Italian (vegan and beef versions) sandwiches with Pepperoncini

The butcher at the store where we purchase our grass-fed meat suggested we try a crock-pot-italian-beef-with-pepperoncini recipe a few months ago. We also made a vegan version for those who don't eat meat. We served it with herb roasted potatoes and a salad.

Crock pot Italian Beef with Pepperoncini sandwiches
Ingredients

• 2 lb roast
• 10 ounces pepperoncini peppers, including half of juice
• 1 cup water
• ¹⁄4 teaspoon dried oregano
• ¹⁄4 teaspoon dried basil
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 red onion, diced
• 4 hoagie rolls, for serving
• 1 ball of mozzarella cheese, sliced for topping

Italian Chickpea  with Pepperoncini sandwiches using gluten free buns and Daiya cheese

Ingredients:

• 1 can organic chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 2 ounces pepperoncini peppers, including a portion of the juice
• 1/2 cup water
• ¹⁄4 teaspoon dried oregano
• ¹⁄4 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 cloves garlic minced
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 4 hoagie rolls, for serving
• 1 cup shredded daiya mozzarella cheese for topping

For the Roasted Potatoes, we used a recipe from Sur La Table

Serves: Makes 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 cloves garlic
• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 pounds (7 or 8 small) unpeeled Yukon Gold, white, or red potatoes, scrubbed
• 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
• Grated zest from 1 lemon (1 tablespoon lightly packed), plus the juice

Procedures:

With a little chopping of herbs and garlic, you can step up your everyday roasted potatoes to something special. Lemon zest and parsley add sparkle, and the generous coating of olive oil helps ensure crispness. 

Preheat the oven to 450°F. 

Finely chop the garlic and put it in a large bowl. Add the oil, parsley, and rosemary. 

Cut the potatoes into ¾- to 1-inch-wide wedges. 

Add the potatoes to the bowl and sprinkle with the salt. Toss with your hands to evenly coat the potatoes with the oil mixture. 

Spread the potatoes on a large rimmed baking sheet, scraping the bowl of any extra oil and herbs, and arrange the potatoes with a flat side down. Roast until the bottom is golden, about 25 minutes, and then turn them with a metal spatula (some potatoes will stick, but do your best to scrape them loose). Continue roasting until golden and crisp outside and tender inside, about 15 minutes more. Gently sprinkle with the lemon zest. 

Transfer the potatoes to a serving bowl, making sure to scrape up all the herbs and zest. Add several squeezes of the juice over the top. Toss gently to distribute. Serve hot.