Avocado, Beet, and Barely Pickled Onion Sandwich

Wow, it’s already the middle of July.  When did that happen?

So far, my July has been one week of adjusting to a new ridiculously early schedule (yay for summer classes!), followed by a week of running around Philadelphia trying to find an apartment.  Now my schedule is adjusted (I’m totally used to the 6 am wake ups and the 8 am class), and an apartment is found (I cannot wait to move in!), and as I took a breath to relax this weekend I realized I had not posted a single thing during this time.

My bad.

The good news is, I made this amazingly delicious sandwich while totally procrastinating when I should have been studying for a test.  This sandwich is tangy, with tons of vinegar flavor, yet mellow, with avocado smoothing everything out.  Oh, and then there are roasted beets in the middle of all that.  I think some of my best work comes out of procrastination.

Now, when I roast beets with other roasted root vegetables, I like to peel the beets before roasting them so that I can infuse them with delicious hints of garlic and rosemary.  But when I’m making beets just to be beets, I like to simply wash them, trim them, and throw them in a bundle of tinfoil with some olive oil.  45 minutes later they’re done, and as soon as they’ve cooled down enough to handle, the skin peels off with very little effort (you don’t even need to use a peeler).  Plus, the packages of tinfoil are a way to keep beets to a minimum mess, and they can be thrown into an oven or onto a grill.

Here, I sort of pickled the red onion with some red wine vinegar, then quickly tossed the beets with the same vinegar to make them pop.  Then I layered the onions and the beets on a slice of toasted bread and topped it off with mellow avocado.  The combination works beautifully, the individual ingredients store well, and the result is a delicious, light, and simple sandwich for any time of day.

Avocado, Beet, and Barely Pickled Onion Sandwiches

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 avocados

1 red onion

4 beets, leaves removed and washed

3/4 cup red wine vinegar

Olive oil to drizzle

8 slices of your favorite bread

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400F

1.  Wrap each beet up in some tinfoil with a light drizzle of olive oil.  Make sure the foil is sealed so you don’t have any spills.  Put the beets into the oven (they can go right onto the racks) for 45-60 minutes, until they can easily be pierces with a knife. 

2.  While the beets are roasting, slice the red onion in half, then into thin half moons.  Toss in a bowl or lidded container with the red wine vinegar.  Leave the onions out at room temperature while the beets are baking, tossing them or shaking the container every so often to distribute the vinegar.

3.  When the beets are done and have cooled enough to touch, rub off the outer skin and slice the beets evenly.  Put the slices into a bowl and drain the red wine vinegar from the onions into the bowl of beets.  Or, if you’re planning on storing for making sandwiches later, add the sliced beets in with the onions and vinegar.  Toss and store together.

4.  When you’re ready to make your sandwich, toast you bread and mash half an avocado (or less….I just really like avocado) onto one slice per sandwich.  On top of the avocado layer the beets and the onions, then top with a plain slice of toasted bread.  Serve immediately.

Enjoy!