Vegan Philly Cheese Sandwich
Serves 2

Ingredients:

2 vegan hoagie rolls, split down the center (optional: “scoop” the center of the roll)

Spicy saute:
 1 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced into strips (use red an/or green peppers)
1 medium sweet onion, sliced
1/4 tsp black pepper
a few dashes chipotle or cayenne powder for heat
salt to taste (I used Penzey’s seasoned chili salt 4/s)
1-2 tsp oil (EVOO, safflower or other to saute)
optional: 1 small Anaheim chili, sliced (or any spicy chili – jalapeno works too)
2 Tbsp hatch chilies, diced (canned)

Cheese: 2-5 Tbsp vegan cheddar cheese (plenty of choices at It’s All Natural!)

Seitan: 3/4-1 cup seitan strips (try Blackbird Foods original seitan found at It’s All Natural!)

Garnish: fresh cilantro, chopped, fresh tomato, sliced fresh chilies or jalapeno

Directions:

1. Prep your rolls and warm in the oven to toast. Tip: brush inside and/or outside of bread with olive oil if you’d like.
2. Prep your veggies.
3. Add oil to skillet and heat over high heat.
4. Add peppers, onions and optional chilies. Cook until the edges begin to blacken and the onions begin to caramelize. Add the spices, pepper, and salt during the cooking process.
5. When veggies are just about done, add the cheese and watch it melt over top the veggies. Transfer this veggie/cheese mixture carefully to a sheet of foil or plate.
6. While pan is still hot, add another small splash of oil and add the seitan strips. Saute until the edges blacken. If your seitan is already seasoned (As mine was) you can just add some extra spices to taste if desired. Pepper, spicy cayenne, nutritional yeast – whatever you’d like.
7. Add the veggies + cheese back to the hot skillet and toss with the cooked seitan. Remove from heat.
8. Add the filling to the rolls. Garnish with the fresh cilantro, tomato, green chilies., and pepper. Serve hot!

Recipe and photo credit: Kathy Patalsky from HealthyHappyLife.com