NuM NuM

The other day I went to lunch with a friend and had a super yummy sandwich. We went to this new restaurant in Marina Del Rey called Mendocino Farms. It's a cute little place where they have tons of different, creative sandwiches and salads. I absolutely love sandwiches and could eat them all day everyday and this one in particular was delicious. Of course since I love all things sweet and salty, that's exactly what the flavors of this sandwich are. You get the saltiness from the prosciutto, the sweetness from the balsamic and honey and the cheese melts beautifully and holds the sammie together. If you've never had Havarti cheese before, it's similar to string cheese but the flavor is much richer. Although my sammie didn't taste as good as the one I had at the restaurant, it was a tasty "knock-off" and satisfied my craving.

**The basil pesto was also a new recipe I tried and the flavors were great. I substituted pistachios for the pine nuts and it gave the pesto a different taste then your standard pesto. The spread was great in the sammie and would be delicious as a sauce over pasta as well. Next time I'll make a big batch and freeze it for a quick weeknight meal.
**You can freeze extra pesto in ice cubs trays. When ready to use, remove them from the freezer and defrost over night in the fridge.


Basil Pesto Sauce
Adapted from Cooking Light
Makes 1/2 cup serving

• 2 tbs pine nuts (I used roasted salted pistachios)
• 1 1/2 garlic cloves
• 2 cups loosely packed basil leaves (about 2 ounces)
• 2 tbs extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Preparation
1. Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add nuts to pan; cook 4 minutes or until lightly toasted, stirring constantly. Remove from pan.
2. Combine nuts and garlic in a food processor; process until minced. Add basil, oil, salt, and pepper; process until blended, scraping sides occasionally. Spoon into a bowl and fold in cheese.
*The sauce tasted great even without the cheese so I'm betting you could even omit that if you're watching your calories.


Prosciutto and Chicken Sandwich
Created by NuM NuM
1 serving

Oroweat Sandwich Thins
Prosciutto di Parma
Cooked chicken - dark or white meat
Basil Pesto
Balsamic Vinegar
Honey or any kind of sweet preserves or jam
One slice of Havarti Cheese

Directions
Slice cheese in half. Spread pesto sauce on one side of bread and top with one slice of the cheese. Shred chicken breasts and layer on top of cheese. Next add prosciutto di parma and drizzle with a good amount of honey. Drizzle balsamic vinegar over other half of sandwich thin then top with remaining slice of cheese and top the bread over other half of the sandwich. Heat a skillet to medium-low and place sandwich on dry skillet. Place a heavy pot or skillet on the sandwich to weigh it down so it becomes a hot melty panini. Toast each side of bread for about 3-4 minutes per side until cheese is melted and bread is nice and toasty.