Deli Dilemmas

BLT. Three simple letters, yet so much flavor. I know a few people who absolutely refuse to look at any deli menus and will only order this American classic. The smoky bacon, crisp lettuce, soft tomatoes, and toasted bread has them drooling before they even walk in the door.

 

I, on the other hand, enjoyed broadening my sandwich horizons. I poured over the menu, carefully considering all of my options. Ham, turkey, pastrami… Provolone, cheddar, mozzarella… Cucumbers, sun dried tomatoes, roasted bell peppers… Spinach, cabbage, iceberg lettuce… Sourdough, Dutch crunch, whole wheat…  

 

Those delis invented some really unique sandwiches, many of which I devoured in a matter of minutes. After all of those tasty lunches, I took a leaf out of the delis’ books and created my own interesting sandwich, inspired by the iconic BLT.

 

 

BLTwist

serves 1

In trying to make this sandwich slightly healthier, I used spinach and ham instead of the traditional lettuce and bacon. Feel free to revert back to the originals! Mozzarella would be a tasty substitution for the Parmesan as well.

2 slices whole-wheat bread

1 tbsp tomato paste

1 tbsp Parmesan cheese

5-6 slices of deli ham

1 handful of baby spinach leaves

1. Preheat a Panini press. If you don’t own one, preheat a large skillet over medium-low heat on the stove, and place a smaller skillet on top of the sandwich to press down from above.
2. Spread the tomato paste on one piece of bread. Sprinkle the Parmesan over the paste, then lay the ham and spinach on top.
3. Place sandwich on the Panini press and close the lid. Let cook for 3-4 minutes or until bread toasts to a deep brown. Serve immediately.