Saturday, October 9, 2010

No ordinary sandwich

A sandwich might seem like a simple, straightforward, slap-together endeavor, barely worthy of recognition as a meal, and certainly not a meal that solicits the use of a recipe. That would be true, if all sandwiches were equal, but clearly, they aren’t… Warm and crispy, bursting with flavor and melted cheese, this is no ordinary sandwich.



A sandwich press is a good start to making an ordinary sandwich just a little bit more interesting. Grilling crisps up the bread, warms up the insides, melts the cheese, and fuses the flavors. Flatbreads, or other thin bread varieties, work fabulously for grilling. It’s a good idea to use a bit of olive oil to coat either the bread or the grill; otherwise the bread can become too dry.
As for what to put inside of the grilled sandwich, the possibilities are endless, but an important consideration is the compatibility of the ingredients. Certain meats mingle well with certain cheeses, and these ingredients should provide the influence for the selection of a condiment or sauce. My preference is a mild variety of salami, havarti cheese, tomatoes and fresh basil. (Sometimes I supplement the havarti with a sharper, Italian cheese like asagio for more of a bite.) As for condiments, it varies depending on my tastes at the time; a fancy deli mustard or even pizza sauce can add a whole other dimension to this Italian themed grilled sandwich.
As for how this one fits into your healthy diet? Flatbreads are lesser in volume than an ordinary loaf or bun, and thus boast a reduction in calories by comparison. They also are less filling and leave you less prone to bloating than regular bread. And there’s more: Comfort food, according to a scientific recent study, can help to alleviate chronic stress. And stress is bad for your health. So there. Who would’ve guessed that this is a health food recipe!







2 comments:

  1. It all looks soooo delicious! I LOVE the breakdown of the nutritional value at the end...very useful!! Loving the Blog!

    ReplyDelete