The Sandwich

It's been quite a while since my last post, which indicates that I wasn't being very housewifey.  And this is partly true.  You see, I'm very low maintenance when it comes to feeding myself.  When I lived alone, I was always able to throw something together for myself at the last minute.  However, M's very particular preferences require a lot of thought and planning.  And while I enjoy it (and cooking is great fun), I sometimes long for the simplicity of a sandwich.  But I hardly make what you'd call a typical sandwich.

M went away for business this week and I thought I'd revisit my love for sandwiches.  Now this isn't an explicit recipe -- just an idea for you to spice up something that might otherwise seem boring.

I always start out with either whole wheat bread or a whole wheat wrap.  And then I usually add some turkey breast, or chicken breast, or ham -- whatever sliced deli meat I have on hand.  Sometimes, I even use two.  Then, the cheese (it's my favorite food group) -- sliced deli cheese or fresh mozzarella or sometimes even shredded cheddar.  And then the fun begins.  A dry sandwich is not a good sandwich so next I look for something to moisten it up.  I love mayonnaise but my waistline doesn't so I usually look for an alternative.

Alternatives to mayonnaise:

• Hummus
• Sliced advocado
• Sun-dried tomato paste
• Pesto spread
• Salad dressing (although sometimes it gets a little messy so use it sparingly.)

And sometimes, I'm in the mood for something else entirely and I look for something to change it up.  I've added slices of apple, pear or mango to my sandwiches and it always gives it just the right amount of sweetness.

Then finally the last and most important step -- pop it in the panini press.  And if you don't have a panini press, you can put it in a skillet at low to medium heat and press it down with another heavy pan.  Another alternative, my favorite one, is to pop it in the George Foreman grill! I don't have a panini press either and the GF does an amazing job at pressing everything together and toasting the bread.

God I love sandwiches.  If you have any more tips and tricks for enhancing them, please share!