Spinach Pesto Grill Cheese Sandwich & Vegetable Soup with Lime & Avacado

Spinach Pesto

(makes 1 cup)

Ingredients:
1 cup baby spinach (packed)
1/4 cup fresh herbs (chopped, I used a combination of parsley, basil and mint)
1 clove garlic
2 tablespoons walnuts (toasted)
1/4 cup feta
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 lemon (juice and zest)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Place everything into a food processor and blend.

 

Spinach Pesto Grilled Cheese Sandwich

A tasty spinach pesto smothered in ooey gooey melted cheese and wrapped in buttery golden brown grilled bread.

Servings: makes 1 sandwich
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

  1 tablespoon butter

  2 slices wheat bread (i used whole wheat sourdough)

1/2 cup gruyere, grated (i used swiss cheese slices-not aged)

1-3 tablespoons spinach pesto (recipe from above)

Directions

1.       Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat.

2.      Butter the outside of each slice of bread, sprinkle half of the cheeses on the inside of one slice of bread, top with the spinach pesto, the remaining cheese and finally the other slice of bread.

3.      Add the sandwich and grill until golden brown and the cheese has melted, about 2-4 minutes per side.

my addition: i added avacado to the sandwich. you can add any sauteed vegetables too like onion, bell pepper.

 

 

Vegetable Soup with Lime and Avocado
Serves four to six.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon light olive oil
1 medium red onion, finely diced 
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 carrots, cut into 1/4-inch-rounds
8 ounces green beans, tipped and cut into 1 inch pieces
2 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
6 cups of vegetable stock (i used sprouts organic vegetable stock-u can even use water and boil the veggies in that for a longer time to get some veggie flavor out)
2 teaspoons chilpotle chilies, minced
1 avocado, peeled and sliced
cilantro leaves, for garnish
6 wedges lime

Directions
- Warm the oil in a soup pot, add onion, garlic, oregano, and salt, and cook over medium-low heat until the onion softens.
- Add the carrots, beans, and tomatoes; pour in the heated stock and simmer.
- After 20 minutes gradually stir in the chilpotle chilies to taste.
- Cook another 5 minutes; then taste for salt.
- Ladle the soup into bowls; garnish with the avocado and cilantro leaves. Serve the lime on the side. ( i put the lime wedges inside for a mild constant lime flavor)

Enjoy :)