Roasted Portabello and Red Pepper Sandwich with Melted Fontina and Lemon-Basil Aioli

One thing I really hate about a lot of "vegetarian" meals on the market today is how they try to pass off vegetables as an alternative for a traditional meat-based meal.  While I like the idea of a "veggie burger," the reality is that the frozen veggie patties can never compare to the red meat variety, and "Tofurkey" just doesn't cut it for me on Thanksgiving.   Instead of trying to make your vegetables taste like meat or serve as a substitute for it, design a meal around your favorite veggies and celebrate them for their own deliciousness.

Roasted portabello mushrooms are the perfect example - they are rich and "meaty" with a wonderful earthy flavor all their own.  Here, they are roasted with a balsamic vinaigrette and served with roasted red peppers in a sandwich that is not trying to be anything other than what it is - simple, fresh and satisfying.  Select a large whole wheat bun that will accommodate the entire mushroom and serve with a simple salad or a hefty portion of sweet potato fries.

Not in the mood for a sandwich?  These mushrooms would also be delicious over a bed of soft-cooked polenta or garlic mashed potatoes, with wilted spinach on the side.  The possibilities are endless!  Enjoy!


Roasted Portabello and Red Pepper Sandwich with Melted Fontina and Lemon-Basil Aioli

Ingredients:

1 large red bell pepper (or jarred roasted red bell peppers)
4 medium portabello mushrooms, stems removed and brushed clean
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 leaves romaine lettuce, or a few handfuls of spinach
4 thin slices of fontina or provolone cheese
4 large whole-wheat rolls or hamburger buns
Lemon-Basil Aioli, recipe below

Directions.

Roast the Bell Peppers.  Preheat your oven to 500 degrees.  Place bell pepper on a baking sheet in the preheated oven and roast until the skin is blistered and charred (about 30 minutes).  Flip the pepper with a pair of tongs occasionally to ensure even roasting.  Remove and let cool completely.  Gently rub and peel the charred skin to remove.  De-seed the pepper and cut the pepper into 4 roughly equal pieces.  Set aside.  This can be done ahead - refrigerate until ready to be used.  Or, you can skip this step and use jarred roasted bell peppers.

Roast the Mushrooms.  Combine the olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper and toss with the mushroom caps in a large bowl.  Arrange mushrooms on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees until the mushrooms are browned and have shrunken slightly (about 15 minutes).  Set aside.

Assemble the Sandwich.  Spoon a little aioli on the hamburger bun halves.  Layer the mushroom, bell pepper slice, lettuce and cheese on one half of the bun - toast open faced under a hot broiler (or toaster oven) until the cheese is melted.

Lemon-Basil Aioli

An aioli is basically just a garlic mayonnaise originating from the Provence region of France.  Like mayonnaise, it uses egg yolk as an emulsifier.  Also like mayonnaise, it is easy to make once you know how.

Ingredients:

3 egg yolks
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large handful of fresh basil, chopped finely
1 tbs lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
1 1/2 cups olive oil

Warm a medium stainless-steel mixing bowl in hot water.  Dry it.  Add the egg yolks and beat for 1-2 minutes with a wire wisk until they are thick and sticky.  Add the garlic, basil, lemon juice, salt and mustard.  Beat for another 30 seconds.

Beating constantly, slowly add the olive oil (in droplets at first).  DO NOT STOP BEATING until the sauce thickens.  Stop pouring and continue beating ever 10 seconds or so to be sure the egg yolks are absorbing the oil.  When all the oil has been added, taste and season with salt, pepper or additional lemon juice as needed.  Store in the refrigerator.

If disaster strikes and the sauce refuses to thicken or curdles - it can be fixed by following a handy suggestion from Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking (p. 88).  Warm another mixing bowl in hot water and dry it.  Add 1 tbs of mustard and 1 tbs of the sauce.  Beat it with a wire whisk for several seconds until they cream and thicken together.  Then add the rest of the sauce, one teaspoon at a time, thickening each completely before adding the next.  Apparently, this always works - thanks Julia!