I have a confession to make: I eat lunch every day at 10:30 am. And I love it. For years I would be hungry at 10:30, but I would spend a famished hour and a half watching the clock until noon, the socially-approved lunchtime. Or, I would eat an unfulfilling snack at 10:30, and I would still spend an hour and a half hungry. It just felt gluttonous to eat a full meal at 10:30 – hadn’t I just had breakfast?
Finally, a couple of months ago I decided to give in to the 10:30 lunch. The babies were hungry at 10:30, so I decided to eat a meal along with them. It felt so right diving into a turkey sandwich or a big bowl of stew at this time. Why hadn’t I just let myself eat lunch at 10:30 before? A 10:30 lunch, followed by a snack at 3:00 or so, seems to fit with when I am naturally hungry.
I am sure I am not the only person who has battled a 10:30 case of the hangries (that’s hungry + angry, for you superhumans who have never encountered this emotion). In fact, I have a feeling that I am on to a revolutionary idea. Who decided on this three meals a day thing anyway? I am now firm believer that there should be four meals a day: Breakfast at 7:00, Lunch at 10:30, Hearty Snack at 3:00, Dinner at 7:00. I think four meals a day would make the world a nicer, more satisfied place. Who’s with me??
Tonight’s dinner doesn’t really even need a recipe, but I’ll give you one anyway:
Panini with Avocado, Cherry Tomatoes, and Cheddar
-Sourdough bread (I manage to eat this in at least two of my three four daily meals)
-Tomatoes
-Cheddar cheese
-Avocado (I highly recommend Costco avocados- stick them in the fridge and take them out one by one to ripen overnight)
-Schmear of choice: I went with a honey Dijon dressing, but you could use mustard, balsamic dressing, apricot jam, or really any sort of tasty spread you have on hand.
- Warm a skillet or griddle pan on medium heat, slather some butter on there.
- Slather bread with schmear and place dry side-down on skillet.
- Add whatever fillings you have available. Tonight it is avocado, cherry tomatoes, and cheddar cheese.
- Place second piece of bread on top. Put something heavy, like a pot, on top of the sandwich to smoosh it all together.
- Flip when bread is golden brown and warm the other side.
The Verdict:
Paninis are a my go-to dinner for one. They feel a little more official than a cold sandwich, and who doesn’t love melted cheese? Because they are so versatile, they make a great clean-out-the-fridge meal. The key to the panini is the schmear – that’s what gives it flavor.
I promise, I will have a more official recipe tomorrow. In fact, here is a teaser of the prep I did tonight…
DINNER CHEZ NOUS 