Hot Mozzarella Sandwich with Dipping Sauce

Oh what's that? You want the most delicious hot sandwich of your life? You want the sandwich to be simple to make? You want to eat like a former Beatle? Look no further. I finally bought the Meat Free Monday, the cookbook from, you guessed it, the Meat Free Monday campaign, headed by one of my all time favorite people, Sir Paul McCartney.

While browsing through what may be one of the best cookbooks I've ever read, I found a recipe called Hot Mozzarella Sandwich. And yes, it is exactly what it sounds like, and yes it is amazingly delicious. I made one alteration, I took out the slice of tomato that the recipe recommends and and instead spread the roll with pasta sauce with basil, oregano and of course, garlic. It was quite possibly one of the most delicious things I have ever had the joy of eating.

However. It MUST be served HOT.

Enjoy.


Ingredients

1 ciabatta roll
2 T pesto sauce
2-3 T tomato sauce OR 1 tomato, sliced
2-3 Slices of mozzarella cheese
3 t. olive oil
1 t. balsamic vinegar
a pinch of red pepper flakes

Directions
1. Preheat the broiler. Cut the ciabatta roll in half and lightly grill the roll. Spread one half of the roll with the pesto sauce. Layer the other with the tomato sauce (or tomato slices) and then lay the cheese on top.

2. Place the tomato + cheese half under the broiler until the desired level of melted cheesiness (I can't believe spell check didn't correct cheesiness, that it's a real word, but moving on). Then place the two halves of the sandwich together.

3. In a dipping dish, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, olive oil and red pepper flakes.

4. Dip the sandwich into the vinegar-olive oil-red pepper flake sauce and enjoy.


Katie's Notes: I used more balsamic vinegar than olive oil in the dipping sauce.

French Onion Soup

Having a rough day? Is it cold outside even though it’s April and it should be warm, like it was in March and it’s officially spring? Bitter about the weather like I am? How about some hearty and delicious French Onion Soup? This soup is my go-to soup on cold winter days, cold rainy days and bad days.  It’s warm, comforting and filled with broth, onions, and delicious bread and cheese. How could it not make you feel better?

Ingredients

1 yellow onion, sliced

4 cups vegetable broth

1-2 cloves garlic

1.5 t sugar

Salt and pepper

Bread, ripped into small bite size pieces

4 T Olive Oil

 Cheese: Whatever cheese you like, sliced how you like, and however much you like

Directions: 

1.    1. Heat 2 T of olive oil over medium high heat and add the onions. Cook them, stirring often for about 10 minutes, until the onions become soft.

2.     2. Next, add the sugar and season the onions with the salt and pepper. Check the seasoning, the onions should be fairly sweet. After about 15-20 minutes, when the onions turn a golden brown color, add the garlic and the broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and let the soup simmer for 15 minutes.

3.     3. Meanwhile, heat 2 T of olive oil in a sauce pan over medium heat. Put the crumbled bread in the oil and heat it until toasted.

4.     4. Preheat the broiler. Ladle the soup into a broiler-safe dish. Top it with the toasted bread and then put the cheese on top. Put the dish on a baking sheet and put it in the oven. Heat it until the cheese is melted and bubbling.