California Grilled Veggie Sandwich
I came up with this recipe to entertain friends. Since I am a semi-vegetarian and love to BBQ, I am always inventing something new. The first time I made this, my meat-lover friends raved about this dish! I prefer mesquite coals over gas barbeques...however, either works fine.
I came up with this recipe to entertain friends. Since I am a semi-vegetarian and love to BBQ, I am always inventing something new. The first time I made this, my meat-lover friends raved about this dish! I prefer mesquite coals over gas barbeques...however, either works fine.
- Carbohydrate 41.9164343765432 g
- Cholesterol 21.9375000044381 mg
- Fat 14.415400006322 g
- Fiber 3.27737494607156 g
- Protein 9.74479375009657 g
- Saturated Fat 3.82267500093091 g
- Serving Size 1 1 serving (277g)
- Sodium 640.960312601159 mg
- Sugar 38.6390594304716 g
- Trans Fat 8.11184000359602 g
- Calories 328 calories
Step-by-step
- In a bowl, mix the mayonnaise, minced garlic, and lemon juice. Set aside in the refrigerator.
- Preheat the grill for high heat.
- Brush vegetables with olive oil on each side. Brush grate with oil. Place bell peppers and zucchini closest to the middle of the grill, and set onion and squash pieces around them. Cook for about 3 minutes, turn, and cook for another 3 minutes. The peppers may take a bit longer. Remove from grill, and set aside.
- Spread some of the mayonnaise mixture on the cut sides of the bread, and sprinkle each one with feta cheese. Place on the grill cheese side up, and cover with lid for 2 to 3 minutes. This will warm the bread, and slightly melt the cheese. Watch carefully so the bottoms don't burn. Remove from grill, and layer with the vegetables. Enjoy as open faced grilled sandwiches.
High heat transforms garden produce by evaporating surface moisture quickly enough to caramelize natural sugars before the interior turns to mush. Grilling creates a contrast between charred exterior lines and tender flesh that soft sandwich breads usually overwhelm. Achieving structural integrity requires managing how water escapes from dense squashes and crisp peppers over an open flame.
Mastering Moisture and Melt
Brushing vegetables with olive oil creates a thermal barrier that prevents sticking while conducting heat evenly across uneven slices. Red bell peppers require more time than zucchini because their thick flesh holds higher water content, so place them closer to the center of the grill grate where BTU output peaks. When warming the assembled focaccia, keeping the lid closed traps ambient heat to soften the feta cheese without scorching the bottom crust. Mesquite coals impart a distinct guaiacol-driven smokiness that gas burners cannot replicate, though adjusting the heat zone remains critical for preventing flare-ups.
- Slice red onions to a uniform quarter-inch thickness so they soften completely during the three-minute per side cooking window.
- Chill the garlic mayonnaise base for at least twenty minutes before assembly to allow the raw allium compounds to mellow.
- Pat the zucchini dry with paper towels after oiling to eliminate excess surface liquid that causes steaming instead of grilling.
