Life gets pretty hectic with a newborn in the house. Gone are the days when I could spend hours working on a dish, take pictures to my heart’s content, and ponder over each and every word as I sat in front of the computer, thinking of ways to capture my readers’ hearts and minds. Nowadays, my daily routine is rather different, and it revolves around a tiny soul who brings me endless joy. I feel so blessed π
What have I been eating lately? I have become a fan of toast (in the morning) and warm sandwiches (throughout the day). I haven’t used the panini maker in a while, but I hope to start using it again when things settle down and we get back to “normal” – whatever that might mean, lol I made a tasty warm sandwich the other day and I want to share the recipe with you. It’s very easy to make and a great way to use any fresh mozzarella you might have lingering in the fridge (I had bocconcini). You also need a fresh French baguette, a few veggies and a hot oven. Oh, and some slicing skills – which I seem to lack lately!
Ingredients
2 bocconcini
Handful shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 French baguette
3 pitted kalamata olives (you can use more if you wish)
3 pitted green olives (see above)
3 cherry tomatoes (see above)
1/4 green pepper
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 sprig parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 375F. Cut the baguette in half and brush each half with olive oil. Slice the bocconcini and put the slices on the bread. Slice the pepper lengthwise and place the slices on the cheese. Slice the olives and put them on top of the pepper. Finish off with sliced cherry tomatoes. Sprinkle salt and pepper, then put the sandwich in the hot oven for about 15 minutes.
This is how the preparation process looks like:
Take the sandwich out of the oven and sprinkle the shredded mozzarella on top, then put it back into the oven for another 10 minutes or until the mozzarella has melted. 
Serve the sandwich while still hot with fresh chopped parsley sprinkled on top.
There is nothing too fancy about this sandwich, but simplicity is sometimes best, and it is this simplicity that I have come to appreciate lately. In my experience, whenever you have little time to spare on yourself, such a straightforward recipe comes in and saves the day. With lunch under control, I can easily return to my life’s latest and greatest joy: taking care of our beloved baby girl π
