Chili-Coffee Rubbed Seitan Sandwiches!

So there's this sandwich idea that's been floating around in my little foodie head for a while now. The dream sandwich of which I write is my Chili-Coffee Rubbed Seitan Sandwich.
This is exciting because I have felt in a little bit of a creative slump with all the cookbook testing I have been doing...lots of cooking, almost none of it my own recipes! I'm not complaining, of course, I 'm just sayin. So this recipe finally came to fruition last week! And it was everything I wanted it to be. And more. I had been playing around with the idea of a chili-coffee rub for seitan, and it just screamed messy, delicious sandwich to me. And that's what I did! It turned out soooo well! You just have to try it! The smoky, savory quality of the dry rub is balanced out perfectly by the spicy, tart quality of the Raspberry Chipotle Sauce, creamy avocado, and sweetness of the caramelized onions. zomg you guys. zomg.Chili-Coffee Rubbed Seitan Sandwiches (serves 4)
For the seitan:
1 lb seitan, thinly sliced (I used my homemade seitan, but use whatever kind you like.)
2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbs red wine vinegar
1 Tbs soy sauce
1/4 cup coffee grounds (freshly-ground is best)
2 Tbs brown sugar
1 Tbs chili powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp paprika
pinch or two of cayenne

In a large bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients, except the seitan, until well mixed. Add the sliced seitan in the mixture and toss with mixture to coat completely. Let marinate for 4-6 hours or overnight. When preparing to use, heat a large cast iron (or your favorite) skillet over medium heat. Lightly coat with canola oil or non-stick spray. Add the seitan and any remaining marinade to the heated pan, making seitan is in a single, even layer. Cook for 5 minutes without stirring or turning the seitan. Flip the seitan and cook for 5 more minutes, until the marinade has mostly reduced. Turn off heat and cover until ready to use.

For the Raspberry Chipotle Sauce:
1/2 cup vegan mayo
1 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs red wine vinegar
1 Tbs dijon mustard
1 cup raspberries (thawed if using frozen)
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
3-4 chipotle peppers, in adobo sauce
1 tsp dried thyme
2 Tbs maple syrup
dash or two of hot sauce, to taste

In a food processor or blender, puree all of the ingredients together until well mixed. Refrigerate until ready to use.

For the caramelized onions:
Cut 1 red onion in half and thinly slice. Saute onion slices in 1 Tbs canola oil, over medium heat, until lightly browned and caramelized. Set aside until ready to use.

To assemble the sandwiches:
4 hamburger buns or ciabatta rolls, split and toasted if desired
1 ripe avocado, sliced
1 batch caramelized red onions
2 cups spinach or mixed greens
1 recipe Raspberry Chipotle Sauce
1 recipe Chili-Coffee Rubbed Seitan

Open bun or roll so both insides are face up. Slather each inside with Raspberry Chipotle Sauce. Mound 1/4 of the seitan on the bottom bun. Pile caramelized onions, sliced avocado, and spinach on top of the seitan. Top with the other bun half. Repeat with other three buns until all the seitan is used. Serve hot!

One of the best parts of this creation was that I used homemade buns!! These were my first homemade bun attempt, and they were great! I used Melisser's Cornbread Burger Buns. Soooo sweet and savory and good.
Aaaaaand I served these messy guys up with Sweet Potato Oven Fries and slices of my momma's homegrown tomatoes!! Yipee!

It was truly a party in my tummy! And mouth!