Well, it’s that time.
It’s finally time to start packing for my vacation to Mexico. Unfortunately, my attention span is so short that I keep getting distracted by watching the first season of Breaking Bad, and my cat makes things difficult because she keeps crawling in my suitcase and getting cat hair on all my clean clothes. And I’m so indecisive that I keep packing outfits and then promptly removing them because I can’t decide what I am going to want to wear once I get there.
My boyfriend literally just throws some shirts and shorts into a suitcase and calls it a day. Why can’t it be that simple for us girls?
And because I’m leaving in a few days, it’s time to start really eating healthy. Or at least attempt. There is a pastry shop within walking distance of our hotel, so I might as well try to stuff in some vegetables before I leave and completely lose all self control.
I’ve been obsessed with open-faced sandwiches lately. And this sandwich is a really easy, healthy, delicious lunch. It fills you up without making you feel stuffed. And if you’re not a fan of the whole open-faced thing, just double the amount of bread in the recipe below and layer it like a normal sandwich. Easy peasy.
Serves four.
- 4 slices of whole wheat bread, toasted
- 1 large bunch of kale, stems removed
- 1 garlic clove
- ½ cup walnuts
- 1 lemon
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese
- ¼ tsp. black pepper
- heavy pinch of salt
- ⅛-¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 4 small roma tomatoes
Preheat oven to 400℉.
Slice tomatoes into thick slices and place in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast for 10 minutes.
Bring a pot of heavily-salted water to a boil. Drop kale into water and let boil for 3-5 minutes. Drain kale and allow to dry completely. Add walnuts and garlic to a blender and blend until crumbly. Add the kale, juice from the lemon, salt, pepper, and the parmesan cheese to the blender and blend until completely smooth. While blender is running, drizzle in olive oil and continue to blend until smooth.
Spread a thick layer of kale pesto onto slices of toasted bread. Top with the slices of roasted tomatoes and a heavy pinch of black pepper.
Baking with Whiskey 