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Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Meatless Dinner On Grilled Bread


This filling meatless supper was put together quickly out of adaptable ingredients. I had a package of vegetarian chicken strips and half a block of Feta cheese that needed to be used, so I built a sandwich around them. Some carrots and waxy, white potatoes roasted in olive oil and herbs rounded out the meal. Rather than try to stuff the filling into sandwiches, I dried out slices of sourdough bread in a low oven and then sautéed them lightly in olive oil until browned. As a base for hearty fillings it is hard to find anything better than grilled bread, at least to my tastes. It almost feels foolish to post a recipe for such a thrown-together meal, but here it is-feel free to substitute with whatever you have on hand.

You Will Need:

Stale slices of bread, crusts removed
Olive oil for sautéing and roasting
Fresh rosemary, dried thyme, dried marjoram, salt and pepper to taste
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1 package of mushrooms, sliced
10 black olives, chopped
¼ cup roasted red pepper, chopped
½ cup chunked Feta cheese
Vegetarian chicken strips


In a 200-degree F. oven, place the bread slices on a baking sheet and dry out for 15 minutes. Turn, and dry another 10. Remove and place in a generously oiled (olive oil) frying pan over medium heat (watch to make sure it does not begin to smoke) and brown. Turn and repeat on other side. Remove to a plate until ready to use.

Turn oven up to 425 degrees F. In a bowl mix potatoes, carrots and any herbs you like with a generous amount of olive oil. Toss to coat and them spread on a baking sheet. Bake 15 minutes, then using a thin spatula (sometimes potatoes can stick) stir and turn. Repeat for another 15 minutes. Stir. Continue cooking until soft (all told, about 30 minutes).

While vegetables roast, cook the onion, mushrooms, red peppers and olives in a frying pan in a bit of olive oil. In the last five minutes, stir in the Feta and cook over low heat until it is just warmed through. In another small pan, cook the vegetarian chicken 2 minutes each side over medium heat. Reduce heat and cook a few minutes longer (or follow directions for microwaving on package). Serve over grilled bread with roasted vegetables as a side. Dijon mustard is also nice with this.

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