Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Eating Whole Foods: The Ultimate Veggie Sandwich

I tend to eat salads most days for lunch; recently though I've wanted to switch it up a bit. So how does one get all of her veggies in and still have a nice portable lunch to carry to work.  Hence the veggie sandwich is born. But I'll be honest, when I hear the words "veggie sandwich" the first thing that comes to mind is a bunch of random veggies slapped between two pieces of tasteless white bread with absolutely no appeal. 

So being the food lover that I am I set out on a mission to change my view of the veggie sandwich forever. I scoured recipes, roasted a variety of vegetables and worked with various balsamic vinegars until I found the perfect combination.

I love buying organic vegetables from Whole Foods Market. If you feel the same way be sure to enter the contest below for a chance to win a $25 Whole Foods gift card!(might take a few seconds to load)



Grilled Veggie Sandwich with Whipped Ricotta
 (makes 1 large sandwich)

1 zucchini sliced lengthwise
1 red bell pepper, quartered
4oz mushrooms, sliced
handful arugula
handful baby spinach

olive oil
salt
pepper
Ciabatta loaf
balsamic dressing (recipe below)

Lightly coat zucchini, bell pepper and mushrooms with olive oil, salt and pepper. Grill until soft about 10 mins.

Mix about 1 tablespoon olive oil with the ricotta cheese and whisk until mixed. Add more or less depending on how fluffy you want your ricotta.

Cut open bread, spread one side with ricotta cheese and the other with balsamic dressing on the other. Place grilled vegetables on top of cheese and then add generous amounts of arugula and spinach. 

Whipped Ricotta
2oz ricotta cheese
olive oil
salt

Whisk together until thickened.



Balsamic Dressing

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (I used Spectrum Organics found at Whole Foods)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon dijon mustard

Whisk everything together until it emulsifies. 




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15 comments:

  1. THat sandwich looks amazing. Leah :>)

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  2. I like eggplant in sandwiches.

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  3. Roasted peppers! with provolone!!!

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  4. roasted red pepper and spinach!

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  5. I love grilled eggplant on sandwiches.

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  6. This looks delicious! Great vegetarian option!

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  7. Awesome - just picked up eggplant & bell peppers at the market, now just need ricotta and bread to make this. Can't wait!

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  8. I like roasted red peppers but at the same time don't really have one without spinach!

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  9. Asian style pickled cucumbers or even kimchi!

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  10. I love grilled everything....eggplant, zucchini, onions, mushrooms, red peppers, pineapple. Not all in the same sandwich of course. Your Balsamic Dressing sounds good and will try. I also like to use a pesto spread and add any cheese, (maybe goat cheese) and fresh spinach...

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  11. i love onions on my sandwiches. i love the tangy taste and bite it gives a sandwich.

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  12. I think my favorite veggie for sandwiches is tomatoes!

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