Cooking Done Light

These sandwiches first gained mainstream popularity in Florida, but are now showing up on menus everywhere – and once you take a bite, you’ll understand why! Traditional Cuban sandwiches are made with Cuban bread, cut in half and buttered on both sides. Dill pickles, roast pork, ham, and Swiss cheese are thinly sliced and added in layers. The sandwich is then lightly toasted in a sandwich press called a “plancha” (very similar to a panini press) until the bread is crisp and the cheese is melted (the press serves to both heat and compress the sandwich). In a traditional Cuban sandwich, the essential ingredient is the roasted pork – and it always includes yellow mustard, but never mayonnaise, lettuce or tomato.

This recipe has all the makings of the traditional Cuban (minus the butter!), but substitutes lean deli meats instead of fatty roasted pork and ham. The result is the wonderful, unique, and delicious taste of a Cuban, without the added calories.

(If you don’t have a panini press, you can still make these at home – just use a heavy skillet or bricks wrapped in foil to “press” the sandwiches.)

1 French baguette, split in half lengthwise

1 pound reduced fat deli style Swiss cheese

1 pound low sodium, reduced fat deli style roast beef (if you want to cut the calories even further, substitute turkey breast instead)

1 pound low sodium, reduced fat deli style ham

12 slices zesty dill pickle

3-4 tablespoons yellow mustard

Spread the mustard over the inside of the cut baguette. Layer the bottom half of the bread with the cheese, turkey, and ham; then arrange the pickles on top. Cover with the top of the baguette and cut in to four equal sized sandwiches.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat and spray well with nonstick cooking spray. Add the sandwiches and place a very heavy skillet (or bricks wrapped in tin foil) on top of the sandwiches, pressing them down to flatten them. Cook for 3 minutes, remove the skillet (or bricks), flip the sandwiches over, replace the skillet, and continue to cook for 3-4 minutes more (until the cheese has melted and the sandwiches are heated through).

Makes 4 servings (4 sandwiches). Per sandwich: 281 calories, 6 g total fat, less than 2 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 29 mg total carbohydrates, 4 g fiber, 0 g added sugar, 24 g protein, 520 mg sodium, 34 mg cholesterol.