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Gourmet Sandwiches with Pesto and Salad
Recently I had the neatest experience of being the cook for the World Harmony Run when it came to and through New Zealand. Following are the sandwiches that I put together for some of the lunches for the runners. They are balanced carbo and protein and are great for an active person to consume on the run!
On the first day of the World Harmony Run in New Zealand, we had a picnic in Hamilton. I had baked some kumara (New Zealand sweet potato) and made some hummus, pesto and a salad. We had sliced cheese and some yummy sliced bread. Here are the recipes for the pesto and salad. Everybody made their own versions of sandwiches with these components. Have fun creating your own.
Red Pepper Pesto
- 8 red peppers, halved and deseeded - Bake in the oven until skin is charred. Take from oven and put into a plastic bag until cool enough to handle. Peel the skin off - they should come off easily - saving the juices. Discard the skins and put flesh into a blender jug with
- 2 cups of dry roasted pine nuts or almonds
- 1-2 cups of extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper to taste.
You will have to do this in 2 lots. Blend all ingredients together making sure that the finished mixture is amalgamated. Season with salt and pepper. This makes alot of pesto. It keeps in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can experiment with this pesto. Try adding some to unsweetend natural yoghurt with a dash of tabasco or any other chilli sauce and use either as a dip with corn chips or as a sauce poured over baked or roasted vegetables. Enjoy!
The 'Kitchen Sink' Salad
I love to put together different flavours and textures in my salads. Here is a good base salad that you can build upon.
- 1/2 red cabbage - washed and finely shredded
- 1 iceburg lettuce - washed and dried, torn into small to medium pieces
- 2 peppers - washed and deseeded, diced
- 1 cup raisins
- 1 cup grated cheese
- 1 red onion - washed and finely sliced
- 2 celery stalks - washed and finely sliced
- 1 cup pea sprouts - washed
- 3 tomatoes - washed and diced
- 1 cup parsley - washed and finely chopped
Add all of the above, adding and subtracting what you want or not, and add 1/2 a cup of salad dressing. I used a simple vinagerette which I keep a jar of in the fridge. The vinagerette is: 1 cup red wine vinegar, 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, 1 clove garlic, crushed, 2 tbsp maple syrup or runny honey, 1/2 tsp wholegrain mustard, salt and pepper to taste. Put all into a glass jar and shake. You can add fresh herbs but they do turn brown after awhile so I tend to add them to the salad, fresh.
Next: Summer Couscous Salad
