vegetarian substitute for ham?

[AutumnWind]

I had a wonderful lunch recently at a cafe that's part of a farm and apple orchard: It was a thick round slice of fresh apple, a thick slice of fresh ham, and some melted swiss cheese on a piece of really good homemade bread. With honey mustard. It was actually really filling (sort of an 'open faced' sandwhich). I'm thinking I could serve that with a new recipe I've been doing for baked sweet potato french fries (with maple syrup to dip them in). I think those 2 things would go together really well.

But, I have lots of vegetarians in my family, and I'm wondering if there's any vegetarian "ham" on the market that would work on this sandwhich?

[darlindeliasmom]

I posted about this stuff on the "fake meat products " thread. It is my secret shame

Yves Canadian bacon. It's about the size of deli meat, and has that sweetness/smokiness of ham. It would go great in this sandwich, tho' I would substitute another cheese for the Swiss (I just hate Swiss cheese!).

[StarMama]

Sweet potato fries? With maple syrup? Oh pllllllease point me in the direction of such a recipe!!! aw comeon, where is the smiley when you need it? :LOL

[AutumnWind]

D's mom - thank you! I'm going to look for that in the organic section of my grocery store. What cheese do you think would go well? I don't love swiss much either. I'm thinking a very sharp white cheddar?

LL - you're right - these fries are yummy. Here's the recipe.

Roasted Sweet Potato Fries:

2 tbsp olive oil
coarse salt & fresh ground black pepper
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1.5 pounds sweet potatoes, scrubbed, and cut into fries
(real maple syrup to dip them in)

Preheat oven to 450* F.

In small bowl, whisk oil, butter, salt, pepper to taste.

On an oiled baking sheet, arrange the potato slices, not touching, in rows. Brush potatoes with the oil mixture, and roast them in the upper 1/3 of a preheated 450* oven, turning them once halfway through. Cook 18-22 minutes, or till golden and crisp.

I cook these for less time, and even turn the oven down, cause my oven is really hot. When I first made them I cut them thin, but now I cut them thicker. You'll find your own groove with that. I also peel them for the baby, cause he likes them better peeled.

My 17 month old LOVES these!!! I serve them to him in a dish that suctions to his high chair tray, with a little plastic shot glass of maple syrup for dipping. And my husband loves these too. They are so easy and are a big hit.

[AutumnWind]

And D's mom - I looked for the fake meat thread & can't find it. Is it still around?

[darlindeliasmom]

yeah, the thread is here; I saw it this a.m. I'll find the title and add it here.
(I bumped it up to top of page here)
The fries sound wonderful! DD loves sweet potatoes; I'm gonna try this!

I would use cheddar, but some people says it doesn't melt very well; I think the better it is, the drier...some guy at a cheese shop told me that once...

[EmeraldStar8]

yummy I'll defnately make these aswell as my potato fries.

[AutumnWind]

Emerald, how do you make your potato fries? ag

darlindeliasmom, thank you so much for bumping that up for me!

I'm gonna start a new thread about french fries - see you there.