Recipe: Eggplant, Pepper, Zucchini, and Pesto Sandwich
Page: 114
Date Cooked: March 26, 2012
I have been somewhat intimidated and excited about this recipe. A key part of this dish involved bread making. While I have made pizza dough on a number of occasions(i.e. Pizza with Bacon, Scallions, Parmesan, and Tomato), I have never made bread. So here it went....
I mixed beer, yeast, and some all-purpose flour into a bowl. I then added olive oil and warm water, mixing well. I let this sponge rest for about an hour in a warm location. After the hour, I added more all-purpose flour, the whole wheat flour, salt, and some more warm water. I floured a counter top and kneaded the dough until it was smooth and elastic. Finally, I coated a bowl with olive oil and placed the dough in the bowl. I covered the bowl and let the dough double in size.
I then proceeded to make the pesto. I toasted pine nuts in the oven for just a few minutes. I then added garlic, basil, Parmesan, and the toasted pine nuts to a food processor and created a rough paste. With the processor on low, I slowly poured the olive oil.
Once the dough was ready, I dusted some baking sheets with flour. I then placed the dough back onto my floured counter top and cut it into 12 equal portions. I formed each portion into an oval and dusted the tops with a bit of flour. The bread ovals went on to the baking sheets and into the oven, until the bread turned a golden brown.
While the bread baked, I made the vegetable filling. I diced the zucchini, eggplant, onion, bell pepper, and tomatoes. I also minced the garlic. I heated olive oil and added the zucchini, eggplant, and onion - stirring and cooking until golden brown. I then reduced the heat added the garlic and red bell pepper for a bit. I added the tomatoes and let them cook. I removed the pot from the heat, allowed the mixture to cool, and stirred in the pesto.
I sliced pockets into the bread and stuffed it with a serious amount of the eggplant filling.
Alright, let's break this sandwich review down to two parts: (1) the bread and (2) the filling. My first question is why didn't anyone tell me it was that easy and delicious to make bread?!? It was just like making pizza dough! I thought the bread was pretty delicious but perhaps could have used some honey in the mixture, just to sweeten it up a bit. On to the filling... JW described the filling as a deconstructed ratatouille, which it is really is. I enjoyed the filling. And though the pesto seems to get a bit lost, especially the basil flavor, I think it binds all those veggies together.
So the sandwich as whole...delicious. Would I make it again? Probably. Am I making the bread again? Definitely!
Page: 114
Date Cooked: March 26, 2012
I have been somewhat intimidated and excited about this recipe. A key part of this dish involved bread making. While I have made pizza dough on a number of occasions(i.e. Pizza with Bacon, Scallions, Parmesan, and Tomato), I have never made bread. So here it went....
 |
| Lager, active dry yeast, all-purpose flour, olive oil, wheat flour, sea salt, pine nuts, garlic, basil, Parmesan cheese, zucchini, eggplant, onion, green bell pepper, and tomatoes |
I mixed beer, yeast, and some all-purpose flour into a bowl. I then added olive oil and warm water, mixing well. I let this sponge rest for about an hour in a warm location. After the hour, I added more all-purpose flour, the whole wheat flour, salt, and some more warm water. I floured a counter top and kneaded the dough until it was smooth and elastic. Finally, I coated a bowl with olive oil and placed the dough in the bowl. I covered the bowl and let the dough double in size.
 |
| (1) Bread sponge (2) Kneading the dough (3) Dough tossed in olive oil (4) Bread dough doubled in size |
I then proceeded to make the pesto. I toasted pine nuts in the oven for just a few minutes. I then added garlic, basil, Parmesan, and the toasted pine nuts to a food processor and created a rough paste. With the processor on low, I slowly poured the olive oil.
 |
| Making pesto |
Once the dough was ready, I dusted some baking sheets with flour. I then placed the dough back onto my floured counter top and cut it into 12 equal portions. I formed each portion into an oval and dusted the tops with a bit of flour. The bread ovals went on to the baking sheets and into the oven, until the bread turned a golden brown.
 |
| Baking bread |
While the bread baked, I made the vegetable filling. I diced the zucchini, eggplant, onion, bell pepper, and tomatoes. I also minced the garlic. I heated olive oil and added the zucchini, eggplant, and onion - stirring and cooking until golden brown. I then reduced the heat added the garlic and red bell pepper for a bit. I added the tomatoes and let them cook. I removed the pot from the heat, allowed the mixture to cool, and stirred in the pesto.
 |
| Eggplant, pepper, zucchini, and pesto filling |
I sliced pockets into the bread and stuffed it with a serious amount of the eggplant filling.
 |
| Eggplant, Pepper, Zucchini, and Pesto Sandwich |
Alright, let's break this sandwich review down to two parts: (1) the bread and (2) the filling. My first question is why didn't anyone tell me it was that easy and delicious to make bread?!? It was just like making pizza dough! I thought the bread was pretty delicious but perhaps could have used some honey in the mixture, just to sweeten it up a bit. On to the filling... JW described the filling as a deconstructed ratatouille, which it is really is. I enjoyed the filling. And though the pesto seems to get a bit lost, especially the basil flavor, I think it binds all those veggies together.
So the sandwich as whole...delicious. Would I make it again? Probably. Am I making the bread again? Definitely!
Enjoy!
No comments:
Post a Comment