Wednesday, January 9, 2008

Pane Is French For Sandwich ..... Panini Might Be Italian But For Lunch It Is Delicious !


Panini Grill
Recently I purchased a Panini Grill which I have found to be quite a versatile small appliance. It is Teflon lined and clean up is so easy. Our son Tom was first to buy one and soon one appeared in daughter Anne's kitchen. Both encouraged me to have one. Actually they are much like the George Foreman Grill. When grilling sandwiches, the flavors are blended because the lid is weighted which compresses the flavors.
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We enjoy a sandwich with a salad or soup for lunch. Since living in California, we have enjoyed the wonderful choices of the crusty country breads. Whatever your favorite vegetables, meats, and cheeses are they will work in a sandwich. I will offer two combinations that are favorites of ours These sandwiches are also quick to prepare.
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Ingredients:
Baguette cut into sandwich sized rolls
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 ounces arugula
4 fire roasted red bell peppers
1 small can tuna
3 hard boiled eggs, sliced
8 anchovy fillets, optional
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Directions:
Slice the bread in half lengthwise. Pull out the doughy part of the bread to create a hollow, canoe shaped shell with the crust. Drizzle the olive oil and vinegar over the inside of both rolls. Arrange the arugula over the bottom half of the rolls. Add a layer of peppers, tuna, and eggs, and optional, top with 2 anchovy fillets. Place on panini grill or place in a skillet over a medium low heat and weight with another heavy skillet on top of the sandwich. This allows the flavors to meld.
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Second Offering
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Ingredients:
Rosemary and Olive Oil Bread, sliced 1/2" slices
Fire roasted red or yellow bell peppers
Sliced Manchego cheese
Turkey breast, sliced
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Directions:
When using sliced bread, the outside of the slice is buttered before grilling. I like the Manchego cheese because it is a dried aged cheese and isn't gummy or stringy when heated in the sandwich. Also I buy the fire roasted peppers in a quart jar. The sliced turkey breast is also a purchased product. This sandwich is made with products purchased at the local Costco. It is quick and easy. Enjoy

2 comments:

Jewels said...

These sound soooo good. Tonight when I put swiss cheese and pesto on my chicken patties, I thought it was good but that was nothing compared to these!

Dine With Donna said...

Jewels;
I always thought I had to have meat to make a sandwich. Anne almost always has a vegetable filling in her sandwiches. The cuisine which is "California" is geared toward healthy. Since we are able to be out of doors 12 months a year, people are very health conscious and exercise daily. Diet has a great emphasis in daily living. Your mom would make a great Californian with her walking and exercising.