Pile on the Veggies: Grilled Vegetable Sandwiches

Dave and I are really digging these grilled vegetable sandwiches lately. I’ve made them a couple times and they’re definitely going to be a regular item at our house this summer, especially since we finally have a new grill – a real one, not a tiny, travel-size grill like we’ve been using for the past few years.

I got the recipe from Cooking Light magazine. It’s so simple, you hardly need a recipe, but I guess the idea has to come from somewhere. I have to say, I don’t do a good job of sticking to the recommended portion size, plus I make my own vinaigrette instead of using bottled salad dressing. So, my version of the recipe may not be all that light compared to the original.

You can do the vegetables on a grill pan on the stovetop or on the outdoor grill with a perforated grill pan or basket (so you don’t lose all the vegetable slices). For variations, I’d try grilling bell pepper, eggplant, or portabellas.

Overstuffed Grilled Vegetable Sandwiches  PRINTABLE RECIPE

1 cup sliced yellow squash
1 cup sliced zucchini
6 (1/4-inch-thick) slices red onion
cooking oil spray
1 cup grape or mini pearl tomatoes – halved
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp finely chopped red onion
2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
kosher salt & fresh ground black pepper – to taste
1 loaf (16 oz) French bread – halved lengthwise
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 cup (about 4 oz) crumbled feta cheese

1. Preheat the grill to about 350°.

2. Lightly spray squash and onion slices (both sides) with cooking oil. Place the vegetables on the grill pan and grill for 4 minutes on each side or until crisp-tender and beginning to brown.

3. Meanwhile, place the tomatoes in a large bowl. Add olive oil, vinegar, chopped onion, basil, salt & pepper, and toss to coat.

4. Add the grilled vegetables to tomatoes and toss well.

5. Brush cut sides of the bread with a little olive oil. Grill bread 1 minute on each side or until lightly toasted.

6. Spoon vegetable mixture over bottom half of bread. Sprinkle with the cheese. Top with the other bread half and press down lightly. Cut crosswise into 6 sandwiches.

Another Sandwich: Tuna & Artichokes

It’s been quite a week! In fact, I just got back from the chiropractor where I had some massage therapy and adjustments done to get rid of this horrible pain in my neck. Though there’s still something kind of nagging there, the pain is pretty much gone. Even so, I’m not really up for getting out the pots and pans or firing up the stove tonight. And I think I’ll have to get my husband to uncork the wine bottle. I wouldn’t want to tweak anything, you know, and start all over again with the neck pain. I guess I’m still in sandwich mode.

I love a nice basic tuna salad sandwich. Even better is a tuna melt with tomato. And even better than that is tuna with artichokes and olive puree. I can’t remember where this recipe came from. Maybe some Food Network show? (I love food TV by the way, but I’ll save that topic for another day.) Anyway, who knew canned tuna could be so great?

This isn’t quite as quick and easy as I’d like for the mood I’m in. I might end up with just the basic tuna sandwich tonight, or maybe just the wine, but here’s the recipe in case you’re a little more motivated than I this weekend.

Tuna & Artichokes on Ciabatta  PRINTABLE RECIPE

3/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves
1 tsp lemon zest (mmm… lemon!)
1/4 cup mayonnaise
12 oz canned tuna (2 small cans) – drained
12 oz jar marinated artichokes – drained & chopped
1 tsp fresh lemon juice (mmm… lemon!)
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 Ciabatta loaf (about 16 oz) or other Italian bread – cut into top & bottom halves
1 large tomato – diced

1. In a food processor, puree olives, oil, garlic, and lemon zest until smooth. Blend in mayonnaise. Set aside
2. In a bowl, toss together tuna, artichokes, lemon juice, and pepper.
3. Hollow out both the top and bottom halves of the bread. Spread olive puree over both cut sides.
4. Spoon tuna and artichoke mixture into the bottom half of the bread. Sprinkle with the tomatoes and top with the other half of the bread. Cut into 6 pieces and serve.

Just a Sandwich: Parsley Cheese Sandwiches

I haven’t been in my usual cooking mode this week. Maybe I’m a little off because of the long holiday weekend we just had. Plus, the bright summer-like days here in Portland are distracting. This is the time for easy salads and sandwiches. When it comes to sandwiches, I’d like to tell you that I don’t miss the meat at all, but that would not be true. I love pastrami on rye or a good Reuben, and I definitely haven’t found a meatless version that measures up (and yes, I’ve tried).

