Veggie Love Panini

My In-laws treated me and my husband to a stay-cation the other night. This means that we dropped our kids off at their house for one blissful kidless night and morning. If you happen to be a DINK, this is no different from everyday life, really. But to parents of multiple hooligan-banshee kids, this is a thigh slappin', rip-roarin', helluva good time.

We went to dinner at one of our favorite restaurants, Bistro C.V., took an evening drive downtown, came home, drank some wine, ordered some furniture for our house and watched SNL.  Jeremy even indulged me in a quick dance in our living room when "I can't help falling in love with you" came on. Awwwww. The next morning we had time for a quick breakfast at Creekside before picking the kids up. When lunchtime rolled around, I turned to this standby veggie pressed sandwich to satisfy.

The ingredients change depending on what I have on hand at the time. Arugula can be swapped for baby leaf lettuce, the cheese can be anything, sometimes we have tomato, sometimes not. The only ingredients that are mandatory are the avocado and grilled onions. Those two make the sandwich. I only use one piece of deli cheese, or equivalent of, for a whole sandwich so it's more of an accent or way to glue the veggies together than anything else. The avocado get's warm and creamy, and the onions which are the only thing you have to cook for this sandwich, get buttery soft and seasoned. When you press it between bread with just enough cheese and fresh greens that wilt ever so slightly, it's a thigh slappin', rip-roarin', helluva sandwich. How appropriate. 


This is a quick lunch that can easily be whipped up when friends come over to clean your couch



Except I didn't make it for this friend, because I'm mean. Be kinder than me. Hey Meliss- the couch is gonna get real clean with that dog sitting right there...


By the way, if you use dish soap on a microfiber couch and scrub it with a dish brush, and then rinse and vacuum it with that Bissel green machine above, it comes out perfect!





Ahem, back to the sandwich



Veggie Love Panini
1 sandwich (serves 1-2)

Saute a couple rounds of yellow onion in one tablespoon olive oil until soft. Season the onion with salt, garlic powder, and chili powder. Cut one slice of deli cheese (I used pepper jack) into 8 thin strips and divide 4 strips evenly over a piece of bread. Top with a couple slices tomato, a half an avocado cut into thin strips, and the sauteed onion. Top with a handful of arugula or other baby green, and layer the last four slices of deli cheese evenly over the top. Press sandwich in a panini press on low. Cut in half and enjoy.

If you have the time, slow roasted tomatoes would taste great in this.