30 Minute Italian Subs with Peppers and Onions

I've been a vegetarian for over 10 years now. In that time, I've seen (& eaten!) vegan meat substitutes that are exponentially better than the joyless soy crumbles of yesteryear. So when I came across Sam Sifton's recipe for Italian sausage subs in the No-Recipe Recipes cookbook, I knew I'd have no trouble finding some vegan sausage to substitute.

The unique thing about the No-Recipe Recipes cookbook is that Sam, founding editor of New York Times Cooking, doesn't provide any measurements and very bare bones instructions. Sam is a big believer that everyone can learn to cook instinctually and his recipes are designed to inspire improvisation and, eventually, the confidence to leave cookbooks and recipes behind entirely. I'm not quite there yet, and I must profess my love for my ever-growing cookbook collection, so for now I'll stick to using recipes, whether or not they have measurements. 

(Vegetarian) Italian Subs with Peppers and Onions

Ingredients

1 good-sized yellow onion, diced

~5 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tbsp red pepper flakes (to your taste) 

2 medium bell peppers, sliced into strips

4 sausages, meat substitute or regular

4 sub sandwich rolls

1 cup mozzarella cheese

Steps

1. Place 2 skillets on medium heat and gurgle olive oil onto both of them. Add your diced onions to the smaller pan and season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Stir occasionally as the onions begin to brown, and keep covered when not stirring. 
2. Meanwhile, add your sausages to the other pan and turn often to ensure an even brown on all sides. When the onions have softened, add the bell peppers and continue stirring occasionally. 
3. When vegetables and sausages are cooked to your liking, split the sub rolls open and either press the bread on the inside down or pull some of it out to create enough space.
4. Add the onions and bell peppers first, then the sausage. Top with mozzarella (I stuffed some of the mozzarella inside the bread to double-down on the cheese) and slide under the broiler for ~3 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bread is lightly toasted. Enjoy!

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