Avocado & Pepper Jack Panini.

Summer has finally arrived, and while I am not quite used to the 85 degree weather, I have managed to make myself used to the kitchen once again.  Today I spent the morning looking for a skirt/suit/dress...something to match my black Ann Taylor suit jacket whose pants don't fit quite right at the moment (a bit too many late night snacks at school).

Afterwards I ventured over to the Tall Trainer to have my fitness assessment prior to starting some personal training (or small group!).  Even the short 10 minute assessment was a bit of a shock having not exercised much since before spring break but the trainer, Bo, was very friendly and knowledgable about nutrition and fitness--I loved it!

So, being 3pm and not really lunch, I decided to splurge a bit and make this amazing sounding Avocado & Pepper Jack Panini on Whole Wheat (WW).  And what do you get out of it?  A tutorial on how to cut avocados, since I didn't know how to either, and a great recipe!

What you'll need:

2 slices of Pepper Jack Cheese (milder cheese if you don't like spicy)

Panini Roll or crusty bread

1 Avocado

Small cup of Salsa for dipping

Equipment: Knife; Panini Press

 Avocado "slicing" (in case you didn't know, like myself!) Take your knife and cut to the core, a dull-ish knife is fine since the ripe avocado should be soft.  Go around the entire outer area and then gently "wiggle" the two halves apart until you have this:

 Then take your knife and slice like so.  Make sure to run your knife around the edges and turn over to POP out.

 pick out the slices you'd like and lay then on top of the cheese.

 Assemble like this:  Butter the outer sides of the bread to make sure they don't stick to the panini press.

 Place it in until the cheese is melted (4-5 minutes) and enjoy!

 TIP: I read in a magazine that you can place avocados in ziplock baggies and place them in the freeze to avoid browning.  Make sure to suck the air out first though!