Sensational Sandwiches

This sandwich will blow your mind. Adam and I have recreated it several times since we made the original. We cannot get enough. The lavash bread becomes wonderfully crispy and golden when preparing it in this way. The tomato, spinach, and mozzarella go perfectly with the chile dipping sauce. The next time you are looking for a super quick and satisfying meal, this is it!

Spinach and Mozzarella Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with Chile Dipping Sauce (Vegetarian Planet, Didi Emmons)

Chile Dipping Sauce:

1 tsp. hot chile sauce

2 Tbs. mayonnaise

2 Tbs. plain whole, low-fat, or nonfat yogurt, or nonfat sour cream

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

2 tsp. apple cider vinegar

1 small garlic clove, minced

Sandwiches:

6 oz. fresh spinach (large stems removed)

2 fresh pieces of lavash bread, or 1 large split pita pocket

2 plum tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise, then sliced thin crosswise

2 oz. mozzarella cheese, grated (or sliced, if it's fresh mozzarella)

salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste

2 Tbs. olive oil

1. Make the dipping sauce: In a small bowl, combine the chile sauce with the mayonnaise, yogurt, mustard, cider vinegar, and garlic. Stir well.

2. Steam the spinach over high heat for 2 minutes. Let the spinach cool.

3. Lay one of the pieces of lavash or pita on your work surface, with a short side of the bread directly in front of you if you are using lavash. Lay half of the tomatoes across the bread, about 3 inches from the side closest to you. Squeeze any excess water from the spinach, then lay half of it on the tomatoes. Sprinkle or lay half of the mozzarella on top of the tomatoes and spinach. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Then roll the bread, starting with the side closest to you, as tightly as possible. Follow the same procedure for the second sandwich.

4. Heat the olive oil in a large (preferably non-stick) skillet over medium heat. Place the two rolled sandwiches in the skillet, and place another skillet or sandwich press on top to weigh the sandwiches down. Cook the sandwiches for about 4 minutes or until they are golden brown, then turn them and cook them on the other side for 4 minutes more, checking the undersides frequently. Cut the sandwiches in half, and serve each with a small bowl of the dipping sauce.

Adam's Concoction

I put Adam up to the task of creating dinner one Friday night, and he came up with a delicious meal. We mixed lemon pepper pappardelle with sauteed zucchini and mushrooms, tomatoes, and pesto then tossed it with fresh mozzarella. Perfection!


Lemon Pepper Pappardelle with Vegetables and Lemon Pesto

1 medium-sized zucchini, cut into rounds
8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
1 bunch basil
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
2 tsp. lemon rind
1/2 a lemon, juiced
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 pkg. lemon pepper pappardelle
fresh mozzarella, torn

1. Heat some olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the zucchini and mushrooms, sauteeing until the zucchini browns slightly.
2. Meanwhile, prepare the pesto by combining the basil, garlic, cheese, lemon rind and juice, salt, and pepper in a food processor. Pulse until the ingredients are slightly chopped, then stream olive oil in through the spout until you have reached a creamy consistency.
3. Boil the pasta according to package directions.
4. Add the tomatoes to the zucchini and mushrooms. Allow them to soften slightly and heat through. Drain the pasta and add to the vegetables. Also add the pesto and cheese. You might not want to add all of the pesto that you made. Toss the pasta until thoroughly mixed.

Classic Combination: Soup and Sandwich

While flipping through Jamie Oliver's cookbook, my eye caught this beautiful picture of this grilled vegetable, mozzarella, and pesto sandwich. I may have drooled on the page it looked so good. Needless to say, we made this sandwich. To accompany the sandwich, we made a really simple, yet really delicious tomato soup. The soup was creamy with a nice little twang. This soup and sandwich meal was perfect for the cold, rainy days we've been having lately.


Ciabatta Sandwich of Grilled Vegetables with Pesto and Mozzarella (Jamie's Dinners, Jamie Oliver)

[We, unfortunately, didn't have the pesto with the sandwich. We were about to make it, but as I pulled out the basil from the fridge, I realized that it was dry and bitter. So, we improvised and put some sweet jalapeno jelly on the sandwich instead.]

This sandwich is good for using up grilled veg like asparagus, zucchini, fennel and eggplant-wonderful just griddled on a griddle pan and dressed with some good olive oil, salt, freshly ground black pepper and fresh herbs. I keep any leftovers, stuff them into a chunk of ciabatta smeared with 1 Tbs. of pesto and add a little torn-up mozzarella. You could also add some grated Parmesan. Slices of prosciutto or grilled chicken pieces go really well too.

Wrap your sandwich up tightly in wax paper and aluminum foil before putting it i your lunchbox. Usually some juices come out of the mozzarella, so give the sandwich a good press down when you've finished making it to let the bread soak up the moisture and actually become more tasty because of it. When I eat this sandwich, I peel off the paper and foil from one side and then keep peeling back as I eat. This way I don't get juice all over myself.


Cream of Tomato Soup (Cooking Light, January-February 2007)

Heat 2 tsp. olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 1 cup chopped onion and 3 minced garlic cloves, saute 3 minutes or until tender. Add 1 (28-oz.) can crushed tomatoes, 1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes. Place in a blender; process until smooth. Return tomato mixture to pan. Stir in 3/4 cup half-and-half; cook until thoroughly heated.