Grilled Vegetable Smart Bacon Grilled Sandwich Recipe
Grilled Vegetable Smart Bacon Grilled Sandwich
Oh yes, that's what I call a double grill.
Update: Honey just came in here as I'm finishing this post and questioned me frantically on the reason why I put the word 'grilled' in the title twice. You could say he 'grilled' me (ha ha ha!). I went ahead and directed him to the first sentence of this post. Yes Honey, I did it on purpose and no Honey, it's not because I am looking to get more hits. Is that even possible?
This has been a busy week for me! I went back to boot camp because the weight that I ever so fantastically lost in Italy was apparently waiting for me when we returned home. How the heck does that happen?
I was also tired of listening to myself complain about my jetlag schedule which puts me to sleep around 7:30 pm and wakes me up about 2:30 am. To switch it up I decided to rely on the old saying: 'if you can't beat em', join em''. 5:30 am boot camp doesn't seem so bad when you've been up for three hours.
This delicious little sandwich is a version of one I did a while ago that was a huge hit in the house. The salty bite from the vegan bacon gives it a kick and some extra protein while the grill on the veg lends a fantastic smoky flavor not found when you work with 'plain old' vegetables. (Not that I don't lurve you, plain old vegetables, muah!)
Not necessarily the most healthy sandwich due to the 'total carbohydration', also known as bread but you could easily make it carb-less should you so choose. The next day I arranged the veg with a little daiya 'cheese' on a plate and enjoyed it just like that.
A simple yet delicious meal and easy to make ahead of time. Oh, and it's portable!
Yield: about 4 sandwiches
Need:
1 package Smart Bacon
1 zucchini, sliced into thin strips (use a mandoline!)
1 eggplant, sliced into thin strips (use a mandoline!) Note: there will be extra. See upcoming post for uses!
- 1 red onion, thinly sliced (use a mandoline!)
- Extra virgin olive oil
- About 1 teaspoon plus 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- Sea salt
- Fresh cracked pepper
- 1 loaf french bread or other baguette
- Daiya 'cheese'
Do:
Put zucchini and eggplant in two separate bowls and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of thyme over each, toss and add a little salt and pepper. Toss again and let sit while you heat your grill pan or grill.
Heat your grill or grill pan to med/high heat. I use the Mario Batali grill pan because it rocks.
Once hot, ensure there is enough olive oil to keep veg from sticking (you may need to add more) and grill off your zucchini, eggplant and onion (note your onion didn't get marinated). Each side should be grilled for about 30 to 60 seconds. When each batch is done, set aside and move on until all your veg is done.
Once veg is done, grill off your bac'n in the same pan. I like to do it this way because you get the lovely grill marks. If you're short for time, you can also cook your bac'n in a separate pan while you're grilling your veg.
Now it's simply time to assemble your sandwiches and then grill again (hence the double grill). That's why I love this meal... so easy.
Assembly:
Cut your baguette into four even pieces then slice each piece through the middle and spread open to assemble.
On the bottom half of each piece, sprinkle a little daiya 'cheese'. On top of that arrange the grilled onions.
On the other half of the bread (the top half) start with a little daiya 'cheese'. On top of that stack the bac'n then finish with the grilled eggplant and zucchini.
Flip the top half onto the bottom half and squish the whole thing down.
On the same grill pan, arrange your sandwiches and grill away. You will get those lovely grill marks on top which makes the sandwich so much more interesting!
Serve:
Cut your sandwich pieces in half at an angle and arrange on a plate. Finish with a little serving of the fantastical superfood salad and you're ready to serve.
Enjoy!
Zucchini