Roasted Vegetable Sandwich with Chipotle Mayonnaise Recipe-Revisited

Witten by sandy on August 29, 2010 in Light and Healthy, Main Dishes, Uncategorized, Vegetarian Dishes

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Ok, I admit it.  I’m a girl who loves her bacon sandwiches.  BLT’s, turkey clubs and, of course, guacamole bacon sandwiches.  Who would have guessed that I would be the one to crave a roasted vegetable sandwich with chipotle mayonnaise?  No bacon.
Vegetable sandwiches have become my obsession this summer. I just had the most delicious tomato sandwich in San Jose.  The tomatoes were sweet and juicy; without a hint of acid.  They must have been picked minutes before becoming a sandwich.  I’ve been craving them ever since.  The only thing that would have made them better was my Chipotle Mayonnaise recipe. So, I decided to update my Roasted Vegetable Sandwich with Chipotle Mayonnaise post for everyone who is buried under a mountain of late summer vegetables.  Who said zucchinni?

They key to a great veggie sandwich is in the spread or pesto.  So, to update my earlier post, I’ve included my recipe for spinach pesto as well as the Chipotle Mayonnaise recipe.  Either one is terrific with the veggies or, you can use them both.  A balsamic reduction drizzled over the vegetables can be nice if you like a little sweetness on your vegetables.  Tomatoes, especially.

This is still the best method for grilling the veggies, just be sure to not to over cook them.  Take advantage of their freshness by keeping them al dente.

Roasted Vegetable Sandwich with Chipotle Mayonnaise

1 tablespoon of chipotles in adobo, finely minced

1/2 cup mayonnaise

4 Ciabatta rolls

2 japanese eggplants

2 zucchini

2 red bell peppers, the bottled type will do just fine

canola oil

1 bunch spinach

8 oz queso panela or fresh mozzarella cheese

1 tablespoon dried Mexican oregano

salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

Directions for Vegetable Sandwich with Chipotle Mayonnaise

Mince chipotle pepper and mix it into the mayonnaise.  Let the chipotle mayonnaise chill in the refrigerator to blend the flavors together while you prepare the rest of the sandwich.

Slice the eggplant and zucchini lengthwise into long, 1/4 inch slices (a mandolin works well for this) .  Cut off the stem of the red pepper, cut into quarters and remove the seeds.

Very lightly oil veggies with canola oil (save on calories by wiping off the excess oil, you will taste the real freshness of the vegetable if it is not covered in oil).

Place veggies on a medium high grill (a grill pan works great and isn’t as messy) and cook long enough for grill marks, but still al dente.  Salt after they are taken off the grill so that they don’t let off too much of their juices.  Remember, you want to keep the fresh crispness of the vegetable.

Dice the eggplant.  Remove the skin of the red pepper if desired.

Cut rolls in half and toast lightly on the grill.

Spread chipotle mayonnaise on the bread and layer the vegetables; zucchini, then diced eggplant, red pepper and cheese.

Warm the cheese quickly on the grill and season with a little Mexican oregano and salt and pepper.

Top it off with fresh spinach and enjoy the summertime while you can!

Wilted Spinach Salad Pesto

2 1/2 cups leftover spinach greens

3 cloves garlic

1/4 cup walnuts, toasted

1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly cracked

1/2 to 2/3 cups olive oil

Put spinach, garlic, walnuts, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times.  Drizzle olive oil into food processor while pulsing until you reach the desired consistency.

I love to make pesto with unusual ingredients.  It’s a great way to top sandwiches, pastas or cheesy dips.  I’m inspired by these creative pestos and chipotle mayonnaises:

omemade Chipotle Mayonnaise-Confections of a Foodie Bride

Cowboy Steak w/Chipotle Mayonnaise- Lobel’s Prime Time Grilling-Serious Eats

Chipotle Mayonnaise in a Wrap-Culinary in the Desert Country!

