Introduction: Purple Zucchini Sandwich
Okay I lied, the sandwich is not purple, but 4 ingredients are though and I am a big fan of Purple Disco Machine. The sandwich is mostly low carb and some fat rich ingredients are balanced out with healthy and nutritious ones. For the sandwich itself you need:
- 600 grams Zucchini (Courgette/ Green squash)
- 50 grams Coconut flour
- 50 grams Quinoa flour (or any low carb flour)
- 50 grams Parmesan
- 50 grams Wheat grass (optional)
- 3 eggs
One side of the sandwich will have a spread of cashew chutney.
- 100 grams Cashews kernels
- 4 tablespoons of joghurt
- 1 dash caraway seeds
- 1 dash fennel seeds
- ½ pinch of salt
- a bit of pepper
The other side of the sandwich will have a spread of guacamole. Since it needs also salt we use only a ½ pinch of salt since too much is bad for your heart.
- 1 Avocado
- 1 Red onion
- 1 Lime
- 3 Chili peppers
- ½ pinch of salt
- a bit of pepper
Inside of the sandwich I will add some pickled green asparagus. Around 150 grams are needed, but the recipe is for 500 grams:
- 500 grams Green Asparagus
- 150 ml White Balsamico (or any amount to fill the jar with 2 parts water 1 part Balsamico)
- 6 cloves Garlic
- 10 grams Dill
- 5 beads Allspice
- 2 Bay leaves
- 2 Star aniseed
- 1 Chili pepper
- 1 spoon Fennel seeds
- 1 spoon Mustard seeds
- 1 slice Galagal (dried herb ginger)
Other sandwich fillings are:
- Capers(around 10)
- Radish sproutlings
- Bresaola della Valtellina (200 grams ham)
- 2 Barbecue cheese
I will explain how to grow wheat grass, radish sproutlings and how to pickle green asparagus after the baking of the zucchini toast but before they all come together. Of course these can be replaced with similar substitutes.
Supplies
- Kitchen scale
- Bowl
- Food processor
- Cheese cloth
- Parchment paper
- Baking aid 24 cm * 18 cm
- Container for pickled asparagus
Step 1: Wring
Peel the zucchini.
Shred the zucchini in a food processor.
Put the shredded zucchini into a cheese cloth.
Wring the zucchini until not much water is coming out anymore.
Preheat your stove to 190°C (375°F).
Step 2: Mixing the Dough
Break the 3 eggs into a bowl and beat them for a better blending with the other ingredients.
Add the 50grams quinoa flour..
Add the 50 grams coconut flour.
Mix it all.
Add some pepper.
Add 50 grams freshly grated Parmesan.
Or use coarse grated for a smoother texture.
Stir in.
Step 3: Add the Greens
Harvest the wheat grass and cut it into small pieces.
Mix with the dough.
Add the wringed zucchini fibers.
Mix with the dough thoroughly.
Step 4: Bake Them
Take a baking aid of 24 cm * 18 cm and put it on the far left of a baking tray with parchment paper inside.
Fill with half of the dough and even out.
Lift the baking aid up and put it to the far right of your baking tray.
Fill the rest of the dough and even out again.
Put the tray into the preheated stove at 190°C (375°F) and bake for 10 minutes.
Step 5: Flip Them
After 10 minutes carefully flip them one by one after you checked they are solid enough for that. Then put them back into the oven for another 10 minutes and they are ready. Put them aside while you prepare the other ingredients.
Step 6: Pickling Asparagus
Wash the asparagus and dry with a kitchen towel.
Cut off the hard ends.
Disinfect the container in boiling water.
After drying, add all the spices, garlic, dill, mustard and fennel seeds, chili, allspice, galagal, star aniseed.
Create a mix of white Balsamico and water in a ratio of 1:2 that could fill the glass container.
Put the asparagus into the container.
Add the bay leaves.
Add the balsamico water mix.
Close the container.
Place into a high cooking pot and bring to a boil for at least 10 minutes.
The asparagus is pickled after 10 days. If you can't wait 10 days use other pickled greens for your sandwich.
Step 7: Growing Radish Sproutlings
Radish prefers sprouter jars. Stagnant water is bad for them. Cover the ground of the jar with seeds.
Fill with water for 6 to 8 hours to improve germification.
Some seeds literally jump open when you pour the water out.
Rinse out with water in the morning and in the evening. Shake out the rest if needed. If at any point the jar smells fishy or like a swamp, then there was too much water left and its better to start new.
After 4 days, fill the jar with water and sluice the sproutlings into a colander.
Step 8: Growing Wheatgrass
Wheat doesn't like sprouter jars, you need a sprouter tray. Lay the seeds on the tray and fill with water up to the tray.
Soon you will see small white roots coming out of the seeds.
And then green stems.
When they are at least 10cm tall (usually 12-15cm) you should harvest them.
Step 9: Cashew Chutney
Roast the 100 grams cashews in a pan.
Afterwards put them in a food processor.
Add fennel and caraway seeds.
Crush everything.
Add 2 to 4 spoons of joghurt.
And mix until you have a nice spread.
Step 10: Grill the Barbecue Cheese
Put the barbecue cheese on your grill and brush some olive oil on it.
Dont expect too much browning, the cheese melts far earlier.
Step 11: Guacamole
The Guacamole should be made last because it is easily perishable at warm temperatures. Spice it up if you dare!
Dice the onion.
Dice the garlic clove.
Dice the chili peppers.
And put it all together in a bowl.
Squeeze a lime into it.
Cut the avocado in half and remove the core.
Take a spoon and remove the avocado pulp from the skin into the bowl.
Then use a fork to smash it into a cream.
Pro tip: guacamole tastes excellent with halloumi as a snack for your vegetarian BBQ guests.
Step 12: Mise En Place
Now we have all our ingredients prepped and measured in advance.
- sweet and smoky cashew chutney
- fruity and spicy guacamole
- tangy and pungent capers
- sour and firm asparagus
- creamy and buttery barbecue cheese
If you look up how Bresaola is usuall served you will understand why it fits perfectly into this mixture.
Step 13: Put Everything Together
Put the guacomole on one side and the cashew chutney on the other. Then lay the 2 barbecue cheeses onto the guacamole side.
Precut the Bresaola to easen biting off and lay it on the cashew side.
Pepper it.
Add the radish sproutlings.
The capers.
And cut the asparagus in half so it doesn't roll away when you apply it over the cheese.
Take the rest of your cashew chutney and guacamole to spread it on the asparagus so it sticks together even better.
Now put the Bresaola side on top of the asparagus so that the zuchhini panes match each other.
Use a big knife and make 2 sideway cuts right where you put the 2 barbecue cheeses.
Finally make one lengthwise cut in the middle to partition your sandwich into 6 equal sized parts.
Step 14: Enjoy!
You might think it could be a better idea to cut the barbecue cheese into smaller parts and spread out evenly, but when the sandwich is flat at the sides it is much easier to have a grip. Serves 2 to 3 persons into food delirium and early TV couch naps.