I don’t make a ton of sandwiches so it took me a couple of weeks to come up with this idea. At first I thought about doing a Mediterranean tuna sandwich or a vegetarian melt but after a little brainstorming I decided to take all my favorite healthy foods and stuff them into a sandwich.
I made the sandwich this weekend and after one bite, I knew it had potential.
The best part… it’s is packed with nutritious superfoods and totally EBF approved. Here’s the line-up:
multi-grain ciabatta bread
sun-dried tomato olive quinoa tapenade
massaged kale
red onion
goat cheese
baked sweet potatoes
I know it sounds like quite an interesting combination, but trust me when I say that the flavors work. I seriously can’t get over how well it turned out! I think it’s the umami effect.
The tapenade is something I’m really excited about because it involves quinoa. We all know my obsession with this little pseudo-grain…I’m hooked on it! Here, it adds a nice texture to the traditional sun-dried tomato olive tapenade and a hearty dose of protein to the sandwich.
Kale is one of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet so of course it had to be included.
And the baked sweet potatoes? I figured that I put baked sweet potato chunks in everything from salads to scrambled egg whites so why not add them to my sandwich.
Isaac was happy too because he was the official taste tester. Apparently, this sandwich is the best sandwich I’ve ever made. I’ll take it!
Okay, enough talking. Here’s the recipe:
Ultimate Superfood Sandwich
5 from 2 votes
Quick note: Baking your sweet potato and cooking up a batch of quinoa the morning or day before you want to make the sandwich makes the preparation a breeze.
¼cupJulienne Cut Sun-Ripened Dried Tomatoes, do not rinse
¼cupfresh basil leaves
1teaspooncrushed garlic
Instructions
Bake sweet potato. Heat oven to 400°. Pierce sweet potato several times with a fork. Place the sweet potato on a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil. Bake until tender, about 45 minutes. Let cool. (This can be done beforehand, because you want the sweet potato cool enough to handle and slice.)
Massage kale: Place kale, olive oil and lemon juice, sea salt and pepper in a bowl and massage with your hands until all the kale pieces are covered. Set aside.
Make tapenade: Place quinoa, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic and basil into a food processor. Pulse several times (total of about one minute) or until the mixture has turned into a spread-like consistency. Set aside.
Build your sandwiches: cut and toast bread, spread a layer of goat cheese on the bottom slices of bread, top with massaged kale and thin slices of red onion.
Spread a layer of the tapenade on the top slices of bread and top with slices of baked sweet potato. Carefully place top slices of bread onto the bottom slices. Press slightly. Cut sandwich in half and enjoy!
This looks delicious. At first you might wonder if it will be filling enough, but you can always add more sweet potato! I never really cooked with them before and recently discovered them. I use them all the time now. Never thought of putting it in a sandwich!
Good luck in the contest.
Fabulous looking sandwich and very creative! I’m a quinoa eating fool so I LOVE the idea of quinoa in the tapenade. I could see using all the ingredients in a wrap, too.
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WHOA now that’s a sandwich!!! And a quinoa tapenade? Sign. me. up. Absolutely loving your site!! 🙂
This looks delicious. At first you might wonder if it will be filling enough, but you can always add more sweet potato! I never really cooked with them before and recently discovered them. I use them all the time now. Never thought of putting it in a sandwich!
Good luck in the contest.
Quinoa tapenade! Girl, you’re a genius! I keep coming here for creative ways to eat healthy, and you never let me down! Good luck in the contest 🙂
I need to try the tapenade. I’m such a sucker for briny things.
Fabulous looking sandwich and very creative! I’m a quinoa eating fool so I LOVE the idea of quinoa in the tapenade. I could see using all the ingredients in a wrap, too.