Pesto Avocado Chickpea Sandwich

You Guys, this is major. It’s not everyday I treat myself to a sandwich (my personal body type does well with less bread), so when I do, it better be good. This clean, simple, fresh AF beauty knocked my fuzzy socks off. It has that lovely farm to table vibe, and would be fabulous when packed for a picnic, beach outing (fast approaching; yay!!), or legit anywhere. The Jewish holiday of Shavuot is coming up, and unlike our heavier holiday and Shabbat eating, we customarily eat dairy/vegetarian for this one. A beautiful sandwich makes a hearty meal, and accompanied by the other Jesscipes in my new plant based brunch series, the ordinary becomes extra. I developed my plant based brunch concept with true joy, reverence, and the humble willingness to always learn how to better care for my physical body. I can clearly see, from the birth of the blog, how my eating habits have changed and keep changing. Eating is like anything else; you know better, you do better. Like all else, our food intake changes based on how we feel, what we learn, and what we decide to do with that information. Sometimes the decision is for me to enjoy some real ice cream. Overall, I’m a pretty clean eater which just hits right on all levels.

PS: I adore the rustic look and textures of this sandwich, and it platters so well. It’s a fun way to feed.

Ingredients:
Use high quality ingredients since there aren’t many components here. Let each element be fresh and beautiful. You deserve that always.
1 can chickpeas drained, rinsed, patted dry
A ripe avocado
1/4 cup pesto
2 tbsp diced red onion
2 to 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice (I used 3)
Two large beefsteak tomatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick
Boston, Bibb, or Red lettuce leaves
1 packed tbsp chopped cilantro, parsley, or dill (I used cilantro)
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
A good loaf of grainy, seedy, country bread, 8 slices toasted

In a bowl, mash the chickpeas and avocado until combined in a chunky texture. Don’t over mash. Add the pesto, lemon juice, onion, cilantro, and salt and pepper to taste. Toast the bread in batches. Assemble the sandwiches by layering a lettuce leaf, the chickpea mixture, a slice of tomato, and topping with the other bread slice. Cut into triangles (because who doesn’t love that) and serve on a platter. Use all same day since the avocado filling will begin to brown. This was an unnecessary tip, since there won’t be extras leftover.