Grilled Veggies & Fresh Mozzarella Sandwich

Sandwiches have got to be one of the easiest things to make. I love grilled veggies, cheese and bread individually so when I saw this recipe in Simple Pleasures I knew it was going to be a winner in my book. The great thing about this recipe is that it can be adapted for any vegetables, cheese or bread that you prefer. And if you need meat, throw some in! I served this with the carrot soup the first night and with leftovers the next day, we made paninis.

Once again I doctored the recipe based on what I wanted: bell peppers, eggplant, sweet onions, olive oil, salt & pepper, red wine vinegar (I'm obsessed with pomegranate infused red wine vinegar these days), minced garlic, oregano, ciabbata bread, fresh mozzarella, and arugula.

Since I don't have a grill I did this on my Cuisinart Griddler Jr. (this is a crucial machine in a kitchen - makes grilling very easy for recipes like these!)

Cut the bell peppers (i used green, but I think red might be better to add color), eggplant and onions into diagonal thick slices.

Roast the peppers on the grill until they are charred, about 8 minutes. If you use something like the Griddler you can close it to char on both sides. Once the peppers are ready, take off and place in a bowl and cover. Next up, brush the eggplant and onion slices with olive oil and salt/pepper and throw on the grill. Grill until the slices are nicely charred, remove from grill and place in the bowl with the peppers.

In a small bowl, whisk the red wine vinegar (2tsp), minced garlic, oregano and olive oil (1/4cup). Pour dressing into the bowl with the vegetables and let marinate at room temperature for 10-20 minutes. Meanwhile, slice the bread and brush with olive oil, salt and pepper. Grill the bread until nicely toasted on both sides.

To serve, place two slices of warmed bread on a plate and top each slice with mozzarella slices (how much depends on how much you like it.) Arrange the grilled veggies on top, along with some arugula. Drizzle some of the remaining marinade over the sandwiches.