Dinner and a Movie

I don't know about you, but I absolutely love to eat while I'm watching a movie. Whether I'm at the theatre, munching on popcorn, or sitting on my couch at home, I always enjoy having something to eat while I enjoy a movie. Go figure.

In my loner days, when I had nothing better to do on a Friday night than sit at home by myself and watch TV, I used to watch Dinner and a Movie on TBS. The hosts would present a movie to their TV audience, but their 'thing' was to introduce a recipe as well. During commercial breaks, the hosts would then cook the dinner, showing how it's done.

One day, I decided I would actually try out one of their recipes.

The movie was a hit from 1997, Batman & Robin, starring George Clooney as Batman and Arnold Schwarzenneger as Mr. Freeze, to name a few from the star-studded cast. The recipe paired with the movie was "Super-Hero Sandwiches."

What You Will Need:

• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 sweet Vidalia onion, peeled and quartered
• 1 cup Spanish green olives
• 1 cup kalamata or black olives
• 1 stalk celery cut into matchstick sized pieces
• 1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
• 2 tablespoons drained capers
• 1/2 cup olive oil (preferably extra-virgin)
• 1 table spoon red wine vinegar
• salt, pepper and cayenne to taste
• 3 Japanese eggplant, thinly sliced lengthwise
• 1 lb. thinly sliced raw turkey breast
• 4 oz. thinly sliced provolone
• 4 oz. thinly sliced mozzarella cheese
• 1 French or sourdough baguette, split lengthwise

Directions:

1. Cut the top and bottom from bell pepper, pull out the core and cut open to create one large strip. Place pepper skin-side-up on a foil-lined cookie sheet and broil 2-3 inches from the flame until blackened and blistered, about 5 minutes.

2. Place the pepper strips in a paper bag until cool enough to handle, and then scrape off the skin under running water. Dice and scrape into a large mixing bowl.

3. Cut the onion into thick slices, brush with olive oil and broil until brown around the edges. Chop and add to the peppers.

4. Add the olives, celery, parsley, oregano, capers, olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper to the onion and bell pepper. Mix well and refrigerate until use.

5. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Brush eggplant and turkey slices with olive oil and season with salt, pepper, and cayenne. Sear eggplant for 2-3 minutes per side. Sear the turkey slices for about 1 minute on each side.

6. Pile the French loaf with layers of cheese, eggplant, and turkey. Heat in a 400F oven for 5 minutes, remove from oven and smother with olive salad. Then eat quickly before Gotham City gets into trouble.

Serves four.

I know it's a long process and a ton of ingredients, but TRUST me, it's worth it!! In fact, I'm going to try and make it again sometime this week and I'll take a picture for all you skeptics.

Now, go save the world, one sandwich at a time!

StheF

Recipe provided by TBS's Dinner & a Movie.