added this 18 years ago
Sun-Dried Tomato Sandwich Spread
What you need:
2 packages of sun-dried tomatoes
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon dried sweet basil (fresh is better - 15 to 20 leaves)
dash onion powder
dash cayenne pepper to taste
What you do:
Reconstitute tomatoes as per package directions (usually 5 minutes in boiling water). Blend tomatoes in food processor. Slowly add other ingredients. Continue blending to a smooth consistency.
Spread on whole wheat multigrain wheatgerm-laced, natural seed encrusted vegan bread.
Good with a slice of favorite dairy free cheese.
Preparation Time:
20 minutes
Cooking Time:
Servings:
4
Recipe Category:
SO HOW'D IT GO?
I have to agree with Rowdy Sprout that visually this spread is ugly, but taste-wise it is OM NOM NOM! ;)b I only had a handful of SDTs so I stretched them with another handful of fresh cherry tomatoes I had on hand. My SDTs required more than 5 min to reconstitute. I added no salt, they didn't need it, but some good quality paprika and white pepper were welcome additions. Spread on wholegrain bread with olives and red pepper strips...yumbles.
oh yum!
I just made this with one 100 gram package of sundried tomatoes, omitted the onion powder (didn't have any on hand), added 2 extra cloves of garlic, a splash of grapeseed oil, and a sprinkle of nutritional yeast. All I can say is AMAZING!! This spread will be going on my sandwich tomorrow and will probably be even better after sitting in the fridge overnight. Thank you for this recipe! :D
I've been lusting for the longest time for a "tomato substitute" for tomatoes for sandwiches. Tomatoes seem to have such a short shelf life in the fridge and I hate making a sandwich w/out them. And it's so disappointing to find slimy tomatoes in the crisper when you really want a sandwich.
So, I've tried my hand at this recipe and I think it may be the perfect idea.
Here is how I made my spread:
1 pkg Mezzetta Sun Ripened Tomatoes (Dried Tomatoes, 85 grams)
1 pkg fresh basil (0.75 oz, this worked out to be slightly more than 20 leaves)
2 cloves of fresh garlic (I think I'll try 3 or 4 next time)
1 dash of onion powder (Actually several good shakes. I used a store brand.)
1 ounce of olive oil
1 dash of Mrs. Dash (To taste. I used a couple of good shakes.)
I boiled the sun dried tomatoes in two cups of water for a few minutes until they were reconstituted, then I removed them from the heat.
Then I spent 20 minutes trying to find the mini-chopper that my son uses to make his truly disgusting tuna fish paste. I finally settled on my wife's full-sized Cuisinart, which worked out fine.
I started blending the sun dried tomatoes. Boy they make a really ugly, thick mess. Added the basil (snapping the stems off, next time I'll keep the stems, I think) and the garlic and onion power. Blended some more. Now an even uglier mess, time to improvise.
I was planning all along to add some olive oil, so I added 1 ounce and blended some more. Still pretty thick, so I added about 1 ounce of the water left over from boiling the tomatoes. Next time I will save ALL the water so I can adjust my spread's consistency to be just right.
At this point I ended up with a reallllly thick paste that looks kind of like the fish catfood I sometimes get for my cat.
Overcoming my reluctance, I tried a little bit on a piece of french bread. Voila! It was delicious! Better than I ever imagined! Hopefully I will never again have to do without tomatoes on my sandwich!
I don't know what the shelf life will be. Perhaps I need to look at (UGH) some sort of preservative as I would like this to be able to sit in my fridge "forever", kind of like mustard and ketchup.
This concoction nicely filled a Pyrex 6 oz bowl, which I covered in plastic wrap. I'll be replacing that with some sort of Tupperware container.
I'll also be tweaking this recipe and update this thread if I make any improvements.
I have no idea how close my version is to JFergens' recipe, but I offer you my thanks for getting me started on this quest. I haven't seen ANYthing in the stores that would work as a fresh tomato substitute. I think this will allow me to fufill my 'tomato needs' without the hassle of dealing with fresh tomatoes.
Thanks!
RS
Just used the rest of the spread on celery sticks with sprouts on top, it was extra good. I think I like it better on the celery sticks, maybe because of the crunch? Anyway, it was still extra tasty either way.
I stared at this recipe half the morning before I decided to make it. Went to get my blender off the refrig, dropped it, shattered into a thousand pieces. Nevertheless; I pushed forward with my mini chopper. I didn't have basil, used cilantro instead. I had to add olive oil, mayo, and sour crm before I took a liking to it. Made it into a sandwich with some sprouts, delicious :)>>>. I had a bit of a bitter after taste, didn't last long....overall I enjoyed the lite lunch. Thanks for the recipe ;)b
Wow, this worked out perfectly! I had very little in my cupboards for supper tonight, and I've had a package of sundried tomatoes kicking around for quite some time. What a great use for them. I made mine extra spicy with the crushed pepper flakes and mellowed it out with some melty tofutti cheese.
I wanna ask the same question as Ann: How much is in a package? :)