Rapide et simple – Tartine de yams, sardines et radis, au pesto de fines herbes

 

Today, I have no time to have fun and prepare some nice lunch so I have to go with efficiency. I love tartines and never think of making them for lunch. I eat sweet tartines for breakfast but rarely for lunch. What a pity! They are truly delicious and nutritious. Breakfast and lunch are my favorite meals of the day, and I like to treat myself, because dinner is usually very simple and very light.

I am desperately looking for one client of mine a good halal butcher in the city but I cannot find any. Today, on my way back to the city, I stopped in San Bruno check out this Middle Eastern market, if maybe they had some meat. They had none but they did have a lot of of things including sardines on their shelves that looked really good. Basically, they had a lot of things I didn’t need but I had to buy, just because….So here I am buying a load of sardines in oil, curry leaves, mustard oil, and tons of spices that I didn’t need, but I thought I could “maybe” need at some point.

These little tartines or toasts (whatever you prefer) are fairly easy to make, I don’t like to call them toast because that word reminds me of bad cheap white bread you find in supermarkets, so that would not really apply here.  You can use a regular potato or a slice of country bread but I thought the nutritional value of yams would make them more appealing and interesting.

I had some herb paste left I made with some leftover herbs I had in the refrigerator. When I have too many fresh herbs (cilantro, parsley, chives, mint, basil, etc…) that I know will go bad, I make this pesto, or paste, or sauce, or whatever you want to call it. It has multi functions and is delightful, fresh, pungent, and goes well with almost everything (grilled fish, meat, vegetables, on toasts, etc…).

Here the yams is spread with the herb paste, and topped with a bunch of fresh and delicious toppings.

Voila, c’est prêt! Now it’s time to turn off the computer and enjoy lunch. Bon appétit.

Ingredients for 2-3 tartines

For the tartines

  • 1 thick yam, peeled and cut in 1 cm slices
  • 1 tsp olive oil + 1 tsp extra
  • 1/2 cup baby spinach
  • 1 can sardines in olive oil, cut lengthwise
  • 2 radishes, thinly sliced
  • tomato vinegar
  • salt and pepper

For the lemon-herb pesto

  • 1 cup mixed herbs (cilantro, basil chives, scallions, parsley, etc…)
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1/4 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed
  • juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
  • salt and pepper

Preparation

For the lemon-herb pesto, mix all ingredients except lemon zest in a mixer and mix until smooth but still with a texture. Add extra oil if too thick. Add lemon zest at the end and mix well.

Coat yams with olive oil, salt and pepper. Broil on both sides until golden outside and soft inside. Remove from oven.

In a mixing bowl, add olive oil and tomato vinegar to spinach, and a little salt.

Coat each yam with lemon-herb pesto, add spinach, then sardine halves, and top it with radish slices. Drizzle extra olive oil, tomato vinegar, and fresh pepper.