Avocado Caprese Sandwich

What's the most summery of recipes? A caprese salad of course! The simple combo of mozzarella, tomato, and basil gets me every year. I've tried turning it into pasta before and added the ingredients to grilled cheese, but this summer I decided to go for sandwiches. Yummy, gooey sandwiches that managed to trick Jeff into going vegetarian for dinner. 

Do you have problems getting the men in your life to eat vegetarian? Jeff never seems to think a meal is a meal if there isn't a meat involved, and he usually complains if I don't give him enough protein. Not this time! He happily gulped his down (because boys don't chew and swallow like normal people) and has asked when we're having them again. 

Of course, I couldn't just go straight caprese on bread, because that sounds boring, and those weren't the ingredients I had in my fridge. I went for basil pesto instead of regular basil, heirloom cherry tomatoes instead of the big boys, and added avocado, spinach, and some red pepper flakes because, well, why not?

Avocado Caprese Sandwich (makes 2)

2 mini french loaves (or another sandwich roll)

Olive oil

4 slices mozzarella cheese (or some fresh mozzarella if you've got it!)

Handful of cherry tomatoes, cut into quarters

1 avocado, sliced

Handful of spinach 

Pesto

Crushed red pepper flakes

Salt

Pre-heat oven to 350 and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Cut each loaf in half and brush insides with olive oil. Place halves inside down on baking sheet and bake until warm and the insides just start to brown, about 5 minutes. 

Remove from oven and immediately top one side with cheese so it can start to melt. Add tomato, avocado, and spinach on top of the cheese. On the other side, spread a hearty amount of pesto, a sprinkle of red pepper flakes (more or less depending on how much spice you like - Jeff added a ton!) and a dash of salt. Put the sandwich together, cut in half, and go. to. town. 

Just looking at these pictures is making me hungry. We're going to have to make them again, and soon!

Happy Friday! Don't forget, it's the last day to enter my Firmoo glasses giveaway. You can enter here.

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Easy Summer Veggie Pasta

Between my carbohydrate obsession, frequent overpurchasing of produce during the summer months, and a desire to make all of my meals quick and easy while the weather is hot, this easy summer vegetable pasta recipe is my new best friend.  What's nice about it is that you can customize it based on what veggies are your favorite or what's hanging out in your fridge.  Oh, and that there's wine involved, which means you can enjoy a healthy glass of chef's juice while you're putting it together.  Sounds like the perfect summer meal to me!

Summer Veggie Pasta
Serves 4

You'll Need:
12 oz uncooked pasta
1/2 red onion, sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 colored bell pepper (red, orange, or yellow), sliced in small chunks
1 yellow squash, sliced
1 zucchini, sliced
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup fresh basil, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper
Grated parmesan

Boil a large pot of salted water.  Add pasta and cook as directed.  Reserve 1/2 cup of starchy water before draining.

In a large pan, heat olive oil over medium high heat.  Add onion and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add bell pepper, squash, and zucchini and cook for 2-3 minutes, until vegetables start to soften but are not cooked through.

Add wine to the pan, scraping up the bits from the bottom, and cook until the wine reduces by at least half.

Remove the pan from the heat.  Add your cooked pasta to the pan, as well as some of the starchy cooking water.  Toss everything well to combine.   Stir in the fresh basil.  Taste and add salt and pepper as necessary.  Top with some parmesan cheese and you're good to go!

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Shrimp Caprese Pasta

A caprese salad is one of my favorite things in warmer weather, something about it just tastes like summer to me.  After seeing a caprese pasta salad at a barbecue last month, I thought it would be yummy to turn into a main dish with some shrimp and buccatini.  I think Jeff would basically be excited for pasta in any form, but he loved this.  Pretty sure he ate a half pound of buccatini in one sitting.  

Shrimp Caprese Pasta 
Makes 6 Servings

You'll Need:
1 lb pasta (I used buccatini, but you could sub in whatever your favorite is)
4 medium tomatoes, chopped with juices
8 oz mozzarella cheese, cut into cubes
Handful of fresh basil, roughly chopped
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 lb uncooked large frozen shrimp, thawed with shells removed
Salt and pepper
Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil.  Cook pasta as directed.  When the pasta has 2 minutes left of cooking, add shrimp to the water.  Drain.

While the pasta is cooking, mix together tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, olive oil, salt and pepper together in a large bowl.  Add the cooked pasta and shrimp to the bowl.  Stir to combine.



Serve with warm crusty bread and top with shredded parmesan if you're so inclined, and pray there are some leftovers (but sorry, there won't be).

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