Six Foot Meatless Italian Hero Recipes

ITALIAN HERO SUB SANDWICH

Steps:

• Slice the hoagie buns lengthwise and top with vegetables, Provolone and meats.
• If serving immediately, dress each sandwich with Mayonnaise and Dijon and cut in half.
• If serving later, wrap each sub in cling wrap and store refrigerated up to 48 hours.

ITALIAN HERO SANDWICH

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, oregano, mustard, salt and pepper.
• Stir to mix well.
• Whisk in the olive oil until incorporated.
• On a work surface, lay out 3 long pieces of plastic wrap, placing them side by side and slightly overlapping.
• Place the bottom half of the loaf over the wrap.
• Spread the pepperoncini and cherry peppers over the bread.
• Scatter evenly with the lettuce and layer with the tomatoes.
• Drizzle with a few tablespoons of the dressing.
• Layer the meats, one at a time, over the tomatoes, making sure to distribute them evenly.
• Top with a layer of provolone cheese.
• Drizzle the remaining dressing over the cut side of the top of the loaf.
• Place on the layered sandwich and enclose in the plastic.
• Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or for up to 4 hours to develop the flavors.
• To serve, unwrap the sandwich and slice into large pieces about 3 to 4 inches wide.

SIX-FOOT MEATLESS ITALIAN HERO

Steps:

• Wash and dry bell peppers, iceberg, tomatoes, celery hearts and parsley.
• Grind artichokes in a food processor with the peeled garlic and a pinch or 2 of salt, until largely puréed but still textural, like tapenade. If a little loosening is needed, blend in a glug of olive oil.
• Using a sharp knife, shave celery crosswise. Transfer to a medium bowl, and add the artichoke purée. Season assertively with salt and pepper, plus a nice long drizzle of olive oil; toss well and then set aside.
• Slice everything else that was washed and dried into the thinnest slices you can manage. Thinly slice the red onions into rings, then cut the rings in half to create half-moons. (Full rings of thinly sliced red onion have a tendency to become stringy as they wilt inside a sandwich, creating a bit of a choking hazard.)
• When ready to assemble the sandwich (at least 1 hour before eating, though the assembled sandwich can sit up to 12 hours in a cool place), chop the parsley, and stir it into the artichoke-and-celery mixture. Taste that the mixture is highly seasoned to your liking.
• Set up an efficient workstation with enough counter space for the bread, and have all your mise en place in neat containers in front of you. If possible, put the vinegar, oil and mayonnaise into squeeze bottles, just as they do at delis and salad bars. Wear gloves to make separating slices of cheese and onion and tomatoes while assembling more "grippy."
• Hinge the bread horizontally without slicing all the way through. Be assertive in butterflying the loaf open - like breaking the spine on an open book - in order for it to lie flat enough to receive all the fillings without your having to hold it open along the way.
• Build by overlapping the ingredients, or "shingling" them, along the central channel of the hinged loaf in the following order: cheese, lettuce, tomato, bell pepper, artichoke-and-celery mixture, red onions, black olives, hard-boiled eggs, jalapeños and cubanelle peppers.
• Generously salt and pepper the whole thing, then zigzag squiggles of mayonnaise, squirts of vinegar and olive oil. Finish with a light dusting of oregano.
• Squeeze the sandwich closed, and insert 8-inch wooden skewers, driving them in diagonally to prevent the sandwich from springing back open. Trim a couple of inches off each end, then serve and slice to order.

ROASTED VEGETABLE BURRITOS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 450 degrees. On a rimmed baking sheet, combine mushrooms, poblano chiles, sweet potato, garlic, oregano, smoked paprika and oil, and season with salt and pepper; toss to evenly coat. Roast, stirring halfway through, until vegetables are golden and tender, about 15 minutes. Push the vegetables into a 12-by-6-inch rectangle and sprinkle with the cheese; roast just until cheese melts, about 2 minutes longer.
• Spread one-quarter of the mashed avocado in the center of each tortilla. Top each with 2 tablespoons of the sour cream, 1/4 cup lettuce and 2 tablespoons pico de gallo, then evenly divide the cheesy roasted vegetables on top. Fold the short sides of the tortilla in over the filling; fold the bottom of the tortilla up and over the filling and tightly roll. Serve warm.

THREE FOOT HERO SANDWICH

Steps:

• Mix together, mayonnaise, oregano, salt and pepper.
• Spread on bottom of loaf.
• Line with lettuce leaves.
• Arrange layers of ham, swiss cheese, bologna, American cheese, salami, tomato and onion.
• Sprinkle with red wine vinegar.
• Cover with top half of loaf.
• Cut into desired lengths for serving.