Archives for June 2018

Here’s one for you. It’s a five ingredient sandwich that’s out of this world. I made two of these things last night and they were just perfect. They were also quite filling, which surprised me. If you know me, you know that I like to eat until I’m full, so this matters a lot. Otherwise, this is a great sandwich that you can prepare in no time flat.

The Recipe

This sandwich takes about five minutes to prepare. It’s basically bread, marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese, tomatoes and basil leaves. Of course, there are the incidentals, such as salt, pepper and olive oil, but we all pretty much have those things on hand.

What I really noticed about this sandwich was the marinara sauce. I like the idea of using that with mozzarella because it reminded me of those cheese sticks that you dip in the tomato sauce. I have no idea what they are called, but I’ve eaten them and I liked them. I also like the idea of the tomatoes and the basil, because those two just go together. So really, I enjoyed the entire thing. This is definitely a summertime sandwich that should be enjoyed as the garden begins to bear some fruit. That fruit would be the tomato. The basil will be ready long before the tomatoes are, but that’s fine.

Ingredients

Makes: 2 Sandwiches

6 Tablespoons Marinara Sauce
4 Slices Multi-Grain Bread
2 Ounces Mozzarella Cheese
1 Large Tomato, Sliced into 6 Slices
6 Large Basil Leaves
Ground Black Pepper
Salt
Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

Step-by-Step Instructions

I’d like to thank MyRecipes for this recipe. I came across this one online and knew I had to make it. It turned out wonderfully, so thank you again.

Assemble the Sandwich

Place two pieces of bread down on your counter top. Then, add three tablespoons of marinara to each. After that, divide the mozzarella cheese between each (I used big slabs of cheese) and then do the same with the tomato slices. Sprinkle a pinch of salt over the tomatoes and then sprinkle some pepper over them as well. Finally, top each sandwich with basil leaves and then add the other two pieces of bread over that. You should have two completed sandwiches.

Melt the Cheese

Warm a large skillet over medium heat. Add one tablespoon of oil to the skillet and when it’s to temperature, add both sandwiches to the pan. Let the sandwiches cook for just a few minutes and be sure to swirl the oil around as well. Be sure not to burn the bread, so peek underneath every so often.

Drizzle some more oil over the bread on top of the sandwich. When it’s time, carefully flip the sandwiches over and allow them to cook for a few more minutes, until those pieces of bread are nicely browned. When finished, turn off the heat and remove the sandwiches from the pan. Slice them in half and enjoy.

The Final Margherita Sandwiches

This was an easy one. We’re actually going to eat these again tonight, since we still have all the ingredients on hand. I could probably eat these every night for the rest of my life. If you decide to give this recipe a try, please let me know how things turned out in the comment section down below. Thanks for reading!

Today’s recipe is for a very nice, yet simple, roasted red pepper hummus sandwich that you can put pretty much anything on. I chose to go with cucumbers and tomatoes, but I’ve seen the same sandwich with sprouts, lettuce and chard on top. It’s up to you.

The Recipe

The real star of this sandwich is the hummus. It consists of chick peas and one entire roasted red pepper, all blended up in a food processor. Of course, there are the typical ingredients to go into hummus, such as garlic, salt, pepper and sesame seeds, but I decided to do a few things differently with this one. Instead of preparing a batch of tahini beforehand to include while making the hummus, I chose to add the tahini ingredients right into the processor while I was making the hummus. I wanted a more rugged texture, but was surprised when I didn’t feel any whole seeds in the mixture at all. Apparently, what I engaged in was just a faster method of making hummus. It’s good though. I’ll tell you that. The red pepper adds a little something to it and it gives the hummus a nice pink color.

