Walnut Pesto Sandwich

Walnut Pesto Sandwich


I am not a big fan of sandwiches although I every now and then I do fancy couple of sandwiches that I had when I was in the States. Somehow, untoasted bread does not really appeal to me so I prefer few grilled sandwiches. I came across a recipe for walnut pesto on a television porgram and thought it will be good on a grilled sandwich and make a quick and healthy breakfast. Walnuts are very nutritious and their shape reminds me of the brain and they are indeed good for the brain. They are said to improve memory and also have anti-inflammatory properties in addition to being anti-oxidant rich. The vitamin E in walnuts is said to be special as it is in a form in which it lends significant protection against cardio-vascular problems. Having said all this, I am not a fan of walnuts so any dish in which I cannot quite detect it would be ideal for me. This pesto was very good in that sense. I spread generous portion of it on wholemeal bread, slapped a slice of cheese, grilled and packed it for breakfast. The best part is that my husband liked it too. What a healthy dish that goes down well!

7-8 walnuts, broken to smaller pieces
1 pack of basil leaves (30g)
1 teaspoon black peppercorn
3 cloves garlic
2 tablespoon olive oil
Salt to taste
Bread slices to make the sandwich along with some cheese slices if desired

Roast walnuts in a dry pan until it just begins to change colour. Also roast the black peppercorns

Grind together the walnuts, pepper, basil leaves, garlic, olive oil and salt to a paste without adding any water

Smear this on a slice of bread, slap a slice of cheese on it, close with another bread slice and grill the sandwich

Yum yum yum!

Zucchini Sandwich (Courgette Sandwich)

Zucchini Sandwich (Courgette Sandwich)

As far as making up dishes goes, necessity is the mother of invention for me. Well, not that I actually invent but it is more create by putting together the right things in right amount. One morning I was running out of options for breakfast and found oats porridge a bit too bland and thought of cleaning the dish in which I make the porridge was not encouraging either. I wanted something with nice taste in it and also some vegetables. I then decided to make myself a toasted sandwich. My husband had bought a sandwich maker for me as I like sandwiches toasted in it. This was a good chance to use it. It came out very well and I would have absolutely no problem having this again for any meal. If you make this for your kids, you could reduce the chillies. Zucchini is called courgette in the UK.

1 small onion, finely chopped
2 green chillies, finely chopped
½ courgette finely chopped
Salt to taste
Herb of your choice – I used fresh coriander for one and dried basil for another sandwich
Little oil

Heat about a teaspoon oil and fry the chillies and onions briefly and add courgettes. Add salt and cook until done.

Spread some cheese or butter or any of the spreads and put some cooked courgettes on it. Sprinkle the herb and close with another slice.

Put this in your sandwich maker and toast until you get desired colour.

This quantity makes two sets of sandwiches. You may want to add some grated cheese as well.