Vegetarian Pan Bagnat Recipes

Steps:

• For the vinaigrette, whisk the shallots, garlic, red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, mustard, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper together in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil, stir in the anchovies (if using), capers, and olives, and set aside.
• Core the tomatoes and slice them 1/3 inch thick. Place the bottom halves of the ciabattas, cut side up, on a sheet pan. Place a layer of tomato on each bread, spoon on 2/3 of the vinaigrette, add a layer of mozzarella, and sprinkle with the basil leaves. Spoon the remaining vinaigrette on the cut sides of the ciabatta tops and place them, cut side down, on the sandwiches. Place a second sheet pan on the sandwiches and put weights on top, such as cans of tomatoes. Allow the sandwiches to sit at room temperature for an hour for the flavors to blend.
• Heat an electric panini press and toast the sandwiches for 5 to 10 minutes, until the bread is toasted and the mozzarella starts to melt. Cut each sandwich in half and serve warm.

Steps:

• Pull some of the soft middle from both halves of the roll out to make a well. Spread the cream cheese on the bottom of the roll. Top with the olives, artichoke hearts, tomato, roasted pepper, basil leaves, followed by the mixed sliced vegetables. Drizzle the artichoke marinade over the vegetables. Season with a pinch of salt and several cracks of black pepper. Sandwich with the top half of the roll and wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours up to overnight (this allows the flavors to meld).

Steps:

• In a small bowl, whisk together the optional anchovies, the garlic, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper. Slowly drizzle in oil, whisking constantly.
• If using a country loaf, pull out some soft interior crumb to form a cavity. If using a ciabatta, you won't need to eliminate anything.
• If using a Kirby cucumber, slice thinly. If using a regular cucumber, peel, halve lengthwise, and scoop out seeds from one half. Thinly slice seedless half. Add sliced cucumber to vinaigrette and toss well.
• Spread half the cucumbers on bottom of bread. Top with tomato and onion slices, then with tuna, basil, olives and egg slices. Top egg with remaining cucumbers and vinaigrette. Cover with second bread half and firmly press sandwich together.
• Wrap sandwich tightly in foil, waxed paper or plastic wrap, then place in a plastic bag. Put sandwich under a weight such as a cast-iron frying pan topped with a filled kettle, or have a child about 7 years old sit on it. Weight sandwich for 7 to 10 minutes, then flip and weight it for another 7 to 10 minutes (or as long as you can get the child to sit still). Unwrap, slice and serve immediately, or keep it wrapped for up to 8 hours before serving.

Steps:

• Crisp baguette in hot oven, then cool to handle. Cut baguette in half lengthwise, on an angle, then split each half lengthwise.
• Put about 1 inch of water, the bay leaf, peppercorns, and juice of 1/2 the lemon into a small skillet and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add the tuna steak, cover, and simmer until cooked through, about 4 minutes. Remove tuna from the water and allow to cool. Place tuna in a bowl and separate with a fork. Add capers, red onion, artichokes.
• For olives, if they're pitted, coarsely chop them. If the olives have pits, place an olive or 2 on your cutting board. Turn your knife sideways and place the flat of the blade on top of the olives -- just like peeling garlic -- whack the heal of your hand on knife and the pits of the olives will be exposed. Remove pits and chop.
• Add olives and parsley to tuna mixture. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon into the bowl. Squeeze lemon halves holding cut side upright, allowing juice to spill over sides. The seeds will stay with the lemon half, rather than falling into your salad. Add black pepper to the bowl and drizzle salad liberally with evoo, extra virgin olive oil. Toss tuna salad and adjust pepper and evoo to your taste. Pack the tuna salad on to baguette halves and set tops in place. Press down to set the bread and salad together. The bread will absorb the evoo and salad juices -- YUMMY! Cut each half baguette in half again, making 4 sandwiches, total.

Steps:

• In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the red wine vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper. While continuing to whisk, gradually add the olive oil. Whisk until an emulsion forms. Set aside.
• Slice the baguette horizontally into 2 pieces. Tear out some of the soft bread in the center of each side, making a slight well in the bread. Place the tuna, green pepper, red onion, hard-boiled eggs, olives, and tomato on the bottom side of the bread in that order. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the vegetables, top with the second piece of bread, and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Let stand at room temperature for 2 hours before serving.
• Cut into 4 sandwiches and serve.

Steps:

• Halve a large loaf of crusty bread horizontally, and remove some of the crumb from each half to make it slightly hollow.
• Build the sandwich, layering on sliced tomatoes, roasted red peppers, marinated artichoke hearts, red onion, olives, capers, basil leaves and anchovies (if you like them).
• Oil-packed tuna is classic; grilled chicken is also good. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, drizzle with red- or white-wine vinegar and douse with olive oil.
• Close the sandwich, wrap well in aluminum foil and weight it down with something heavy (a skillet, a milk jug, a rock, a brick, whatever).
• Refrigerate overnight or for up to 24 hours. Cut into pieces, and serve.

Steps:

• In a large glass or stainless-steel bowl, combine the fennel, chickpeas, olives, capers, parsley, garlic, and tomato. Add the vinegar, oil, salt, and pepper and toss.
• Remove some of the soft center from each half roll, leaving a 1/2-inch shell. Mound the filling onto the bottom of each roll. Drizzle any remaining juices over the filling. Cover with the top of each roll.
• If you have time, wrap each roll tightly in aluminum foil and let sit for 15 minutes or up to 2 hours. Otherwise, press down on the rolls firmly so that the dressing moistens the bread.