Pesto #2: Avocado

Reminder about the BSI challenge with this week's ingredient of choice Bell Pepper. You've got only a couple of days left. (here) Time is ticking away. I can hear the '24' tick-tock ticking right now.

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Pesto #2. That's right. Avocado.

Why not avocado?

Aside from using it as a general spread or what not, add it into some pesto. By golly, it's really good. It brings a nice creaminess to the whole thing. You can still taste the basil along with the added lemon juice. I didn't feel like having pasta two nights in a row. I'm sure it would be great with pasta, but I wanted to make something different.

So I decided to make a some tomato mozzarella sammies. Used it as a spread on the bread. Though I didn't have bread left, but I did have a can of the Pillsbury Creations Flaky Dough Sheet in the fridge. I baked it into a flat bread and cut it into sandwich pieces.

This makes 2 6-inch sub sized or 4 square sandwiches. It filled me just right since the bread was not overly thick.

Avocado Pesto

1 Medium avocado (sliced and pitted)
1 c fresh basil
1/3 c grated parmesan (plus extra)
2 garlic cloves
1/3 c sun-dried tomato with oil
2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
salt
pepper


Combine garlic, basil, parmesan, sun-dried tomato with oil, lemon juice and avocado in a food processor or blender. Grind until a paste like consistency. Season with a little salt and pepper.

If you've got some leftover or will not be immediately using the pesto, tightly cover the with plastic wrap to help prevent any oxidation and place in the fridge.

Here's a way to make pesto by hand: Reserve the oil from the sun-dried tomato in a bowl. On a chopping board, finely chop the garlic, then gradually begin chopping in the basil. Don't do it all at once or it will be a big mess. Do the scrap and chop method until you get a near mince. Do the same method with the pine nuts, parmesan, avocado and sun-dried tomato, minus the oil, until you get a paste like consistency. Mix in some salt and pepper to taste. Place the mixture in another bowl then drizzle in the reserved olive oil from the sun-dried tomato.


Mozzarella Tomato Sandwich

1 can Pillsbury creation flaky dough sheet or pizza dough. (or your bread of choice - toasted)
Shredded mozzarella cheese
6-8 Cherry Tomatoes (quartered)
Avocado Pesto
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

In a small bowl, toss the cherry tomatoes in a little drizzle of olive oil. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 375˚F

Roll out the Pillsbury dough on a making sheet and bake for 15 min. or until golden brown. Remove from oven and cut into 4 rectangles or 8 squares.

Turn the heat on to the broiler.

Spread a nice even layer of pesto on both bottoms of the bread, then sprinkle a nice helping of mozzarella on both.

Place the cherry tomatoes on which ever sides will be the bottom of the sandwich.

On a baking sheet, place the sandwich in the broiler for 2-3 min until the cheese is melted.

Place the top over and enjoy!

Thought Iadd this last one to show the pesto itself, since
you can't really see it well in the sandwich.