Food Friday--Veggie French Dip

Veggies.  We can't get enough of them, but sometimes we want something more than just a plate full of veg.  :)

These sandwiches are filling and good, and fairly easy.  I have made them with zucchini and another time with portobello mushrooms and it was good both times.  Even my finicky teenager happily ate it.  This recipe also makes a yummy Caramelized Sweet Onion Jus to dip the sandwiches in.  Messy, but good!

Veggie French Dip with Caramelized Sweet Onion Jus

Ingredients:

3 tsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 small sweet onion, very thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 tsp tomato paste
1 tsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp malt vinegar
2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
4 small zucchini (about 2 pounds)
4 whole-wheat or multi-grain sandwich rolls

What you do:

Preheat your oven to 475 degrees.

Place a medium saucepan over medium heat and add 1 tsp of your oil.  When the oil is hot, add the onion and saute, stirring often until the onion is soft and starting to turn golden brown, about 10 minutes.  Add your garlic and saute for about 1 minute more.  Add in the tomato paste, soy sauce and vinegar and cook until most of the liquid is gone, around a minute.  Add the vegetable broth slowly, scraping any browned bits from the bottom and sides of your pot.  Reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, until the sandwiches are ready to serve.

While your jus simmers, trim and discard the stem and bottom ends of each zucchini.  Slice the zucchini lengthwise into 1/4 inch strips.  Coat 2 baking sheets with 1 tsp of oil each.  Lay the zucchini strips on the baking sheets in a single layer and pop them into the oven.  Roast them for 10 minutes, then turn the zucchini strips over and return them to the oven for another 10 minutes, until it is brown and very tender.

If necessary, slice your sandwich rolls in half (but not your fingers!) and place them in the oven during the last 5 minutes of zucchini roasting time.

Remove zucchini and rolls from the oven and divide the zucchini evenly among the rolls.  Using tongs, remove the onions from the jus and divide them among the sandwiches.  Ladle about 1/2 cup of the jus into small bowls and serve with the sandwiches for dipping.

Enjoy!