Savoury Peanut Butter Sandwich on Sprouted Bread

Photo courtesy Silver Hills Bakery

I love peanut butter. It’s my go to snack – a spoonful of peanut butter from my refrigerator usually followed by a piece of fruit. But I don’t tend to eat them together as I’m not a big fan of sweet peanut butter dishes.

Well – I take that back. Peanut butter and chocolate are right up there but not PB and jelly.

I do love it in savoury dishes so when I saw this sandwich recipe from Silver Hills Bakery, I knew it would hot the spot. Therefore I had to share it with you.

While you can use regular whole grain breads, why not reap the added nutritional perks of sprouted grains?

Stick with natural peanut butter varieties and not just because of the taste in a savoury dish. You may be unaware that in Canada, peanut butter in does not have a standard of identity. This means that the makers of peanut butter can put as few or as many peanuts into their jars of peanut butter, unless it is labeled as natural.

It has long been a pet peeve of mine that this is allowed to happen. It means that if the price of peanuts goes up, you can bet that your jar of peanut butter will contain fewer peanuts. And chances are pretty good that the price of peanuts, like everything else, will be on the rise.

To add insult to injury, food companies have no obligation to disclose just how much in the way of peanuts are in their products.

In the US, those products which contained less than 90% peanuts are called a peanut butter spread. Consumers are then informed about what they’re buying and can make a choice.

Not so in Canada. The result means that the product likely contains less protein and other valuable nutrients. Instead there’s probably more sugar, added fats and emulsifiers to keep the fat from separating. And in a time when many people are choosing more plant-based products, it’s key for them to know what it is that they’re paying for and eating.

Maybe it’s time for Health Canada to make some changes regarding the regulations dealing with peanut butter here in Canada,

If the layer of oil in natural peanut butter puts you off, check out my tips on how to handle that oil.

The combination of ingredients gives this sandwich a crunchy texture along with the fresh tasting flavours. While Silver Hills Bakery does list non-dairy cream cheese, feel free to use dairy cream cheese, if you like.

Savoury Peanut Butter Sandwich on Sprouted Bread

Ingredients:
4 slices Silver Hills Bakery Organic Wheat & Greet
4 tbsp peanut butter (for an allergy-friendly option, use Organic Sun Butter)
2 Leaves romaine lettuce (broken in half to make 2 leaves)
4-6 Pieces English cucumber sliced ½ inch rounds
4 tbsp non-dairy cream cheese (We used Spread’em Chive & Garlic)
4 tbsp chickpeas, cooked (drained and rinsed if canned)
2 tsp olive oil
6-8 pea shoots
2 tsp fresh thyme

Instructions:
Spread peanut butter (or nut-free butter) on each bread slice.

Rinse the lettuce and cucumber. Tear the lettuce in half (or into sandwich-sized pieces), and slice the cucumber thinly. Place both on top of each peanut butter sandwich.

Top with vegan cream cheese, chickpeas, a drizzle of olive oil, pea shoots and thyme.

Assemble the sandwich and enjoy!

Serves 2 (Multiply the recipe for as many sandwiches you’d like!)