Portabella Pesto Sandwich with Balsamic Red Onions

I am especially proud of this vegetarian sandwich because my meat loving husband absolutely loves it. Portobellas have a natural meatiness, so it doesn't feel like you're skimping on heartiness here. The roasted peppers and balsamic red onions are complemented by a delicious pesto mayonnaise and melted provolone cheese. Put together on a grilled roll (or baguette), this sandwich will quickly become one of your favorites too!
Serves 2

Ingredients:
2 tbsp. pesto (recipe to follow)
2 tbsp. mayonnaise
3 slices provolone
1 small red onion, sliced
2 portabellas
1/3 cup olive oil
1 sweet Italian red pepper (or a bell pepper)
1 tsp. brown sugar
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
salt, black pepper
2 deli rolls (or baguette pieces)

Assembly:
Turn portabellas in olive oil to coat. Do the same for the pepper. Grill the pepper over high heat for 10 or so minutes until the skin is black (an indoor grill, grill pan or oven all work). Remove to a paper bag for five minutes to allow the skin to fall off. Reduce heat to medium high and grill the portabellas about 5 minutes on the first side, about 3 minutes on the second (until you have nice grill marks and the mushroom appears cooked). While the portabellas are grilling, saute the onions in 1 tbsp. olive oil (you can do this right on a grill pan if you're cooking indoors). Lower heat to medium-low and cook about 10 minutes before adding vinegar, brown sugar, salt and pepper. Cook for another 2-3 minutes until the vinegar is absorbed. You will have removed the portabellas by now. Let them sit for a few minutes before cutting them into 1/2 strips. Remove the skin and insides (membranes and seeds) from the red pepper and slice. Mix the pesto and mayonnaise. Place each side of the rolls on a baking sheet (your oven should be preheated to 400). Assemble your sandwich (mushroom, red pepper, red onion mixture) then top with provalone. Bake for about 5 minutes until cheese begins to melt and the edges of the bread appear crispy. Remove from oven, spread pesto mayonnaise on the top side of the roll and press the sanwich together. Serve immediately.

Make 'Em Feel Loved Balsamic Chicken Sandwich

A month or so ago I posted a sandwich recipe that had marinated steak and veggies on a hoagie roll with melted cheese and aioli. I mentioned in that blog post that I make a million different sandwiches that are a variation on this theme: chopped veggies, marinated meat, melted cheese and aioli on a toasted bun. The possibilities are endless! These sandwiches are a great idea if you're short on time or want to make a super cost effective meal to share with friends and family. This sandwich in particular pairs chicken breast (one breast magically serves 2 adults!) marinated in a balsamic vinaigrette, veggies sauteed in a balsamic-brown sugar reduction, melted provalone and fragrant aioli. Delicious!
Ingredients:
2 hoagie rolls, split
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
3 slices of provalone
1/2 cup balsamic vinaigrette http://happiestbelly.blogspot.com/2009/04/honey-dijon-balsamic-vinaigrette.html
3 tbsp. basic aioli http://happiestbelly.blogspot.com/2009/05/technique-tuesday-messing-with-mayo.html
6 button or baby bella mushrooms, quartered
1/2 sweet red pepper, diced
1/2 small red onion, diced
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp. light brown sugar
1 tbsp. olive oil
salt, pepper

Assembly:
Marinate chicken in vinaigrette for 15 minutes-3 hours. Grill over medium high heat until juices run clear (4-6 minutes/side depending on thickness). Let chicken rest for 10 minutes before dicing. While chicken rests, saute vegetables in olive oil over medium-high heat. Add vinegar and brown sugar then reduce heat to low. Add salt, pepper to taste. Cook until liquids are almost absobed (about 10 minutes). Add chicken and mix. Add mixture evenly to split rolls. Top with 1 1/2 slice provalone per sandwich. Bake, open-faced, for 5-7 minutes at 375 degrees. Drizzle aioli, press sandwiches closed and serve.

Save-a-Buck Marinated Steak Sandwich

This is a great sandwich for a casual get-together with friends! It seems more complicated than it actually is and really maximizes the amount of steak you need. The other ingredients are pretty basic and are most likely items you already have on hand in your kitchen. The only extras are a good baguette or hoagie roll and some sliced provalone cheese.

You can make this sandwich completely on the grill, using a heat-proof pan to cook the onions and mushrooms or you can use an indoor grill pan and your oven.

The finished sandwich (with aioli):

The Veggies:

The Steak:

Marinade:

1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup cabernet
1 clove minced garlic
2 tbsp. light brown sugar
1 tbsp. tomato paste

Other ingredients (makes two large sandwiches):
1 3/4 lb. steak (I recommend strip)
6 white or baby bella mushrooms, quartered
1 small yellow onion, sliced
1 head of roasted garlic (opt.)
salt, pepper
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp. light brown sugar
4 slices of mozzarella or provalone
2 pieces of baguette or 2 hoagie rolls
basic aioli (use search function to find this recipe)

Assembly:
Marinate meat up to 2 hours (15 minutes is sufficient for a strip or T-bone; longer for flank or London broil). Pat dry and allow meat to come down to near-room temperature. Grill over med-high heat for 4-5 minutes; flip and grill 3-4 additional minutes. Remove from grill and allow meat to rest for approximately 5-10 minutes. While the steak is on the grill, saute mushrooms and onions over medium-high heat until golden. Add salt and pepper, balsamic vinegar and brown sugar. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5-10 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half. Stir in roasted garlic. Cube steak into bite sized pieces and stir into mushroom/onion mixture. Slice baguette or hoagie roll and add a generous amount of the steak/vegetable mixture. Top with slices of provalone or mozzarella and bake for 5-10 minutes at 375 degrees. Remove from oven and drizzle aioli over the top of each sandwich. Serve with a knife and fork!