Cucumber, Roasted Red Pepper and Brie Sub with Pineapple Cream Cheese Spread

It’s Ingredient Challenge Monday again!

This week’s ingredient is the very versatile cucumber. Cucumbers are very low in calories and high in the intra-cellular electrolyte potassium. Thinking about that takes me back to nursing school. But I don’t want to go there.

Anyway, potassium is an extremely important electrolyte that helps regulate heart function, and also has a mild diuretic effect.

In other words, cucumbers are heart-healthy, and make you tinkle!

I’m so proud of ICM. It has helped Sunny and me branch out of our typical dishes and really get creative. Every other week, it really is fun brainstorming about what I will do with the ingredient. And Sunny, you do challenge me!

Since my family is out of town for the weekend, I decided to take the opportunity to make something I would love to try, but they would never eat.

Hence….a veggie sammy.

Cucumber, Roasted Red Pepper and Brie Sub with Pineapple Cream Cheese

1 large cucumber, sliced vertically (long strips)

1 12 oz jar roasted red peppers (mine were in garlic and olive oil)

1/2 cup cream cheese, at room temperature

2 tbsp pineapple preserves

1/2 wheel Brie cheese, sliced

1 5 grain baguette (got mine at Publix in the bakery, of course you could use any bread)

Combine the cream cheese and pineapple preserves; set aside. Slice the baguette in half lengthwise. Spread the cream cheese mixture on both halves of the baguette.

Next, layer the cucumber, peppers then brie. Top with the remaining baguette half.

Slice into individual sandwiches and put under the broiler, or you could use a panini maker or grill.

This is girly food.

So yummy. The creamy brie, a hint of sweetness from pineapple and crispness of the cucumber was an amazing combination, not to mention the bite of the red peppers.

Now go see what Sunny did with her cucumbers and visit ICM to submit your own cucumber recipes.

Happy 4th!

~Dixie Chik~