Mexican Hot Dogs w/ Pineapple Salsa and Chipotle Mayonnaise- Homesick Texan

– posted by Sandy

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A New Classic Zucchini Recipe: Summer’s Bounty Charred Salsa Verde

Witten by Donna on August 9, 2010 in Light and Healthy, Party Food and Snacks

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I think you’ll agree with me that a human being can only eat so much sauteed zucchini.

With gardens overflowing with zukes and several of my neighbors anonymously leaving some large squashes at my doorstep and then running before I could catch them, I decided to char the zukes on the grill and blend up some salsa verde. I found that the mildness of the squashes paired well with the strong flavors I love in salsa verde.

Move over, zucchini bread! Here’s a new must-make zucchini classic recipe when your garden is overflowing with huge green squashes!

Continue Reading…

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Spice Up Grilled Chicken with this Pollo Asado Taco Recipe

Witten by sandy on August 3, 2010 in Light and Healthy, Main Dishes, Southwest Pantry, Uncategorized

Me?  Grill outside in Arizona… in July?  Are you kidding?  No way!  These Pollo Asado Tacos are one of my brother’s BBQ specialties.  He was nice enough to fight the Arizona heat and  fire up the grill to cook his famous Chicken Tacos and show us how Southwest grilling is really done.  His marinade adds just the right amount of citrus and chile to turn the chicken into a light and summery dish with just a little kick.

He even introduced me to a new chile that I didn’t even know existed.  While making a batch of quacamole, we realized that there was only one jalapeno!  How is that possible?  Not to worry, my sister-in-law pulled out a packet of tiny little chiles from her pantry.  Chile Tepin or Chiltepin. These cute, little chiles have just become my favorite pantry item.  The chiles are dried and easy to keep on hand.  They are tiny so that you can choose just the right amount of heat to add to your dish.  You won’t have half of a chile leftover to liquify in your refrigerator.  And, more importantly, they are one of the official chiles of Yucatan.  These chiles are like keeping a Cancun vacation in your cupboard!  O.K.  Maybe not.  But I can dream, can’t I?

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“Creamy” Gazpacho with a Southwest Kick – Avocado Meets Tomatoes in this Zesty Version of a Classic Soup

Witten by Donna on July 20, 2010 in First Courses, Light and Healthy, Vegetarian Dishes

Creamy Southwest Gazpacho
“Creamy” Southwest Gazpacho

For some reason, I am obsessed with cool summer soups lately. I decided to try making the ultimate cool refreshing summer soup: Gazpacho! – with a southwest twist. Many cooks describe gazpacho as a  “liquid salad,” and  likewise mine could be labeled “liquid salsa.”

I decided to throw in an avocado to try for a “creamy” texture. It worked great and tasted smooth and delicious, but the color was very muddy. I added a small can of tomato paste for color. Result: creaminess with a deep red color! Perfecto! Continue Reading…

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Make Your Own Southwest Spiced Chips

Witten by Donna on July 12, 2010 in Party Food and Snacks, Southwest Pantry

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Home-made Southwest Spiced Chips

I love those “gourmet” chips they sell at the grocery stores these days, but the problem is that for a little sprinkle of, say, chipotle powder, they charge you 2 or 3 times the price of regular old potato chips.

So, I decided to experiment with my own spiced chips.

This is so incredibly simple that you’ll be making your own spiced chips in no time!

THIS IS THE ENTIRE RECIPE. NO, REALLY: Spread potato chips on a baking sheet in a single layer. Heat in a 400 degree oven for 2 to 3 minutes, just until chips become oily. Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle with spice mix of choice.

Try one of our three FFF spice blends, or whip up your own. Chef Bobby Flay has a fabulous 16-spice blend, if you’re feeling ambitious. Or, just use a favorite spice from your pantry. I love just plain smoked paprika or cumin. Yum!

Happy Summer Everyone!

– posted by Donna

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