Sprouts: A simple sandwich and its origin

1. When I was a girl, my mother was a vegetarian.
2. My mom and dad owned one, often broken down, vehicle.


These two seemingly incongruous facts, woven together, make for one outstandingly vivid memory from childhood. My older sister and I, both no more than 10 years old, riding the train with my mother through the affluent North Shore suburbs of Chicago. Lake Michigan gleaming and pristine on the left, acre upon acre of manicured lawns and stately mansions to our right. Our destination? An obscure, privately owned health food store with a small cafe. The proprietor was a sage woman with flowing peppered locks that ran for miles down her back, bangles of silver and wood jingling from her wrist.

We made the 20 mile trek via the train for many reasons. One, the train was an adequate means of transportation. Two, my mother meant to show us more than the aisles of a small store. She wanted us to see how the other half lived, and perhaps, she wanted us to know that it was most certainly within our grasp. Three, freshly squeezed carrot juice. And four, a veggie sandwich on whole wheat brimming with alfalfa sprouts. Oh, how I would dream about that sandwich! And as vivid as the memory still is, the list of ingredients that made that mouthful of sprouts so delicious escapes me. In my attempt to recreate my childhood, I've come up with a fine substitute. The ingredients are simple, but each mouthful reminds me of my childhood, and the world that I was just beginning to understand.

Ingredients:

4 slices of whole grain bread, or 2 whole wheat pita pockets
1 cup of any sprouts you can find ( I used a blend of onion, radish, and alfalfa but mung would also add a great crunch )
1/2 of a cucumber, sliced
1 yellow tomato, sliced
2 green onions, whites and greens
4 tablespoons of low-fat cream cheese
2 tablespoons Mongolian barb-b-q sauce (recipe follows)

Mongolian Barb-b-q sauce:
This recipe comes from Canyon Ranch Chef Scot Uehlein. If you don't have the time to make this sauce, a different but equally delicious substitute would be Bragg Ginger and Sesame Salad Dressing.

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons of low-sodium soy
2 tablespoons organic sugar
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/2 cup sake
1/3 cup ketchup
Pinch ground coriander
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup minced leeks, whites only
2 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp minced ginger

For Sandwich: Toss sprouts in the the barb-b-q sauce and set aside. Spread one tablespoon of cream cheese on each slice of bread, or on both sides of each pita pocket. layer tomatoes and cucumbers between the bread, then stuff with the dressed sprouts. Done! But get a napkin, for heavens sake or be prepared to lick your fingers afterward.

For Sauce: Combine 1/2 cup soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, oil, sake, and 1/2 cup of water and bring to boil over medium heat, then reduce to low. Add ketchup, coriander, ground ginger, and red pepper flakes. Simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add leeks, garlic, ginger, 2 tbsp of soy sauce, and 2 tbsp of water. Stir until combined.