Cucumber Tomato Panini.

So I talked about how, during the summer, I feel totally uninspired in the kitchen.  Well, when it comes to lunch, I feel uninspired one hundred percent of the time.  Months September, October, November, straight on through till August.  Repeat for another year.  It’s just, I wake up and it’s go-time with breakfast.  Then I know I’m going to have to deliver something come dinner so lunch ends up being like… apples and peanut butter (if I’m having a particularly healthy day) or like Trader Joe’s cookies with a handful of almonds to cancel those out if I’m being particularly lazy.  Or, as was the case last week, a bag of popcorn and a glass of lemonade.  Who wants to legitimately cook three meals a day?  You?  Are you also a crazy person?  (Note: I’m not always cooking breakfast, sometimes it’s just cereal, but a lot of the times it’s yogurt pancakes or an egg scramble of some sort.  I love eggs in the morning.)

But then, but then, I went out on a lunch date.  And, I decided to order this cucumber sandwich on a whim.  I’m often a chicken-salad-wrap-or-sandwich-when-out-to-lunch kinda gal but not this time!  I strayed from my normal course and am so glad I did.  This sandwich was so good.  There are times–and it’s definitely not all the time, I’d estimate six times a year–when I enjoy a meal so much that I wake up thinking about it, and that continues straight on through the day.  I told you it’s six times a year so you’d know I’m not just falling in love willy-nilly with every meal that is placed in front of me.  This makes me more legitimate, you see?

So, this sandwich was really good and I took stock of everything in it and was like, “I can do that.”  And so I did.  It tasted exactly the same.  Now I bestow unto you this magical recipe so you can make it in the comfort of your own home as well.  You’re welcome.

But, for the record, apples and peanut butter and/or a handful of cookies is still easier.

Cucumber Tomato Panini
(enough to make one sandwich)

two slices of bread–a ciabatta, French, whatever you prefer, really
a few slices of cucumber (I sliced diagonally so they’d be bigger slices)
a few slices of tomato
a handful of sprouts
two slices of muenster cheese
a smearing of mayo
a decent amount of honey mustard

Put it all together, cheese towards the outside of both sides so it’s closest to the heat and can melt and hold ingredients together.  And… enjoy.  Then, tell me what you think.

Note: I used a pan and a flat lid to press it down and trap some of the heat.  A panini press would work great too.  Just be sure to butter/mayo/olive oil the outside.