I love sandwiches, especially when I have a fridge stocked full of fresh vegetables. You can vary this sandwich any way you like- add new ingredients, change the bread…the options are endless. I’ve used wheat bread, added avocado, added caramelized onions…whatever you like. The original is really good too!
INGREDIENTS
8 (1/2-inch-thick) eggplant slices
Olive oil
2 cubanelle peppers or 1 large red pepper
4 Slices ciabatta bread
2 tablespoons pesto (you can use refrigerated or make your own- recipes in previous weeks, arugula/basil pesto recipe below)
1 cup baby arugula
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup (2 ounces) soft goat cheese
DIRECTIONS
Preheat broiler and/or Panini Press. Arrange eggplant slices in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet. Brush both sides of eggplant with olive oil. Cut bell pepper in half lengthwise; discard seeds and insides. Arrange bell pepper halves, skin sides up, on baking sheet with eggplant; flatten the peppers with your hand as much as possible.
Broil 4 minutes; turn eggplant over (do not turn bell pepper over). Broil an additional 4 minutes; remove eggplant from pan. Broil bell pepper an additional 7 minutes or until blackened. Place bell pepper in a zip-top plastic bag; seal. Let stand for 15 minutes; when cooled, peel the skin off the pepper. You now have a roasted pepper!
You can broil bread slices for 2 minutes or until lightly browned, turning once. Spread 1 tablespoon pesto on one side of bread. On top of the pesto layer with 2 eggplant slices, 1 bell pepper half, and 2 eggplant slices. Toss arugula with remaining a little olive oil and black pepper; divide arugula mixture among both sandwiches. Layer with top slice of bread. You can eat or press in Panini for additional 3 minutes and then enjoy.
Arugula Pesto:
2 cups packed fresh arugula or basil, 2 cloves garlic, 1/4 cup pine nuts (I like them toasted first), 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided, Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste, 1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino (or Romano or parmesan) cheese
Combine the arugula/basil, garlic, and pine nuts in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add 1/2 cup of the oil and process until fully incorporated and smooth.
Wine Pairing:
This dish would go nicely with an Italian Pinot Grigio or Orvieto (region in Italy known for semi-dry white wines)
This is one of my all-time favorite recipes. I’m not sure why, but the combination of flavors works so well together. I’ve tried it with and without the hot peppers and its great either way. There are variations of this GreekFood.com recipe all over the internet and in cookbooks, which include many different cheese and seasoning options.
INGREDIENTS
4-5 Cubanelle peppers
1/3 pounds of feta cheese
1 tablespoons of olive oil
1 heaping tablespoon of finely chopped parsley
½ small hot pepper (of your choice, jalapeño works well), finely chopped
1/8 teaspoon of salt
1/ teaspoon of pepper
Bread
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 390°F. Cut a cap off the tops of peppers, and scoop out seeds, taking care not to break or tear the pepper. In a bowl, mash the feta with a fork until soft. Add oil, parsley, hot peppers, salt, and pepper and mix until very well combined. Using a small spoon, stuff the cheese mixture into the peppers to 1/2 inch from the top. Press a small piece of bread into the pepper to keep the cheese filling from melting out during cooking. Place the caps back on each pepper. Lay the peppers in a lightly greased or nonstick baking pan and roast for 20 minutes or until they soften.
Fresh tomatoes, garlic, oregano, basil…it’s that magical combination that screams Italian appetizer. This recipe can be prepared in minutes if you have a few tomatoes. It’s best, of course, in the summer months when NJ tomatoes are at their peak. Once you start eating this tomato mix you won’t be able to stop, especially if you are enjoying it with pita chips or the traditional way over toasted bread. You can also use it over grilled fish or chicken. Both basil and oregano work as the herb, but the oregano really adds a great flavor.
INGREDIENTS
2 lbs. fresh tomatoes (roma, heirloom, beefsteak…whatever is in season is best)
1/2 fresh onion
4 cloves fresh garlic
1 bunch fresh basil or oregano, or combination of the two
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Kosher or sea salt and fresh ground pepper
DIRECTIONS
Using a sharp knife, dice the tomatoes as small as you can. Aim for 1/4″ cubes and try to mush or break the tomatoes as little as possible. Next, finely chop the onion and add it into the bowl. If you’re opposed to using raw onions, you can also lightly sauté the chopped onion in a frying pan with a little bit of olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. It adds a sweeter deeper flavor to the bruschetta, and is an excellent variation to this recipe. Next, chop the fresh garlic and add it to the bowl.
