Mediterranean Roasted Vegetable Sandwich

Mediterranean Roasted Vegetable Sandwich

This morning I bought a Kindle book from the free books released everyday and I asked the question, "5 points if you can tell me what a Aubergine is, without looking it up?"  

Of course I am reading recipes and knew the answer, so thought I would see what everyone else thought...

Answer ranged from a fruit to a color. (which it is both of those but let's be specific)

Definition given by the Kindle book that I am reading is a Brit term for eggplant...  I was told that in some regions of Germany, Obergine is used.  Most people know of eggplant being used in Eggplant Parmasan and others know it is used in Ratatouille.  

This recipe is Vegetarian but could easily be converted to Vegan~

Mediterranean Roasted Vegetable Sandwich

2 Sliced Portobello mushrooms

3 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 Aubergine, sliced into strips

2 red peppers

2 tablespoon olive oil

4 tablespoon mayonnaise

1 loaf focaccia bread

Heat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Brush the aubergine and the red peppers with olive oil. Depending upon the size of the vegetables, you may need more oil. Put vegetables in a baking dish in the preheated oven. Roast them until the aubergine is tender and the peppers are blackened, about 25 minutes. Remove vegetables from the oven and let cool. While they are cooling, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and cook the mushrooms to tenderness. Stir the garlic and the mayonnaise together. Slice the bread in half lengthwise. Spread the mayonnaise on to one side of each half. Peel the cooled peppers, coring and slicing it. Take the aubergine and the peppers and the mushrooms and layer them onto the bread. Wrap the whole thing in tin foil and weigh it down with a cutting board or other heavy object. Let the sandwich sit under the weight for 2 hours, then slice and serve.

Roberts, Linda (2012-05-21). How To Make Amazing Vegetarian Lunches - Top 30 Fast, Easy & Delicious Vegetarian Recipes Volume 2 (Kindle Locations 464-470).  . Kindle Edition. 

How To Make Amazing Vegetarian Lunches - Top 30 Fast, Easy & Delicious Vegetarian Recipes Volume 2 [Kindle Edition]

Kindle Purchase Price:

$2.99

Reconstituting Dried Mushrooms

Sometimes a recipe calls for mushrooms and fresh are great but cannot always be obtained.  Next best thing when using exotic mushrooms or morels when they are not easily obtained or out of season is to buy dried mushrooms which are usually to be found in most produce departments in better grocery stores.

The problem is they need to be re-hydrated.

1. Do you soak them in room temp or luke warm water?
2. Boil or simmer them?

or 

     3.  Bring to a simmer, turn off heat, and let steep for approximately 20-30 minutes or more if needed.

I personally find that #3 is my method of choice and these are the steps I use.

First I open the package of dried mushrooms and remove in foreign objects which are obviously not mushrooms.

Secondly, I place them in a sauce pan and cover with Vegetable broth. 

Third, I bring them to a simmer and remove from heat.

Lastly, I then will strain them from the broth/liqueur and reserve such for use in the dish I am preparing.

At this point, I can cut up my reconstituted mushrooms if needed and/or add them to my dish.

Pan Roasted Cherry Tomato Marinara

This is a recipe, that I conceptualized with my buddy Jim while hanging out one evening a couple of years ago or so and had originally posted on my first blog, Skip's Recipe Box. He made it the other evening for a date and both he and her were thoroughly impressed! He says, when he wrote down exactly what he did, to serve with favorite pasta and to invite Skip over for dinner to thank him... So if you try it and like it, just let me know. LOL!

Pan Roasted Cherry Tomato Marinara


2 pints of Cherry Tomatoes washed and drained.


Blanch and peel if a less rustic sauce is desired.


3 cloves Garlic, peeled, crushed and finely minced


2-3 medium shallots, finely minced


1 pinch Sea Salt (more if desired)


2 tbsp Rustic Tuscan Seasoning mix. (see recipe for Tuscan Seasoning Mix)


Large pinch of sugar.


Small tomato sauce (12 oz or less)


2c Semi sweet red wine. (I prefer Sangiovese or Chianti)


Red pepper flake to taste


1/2 tsp of fresh Black Pepper, coarse ground





Sweat the shallots with the sea salt in olive oil until clear and tender.

Add minced garlic and heat until fragrant.

Do not brown or burn or the garlic will be bitter.

Add tomatoes and gently heat until they burst.

Stir to break up the tomatoes.Add Tuscan Seasoning, pepper and sugar.

Add wine to De-glaze pan, let reduce by half.

Add Tomato Sauce and continue over medium heat about 20 minutes, reducing until thickened.

If to thick, thin with a little more wine.

This recipe is vegan as written, may add thinly sliced mushrooms if desired.



Serve over your favorite pasta and enjoy and garnish with a Fresh Basil and freshly shaved Parmesan Cheese. (optional or use a Vegan Alternative to Parmesan) 

May also add, Chicken, Shrimp, Bacon, or Italian Sausage for additional flavors. (this is for any meat eaters who read this)

I recently added this to my Master Cook program, here is the nutrition facts: (without meat)

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 180 Calories; 5g Fat (34.3% calories from fat); 2g Protein; 19g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 2746mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 2 Vegetable; 1 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

Nutrition Warnings:

shallots: MasterCook assumes an average 'whole' size of this ingredient.
Tuscan seasoning mix: MasterCook uses fluid weight to scale this item. Nutritional calculation will be off to the degree that it differs in density from water.