Avocado-Spinach Panini

Sometimes I find that lunch is the most difficult meal to find as a vegetarian. I'm really trying out a lot of new recipes so that by the time Naja is a toddler, I have some staple lunch and dinner options that have all of the nutrients that she needs for a well-balanced meal. This panini actually has 12 g of protein in it - so that's not too shabby!

Avocado-Spinach Panini
Source: Vegetarian Times, July/August 2011 Issue, "Hot off the Press!"
Serves 4


Ingredients

2 avocados, halved and thinly sliced
1/3 cup julienned, smoked sun-dried tomatoes (1 oz.)
2 Tbs. diced red onion
2 cups lightly packed baby spinach
4 4-oz. ciabatta rolls, split in half
Directions
1. Layer avocado slices, tomatoes, onion, and 1/2 cup spinach on each roll. Spray panini with cooking spray.
2. Coat skillet or grill pan with cooking spray, and heat over medium heat. Place panini in pan; weight with smaller-diameter saucepan weighted with 1 or 2 cans. Cook 2 minutes, remove weight, flip panini, replace weight, and cook 1 1/2 to 2 minutes more. (Or cook 4 minutes in panini maker.)


This sandwich was absolutely delicious. The sun-dried tomatoes I purchased were stored in some EVOO with rosemary. The rosemary and EVOO from the tomatoes added just the right amount of zing to bring a lot of flavor. This sandwich is sure to become a summer staple for me!

4 comments:

  1. That sandwich looks delicious and I love avocados! I so need help on eating healthier since my diet has been wonky lately! Can you recommend any good vegetarian cook books or websites?

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  2. @Mrs. J - This sandwich is delicious!!! I really like the book College Vegetarian Cooking by the Karle sisters - quick, simple, realistic recipes. Additionally, The Healthy Foodie (http://thehealthyfoodie.net/) is one of my favorite blogs. She's not a vegetarian, but all of her meals are well-balanced, and a lot are pretty sensible. Good luck!

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  3. This looks super easy and very tasty. I'll be trying this one and your burger recipe, too. Thanks for sharing!

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  4. @See Kate Run - be sure to let me know how it turns out!

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