Pesto & broccoli cheese toastie
This is a grilled cheese you’ve definitely never had before. Getting your greens in with a toastie >>> drinking a gross green drink.
You can literally make this with any cheese you want - I used cream cheese, but mozzarella would work wonders, and even some grated parmesan.
Recipe
2 slices sourdough bread - mine was a seeded rye, and it was delicious
1 -2 tbsp nush chive cream cheese
1/4 broccoli head, steamed
Your homemade pesto
Chilli flakes
Optional: chopped black olives
THE PESTO
30g basil
2 tbsp pine nuts
1 tsp white miso
1 small clove garlic
Hefty pinch of salt
6-8 tbsp olive oil
Pepper
1 tbsp lemon juice
Method
In a pestle and mortar, mash your basil until the oils are released, and it’s wilted.
Add your garlic and salt, then mash with your pestle and mortar until a paste is formed.
Add your pine nuts, mashing again until you have a smooth paste, but leaving some chunks of pine nuts for texture.
Add your olive oil and miso and mix well until you have a smooth pesto, then season to taste and add a squeeze of lemon juice.
Set aside whilst you make your toastie.
Steam your broccoli for a couple of minutes, with plenty of salt, until just tender.
Leave the broccoli to cool slightly, and preheat your toastie grill or pan in the meantime.
Grease your toastie maker or pan with butter.
Chop your broccoli finely, then mix with 1 tbsp pesto.
Toast your sourdough lightly, then spread cream cheese over one side, and 1 tbsp pesto over the other.
Top the cream cheese side with your chopped broccoli mixture, top with seasoning and chilli flakes, then sandwich the 2 pieces of sourdough together.
Add your sandwich to the toastie maker/ pan, grilling until golden brown on either side.
Serve up on its own, or with a dip of choice.
Notes + Variations:
You can use any store bought pesto like I said, but it is so easy to make your own, and you can make this vegan very easily too.
