Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich

Name: Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 1/2 cup chopped Black Olives; 1/2 cup chopped marinated artichoke hearts; 1 cup chopped cremini mushrooms; 1/2 cup crumbled Ricotta Salata (or Feta will work too); 1/4 cup diced sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil; 1 tablespoon sund-dried tomato oil; juice and zest of half a lemon; kosher salt and fresh ground pepper (to taste); 1 cup baby spinach; 2 tablespoons basil pesto; 2 whole pita (sliced in half)

posted by Kellie on August 7, 2015 // 11 Comments

Soft pita bread stuffed with marinated artichokes, black olives, sun-dried tomatoes and mushrooms make this Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich the perfect vegetarian meal. A great option for on-the-go lunches and beach side picnics.

Seagulls hate fruits and veggies. That’s my fun fact for the day. How do I know this? Well, in all the time I’ve been hanging out on the beach this summer….I’ve never been attacked for a peach…or a grape…or a carrot. Anytime I’ve had a sandwich with turkey, cheese, peanut butter….or a slice of pizza…you can be sure there was an attempted attack. I say attempted because I now know the signs of a pending seagull ambush…they have it all planned out. They do. Don’t laugh. I’ve witnessed their tactics and it all starts with the decoy seagull. This bird will hang out all cute right in front of you, looking like they’re all innocent but then…he’ll start barking…or screaming…or whatever they do. Still seemingly innocent, you smile and think…what a cute little bird. You’ll take a deep breath to smell the salt air and get ready to take a bite of your Italian hoagie when all of the sudden….BAP!!! You get smacked in the back of the head by the leader of the herd and then suddenly you’re surrounded by a group of these hideous scavengers. It’s all over at that point, your beloved sandwich is gone and you’re left with nothing. Unless you planned well, in that case you have a back up meal stowed away in your bag.

We can learn a lot from these silly birds….they eat garbage. I kid not. I’ve tested this theory and they won’t eat anything healthy I bring to the beach. It’s the strangest thing ever. But, this has helped me bypass all the normal snacks I used to pack and lean more toward some healthier options. Food that will fill me up but won’t weigh me down. Fruits and veggies are what you’ll find in my lunch bag….and this sandwich is my number 1 option these days. This Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich is packed full of heart-healthy ingredients and bursting with fiber.

To create this sandwich, I made a salad of sorts out of California Ripe Olives, marinated artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes, salty ricotta salata cheese and diced cremini mushrooms. It’s great all on it’s own but stuff it into a pita for a portable lunch that will keep your energy levels high all day long. I love black olives and they were totally the inspiration for this sandwich, I wanted to go with that salty, briny flavor that can really punch up any recipe like my Taco Pasta Skillet from the other day. And some more fun facts for the day, but this time about California Ripe Olives…not seagulls. California black ripe olives contain vitamin E, iron, vitamin A, and fiber. A serving of olives contains 0 grams of trans fat and olives are naturally a cholesterol-free food.

If you’re looking for more inspiration for your California Ripe Olive creations you can find it a their website. And be sure to enter the California Ripe Olives Midsummer Mediterranean Giveaway for a chance to win some amazing prizes!