Thanks to Baker's Crust

James wants less politics and more food. My response was "Politics is food for the mind".

As far as food goes, here's another one to try. Although, this might not be appropriate under the VO2 MAXXED guidelines.

YUMMMMM.....................

While we were in Richmond for Beth and James' races, we had lunch one day at Baker's Crust. It seems like every time I am around James I make an attempt to eat a little healthier. So, I decided to try the BC Panini Grilled Avocado Goat Cheese Veggie. The menu description is: Mixed greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, and grilled sweet balsamic marinated squash on rustic sour dough with avocado goat cheese. Sounded great, but I was somewhat disappointed. So I decided to try my hand at the same sandwich. The results follow.

Makes four sandwiches.
First, the sweet balsamic marinade.

Combine 1/4 cup of good quality Balsamic vinegar with two tablespoons of Honey (or Agave Nectar), one tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and one teaspoon Kosher salt. (Hint: If you add the olive oil first, you can use the same measuring spoon for the honey and it will all pour out of the spoon and not stick)

Thinly slice small yellow summer squash or zucchini, place in a shallow dish, cover with marinade, cover dish and place in the refrigerator for 45 minutes to one hour.

Peel and thinly slice one cucumber. I use a mandolin and slice them into lengthwise strips that are free of seeds. Slice two vine ripened tomatoes into approximately 1/4th inch slices. Rinse and chill prepackaged mixed baby greens or mixed spring greens..

Avocado Goat Cheese.

Combine one ripe avocado with 4 oz. of mild goat cheese and 1/2 tsp. of Goya Adobo Seasoning. Salt and pepper to taste. This should be prepared just before it is needed so that it retains its green color.

Remove squash from marinade. Coat tomato slices with olive oil, salt and pepper. Place tomatoes and squash on a HOT grill pan for about 30 to 45 seconds per side (or charcoal grill if want a smokier flavor, 1 - 1 1/2 min. per side) . Set aside and let cool slightly.

Now to build the sandwich. Coat eight slices of sour dough bread with the avocado goat cheese. Assemble four sandwiches as follows: Start by placing a small amount of baby greens on on four slices of coated bread, add slices of grilled tomato to cover each of the four slices, then add cucumbers, then grilled squash, then another small amount of baby greens. Finish by topping with remaining four slices of coated bread.

Use a Panini press if you have one, or simply use the grill pan to grill the sandwiches. If you use the grill pan, place a small weight on the sandwiches to ensure good contact with the grill (A George Forman type grill works fine). A couple minutes per side should be sufficient. If want it toastier, leave it on longer.

The result is a pretty tasty veggie sandwich. If you don't want it veggie, add some deli sliced turkey before you grill. Still healthy.(These have the turkey)

Turned out great. Much better than Baker's Crust, In my humble opinion.