Sandwich Inspiration

My good friend Ellen made me this amazing grilled portabello and goat cheese sandwich recently. The recipe was in Fine Cooking magazine. You can sign up here to get daily recipe ideas from them via their e-letter. I recreated it at home and had to make it a couple of days in a row (because it's so yummy).
First I make the pesto ahead of time then,  grill the portabellos on a grill or pan.

 Assemble the sandwich with the pesto, goat cheese and portabellos.

Brush the bread with olive oil and grill on the stove top or panini grill. The goat cheese melts down on to the mushrooms!

There's another grilled sandwich I make occasionally that this reminds me of. It's a Barefoot Contessa recipe with pesto, mozzerella and tomato. Pesto is good on most sandwiches. My girls love a little smear on grilled cheese or turkey.
I used some leftover pesto for a St. Patrick's Day appetizer, crackers with goat cheese and pesto. It was the only green food item I served this year. I tried to keep my green influences to the decor. After last year's (green martinis!)

I bought a nitrate free corned beef this year from Whole Foods. Not as strong a flavor, but I  liked it and it was a lot less salty. Almost more like a plain brisket.