v:gourmet

Bekah has been surfing fabulous food blogs and somehow tripped upon My New Roots. It’s a great food blog by a Torontonian living in Copenhagen and it has a beautiful blended feel of both the austerity and crispness of Scandinavia and the down-to-earth rootedness of Canada. That’s my take anyway. Sarah Britton, who created the blog, posted this scrumptious looking smokey tempeh sandwich with sun-dried tomato pesto, so Bekah and I whipped it up for lunch, Bekah did the photography honours (because she’s way better than me), and then we tucked into what is a very tasty sandwich. The bread makes a big difference – as does the quality of all the ingredients – so make sure, as Michael Pollan would say, to pay more and eat less. It’s worth it.

Sun-dried Tomato Pesto

1/3 cup organic sun-dried tomatoes

2/3 cup hot water

½ cup pumpkin seeds

1 clove garlic

2 tbsp cold-pressed olive oil

salt to taste

1 tsp raw honey or maple syrup

Place the tomatoes in a bowl and cover with just-boiled water. Let soak until soft, about 30 minutes.

In a dry skillet over medium heat, lightly toast the pumpkin seeds until they puff up and smell nutty. Be careful not to burn them! If you want a completely raw pesto, skip this step or soak the seeds overnight to activate them.

Drain the tomatoes through a strainer over another bowl to catch the water – you need to save the liquid for the pesto as it contains many nutrients and tons of flavour.

In a food processor, pulse peeled garlic to mince. Add all other ingredients, except salt and sweetener, and blend on high until smooth. Taste for seasoning and add salt or sweetener if desired. Store in a tightly sealed glass container in the fridge for up to one week. Enjoy on sandwiches, with eggs, on pasta, or as a dressing on grain salads and fresh veggies.

Smoky Tempeh

1 package tempeh 7oz. / 200g

1 tbsp tamari

1 tbsp maple syrup

1 tsp melted coconut oil

1 tsp smoked hot paprika or ground chipotle

Slice the tempeh into slabs or long strips, depending on the shape of your block of tempeh.

In an oven-proof dish whisk together all other ingredients. Place the tempeh in a single layer covering the bottom of the dish, then flip each piece so that it is coated with the marinade on both sides.

Place in a 375°F / 190°C oven for 20-30 minutes until the tempeh has absorbed the marinade. Remove from oven and let cool until you are ready to make your sandwiches.

Sandwich

2 slices wholegrain sourdough bread

a few slices of smoky tempeh 0r tofu

a generous slather of sun-dried tomato pesto

¼ – ½ ripe avocado

plenty of salad greens (spinach, butter lettuce, arugula etc.)

cracked black pepper

Toast bread if desired.

Slater one half of the bread with sun-dried tomato pesto. Place sliced avocado on top of the pesto, followed by tempeh and greens. Serve immediately and enjoy, or wrap up for a picnic later in the day.