Ingredients

Makes: 4 Sandwiches

For the Hummus

2 15-Ounce Cans Garbanzo Beans, Drained and Rinsed
1 Whole Jarred Roasted Red Pepper
1 Teaspoon Garlic, Minced (1 Clove)
3 Tablespoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
1 Cup Sesame Seeds

For the Sandwich

8 Thick Pieces Good Italian Bread, Toasted
4 Slices Muenster Cheese
1 Thick Cucumber, Sliced
1 Large Tomato, Sliced, At Least 4 Slices
Mayonnaise

Step-by-Step Instructions

I’d like to thank Delish for this recipe. Over on their website, this one is called a “Hum Yum,” which sounds just perfect. I think the name has something to do with what the author did as a child. Anyway, it’s a great recipe and I thank Delish for it very much.

Make the Hummus

Add the hummus ingredients from above to a food processor. Process the ingredients until they are smooth. I would say to keep the machine going for about a minute or so. You may need to scrape down the sides every so often, just to make sure you got everything. Your result should look like this:

This is the normal consistency for any type of hummus. If you need it to be a bit looser, increase the amounts of the oil and lemon juice bit by bit and continue processing.

Assemble the Sandwich

Spread mayo over the top pieces of bread. Then, add a liberal amount of hummus to the bottom pieces. In between, pile on the muenster cheese, cucumber slices and tomatoes. Put the sandwich together.

Then, cut the sandwiches in half and serve. Enjoy!

The Final Roasted Red Pepper Hummus Sandwich

This was such an easy sandwich to build. I encourage you to make double the amount of hummus because it’s perfect in salads as well. You can use it for anything and it’ll keep for a few days in the refrigerator. If you decide to put this recipe together, please let me know your thoughts in the comment section down below. Thanks for reading!

Now this, my friends, is the big daddy of the sandwiches I’ll be making, or have made, this week. The others were good and I enjoyed them a lot, but they weren’t anything compared to the size and complexity of what I’ll share below. This is the one you’ll want to make.

The Recipe

This recipe comes in two parts. First is the olive tapenade and the second is the rest of the sandwich. The olive tapenade is a recipe unto itself, but I decided to just add it here. If I ever feel the need to separate it out later on, I’ll write another post for it. Regarding the sandwich, this thing is huge. It requires a full loaf of Italian bread, an entire eggplant, roasted red peppers, fresh chard, artichoke hearts and provolone. There are a few more ingredients, but I’ll list them below. I’d say the sandwich focuses on flavor nuances. There’s a lot of flavor in it and while many areas can stand on their own, they’re simply fantastic when combined.

Ingredients

Makes: 1 Full Loaf Sandwich (Serves 4)

For the Olive Tapenade

2 1/2 Cups Mixed Green, Black, Kalamata Olives
2 Teaspoons Garlic, Minced
2 Tablespoons Capers, Drained
2 Tablespoons Sun Dried Tomatoes in Oil, Drained
1 Teaspoon Dried Oregano
1 Teaspoon Dried Basil
1/4 Cup Fresh Parsley, Chopped
1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
1/4 Cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
1 Tablespoon Red Wine Vinegar

For the Sandwich

1 Jar Roasted Red Peppers, Sliced
1 Large Eggplant
1 Large Loaf Italian Bread
3 Tablespoons Pepperoncini, Minced
1 Can Artichoke Heart Quarters, Drained
4 Large Chard Leaves, Trimmed From Stem
3 Slices Provolone Cheese
Salt
Ground Black Pepper
Regular Olive Oil

Step-by-Step Instructions

I’d like to thank Vanilla and Bean for this recipe. They did a great job laying out the instructions and their post was chock full of really nice photos, so thank you!

Pre-Heat Oven

Arrange one of your oven racks so it’s in the center position and the other one is above that. Then, pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees.

Prepare the Tapenade

Add all of the tapenade ingredients from above to a food processor.

Pulse the processor a few times to break down the ingredients. A word of warning here; the more you process the ingredients, the smoother your result will be. Since I wanted things to be more coarse, I only pulsed the processor about five times. You can make this any way you wish though. Here’s the result I got after processing.

When it’s finished, transfer the tapenade from the food processor to a medium sized bowl.

Set the bowl aside for later use.

