mushroom pate since I didn't want to wait around for agar to set. Really simple, yet so tasty. Because I lack patience, I also shred my vegetables before pickling so they don't need to sit as long.



Materials:
sweet baguette (I like to warm it up in the oven for a little bit so it's nice and crisp.)
mushroom pate (Optional, I suppose, if you want to cheat.)
margarine and/or vegenaise (Garlic aioli-style is nice.)
lettuce
cilantro (Down with the haters! I treat cilantro like a vegetable.)
protein of choice (Deli slices, seitan, etc. This time I used baked tofu, similar to this but with lemon juice and ngo om.)
quick pickles (See below)
jalapenos (Optional, if they're not your thing. They're not mine.)

Quick pickles

1/2 c. each of shredded carrot, jicama or daikon, and cucumber
3/4 c. water
1/3 c. rice wine vinegar
1 tbs. lime juice
2 tbs. unrefined cane sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. sriracha (or more, or less...)
2 cloves garlic, whole, but smashed

Throw everything into a jar and shake to mix, then refrigerate for at least 20 minutes. This makes more than enough for a bunch of sandwiches, but it also tastes great in summer rolls, on top of bun, or just make that ton of sandwiches. It'll keep for a while in the fridge because of all the acid; maybe a week or two? Don't trust me on that one though. Use your judgement if it looks/smells a little funky.