Grilled vegie sandwich

I have some company during the days now... my sister-in-law is here staying with us for about a month and so I am really enjoying preparing something yummy for our lunches. I often used to eat late in the day or grab some fruit between errands so it's nice to sit down and eat with someone.  Cat is vegetarian so despite knowing she often cooks herself tomato pasta numerous nights in a row I feel I have to ensure she is full.  I probably over compensate and feed her entirely too many vegetables at every meal  time but she never complains. She thought today's lunch was 'blog worthy' so here it is.  

This week I went a little crazy with my food shopping and seemed to have bought every vegetable under the sun, all at once.  With time ticking away and still a fridge full of vegetables, now presenting with the early signs of giving up, I thought it was time to get roasting.  I like to do a big bunch of stuff at once and store them in containers in the fridge to use on salads or in grilled sandwiches. Although you might think this is a lot of work, it's really not and it makes your entire week so special and delicious.  Lots of big flavors in your mouth at once and better than you could buy out anywhere I assure you.  

Ingredients:
Butternut squash
Red bell peppers
2/3 cup mushrooms
Zucchini
Gruyere cheese (or haloumi is phenomenal)
A few sprigs of thyme
Dash of Balsamic glaze
Knob of butter
Hummus

Thick chunky bread

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 400'F
• Trim the skin of the squash and slice into 1/2 inch slices.  Place in bowl, drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil and sea salt and pepper over it and toss through.  Place butternut squash on a lined baking tray.
• Slice the red peppers away from the seeds and into 3-4 large pieces per pepper.  Brush with a little EVOO and also place on the baking tray.
• Put the vegetables in the hot oven and roast for between 20-30mins or until the squash is nicely roasted.    
• Slice the zucchini lengthways and place on a hot grill pan.  Brush with a little oil, once they have seared a little.  You could also do eggplant the same way.  Sprinkle with a little salt and brush with oil and grill on a hot pan on both sides until charred. 
• Slice a big handful of mushrooms and cook in a frying pan on the stove.  Using a little butter, sauté the mushrooms with salt and pepper and thyme until browned and then add a dash of balsamic glaze to the pan to flavour them ever so slightly.  Set aside.
• Remove the red peppers from the oven after they have burnt a little on the edges (usually about 18-20mins) and place directly into a ziploc bag and seal it for 2-3 mins.  This will allow the skins to blister and make it easy for you to peel them.  Open the bag once they have steamed enough and remove the skins.  Roughly slice the peppers.
• I like to use my sandwich press, so get that hot and lightly toast your bread with a very light brush of EVOO to each side.  
• Spread some (store bought if necessary) hummus on one side of your bread and then layer all your other fillings on top.  Grill again briefly until the cheese melts and then remove and cut into portions.  

Of course there are lots of options when putting together a grilled vegie sandwich but this is a good way to make a solid lunch with some amazing seasonal vegies and a huge amount of flavor.  Have fun with it and get roasting, there's still time before the weekend!