Meatless Monday is a global movement, a way of life. It’s not a campaign to turn everyone in the world vegetarian or vegan; in fact, many involved are meat-lovers. Eating less meat has been proven to reduce the risk of disease, curb obesity and has important environmental impacts, too. Will you join us in giving up meat, just for one day a week?

Here in NYC it’s been too hot to turn on the oven, let alone think about cooking. Standing over a hot stove in an non-air-conditioned apartment? No way. So to make things easier, I’m going with this caprese sandwich for dinner tonight. If you too are struggling to keep cool, I suggest you do the same. Delicious and requiring hardly any thought or effort, it’s a Meatless Monday recipe you’ll be thankful to have on-hand.

On your way home, pick up some fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, basil and a baguette from your favorite bakery. Heirloom tomatoes give the sandwich an edge, but any ripe tomato will do. The basil oil is also not necessary, but make it anyways. It only takes a few minutes to whip together and will make this ten-minute sandwich taste like a million bucks.

Caprese Sandwich

Salt the tomatoes and layer on the bottom piece of bread with the mozzarella and basil. Drizzle with Basil Oil. Top with the remaining piece of bread. Slice into portions.

Add the basil to boiling water for 45 seconds to 1 minute. Remove to a bowl of ice water to stop it from further cooking. Dry and add to a blender. Add the olive oil, and blend until smooth. Strain through cheesecloth into a bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add the lemon juice right before serving. Yield: About 1 cup.