26826 Pressed Eggplant and Pepper Sandwich 45 mins 20 mins 6 servings Mon Jul 27 00:49:00 -0700 2009 Thu Aug 27 10:58:46 -0700 2009 Easy American CHOW http://www.chow.com/recipes/26826 Thu, 27 Aug 2009 17:58:46 GMT A manly vegetarian sandwich A manly vegetarian sandwich, this can satisfy the biggest of appetites. Trying to keep picnic grub from being crushed is always the trickiest part to packing the basket. Luckily, the more this sandwich is pressed, the better it tastes. So go ahead and pile everything on top—the weight from the soda and the brownies will help the vinaigrette soak through the layers of grilled vegetables and cheese, and the crunchy toasted bread will keep the outside from getting soggy.

Game plan: If you have a large grill, you can cook all the vegetables at once to cut down on time. Or make things even simpler by using store-bought roasted peppers.

This recipe was featured as part of both our Cooking with Summer Ingredients story and our Picnic Recipes photo gallery.

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  • Combine orange juice, oil, vinegar, garlic, salt, orange zest, and red pepper flakes in a large, nonreactive bowl and whisk to combine. Add bell peppers and eggplant and toss to coat. Let sit at room temperature while the grill heats, at least 5 minutes.
  • Heat a gas or charcoal grill to medium (about 350°F) or a grill pan over high heat and rub the grill or grill pan with a towel dipped in oil. Remove eggplant from marinade and place on the grill; cook until soft and lightly charred on one side, about 5 minutes. Flip and cook until charred and soft on the other side, about 5 minutes more. Remove to a plate and set aside. Place peppers on the grill and cook until soft and lightly charred on one side, about 5 minutes. Flip and cook until charred and soft on the other side, about 5 minutes more. Remove to the plate with the eggplant and set aside.
  • Place crumbled cheese on the bottom piece of bread, then evenly distribute spinach over cheese. Drizzle marinade over spinach, then layer grilled vegetables over spinach. Close sandwich and wrap in aluminum foil. Place on a flat surface, cover with a baking sheet, and place heavy cans or a cast iron skillet on top of the baking sheet to press the sandwich down. Flip sandwich over after 10 minutes and press for another 10 minutes. Then unwrap, slice, and serve.
    • ]]>     http://www.chow.com/assets/2009/07/eggplant_sandwich_290.jpg Kate Ramos 49 Soup/Salad/Sandwich 48 1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

    ]]>     3 tablespoons olive oil

    ]]>     5 teaspoons red wine vinegar

    ]]>     74 2 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced

    ]]>     301 2 teaspoons kosher salt

    ]]>     48 1 1/2 teaspoons packed, finely grated orange zest

    ]]>     1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes**

    ]]>     59 3 medium bell peppers, ends trimmed, seeds and stems removed, and cut into 4 pieces

    ]]>     68 2 medium globe eggplants, sliced crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick pieces

    ]]>     4 ounces chèvre (goat cheese), crumbled

    ]]>     1 loaf ciabatta, sliced in half horizontally and lightly toasted

    ]]>     97 3 cups baby spinach

    ]]>     5931 kate ramos 1 chow 644 summer 435 vegetarian 256 cheese 231 light meal 19 bread 384 easy 822 american 757 lunch 21 main 5005 cheap 23680 affordable 38 budget 1026 hot weather 2747 make ahead 755 travels well 2166 kids 9636 adults 813 hungry 768 manly 776 fun 8548 no fuss 747 grilling 7596 summer ingredients