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Thursday, April 22, 2010

Earth Day Revives Yummy Memories

(Picture courtesy of Daily Feed)

Happy Earth Day! Today I want to honor Earth Day by posting a recipe that is not only made with organic, seasonal, and local ingredients, but one that is very dear to my stomach. This recipe was shown to me 4 years ago by Chef Annie Somerville, in the back kitchen of Greens.

I had just finished culinary school at Tante Marie's and was beginning my externship at this well known and respected vegetarian restaurant in San Francisco. I was officially on the line and in charge of cold plates. This became the sandwich I lived for. Every lunch shift I worked, I prayed there would be enough leftovers for my fat face to devour. Eventually when I worked my way up to the hot plates, I made sure to prep 5 of these babies just before the lunch shift ended so leftovers would be inevitable. What else would you expect from me? The combination of roasted vegetables paired with the freshness of tomato, arugula and basil is perfection. My time at Greens may have been short, but it was much loved and well remembered, just like this sandwich.

*Tips- I often add avocado or shredded cheddar cheese to make it extra creamy and delish. This sandwich is definitely best served warm so make sure the grilled vegetables are hot and the cheese is melted when you prepare it.

Portobello Sandwich with Tomatoes, Roasted Onions and Basil Aioli

Makes 4 Sandwiches

What you need:
  • Basil Aioli (recipe follows)
  • Good Balsamic Vinegar or Reduced Balsamic Vinegar
  • 1 Lb portobello mushrooms, stems removed and gills lightly brushed if dirty
  • 1 large red onion, cut into ½-inch thick rings
  • Garlic oil (mince a few cloves of garlic and cover them with olive oil)
  • salt and pepper
  • 4 round sandwich rolls or which ever bread you prefer
  • 2 large ripe tomatoes, sliced
  • A handful of arugula
What to do:
  1. Make the Basil Aioli and set aside.
  2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
  3. Brush the mushrooms and onions with garlic oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and place them on a baking sheet.
  4. Roast for 10 min, turn over, and roast another 10 min or until completely tender.
  5. Slice the mushrooms, toss with a little balsamic vinegar and season to taste.
  6. Toss onions with salt and pepper and set aside
  7. Slice and toast the rolls. Then spread both sides of the rolls with the aioli.
  8. Place the mushrooms on the bottom of each roll, layer the tomatoes on top, and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Then add the onions and top with arugula. Cover with the top of roll.
  9. Chow down and enjoy~
Basil Aioli

What you need:
  • 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup basil leaves, packed
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • ½ tbs fresh lemon juice
  • ¼ minced garlic
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

What to do:
  1. Place the oil and basil in a blender and puree. Put aside.
  2. Add the yolk and a few drops of lemon juice to the blender. Begin to blend while slowly pouring the basil oil into the blender in a steady stream. When the mixture becomes thick add the rest of the lemon juice, garlic and salt.

Enjoy this sandwich and watch the academy award nominated film Food, Inc. for a guilt free and fun Earth Day!

2 comments:

  1. I love this, I can get the ingredients and take sandwiches to work with me for lunch. This is really my kind of lunch!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yay! Glad you like the recipe Roxan! Careful that your co-workers don't get to it before you do ;)

    ReplyDelete

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