Add in some fresh basil or oregano (or both) to taste. There is no “right” amount- just keep adding until desired taste. You can always add more at the end. Add in the extra virgin olive oil, salt, and fresh ground pepper and mix the ingredients thoroughly. If you’ve got the time, let the mixture sit for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
Cut 1/4″ thick slices of fresh Italian bread or baguette and toast them in a toaster, or under the broiler, if you’ve got a big batch. Once the bread is good and toasted, remove it from the oven and use a pastry brush to paint each slice of bread with olive oil. Then, using half a hunk of raw garlic, rub one side of the crusty slices down to impart some delicious garlic flavor directly onto the bread. Finally, pile as much of the bruschetta as possible onto the freshly toasted bread, serve, and enjoy!
Eggplant Sandwiches
Eggplant Sandwiches
I love sandwiches, especially when I have a fridge stocked full of fresh vegetables. You can vary this sandwich any way you like- add new ingredients, change the bread…the options are endless. I’ve used wheat bread, added avocado, added caramelized onions…whatever you like. The original is really good too!
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
Preheat broiler and/or Panini Press. Arrange eggplant slices in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet. Brush both sides of eggplant with olive oil. Cut bell pepper in half lengthwise; discard seeds and insides. Arrange bell pepper halves, skin sides up, on baking sheet with eggplant; flatten the peppers with your hand as much as possible.
Broil 4 minutes; turn eggplant over (do not turn bell pepper over). Broil an additional 4 minutes; remove eggplant from pan. Broil bell pepper an additional 7 minutes or until blackened. Place bell pepper in a zip-top plastic bag; seal. Let stand for 15 minutes; when cooled, peel the skin off the pepper. You now have a roasted pepper!
You can broil bread slices for 2 minutes or until lightly browned, turning once. Spread 1 tablespoon pesto on one side of bread. On top of the pesto layer with 2 eggplant slices, 1 bell pepper half, and 2 eggplant slices. Toss arugula with remaining a little olive oil and black pepper; divide arugula mixture among both sandwiches. Layer with top slice of bread. You can eat or press in Panini for additional 3 minutes and then enjoy.
Arugula Pesto:
2 cups packed fresh arugula or basil, 2 cloves garlic, 1/4 cup pine nuts (I like them toasted first), 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided, Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste, 1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino (or Romano or parmesan) cheese
Combine the arugula/basil, garlic, and pine nuts in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add 1/2 cup of the oil and process until fully incorporated and smooth.
Wine Pairing:
This dish would go nicely with an Italian Pinot Grigio or Orvieto (region in Italy known for semi-dry white wines)
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Feta Stuffed Pepper
Feta Stuffed Pepper
This is one of my all-time favorite recipes. I’m not sure why, but the combination of flavors works so well together. I’ve tried it with and without the hot peppers and its great either way. There are variations of this GreekFood.com recipe all over the internet and in cookbooks, which include many different cheese and seasoning options.
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 390°F. Cut a cap off the tops of peppers, and scoop out seeds, taking care not to break or tear the pepper. In a bowl, mash the feta with a fork until soft. Add oil, parsley, hot peppers, salt, and pepper and mix until very well combined. Using a small spoon, stuff the cheese mixture into the peppers to 1/2 inch from the top. Press a small piece of bread into the pepper to keep the cheese filling from melting out during cooking. Place the caps back on each pepper. Lay the peppers in a lightly greased or nonstick baking pan and roast for 20 minutes or until they soften.
Bruschetta
Bruschetta
Fresh tomatoes, garlic, oregano, basil…it’s that magical combination that screams Italian appetizer. This recipe can be prepared in minutes if you have a few tomatoes. It’s best, of course, in the summer months when NJ tomatoes are at their peak. Once you start eating this tomato mix you won’t be able to stop, especially if you are enjoying it with pita chips or the traditional way over toasted bread. You can also use it over grilled fish or chicken. Both basil and oregano work as the herb, but the oregano really adds a great flavor.
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
Using a sharp knife, dice the tomatoes as small as you can. Aim for 1/4″ cubes and try to mush or break the tomatoes as little as possible. Next, finely chop the onion and add it into the bowl. If you’re opposed to using raw onions, you can also lightly sauté the chopped onion in a frying pan with a little bit of olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. It adds a sweeter deeper flavor to the bruschetta, and is an excellent variation to this recipe. Next, chop the fresh garlic and add it to the bowl.
Add in some fresh basil or oregano (or both) to taste. There is no “right” amount- just keep adding until desired taste. You can always add more at the end. Add in the extra virgin olive oil, salt, and fresh ground pepper and mix the ingredients thoroughly. If you’ve got the time, let the mixture sit for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
Cut 1/4″ thick slices of fresh Italian bread or baguette and toast them in a toaster, or under the broiler, if you’ve got a big batch. Once the bread is good and toasted, remove it from the oven and use a pastry brush to paint each slice of bread with olive oil. Then, using half a hunk of raw garlic, rub one side of the crusty slices down to impart some delicious garlic flavor directly onto the bread. Finally, pile as much of the bruschetta as possible onto the freshly toasted bread, serve, and enjoy!
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