Roast the Eggplant

Trim the ends from the eggplant. Then, cut it lengthwise in 1/4 inch slices. Add about one tablespoon of olive oil to a large baking sheet and spread that oil out liberally. Then, place each slice of eggplant on the tray. Finally, sprinkle some salt lightly across the surfaces of the eggplant and let them sit for 15 minutes.

When the oven is warmed to temperature, place the baking sheet on the center rack for about ten minutes. Then, remove the tray from the oven, flip the eggplant slices and let them roast for another ten minutes. After the slices have softened and thinned slightly, remove the tray from the oven and turn off the heat.

Toast the Loaf

Cut the loaf of Italian bread lengthwise. Then, dig out a good portion of the white interior from both sides so the loaf is somewhat hollowed out. After that, place the pieces of bread on the top rack in the oven for about two minutes or so. Just long enough to give the bread some light crunch. You can do this while the eggplant is roasting. That’s why I suggested you keep both racks in the oven.

Assemble the Sandwich

Divide the tapenade between the two pieces of toasted bread and spread it out over both interior surfaces. Then, stack the ingredients on the bottom piece of bread in this order: half of the eggplant slices, artichoke hearts, roasted red pepper slices, the remaining eggplant, some salt and pepper to taste, the minced pepperoncini, the fresh chard and finally, the slices of provolone. When finished, place the top piece of bread over everything and press it down firmly with your hands.

Slice the giant sandwich any way you’d like and serve. Enjoy!

The Final Eggplant & Roasted Red Bell Pepper Sandwich

I told you this one was a monster. We ate part of this last night for dinner and I have to tell you that I was quite pleased with myself. This is a good one that I’ll be making again in the future. If you decide to give this sandwich a try, please let me know your thoughts in the comment section down below. Thanks for reading!

I told you I was on the sandwich train. In this group of recipes, I believe there are four in all, with some olive tapenade thrown in for good measure. If you’re into incredible tasting veggie sandwiches, I think you’ll love all of these I share this month.

The Recipe

Today’s sandwich is much like yesterday’s. There are a few differences though and those differences are important. First, this is a cold sandwich, so there’s no cooking involved. In yesterday’s post, I mentioned that the warmth is what brought the flavors of the vegetables out. Well, with today’s recipe, that’s accomplished a slightly different way. Each of the three different types of veggie is marinaded in a really great vinaigrette. Also, this recipe uses spinach and mozzarella, as opposed to mushrooms and provolone. Overall, it’s a completely different sandwich, but there are definite similarities. Both are great.

Ingredients

Makes: 2 Sandwiches

For the Vinaigrette

1 Tablespoon Red Wine Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 Small Shallot, Minced
1/2 Teaspoon Dried Thyme
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper

For the Sandwich

2 Full Roasted Red Peppers, Sliced
10 Canned Artichoke Heart Quarters
1/4 Cup Baby Spinach Leaves
4 Thick Slices of Rustic Italian Bread, Toasted
2 Tablespoons Basil Pesto
2 Tablespoons Mayo
1/4 Pound Mozzarella Cheese, Sliced

Step-by-Step Instructions

I’d like to thank Delish for this wonderful sandwich recipe. While I did change things up somewhat, they certainly were my inspiration.

Prepare the Marinade

In a medium sized bowl, combine all the vinaigrette ingredients from above. Whisk these ingredients together well.

Marinade the Veggies

Next, divide the red pepper slices, artichokes and spinach between three medium sized bowls. Then, divide the vinaigrette between those same bowls and mix the vinaigrette into the vegetables until everything is coated well. The photos below were taken before I added the vinaigrette.

Assemble the Sandwiches

First, mix the pesto together with the mayo in a small bowl. Then, spread the mixture on one side of each piece of toasted bread. After that, stack the ingredients on two pieces of bread in this order; first the spinach, then the red pepper, then the mozzarella cheese and finally the artichoke.

The Final Veggie Sandwiches

You can either slice these sandwiches in half or not. Since I chose not to for the previous sandwich, I decided to for this one. Either way is great and so is this recipe. If you decide to try these sandwiches out, please let me know your thoughts in the comment section below. Thanks for reading!