I’m kind of obsessed with this sandwich. I made it for dinner Tuesday night, and then had it again for lunch Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
It’s good, ya’ll. Even if you’re not a big fan of squash, you might like it this way. Besides, what else are you going to do with all the extra squash your neighbor keeps giving you?
I made a video how-to of this last year, which I’ll post at the end. But if you prefer the drool-worthy picture step-by-step, here you go.
You’ll need: squash or zucchini, olive oil or balsamic vinaigrette, pesto, basil and real mozzarella (the kind that comes in a ball).
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Cut your squash (and/or zucchini) into rounds that about as thick as a quarter.
(PS, that’s my cute sister in my kitchen!)
3. Lay the squash coins out flat on a cooking sheet.
4. Drizzle with olive oil or… even better the balsamic vinegar recipe I gave you in my previous post! Sprinkle with Mrs. Dash’s, or Italian Seasoning or good ol’ salt n pepper.
5. Roast the coins in the oven at 350 for 20 minutes. Check them half way through, and flip ‘em over.
6. Meanwhile, spread about 2 tsp of pesto on a slice of bread.
7. Lay two thin slices of mozzrella (abt 1 oz) on the bread. Sprinkle a little pepper on, and microwave for 10 seconds just to get it a little melty. This is about where you should be dying from the delicious aroma of pesto + melted cheese.
8. Cover the mozz with basil. I really don’t believe in too much basil, but use your own discretion.
9. Once the squash is cooked, add it as the “meat” of your sandwich.
10. Devour. Repeat for the next four days in a row.
Okay, if that wasn’t good enough for you, you can watch me make it here. This is a lower-calorie version with a few swaps, but the steps are still the same.
What could possibly be better than going on a tour of wine country with four of your best friends? How about if those four friends also have to be phenomenal cooks?
I just got back from a trip to Sonoma with my college girlfriends, and while vineyards were certainly the high point of our trip, one of my other favorite parts of the trip was gathering with my friends in a beautiful kitchen every night and taking turns cooking and sharing our joy of food with each other.
Wine Country Kitchen, Best Friend Cooks.
We were there for 3 nights, so we shared cooking duties – each of taking on appetizers, side dishes, main entrees, and of course, dessert. Many of the meals were as healthy as they were delicious, so I thought I’d share them here.
Our first night there, Jess was in charge of the main entree. Her meal was a variation of a recipe she’d come across in Real Simple, and it was exactly that – but very delicious too! She grilled both London broil and chicken (catering to our various preferences) and cooked couscous on the stove.
Grill Master Jessie
She also caramelized onions, tossed with peanuts. The onions/pine nuts were tossed with spinach, and an olive oil / balsamic mix and then the steak and couscous were placed on top.
Simple, but delicious, and we all loved it. (Paired with the Friends Red from Preston Vineyards.)
A few notes about couscous if you’ve never tried it… it’s definitely a love/hate kind of food. It’s fluffy, and a little bit like orzo or rice. It’s a whole grain, which means it’s a great source of fiber, b vitamins, niacin and selenium. It’s about calorically equivalent to rice.
(Picture does not represent the following… my portions were a little larger today! But here are some stats: 3 oz steak, ¼ cup cooked couscous, 1 cup spinach with a 1T:1T oil/vinegar mix = 345 cals, 33g protein, 17g fat (3.5 sat), 10 g carbs. Lots of yum.)
