Vegan Waffle Panini

Vegan Waffle Panini 

With Baked Tofu, Spinach, Pesto and Houmous

 For one reason or another, we don't tend to eat a lot of sandwiches around here.  Wraps, yes - at least once a week - but sandwiches not so much.  It's still pretty chilly, so I wasn't expecting to be making sandwiches for a good few months, but after making waffle pizza (à la Edgy Veg) I started pondering other things that could be waffle-ified.



The result is this filling, delicious, and super quick waffle panini!  Of course, if you have an actual panini maker, you could do it in that, or if you have neither, just lightly oil a frying pan and press the sandwich down with a weight, as if you were making grilled cheese!

This could become a mainstay at our house, as I enter writing-up (and thus being tethered to my computer) mode.  We could certainly do worse!

Vegan Waffle Panini

Total time: 15 minutes

Serves: makes 8 sandwiches

Ingredients:

• 16 slices of bread
• 2 medium bell peppers
• 2 cups (450g) spinach
• 1 tub houmous (228g or 8oz)
• 4 tbsp vegan pesto
• Olive oil 
• 2 blocks firm tofu (400g or 14 oz total) - I used tomato marinated tofu, but any kind would work

First, slice the tofu into rectangles that are about 1/4 inch thick, and fry these in olive oil until golden brown on each side.  Meanwhile, preheat the waffle iron, and slice the peppers.

When the tofu is finished, spray/spread the waffle iron with a light coating of olive oil.  Assemble the sandwiches right inside the waffle iron, by placing one piece of bread on the iron, and spreading a half tablespoon of pesto on it.  Then, top with tofu, pepper, and spinach (this will be somewhat precariously balanced, but it will be fine!).  Spread another piece of bread with an eighth of the houmous and place it on top.  

Close the waffle iron, and press as far as possible - it likely won't shut completely, so just hold it down for 1 - 2 minutes, or until the bread is crunchy and golden brown.