Roasted Spanish Vegetable Sandwiches and Cinnamon (as in the Cinnamon Band)

My obsession over the last few weeks has been sandwiches. There's just something to be said about two pieces of bread or a nice roll with a veggie filling inside. One of the sandwiches that I concocted recently was a Roasted Spanish Vegetable Sandwich. It was recently awarded recipe of the week. In the same vein as Barack Obama's Nobel Peace Prize victory (congratulations, by the way) those who follow sandwich culture were slightly shocked that this sandwich earned recipe of the week honors. Supporters have suggested that the sandwich has done wonders for international diplomacy, especially between Spain and America. Okay, okay, joking aside, here is the recipe of the week:

Roasted Spanish Vegetable Sandwiches (adapted from Veg Times Sept. 2008)
(printable version)

-1 zucchini, sliced lengthwise -
-1 eggplant, sliced in circles
-1 red onion, sliced
-8 oz. of sliced button mushrooms
-2 red peppers, chopped
-1/4 cup of almonds
-1 Tbs. red wine vinegar
-1 clove garlic
-5.3-oz. of goat cheese, softened
-12 leaves of fresh basil, chopped
-4 sourdough rolls
-4 leaves of green leaf lettuce
-salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Using two baking sheets spread zucchini, eggplant, onion, and mushrooms in a single layer. Spray vegetables with cooking spray. Roast until tender about 18 minutes.

2. Combine red peppers, almonds, vinegar, and garlic in a food processor. Purée until smooth. If desired, season with salt and pepper.

3. Combine goat cheese and basil in bowl.

4. Top each sourdough roll with goat cheese mixture, lettuce leaf, roasted vegetables and red pepper mixture. I put the goat cheese on the bottom part of the roll and the red pepper on the top. Press sandwich together and enjoy.

They may not be Spanish (hailing from Virginia/Philly) but the Cinnamon Band's newest single, "Buena Vista," has some Spanish in the title. "Buena Vista," which means pleasant view, is also the title of the bands newest EP. Thanks to BrooklynVegan for turning me on to these guys.

The Cinnamon Band-Buena Vista