TAKE

LUNCHTIME TO A NEW LEVEL OF DELICIOUSNESS

DIRECTIONS

For Thousand Island dressing: Whisk together all ingredients in a small bowl. For each sandwich, generously slather two slices of bread with Thousand Island dressing and stack one slice of bread with ample portions of corned beef and sauerkraut and two slices of cheese. Top with the second slice of bread and lightly butter.

Heat a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Working in batches if necessary, add the sandwiches buttered-sidedown and cook, covered, until the bottom is crispy, 3 to 4 minutes. Lightly butter the top and flip, adding some more butter to the pan if needed. Cook, uncovered, another 3 to 4 minutes. The sandwiches should be hot all the way through, the cheese should be melted, and both sides of the sandwich should be crispy or browned. Halve the sandwiches and serve immediately, with dill pickle spears and any extra dressing on the side for dipping.

6 dill pickles, sliced lengthwise

12 slices Swiss cheese

DIRECTIONS

For the cilantro sauce: Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and purée until you achieve an even consistency.

To assemble the sandwiches: Heat a panini press. Spread six slices of bread with mustard and top with ample portions of ham, two slices Swiss, some pickle slices, and a generous amount of cilantro sauce. Top with another slice of bread.

(Extra cilantro sauce will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for two days.)

Working in batches, press the sandwiches until the bread is toasty and golden brown and the cheese melted, about 8 minutes. Halve the sandwiches and serve hot.

* EDITOR'S TIP: If you don’t have a panini press, you can crisp up your Cuban sandwich in a sauté pan or on a skillet, pressing down on each side with a second heavy pan.

1. Before you go to bed, take 15 minutes and make a list of the six most important things you need to get done the next day. I use Google Tasks on my phone so I can add tasks as they pop up.

2. Next, prioritize your tasks by order of importance.

3. First thing in the morning, jump into the first task.

4. When it’s complete, move on to the second task and so forth.

5. Whatever is unfinished at the end of the day, add it to tomorrow’s list to be re-prioritized. In essence, by planning your day the night before, you can wake up knowing exactly what you need to do that day. And, by being productive at work, you’ll have more time for having fun with your family! ✦