Crave Wednesday: Grilled Zucchini Caprese Sandwiches

After Thatkid ran his Star Wars race back in January we surprised him with a day at Disneyland.  He couldn't have been more excited.  As evidenced by his face.

No, but really, he was super excited.  Just annoyed that his mom was slowing him down from getting to do all the things he wanted to do.

We haven't been to Disney since I was pregnant with Thatbaby, and this trip went so much better!  We learned our lesson and went with a plan!  Instead of running all over the park, we planned our rides in one area before moving on to another.  Like heading to Tomorrowland to pick up fast passes for Thatkid and Thatboy to go on Star Tours, and then grabbing breakfast while the boys watched Jedi School.

 

Right before they went on Star Tours, we got fast passes for Buzz Lightyear.  And then Thatbaby and I waited in line for finding Nemo while the bigger boys went on their ride.  After Star Tours they joined us in line, and by the time we were done with Finding Nemo, it was time for Buzz Light Year.

Then Thatkid wanted to go into the castle, and Thatbaby looked tired, so we put him in the stroller and walked over to explore Sleeping Beauty's castle.  3 times we explored Sleeping Beauty's castle.  And while we explored, Thatbaby slept.

 

I'm so thankful my boys are good stroller sleepers.  Since he was out, Thatkid took the chance to go on another "big kid" ride.  

When Thatbaby woke up, we went and grabbed a snack of ice cream on Main Street, and then we headed over to Toon Town.

With one small stop on the way at Small World.

When I saw that it was still going to be decked out for  the holidays in January, I knew we needed to take Thatbaby there.  Jingle Bells is his favorite song, and the slow moving ride is great for little guys.

And then we let him run crazy in Toon town.  Thatboy and Thatkid headed to Goofy's coaster while Thatbaby investigated the homes of Donald, Mickey, Chip and Dale.

And went for a ride in all the cars he could climb into.

Getting hungry, we headed to dinner.   And we talked about if there were any other rides we wanted to hit up before heading home.  Thatkid requested the Storybook Canal, which none of us had ever rode on.  We decided it would be our last ride, and headed over after we finished eating.

We determined that this is a ride that would be much better during the day, because we really couldn't see much of anything at all.  As we were heading out, we realized the line for the teacups was nonexistent, and so we decided on one more ride.

It was a totally great experience.  Both boys had such a fantastic time, and Thatbaby developed an intense love for Mickey Mouse.  Yestrerday was an insane day at work, and after working 12 hours, I dreamed of taking off and just spending time with the family again.  Vacations are so important, even if it's just a weekend away to reconnect or disconnect.  And disconnect time is something I am very into right now.  I'm longing for some time to just veg.  And for warmer, drier weather.  Because it is very cold and wet here lately.  So wet that I've had to retire my grill for a bit and substitute in my grill pan.  Which is still one of the best wedding presents we ever got. Because it means even when it's pouring rain outside, I can still have sandwich filled with warm, grilled vegetables and melty cheese.  This sandwich is a twist on one of Thatbrother's favorite things - a caprese salad.  And while in general I make my caprese with burrata, there's definitely something to be said about classic mozzarella.  Especially in a sandwich.  In addition to the cheese, tomato, basil, and vinegar, the sandwich adds one of my favorite vegetables - zucchini!  And grilled zucchini is one of the best ways to serve this squash.   So when I say "veg out" I'm not just talking about curling up on the couch!

Grilled Zucchini Caprese Sandwiches (From Cooking Light)

1 medium zucchini, trimmed and cut lengthwise into 6 slices

4 tsp olive oil

1 garlic clove

1 1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar

1/8 tsp kosher salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

4 ciabatta rolls, split and toasted

8 basil leaves

1 medium tomato, thinly sliced

6 oz fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced

1. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat.  Place zucchini in a shallow dish.  
2. Add 2 tsp oil and garlic, toss to coat.  Arrange zucchini in grill pan, cook 2 minutes on each side or until grill marks appear.  Cut each zucchini piece in half crosswise.  Return zucchini to shallow dish.
3. Drizzle with viengar.
4. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper.
5. Brush bottom halves of rolls with 2 tsp oil.
6. Top evenly with zucchini, basil leaves, tomato slices, and mozzarella.
7. Brush cut side of  roll tops with remaining liquid from shallow dish and place on sandiwches.
8. Heat sandwiches in pan until warm.