Vegetable Samiches

    Mark recently went home for a visit. The way he tells it, everybody in his life commented that he's gotten fat and bald. Upon his return he informed me that we're going to get healthy. Now I can't eat meat, eggs, or cheese in peace. Thanks Ohio. 

     Mark has always led a healthier lifestyle than me, but he's completely lost perspective. He yells, "You're trying to kill me," if I use a Teflon coated pan or the tiniest bit of oil. If I tell him he's as handsome to me as the first day I met him, he screams, "Liar, I don't believe anything you say."

     In spite of the vanity at the heart of his aspirations, I am cooking vegetarian these days. Today I have a delicious sandwich recipe from a cookbook my sister Megan uses, The Vegan Table. I don't like most of these ingredients on their own, but this sandwich is truly spectacular- even if you're not a psycho health nut!

The fillers are artichoke hearts, red peppers, pesto, and mayo. You need a nice crusty bread (the day-old rolls are perfect) because the toppings are so juicy! 

Cut the bread open to toast it.

Some fat free canola oil in the (non-teflon) pan.

I forgot. While the bread is toasting you can get some lettuce or tomato ready to add on, but it's not necessary.

After you get a nice toast on your bread, put on a thin layer of mayo for a little creaminess.

Super Thin! Like we're going to be!

Pesto is basil, olive oil, garlic, and some other stuff. It adds a bit of tang and freshness. I tried to make it once on my own, but it's so expensive to buy enough basil at the store, and labor intensive without a food processor.

The pesto I bought ended up having waaay more fat than the mayo, so I tried to also keep layer to a minimum.

Roasted red peppers for a little sweetness!

I bought them whole because they were on sale and then cut them into bite size pieces.

Artichokes- they look like a disease of the butt.

Cut the stem off and the pieces just flake off.

They taste very strong and salty, so go easy on them if you haven't acquired a taste for them before.

This could be done...

I like tomato on my side and Mark likes spinach on his.

Put the top on and cut in half. Clean up is a breeze! My favorite part.

The first juicy bite!

I can't stop eating, even to take the pictures.

The End