Recipes

Chef Jamie’s Grilled Vegetable Sandwich with Summer Pesto

Celebrate Meatless Mondays or plan the perfect picnic with this fresh vegetable sandwich. The grill imparts a wonderful smoky flavor and the vegetables caramelize from the luscious glaze, making the sandwich a true crowd pleaser. Get Twin Eagles Partner Chef Jamie Gwen’s recipe here.

SUMMER BASIL PESTO

INGREDIENTS

2 cups fresh basil leaves

1/4 cup toasted walnuts or pine nuts or pistachios

1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest

2 garlic cloves, peeled

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Salt and freshly ground pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

Combine the basil, nuts, lemon zest and garlic in your Kalorik Personal Smart Blender and blend until finely chopped. Add the olive oil and Parmesan cheese and blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

GRILLED VEGETABLE SANDWICH

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup good quality olive oil

2 large portabella mushrooms

1 medium eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices

1 zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices

1 yellow squash, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices

4 shallots, peeled and cut in half

1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1/2-thick rings

1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch thick rings

1 large ciabatta or hoagie-style loaf of bread (10-inches long)  

1/2 cup pesto (recipe follows)

1 ball fresh mozzarella cheese, drained and sliced

8 large basil leaves

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat your Twin Eagles grill to high heat.

Place the portabella mushrooms and the eggplant slices in a large mixing bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Toss to coat and season liberally with salt and pepper. Grill, turning often, until the mushrooms and eggplant are tender and grill marks appear, about 3 minutes.

Place the zucchini, yellow squash, shallots and red and yellow bell pepper slices in the mixing bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Toss to coat and season with salt and pepper. Grill the vegetables in batches, until tender.

Cut the loaf of bread lengthwise and drizzle the bread with olive oil. Place the bread cut side down on your grill for 1 minute or until the edges start turning golden (the bread should still be tender).

Place the bottom slice of the bread on a work surface and spread with a generous amount of pesto. Top with the slices of mozzarella cheese. Layer the grilled vegetables on top of the cheese, piling contrasting colors for a beautiful effect. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Spread the underside of the top half of the bread with pesto and top the sandwich.  Slice and serve.