I love sandwiches, but I get tired of pb & j and I try to make luncheon meat be a rare occasion. I spent about ten years of my life as a vegetarian, so I know that veggie sandwiches can be bland and dry. But not this one, baby. This sandwich is ooey gooey deliciousness.
It is a veggie sandwich, and if your kids don't usually go for that sort of thing, this may be the sandwich to change that. My kids would all balk at everything I put on these sandwiches (except the cheese!), but when I put it all together and broil it to gooeyness on toasty bread, they gobble it up.
You'll need: a pack of cherry tomatoes - cut into halves, a bunch of parsley - chopped, a can of black or kalamata olives, a can of artichokes, a lemon, garlic - minced, olive oil, a crusty loaf of bread (ciabatta is great), and some kind of flavored cheese (Like garden cheese with veg bits in it, or mediterranean cheese with olives & red pepper in it, something like that. You can use plain but only if you absolutely must - the cheese really pulls it all together.)
First cut the bread into however many sandwiches you need, and cut each piece in half. Put these, open-faced, on a baking sheet. Spread the olives over the bottom halves of the bread.
In a pan on medium-low heat, saute the artichokes, chopped up parsley (put however much you want, or the whole bunch), and two minced garlic cloves in about two tablespoons of olive oil. Saute until the parsley is just limp and the garlic is getting translucent. Squirt some lemon juice (about a tablespoon) in and mix. Spread this mixture over the olives on the bread.
Saute the cherry tomatoes in the same pan until they soften up a bit, then add them to the bread as well. Salt and pepper the whole thing.
Lay slices of the cheese on top of everything, and stick the baking sheet into the oven. Set to broil and do not walk away even for a second! It will only take a few minutes - keep checking, and take it out when the bread is toasty and the cheese is melty:
Notes: I find the garden cheese at my local health food store, and the mediterranean cheese at Kroger. Both are delicious. See what you can find. For the artichokes, pour them out into a bowl and finger through them, removing any tough outer leaves and discarding. I make four large sandwiches with these ingredients.
Enjoy!
