Portobello, Broccoli and Pepper Melt

Dinner was really successful today. My co-worker Janet sent me this recipe on Thursday and I thought that it would be a great opportunity to use up my supply of Gouda cheese that we got from Wisconsin. This is a very simple knife-and-fork open face sandwich. I’m not sure where she got this recipe from, but I saw several copies of it online, include Martha Stewart’s.

Broiling helps to caramelize the vegetables, melt the gouda, and toast the bread.

We also paired this sandwich with Ontario Inniskillin’s 2006 Late Harvest Reisling wine, which is on the sweet side. It was excellent! It helped to bring out the sweetness of the broiled brocolli and peppers.

Ingredients

• 1 small head broccoli, cut into small florets (minus the stalks – see note)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 4 portobello mushrooms (stems removed), sliced 1/2 inch thick
• 2 red bell peppers (ribs and seeds removed), sliced 1/2 inch thick – see note)
• 1/4 cup light mayonnaise
• 1 small garlic clove, crushed through a press
• 4 thick slices country bread (see note)
• 4 ounces Gouda cheese, thinly sliced

Method

1. Heat broiler, with rack set 4 inches from heat. On a rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil, toss broccoli with oil; season with salt and pepper. Broil, tossing once or twice, until broccoli begins to char, 4 to 6 minutes.
2. Add mushrooms and bell peppers to sheet; season with salt and pepper, and toss to combine. Broil, tossing once or twice, until vegetables are tender, 8 to 10 minutes more; set aside.
3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine mayonnaise and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Place bread on a work surface. Dividing evenly, spread with mayonnaise mixture, and top with vegetables, then cheese. Place on baking sheet, and broil until cheese is melted and lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes.

Note: I removed the skins of the stalks, sliced them and keep them for stir fries later. I also used orange bell peppers instead since they were cheap at the market. Flavour wise, it’s about the same as red pepper anyway. I used Calabrese bread instead of country bread. It’s thin and chewy and yummy 😛