Cucumber Tea Sandwiches with Arugula Pesto
Makes about 5 full sandwiches, 20 tea sandwiches
1 English cucumber, seeded and chopped
A few shakes of your favorite seasoning salt (I recommend French Picnic Salt)
Pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
2 tablespoons vegan margarine
2 tablespoons vegan mayo
3 cups arugula or watercress
A healthy dash of vegan Worcestershire sauce
A healthy dash of hot sauce
10 slices of wheat or multi-grain bread, something mildly sweet is nice
Sprinkle the salt over the chopped cucumber and let it sit for at least 30 minutes. Put it in a strainer over a bowl.
In a food processor, blend the pepper, sugar, onion powder, margarine, mayo, arugula or watercress, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce until smooth.
Press the salted cucumbers down to drain some of the liquid. Stir the cucumbers and pesto together in a bowl until thoroughly mixed. Add more salt to taste if necessary.
Spread the mixture in between two slices of bread and cut off the crusts (just do it), then cut each sandwich into four little sandwiches.
Notes:
Land of Lakes Margarine Sticks taste the most like real butter and have a similar consistency.
Follow Your Heart Vegenaise is pretty great. I wouldn't eat it slathered on a B.L.T. or anything, but the consistence is nice. Rosewood Market here in Columbia uses it to make their pimiento cheese, and that is some excellent (non-vegan) pimiento cheese.
Lea and Perrins Worcestershire, while a classic, is not vegetarian, but Annie's makes a nice alternative. I keep both of them in the fridge at all times.
You can peel the cucumber if you like, but the peel gives your sandwiches a nice little crunch, so I leave it on.