Vegetarian Philly Cheesesteaks

Last month, I bought a cart full of fresh veggies in the hope a stockpile of healthy alternatives would keep me from stuffing my gob with Mint Milanos. Instead, I later felt annoyed because I had to make something out of all the produce before it wilted, and I felt sad because I had no cookies. Given my carb craving and new surplus of mushrooms, a Philly cheesesteak-inspired sandwich seemed promising. The traditional version is a hearty torpedo of white bread piled with thinly sliced beef, melted cheese and, if you’re feeling extra fancy, a mound of caramelized onions. Research recipes explained how to make “mushroom meat” out of minced and sauteed cremini mushrooms, walnuts and herbs. The result was a surprisingly beefy mixture unfortunately too crumbly to pass for steak (but I wholeheartedly suggest you try it in a meatless meatball sub). Grilled portobello caps seasoned with oregano and paprika were more steak-like, but I couldn’t re-create the rib-eye’s crispy edges, since the portobellos became spongy when grilled too long. My sandwich’s crunch had to come from another vegetable. In its natural state, lettuce is the watery roadblock between me and the cheese bits in my salad. But grilling lettuce elevates it from filler to fabulous. I lightly brushed both endive and romaine with olive oil and fresh lemon juice, then grilled them for a few minutes on each side. The heat coaxed a smoky sweetness from the romaine, but also made it limp. Bittersweet endive retained its sturdy shape and won a starring roll on my sandwich. A few caramelized onions were all I needed to balance the endive’s sharp taste. Cheez Whiz is widely known as the cheese of choice for Philly cheesesteaks. Since I forswore vowel-challenged processed foods when I gave up dorm room pig-out sessions and drummer boyfriends, I draped my veggies with thickly sliced provolone. If you prefer spreadable cheddar, I found Trader Joe’s Pub Cheese to be a lovely, age-appropriate partner to the sauteed onions. Fans of crunchy crusts need look no further than Companion’s baguettes for sandwich bread. But if you’re hoping for an authentic, tender hoagie roll, visit Vitale’s Bakery on The Hill. Co-owner Grace Vitale (née Bommarito) makes soft rolls using her family’s 50-year-old recipe. Her bread is golden on the outside, yeasty and chewy on the inside. She doesn’t use preservatives, so your rolls will be fresh and delicious – just like the buttery Italian cookies serendipitously waiting next to them. Cheese Not-Steak Sandwiches 4 servings 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter 4½ Tbsp. olive oil, divided 2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced ¾ tsp. kosher salt, divided 3 large portobello mushroom caps 2 heads endive 1 tsp. minced garlic 1 Tbsp. lemon juice ¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and quartered 1 tsp. dried oregano 1 tsp. paprika 4 hoagie rolls, sliced lengthwise 8 slices provolone cheese • In a heavy skillet over medium heat, melt the butter with 1½ tablespoons olive oil. Saute the onions, stirring often, until browned, about 20 minutes. Stir in ¼ teaspoon salt. Set aside and keep warm. • Preheat a gas grill or prepare a charcoal grill for medium-high heat. • Use the edge of a small spoon to scrape away the black gills of the mushroom caps. Discard the gills. • Trim the ends of the endive without removing the stem holding the leaves together. Slice each head in half lengthwise. • Combine the garlic, lemon juice, remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil, remaining ½ teaspoon salt and black pepper in a small bowl. Lightly brush both sides of the peppers, endive and mushroom caps with the mixture. Sprinkle the mushroom caps with the oregano and paprika. • Add the peppers, mushroom caps and endive to the grill. Cook, uncovered, until the vegetables are charred and begin to brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side for the endive, 4 minutes per side for the mushrooms and 5 minutes per side for the peppers. • Slice the peppers and mushrooms into ½-inch strips and separate the leaves of the endive. • Divide the endive, pepper and mushroom strips among the rolls. Top each with 2 slices provolone and evenly divide the sauteed onions among the sandwiches. Serve hot.