Something Light for the Summer – Summer Beans on Toast with Prosciutto
Don’t you just love the way the British can put a meal together, with so much colour on the plate and the garden surrounding this scrumptious meal you are about to devour, unless being watched, you might want to use your knife and fork then instead. Cooks like Jamie Oliver and Nigella are so interesting to watch and I can sit in front of the television for hours observing their flair for cooking.
Some would opiniate that the Irish are boring in their cooking at home; it is the old pigs bum, cabbage and potato or the traditional Sunday roast with your choice of roosters, mash or baked potato. Calories, carbohydrates, starch, please I need more calories!
Summer is on our doorstep and so I have gone to England to fetch you this lovely recipe for those summer lunches, when you need something light and fewer calories piled on that plate of yours.
Ingredients
300g podded broad beans
200g green beans
4 heaped tbsp fresh pesto
large ciabatta, split in half through the centre, then in half again to give four pieces
olive oil, for drizzling
2 garlic cloves, squashed
140g light cream cheese
4 slices prosciutto
70g bag rocket
Method
- Heat a medium-sized pan of water until boiling, and heat a griddle pan over a high heat. Add the broad beans and green beans to the boiling water. Cook for 2 mins or until just tender, then drain and remove the broad bean skins, if you like. Mix the vegetables with the pesto.
- Meanwhile, drizzle the cut side of the ciabatta with a little oil, then rub with the squashed garlic. Place, oiled-side down, in the griddle pan. Toast until charred griddle lines appear – about 2 mins.
- Place a piece of toasted ciabatta on each plate, spread with the cream cheese, then top with the pesto veg, a slice of prosciutto and a handful of rocket leaves. Drizzle with some more olive oil and serve. (All credit to the BBC and Good Food magazine)
There you have it, not your normal ham and salad sandwich, but something almost like it. Hope you enjoy this summer dish and don’t worry there is only 446 calories in this one!
