We went to Golden, BC a few weeks ago, and it was fantastic. So much fun! We camped, climbed, and went mountain biking. I bought copious amounts of raw honey from a great roadside shop (more on that later), got some much needed sunshine, and enjoyed the stunning scenery. We also enjoyed some delicious camping and road food, and while everything was delicious (as it tends to be when you’re camping and famished), this sandwich really stuck out.
This sandwich happened on our drive home. We’d just stopped for a beer and a plate of very disappointing sweet potato fries, so we were heading home with empty stomachs and an unmet desire for sweet potato fries (we sent them back). As we drove through the mountains I dug through our cooler for sandwich supplies, and these sandwiches are what I came up with. And they’re fantastic.
Creamy avocado, garlicky hummus, tangy goats cheese, and crunch sprouts on a seeded roll make for a fantastic lunch or dinner—frankly, it’s a sandwich I actually want to make and eat frequently, which is amazing as I am pretty “over” sandwiches after a couple decades of soggy packed lunches. A few grinds of pepper or some Spirit of Africa and you’ve got yourself a delicious sandwich. Yum!
Hummus, Avocado, and Sprout Sandwich
1 seedy whole grain roll
2 tbsp garlic hummus
1 tbsp herbed or plain chèvre
1/4 ripe avocado, sliced
2 handfuls of mixed sproutsHalve the roll. Spread one surface with hummus, and the other with chèvre. Layer slices of avocado, top with the sprouts. Enjoy!
I had one with sweet potato fries when I got home because I felt cheated.
This sandwich looks and sounds amazing! Now I need to go buy some rolls and more sprouts(my little boy loves devouring them if he sees them in the fridge).
I am just loving the mental picture of a 3-year-old jungle-gyming it up your fridge shelves in search of sprouts 😛
Seeing as many sandwich ingredients are no longer options for me, avocados and hummus are pretty much my go-to condiments now. I make vegan aioli/mayo often as well, but without meat or even cheese in the mix, I usually need something heartier. And You already know my sentiments about sprouts 😉 MMMMMM!
I definitely thought of you as I devised this bad boy, Sarah 😉 I bet this would also be super awesome in a tortilla, where you could cram massive amounts of sprouts into it and then wrap it up. Yum!
Haha, oh I’ve definitely crammed sprouts into/onto many things… I sprout enough seeds to fill a 500ml mason jar (literally jam packed), so there’s usually one meal that we end up piling them or stuffing them somewhere edible, including our mouths.
I will make some… soon… I nearly did by accident last week, when I was soaking some beans and lentils. I did finally get myself to a good-sized Bulk Barn and buy a bunch of different beans and stuffs, and then I soaked, cooked, and froze a bunch of them 🙂 But I nearly procrastinated that until I had sprouts, lol.
You can still cook them once sprouted and at least get some of the benefits (cooking kills some, undoubtedly)! My hummus is almost always made from sprouted and cooked chickpeas 🙂 I’ve even made a raw sprouted version of hummus. I’d maybe do half and half, but the full on sprouted was a bit… “earthy”. I’ve never actually cooked beans/lentils en masse to freeze (I know, shocking!), but I should start since I’m REALLY trying to not buy canned goods anymore. Most often when I remember I need beans, I don’t have the time to spare of even the quick soak method. I guess I need to get back into planning our weekly meals in advance…
OOoooh, I looove the idea of this. Also, I think I have to go make some hummus now 😛 I think I’ll join you in the “kick the can” thing as well—especially when it comes to beans! They are just so overpriced compared to dry, and for no good reason. Your tale of overly earthy hummus reminds me of the time I made falafel from chickpeas that had only been soaked, but not cooked (’twas Mark Bittman’s idea). They wouldn’t hold together for anything. I think I ended up eating a loooottt of stir-fried falafel bits for a while there 😛 Also… sprouted falafel? Sounds like a delicious idea, no?!
Hehe, “kick the can.” Price is a definitely an incentive, and also I’m terrified of whatever lines tin cans… especially when something acidic like tomatoes is entombed and likely breaking down whatever it is. At least I’ve finally found giant GLASS jars of tomato paste at a middle eastern market in town, but tomatoes in jars seem to be completely non-existent. Tomato sauce galore, sure, but I don’t WANT tomato sauce. GRRR!
Yeah, soaked/sprouted chickpeas are certainly NOT pasty enough to find together falafel… the sprouted hummus I made wasn’t as creamy either. Sprouted and cooked should work though! Yum! Speaking of falafel, I made falafel-esque mushroom balls for supper last night! I say falafel-esque because I used chickpea flour instead of wheat flour as the thickener, so they were sort of an asian-lebanese fusion 😉
I am so loving all the tomatoes I’ve got in the freezer downstairs! I feel like a champion of homemaking, even if it is a rather small effort when compared to those who do serious survival-style homesteading. I’ve been eating tons of pizza lately as a result, haha. Because, you know, the sauce is so quick and easy. Haha. I should definitely keep my eye out for tomato paste in jars, though. I hate the cans of it! I almost never need an entire can of tomato paste. Arrrgh. I have seen it in tubes (like toothpase) at Italian markets, though, and that’s always seemed like a great idea.
