I have to admit, I’m not the biggest sandwich person.  Aside from the occasional Wawa junior hoagie, I don’t desire a sandwich very often.  At lunchtime, I usually get so cold in my office that I need something warm and cold sandwiches don’t usually cut it.  Sometimes, however, a warm panini with gooey cheese can be the perfect solution.  Since sandwiches are paired so perfectly with soup I thought this Turkey Panini with Citrus Aioli would be a great complement to the Winter Tomato Soup I posted on Monday.

Smoked turkey slices and provolone cheese are the base to this sandwich which I topped with baby spinach instead of watercress (because I had a huge tub of spinach on hand).  Adding a fresh and citrusy touch, an aioli made simply with mayonnaise, lemon and lime zests, garlic and lemon juice is lightly layered on the bread before topping it with the turkey and cheese.  This panini, which can be grilled on either a grill pan or a panini maker, is a great twist on the standard turkey sandwich.  If you have turkey and cheese in your fridge and you just don’t want another plain old sandwich, consider this.  It doesn’t matter what kind of turkey or cheese you use or even if you don’t have any leafy greens.  If you love mayonnaise like me, grab a lemon and a lime and whip up some of this citrus aioli for a yummy condiment to any sandwich.

The ingredients:

Combine mayonnaise, lemon, lime, pepper and garlic and spread evenly over half the bread slices.

Top evenly with turkey, watercress (or spinach), cheese, and remaining bread slices.

Coat a grill pan or panini maker heated to medium-high heat with cooking spray.  Arrange 2 sandwiches in pan.  If using a grill pan, place a cast-iron or heavy skillet on top of sandwiches and press gently to flatten.  Cook 2 minutes on each side (leave cast-iron skillet on sandwiches while they cook).

Repeat procedure with remaining sandwiches.

Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:

• Baby spinach
• Light mayonnaise
• Reduced-fat provolone cheese
• Whole-wheat bread

Overall Rating:  Like It

Source:  Cooking Light Magazine