Time and Passion Sandwich

I had a conversation with my brother the other day in which he asked me a few health - slash - food - slash - shopping questions.  I rambled off a couple of things and started to stay that, "Some of the fun of grocery shopping is searching for items to make healthy, economical, and nutritious meals..."  My brother interrupted and said, "Yeah Rachel but, I have neither the time nor the passion to figure that kind of stuff out."  I just laughed.  "Yeah... okay... true, true."  So, this post is all about the sandwich I'm affectionately calling the, "Time and Passion Sandwich" which is dedicated to my busy brother.

Once you have the ingredients, this sandwich is super easy to assemble and can be thrown together in no time at all.  It is an incredibly refreshing and delicious sandwich and it's extremely economical when you realize how many sandwiches you get out of the ingredients.  Don't be fooled by the appearance of this meatless sandwich either.  It is uber satisfying and you really will be surprised at how tasty it is.  My husband absolutely LOVES this sandwich and has said that it is quite possibly his number one fave.  For a man with a love for sandwiches much like that of Joey Tribbiani, a statement like that is really saying something.  But, as always, don't take my word for it.  Try it yourself.  The payoff is pleasantly, deliciously, nutritiously surprising.

Shopping List:

1 lg. tomato

1 lg. cucumber *

2 slices whole wheat bread*

romaine lettuce

classic hummus spread

guacamole spread

From the Pantry:

blk pepper

Tools:

cutting board

sharp knife

butter knife

Preparation:  Begin by rinsing off your tomato, cucumber, and romaine.  I tend to wash off the romaine lettuce that I need one leaf at a time as I'm preparing sandwiches throughout the week; it seems to keep longer that way which is always key when keeping fresh produce.  Once you've cleaned your veggies, slice tomato and cucumber into rounds making them as thin or thick as you like.  I personally love thick, crunchy cucumber slices and thinner tomato slices.  Lay out your bread.  Spread one piece of bread with classic hummus spread which can be found at most grocery stores.  It will be in the chilled section.  Sprinkle black pepper to taste on top of hummus spread.  Cover second slice with guacamole spread.  See my recipe for a super quick and easy guac that's great on sandwiches or as a dip. Now you're ready to assemble.  Just layer the cucumber, tomatoes, and romaine, place second slice on top, and enjoy!  Oh my gosh.  I'm getting hungry just thinking about it.  The crunch of this sandwich is delish.  For a lower calorie version, skip the guac and go for like a mustard spread or just go sans second spread.  And please, share you're successes with me.  I love to hear when someone tries one of these.

*If possible, purchase organic cucumbers.  No matter what you buy, make sure you thoroughly rinse the cucumber and pay attention to see if it has a waxy film on top.  Many produce items such as cucumbers and apples have this to give them an appealing sheen.  You may want to just go ahead and make a habit of peeling the skin off your cucumber to ensure you're not ingesting any unwanted pesticide residue or waxy coating.
*Get in a habit of checking the ingredients of the bread you purchase.  You will be surprised at how many contain milk products and it's always good to just check and make sure you're getting true whole wheat ingredients and they're not just sprinkling a few whole grains into the mix but really presenting you with essentially a bleached, nutrient devoid, white bread.