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:
I have come up with my very own fabulous frugal food tip! I made a pesto recipe out of a wilted spinach salad. I think it is a rather brilliant way to stretch the delicious spinach salad recipe with strawberries, goat cheese and candied walnuts into another dish. Bruschetta!
I was so disappointed when I went to the refrigerator to get some left over salad for lunch and realized that I had dressed all of the spinach the night before and now, it was wilted. The spinach, goat cheese and strawberry combo from the day before (don’t forget the walnuts) sounded so good to me that I just had to figure out a way to finish them off. I decided that if pesto is made by just chopping up basil and smothering it in oil anyway, why not start out with spinach that was dressed in olive oil already?
I’m not usually a “salad for dinner” kind of girl. But when summer hits full boil here in Phoenix, salad recipes are all I can think about. Salads are quick, easy and there are no rules to follow; you just throw in what ever sounds good at the time. This Strawberry and Goat Cheese Salad with Candied Walnuts is not only what sounds good this time, but it’s all I have this time.
Apparently, I didn’t do that great of a job shopping before I went into the hospital for knee surgery. I found a strange collection of ingredients in the fridge when I got home: left over pizza, dried out chicken nuggets and really smelly chinese food. All signs that my family survived any way they could… by eating take-out. The big bag of salad greens I purchased is still sitting there, looking a little sad. I must have been under the influence of pre-surgery medication when I bought it. I had these images of my husband sitting around, munching on salad and marveling at its crisp, summery, freshness while I was in the hospital eating reconstituted beef bullion and rubberized pork chops.
However, there is a big patch of really fresh strawberries in the fridge that wasn’t there before. He probably picked them up at the grocery store on one of his “emergency runs” for ice cream (the evidence is in the trash can). So, I mixed the strawberries and bag of greens with creamy goat cheese from the fridge (every Southwest cook has goat cheese in the fridge) and candied walnuts from the pantry for a fresh summery salad that made me feel so happy to be home.
I’m always looking for recipes to use grilled fresh vegetables in. My friend, Lisa, has a fresh supply of vegetables right in her own garden! She makes me so jealous. Lisa uses environment friendly techniques to maintain her garden. Right now, she has an incredible harvest of fresh spinach, tomatoes and even japanese eggplant that are just waiting to be picked. That inspired me to dust off the grill and test it out for the spring barbecuing season. Spring goes by pretty quickly around here so, you have to move fast before it gets too hot!
To my mind, just about any veggie is better on the grill. I happened to use japanese eggplant, zucchini, and red bell pepper. For the fresh greens, I used spinach. Try it on your sandwiches it adds a lot of flavor and more nutrition than just plain lettuce. Maybe you can sneak it by your kids, no one said you have to tell them it is spinach.
I haven’t joined the Meatless Monday movement yet, I’m easing into it slowly. This recipe for guacamole tostados is an easy way to get started. It’s delicious and you won’t even miss the meat.
I just took a cooking class with one of Phoenix’s top chefs, Silvana Salcido Esparza, chef-owner of the Barrio Cafe. The Barrio is one of the best modern Mexican restaurants ever. Along with preparing a fantastic menu with new twists on great Mexican food, she shared her tips for the Barrio’s guacamole. Her guacamole is so good, it has been featured in several magazines including Vanity Fair!
Now, I know what you’re thinking.
“Guacamole is guacamole. It can’t be that different.”
That’s what you think right now. Just wait until you try guacamole from the Barrio!
All the talk about guacamole reminded me of how much I love guacamole tostados. They are hard to find on the menus of chain restaurants. I guess they’re an Arizona thing just like cheese crisps, chimichangas and green corn tamales. When you do find them, they are usually covered in refried beans (which is great if you like beans but, we all know how I feel about beans). I did add them to mine today, though, for Meatless Monday. I like Donna’s Black Bean Puree because the enchilada sauce and the salsa add a great flavor.
Now, the key to a perfect guacamole tostada is, of coarse, the guacamole. Here are Chef Esparza’s tips for the best guacamole:
You’ll have to wait to see what her secret ingredient is!
