By late summer, almost any sandwich can be improved with rounds from a glorious tomato. This recipe simply, successfully marries the fruit with watercress in a stack that tastes especially great straight from the warmth of a panini maker.
Of course, you could achieve similar results with a cast-iron skillet and a weight on top of the sandwiches. But you might miss those panini ridges. If you want to skip the heat — and, judging by the un-pressed version, activate your hinged jaw — the sandwich still “eats good.”
Serve with apple slices. Adapted from “The Ultimate Panini Press Cookbook,” by Kathy Strahs (Harvard Common Press, 2013).
Roast Beef, Asiago, Tomato and Watercress Panini
4 servings
One 12-ounce ciabatta loaf or 4 ciabatta rolls
1/3 cup low-fat mayonnaise
2 tablespoons homemade or store-bought pesto
2 firm plum or roma tomatoes
8 ounces thinly sliced roast beef
4 ounces watercress
4 ounces thinly sliced Asiago cheese (may substitute Swiss)
Preheat the panini press to medium-high heat.
Cut the ciabatta loaf or rolls in half horizontally. (Cut the loaf into 4 equal quarters.)