Veggie Sandwich and growing your own Sprouts

 Years ago I remember loving sprouts on salads and sprouts on sandwiches, and then I just kind of forgot about them. Until a few months ago when I saw this recipe that Sandy, over at Reluctant Entertainer shared on Facebook from Two Peas and their Pod and I thought..."I NEED sprouts". So off to the store I went only to discover that the stores didn't sell sprouts anymore (at least not the stores I went to). Apparently there were so many cases of salmonella being reported that they weren't being carried. WHAT!!! I was sad. But only until a friend told me she grows her own, and she kindly (last week) gave me a jar with a sprouting lid and some seeds already started for me to have..Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!

I couldn't believe how easy the sprouts were to make. It was fun everyday watching them grow and within 4-5 days they were done. Here are the basic steps: 

1. Place seeds in large mason jar (about 1-2 Tbs), cover with cold water, then cover jar with cheese cloth and rubber band and soak for 4-8 hours. 

2. Place the special sprout lid on jar and drain. Invert jar at an angle in a bowl. 

3. Rinse seeds twice a day by refilling jar, swirling, draining and inverting back into bowl. 

4. They should be ready in 4-5 days. On the last day I placed in a sunny window. When finished, place in a colander, rinse well and then place on paper towels and pat to dry out. Place in glass or plastic container. They should keep for several days. 

Pretty easy huh? And oh so good and so good for you. 

NOW...on to the sandwich, because that's what this is all really about. Some of my favorite things are on this sandwich and I seriously could have eaten two of them. 

Ingredients: (For one sandwich)

1 oz. goat cheese (plain or herbed)
1 oz. cream cheese (I added this to mellow the goat cheese out)
To taste: garlic powder, onion powder, parsley, pepper, salt
1/4 c. sprouts
enough cucumbers sliced to fill sandwich
1/2-3/4 of an avocado depending on size
2 slices good quality bread (I used a whole grain seed bread)
A few romaine leaves

Directions:

1. Make sure goat cheese and cream cheese are soft enough to spread (see tip below if you forget this step and really want to eat).

2. Spread both pieces of bread with cheese mixture.

3. Layer remaining ingredients. Slice and enjoy! Try not to eat another sandwich. 

I actually planned to have another for lunch today but got home too late...so guess what's for lunch tomorrow? 

Note: I didn't let my cheeses soften and was sooo hungry, but also didn't want my bread to tear if I tried spreading it on cold. Once I mixed the cheeses together with seasonings I placed it in a bowl that I had filled with really hot water and let it rest for a few minutes until it was spreadable. Our microwave died a few years ago and we've never replaced it so I'm used to improvising.

With Joy Unquenchable,