Your mushroom balls sound awesome! Count me in for the recipe whenever I actually get around to cooking again. Those frozen vats of soup in the freezer are my saving grace right now (along with the pizza, haha).
Tomatoes are a bit of a sore spot for me right now… we had a crazy wind storm in early October that knocked over and uprooted all my tomato plants. They were all still green, but I had no choice but to try and save them while I could. A few more weeks on the vine before frost would have been so much better than me trying to ripen them indoors 🙁 I’m going to be throwing a lot away, or freezing a pile of green tomatoes by the looks of things…
The jarred tomato paste I found is about 2 cups, and costs me about $4 at the Middle Eastern market. That seems like a pretty good price to me, especially since I’ve had the open jars last well over a month with no signs of mold or sketchiness. And if you’re worried or unable to use it quickly enough, at least it freezes well!
The mushroom balls were great, though I ran out of bread crumbs and had to supplement with gluten-free rice “bread” crumbs I had on hand. Silly me forgot to read the label, and apparently they were LOADED with salt… so they were tasty, but waaaaaay saltier than I’m used to or what is healthy. Lesson learned.
Since this post was also about avocados, I bought 28 avocados last weekend that were too beautiful to pass up! They’re normally $2 each here, going on sale very occasionally (like around Superbowl) for $1.25 or $1 if you’re lucky. The problem being they’re never the rich, creamy, bright green ones. These were miraculously big, perfectly ripe, and as luck would have it, NOT bruised to shit! They’re even green inside, instead of a sickly yellow! AND they were on for $1 each as a “this store only” special. I just happened to get there the same evening it started and I literally bought all but the 2 overripe ones. Clearly using 28 avocados before they go would be a feat, so I’m going to try freezing them! Apparently it can be done, as long as you don’t want them for cubes or slices once thawed. So excited!!!
Damnit, October windstorm! That’s just heartbreaking 🙁 What ended up happening to your tomatoes?
I think I need a small vacation to drive all around the city and get all these amazing food things you tell me about. Like a gigantic jar of tomato paste (no gluten free salt flour, though). And a massive case of beautiful avocados! Sigh. How are they freezing? Have you had a chance to thaw them & see yet? If all goes well I can see myself doing the same thing at some point, haha.
Have I ever chewed your ear off about how fantastic smoked tofu is?
The tomatoes were finally diced, stewed, and frozen in “can-sized” portions for later use. I only got about 10 “cans” worth since we lost a lot to rot as they were ripening. Those that survived DID eventually turn red, with a few stubborn green ones that still ended up getting thrown in to cook.
OMG AVOCADOS! Before last weekend, $1 each seemed like a great price… then I was in Halifax on the weekend, and my sis-in-law said “Sarah, you HAVE to check out this great little store called “Gateway Meat Market”, which made me burst out laughing and cut her off thinking she forgot I was vegan. I did let her finish though, fortunately, because avocados were on sale there for… wait for it…. SEVENTEEN CENTS EACH. 17 cents. I kid you not. I almost died of joy! There was a family limit of 10, so Adam and I went in and paid separately, then went back the next day and did it again. I wanted to go back 10 more times, but I was worried they might catch on, haha. I now have 40 avocados to ripen and freeze that cost me less than $7 total. Should have ran be $80, or at LEAST $40! They had a TON (literally, in all likelihood) of them too, which leads me to believe they hijacked an avocado truck something 😛 I better keep my eyes out for the cops in case I’m seen as an accomplice! Anyway, despite having to get these money-losing (for them) avocados from a meat market, it was totally worth it. I’m
positive I’ll never see them so cheap again in my life.
As for tofu of any kind, I’ve never been able to get on board. I try to avoid soy for a number of reasons now, though initially it was taste/texture as was the case with me never liking meat. I’m sure smoked tofu is delicious if you’re a soy lover!
I’m glad you were able to salvage some of your tomatoes, if not all of them.
$0.17/avocado!??!?!!?? HOLY GEEZ. That is amazing! And sort of unfair, haha. And I’ve gotta say… I would’ve had no shame with going back tons of times lol. No shame at all 😀 My small grocery victory of the week was whole milk being 2-for-1 at Safeway… so that’s something 😛 I now have until November 22 to drink 4L of milk. Sounds like I’ll be making some custard 😀 Omnomnom.
When it comes to tofu I can really only enjoy it in Asian-type food. Things like ramen, miso soup, and Thai curries. I once tried it in an Indian curry and in an Italian ragu, and both were just awful! So I really don’t end up eating much tofu (or soy in general, since I’m not vegan). But yeah—smoked tofu is eerily like ham and is great in casseroles that you’d usually add diced ham to. Craig informs me that adding diced ham to things is a very Canadian thing. Huh. Never knew.