A couple of years ago I was travelling through Spain with my sister and we came across a little hole in the wall restaurant that served these amazing looking sandwiches. I remember walking by and peering into the window, my face was probably pressed up against it wishing I could just take one bite. I felt like that sad kid left outside looking in on everyone else having fun without me, but then it appeared, like a sign from the gods…

Something about seeing those words on a menu that just gets me excited. It’s the little things in life.

In the midst of all my excitement and joy I was so jazzed about my sandwich that when it came my turn to order I forget to mention that I would need the gluten free option and just blurted out my sandwich preference. So there I am, pretty much euphoric enjoying my tasty chicken sandwich chewing on my very first bite, taking it all in and my sister looks to me and says “don’t you think its odd that in a place that offers both regular and GF bread that everyone would be eating GF???”

For all you normal bread eaters, GF bread has a VERY distinct look, it’s like when you play the game one of these things just doesn’t belong here, but everyone at this restaurant seemed to be eating the same looking bread as me. So what did I do you ask? I immediately opened my mouth and just let the chewed up sandwich fall onto the table, not one of my finer moments but a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do.

I then calmly walked back up to the counter and ordered a second sandwich, I think I told the waitress I was gluten free 15 times, but i’m pretty sure she didn’t care because all she was thinking was ummmmm didn’t you just order and eat a sandwich five seconds ago? Fatty fat fat.

Roasted Vegetable Sandwich with Hummus and a Balsamic Reduction

2 pieces of Queen Street Romano bean bread (this stuff in the BOMB)
2 tbsp roasted red pepper hummus
1 zucchini
1 eggplant
1 red pepper
1/2 red onion
1 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tsp maple syrup

Preheat your oven to 400

Slice up your veg and lightly brush with some grapeseed oil then on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper arrange your vegetables so they aren’t overlapping. Toss them into the oven and set your timer for 20 minutes. Normally with all the veg cut up I end up with two trays full.

Now in a small sauce pan pour in your balsamic vinegar and mix in the maple syrup, over medium allow the vinegar to slowly cook off the vinegar, should be just a hair hotter than a low simmer.

After about 20 minutes in the oven, switch up your trays of veg so they grill up evenly.

For the bread portion of the sandwich I like to toast mine a little before I make my masterpiece, but to toast or not to toast is up to you.

After your veg have been grilling for another 15 minutes or so they should be good to go, and the timing works out perfectly for the balsamic reduction because takes about 30 minutes to reduce.

Now we build… First take your toast/bread and top with hummus, then add on your grilled red onion, sliced zucchini, red pepper, eggplant and then drizzle (I tend to go to town on this step) with balsamic reduction.

If you want to add a little protein to your sandwich this combo goes great with feta, turkey bacon, regular bacon or even grilled chicken breast, but sometimes I just crave a meat free meal.

So pretty you almost won’t want to eat it, keep in mind I said almost, and so delicious that yes I make two, but when it’s open face style that’s kind of just like one sandwich right???