Pressed Italian Picnic Sandwich With Olive Relish Recipes

PRESSED ITALIAN PICNIC SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Make the pesto by combining basil, garlic, parmsean, olive oil, and walnuts in a food processor or bender. Blend until fairly smooth.
• Cut the focaccia loves in half carefully. Spread the pesto on the top halves and set aside.
• On the bottom halves layer sliced chicken breast, and salami.
• Mix sun-dried tomatoes, olives, pepperoncinis, and roasted red bell peppers in a small bowl. Sprinkle over meat layer.
• Top with slices of fresh mozzarella to cover the entire sandwich.
• Place pesto covered top half of the focaccia onto the sandwich. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap.
• Place the wrapped sandwiches onto a baking sheet. Place another baking sheet on top of the sandwiches. Place 2 heavy books or weights on the top baking sheet to squish the sandwiches. Place in the fridge, books and all, for 12 hours.
• Once 12 hours have passed, unwrap the sandwiches and slice into square for serving. Wrap in wax paper and cooking twine for a cutesy presentation.

PRESSED ITALIAN PICNIC SANDWICHES

Steps:

• To roast the red peppers: Set your oven to the Broil setting. Slice the sides off the red peppers and place skin side up on a baking sheet (*I like to trim the ends so they lie as flat as possible, as they will brown better than pieces that are sloped). Place under the broiler until very well charred (blacon top, about 10 minutes (watch closely after 5 minutes. You'll want them to be mostly blackened on top.) Remove from the oven and immediately place the peppers in a plastic ziploc bag. Pop in the refrigerator for 30-40 minutes. Remove peppers from bag and peel off the blackened skin with a knife. Discard the skin and slice the peppers in to strips. Place in a bowl and drizzle with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• To prepare the sandwiches: Cut your ciabatta in half and butter each piece (or you could brush with a bit of olive oil, if you prefer, but butter will help prevent moisture from getting into the bread. Place a generous layer of cold meats (4-5 over-lapping layers). Top with cooled roasted red pepper strips. Take your Bocconcini slices and place on a piece of paper towel. Top with another piece of paper towel and pat to dry a bit. Top the red peppers with a layer of the Bocconcini slices. Drizzle some balsamic vinegar over the Bocconcini slices and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with a generous layer of arugula. Top with top slice of ciabatta.
• Wrap each sandwich tightly with plastic wrap and place on a platter or baking sheet. When all the sandwiches are prepared, place the platter in the refrigerator. Place a heavy skillet on top of sandwiches to apply weight (if you don't have a heavy skillet, top with another baking sheet and place some large cans on top for the weight).
• Refrigerate at least 6 hours or ideally, overnight.
• When ready to serve, remove from plastic wrap. If desired, you can trim the sides and ends of the sandwiches to make neat sides and to enjoy the wonderful colours of these sandwiches.

ENGLISH AND ITALIAN FINGER SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Stir together the oil, vinegar, oregano, salt and some pepper in a small bowl. On a work surface, spread out the bread and brush the oil and vinegar mixture onto all of the slices.
• Layer half of the bread slices with the red peppers, salami, prosciutto, mortadella, cucumber slices, basil and pepperoncini. Top with the remaining bread slices. Using a serrated knife, cut away the crusts from each sandwich. Cut each sandwich into thirds. Place them on a tray and serve.

PRESSED PICNIC SANDWICH

Steps:

• Ask an adult to slice the ciabatta loaf in half lengthways and heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
• Put the ciabatta loaf halves, crust-side down, on a large baking tray and drizzle with a little olive oil. Pop them in the oven for a few mins until just golden and lightly toasted.
• Put the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic and mustard in a bowl, then whisk them together with a fork.
• Remove the toasted ciabatta halves from the tray and drizzle the bottom slice with about half of the dressing.
• Arrange the rest of the ingredients in layers. Start with a large handful of baby spinach, then a few artichoke hearts.
• Next add the slices of pepper, the prosciutto, basil, mozzarella and, finally, the red onion.
• Drizzle over the rest of the dressing and pop the other slice of ciabatta on top.
• Press down on the sandwich to squash all the layers together.
• Wrap the sandwich in baking parchment and tie it together with a couple of pieces of string.
• Place a heavy baking tray on top of your sandwich and top it with weights or loaf tins filled with baking beans. Pop it all in the fridge overnight or until you are ready to eat it. Cut and serve in slices for the perfect picnic snack.

PRESSED PICNIC SANDWICH

Steps:

• Heat grill to (or a grill pan over) high, or preheat broiler. Cook peppers (on a rimmed baking sheet, if using broiler), turning frequently so all sides cook evenly, until completely charred, 10 minutes. Remove from heat, transfer peppers to a bowl, and cover with plastic. Set aside until skins loosen and peppers are cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes. Using your hands, rub off charred skin, rinsing your hands frequently under cold running water. Pat peppers dry. Slice peppers in half, remove seeds and stems, and cut flesh into 1-inch-wide strips.
• In a medium bowl, combine Dijon and vinegar. Gradually whisk in oil, followed by water. Season to taste with salt and pepper; set aside.
• Slice bread horizontally and scoop out soft interior (reserve for another use). Spread olive paste on bottom crust, then add peppers. Crumble goat cheese on top of peppers. Arrange artichokes over goat cheese. Drizzle half the vinaigrette (about 1/4 cup) on top. Arrange prosciutto and salami over artichokes. Scatter herbs over meats. Drizzle remaining vinaigrette (1/4 cup) over inside of top crust, then place top crust on sandwich.
• Wrap sandwich tightly with plastic. Set a weight, such as a brick or large cast-iron skillet, on top at least 1 hour and up to 8 hours. When ready to serve, slice sandwich horizontally into 6 to 8 pieces.

LAYERED PICNIC LOAVES

Steps:

• Cut loaves in half horizontally; hollow out tops and bottoms, leaving 1/2-in. shells (discard removed bread or save for another use). , Combine oil and garlic; brush inside bread shells. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning. Layer bottom of each loaf with a fourth of each: roast beef, mozzarella, basil, tomatoes, salami, artichokes, salad greens, chicken and onion. Repeat layers. Season with salt, pepper and remaining Italian seasoning. , Drizzle with remaining oil mixture if desired. Replace bread tops; wrap tightly and refrigerate at least 1 hour before slicing.