Meatless Wednesday

After watching Forks over Knives, Super Size Me, and other documentaries on the health benefits of a plant based (or vegan) diet, I've decided to dedicate at least one day to eating vegan. I'll be blogging favorite recipes, challenges (like convincing my husband it's ok to NOT eat meat), what I love about it, and how I feel. I HIGHLY recommend watching both of those documentaries (on Netflix), especially if you're at high risk for heart disease, heart attack/stroke, cancer, or diabetes, or interested in weight loss and/or optimal health.

I saw this recipe on the Today Show Monday and it looked awesome. I will totally be trying this. If you try it before I do, let me know what you thought!

Recipe: Pesto Chicken and Vegetable Sandwich

(Credit: Annie and Dan Shannon, via Today Show)

Ingredients
2 cups vegan chicken, defrosted
3 roma tomatoes, sliced
2 zucchinis, sliced to about the same thickness as your vegan chicken
1/3 cup sliced white mushrooms
1/3 cup kalamata olives, pitted
2 tablespoons raw pine nuts
2/3 cup basil pesto
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
Crushed pink Himalayan salt and crushed black peppercorns (to taste)
4 hoagie rolls

Preparation
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Toss all the ingredients except the hoagie rolls in a large mixing bowl until the vegetables and vegan chicken are completely covered with the pesto mixture.
Divide the mixture into 4 equal portions and put each portion on a separate 18 x 12-inch sheet of foil.
Fold the foil over the mixture and seal the edges tightly; then place the foil packets in the oven so that the seals are facing up.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, checking for doneness 10 minutes in.
Not all the vegan chicken products cook at the same rate, due to thickness and consistency. You’ll know it’s done when the vegan chicken has golden brown edges and the zucchini is tender.
Once your packets are ready, fill the hoagie rolls to make your sandwich.
Each packet will make one sandwich.
You should really invest in some peperoncini, pickles, or olives to go with your sandwiches. Or, if you’re an overachiever, all three.

Makes four servings

Happy cooking! :)

Citations: http://www.today.com/id/50665876/site/todayshow/ns/today-food/t/comfort-food-done-vegan-style/#.UQ_sAHy9KSN