Fortunately, there are plenty of good non-meat sandwiches. There’s grilled cheese of course – some good cheese, quality bread and you’ve got a great sandwich. Plus, there are so many ways to change it up: olive tapenade, basil, tomato, apple, nuts, onion, pesto, pepperoncini, and of course, there are all kinds of cheese. With a little imagination, the possibilities are endless. I even thought of a few new ideas just now that I’m going to have to try – how about bleu cheese, hazelnuts, and red onion?

The BLT is another good one. Veggie ”bacon” works well for this sandwich and I truly don’t miss having the real stuff on my BLT. Again, you can play around with this sandwich by adding extras like those above or avocado (I know, that’s an obvious one), aioli, good mustard, or I like red wine vinaigrette with shallots.

I also really enjoy hummus and cucumber sandwiches. You can make your own hummus or pick up some pre-made stuff – I’m sure you’ve seen the extensive selection at the grocery store with roasted peppers, garlic, olives and other additions. Many of them are quite good.

Another one of my favorites is a parsley cheese sandwich. It’s just a little different than your everyday deli sandwich, and I thought you might like to try it. The cheese is very rich, but the parsley is fresh and bright. I still pile on the greens though, and serve it with a cucumber-tomato salad to counter the richness.

Parsley Cheese Sandwiches  PRINTABLE RECIPE
(makes 6 sandwiches)

2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp water
2 cups (8 oz) grated Gruyère or Emmenthaler cheese
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 shallots - finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
12 slices crusty bread or 6 crusty rolls
baby greens or lettuce and/or tomato slices

1. Whisk together vinegar and mustard. Add oil and water, and whisk until well combined. Stir in cheese, parsley, and shallots.

2. Spoon 1/3 cup cheese mixture onto a slice of bread. Garnish with greens, lettuce, and tomato as desired, and top with another bread slice.

Enjoy, and I hope you have a happy, sunny weekend!

Sometimes, A Piece of Meat... Rosemary Roast Pork Sandwiches Au Jus

I’m not much of a meat eater for various reasons, and I very rarely cook it anymore. My husband, Dave, is fine with that, but he recently pointed out some meatful dishes that sounded good to him, and one of them appealed to me too, so last night we made Rosemary Roast Pork Sandwiches. Other than scalding my hand during the preparation, it was a great success. The kids did not partake, yet every last morsel of what was supposed to be six servings of pork, was consumed!

The original recipe can be found at Cooking Light or, with my very minor alterations, below. Dave added melted provolone to his. I added horseradish – fabulous! You can spoon some jus over the meat or dip the sandwich as you eat.

Note: Please be careful, after removing the skillet from the oven, not to grab the hot handle with your bare hand! This causes hours of throbbing pain; assistance is required to finish cooking; brushing teeth is difficult; it's a challenge to take care of a sick daughter and change her bedding; and even falling asleep is hard to do. Enjoying this sandwich however, is still totally doable.

Rosemary Roast Pork Sandwiches Au Jus  PRINTABLE RECIPE

2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1 garlic clove - minced
1 tsp olive oil
1 Lb pork tenderloin, trimmed
2 tsp olive oil
14 oz canned beef broth
1/4 cup dry sherry
1 Tbsp tomato paste
6 small sourdough sandwich rolls

1. Preheat oven to 400°.

2. Combine pepper, rosemary, salt, garlic, and 1 tsp oil in a small bowl. Rub mixture all over pork and let stand 15 minutes.

3. Heat remaining 2 tsp of oil in a large oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork and cook 4 minutes, browning on all sides.

4. Place skillet in pre-heated oven and bake 10 minutes or until a meat thermometer registers 160° (slightly pink). Let stand 5 minutes. (At this point, if you've burned your hand, your husband or partner can take over while you hold your hand under cold, running water.) Remove pork from pan and cut diagonally across the grain into 12 slices.

5. Return pan to medium-high heat, and add broth, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add sherry and tomato paste, and stir with a whisk. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes.

6. Assemble sandwiches – two slices of pork for each roll – and serve with jus.