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'Wich of the Week: Fruit and Nut Butter Panini

YumSugar — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 14:00:00 -0700

I'm finally getting around to paying my respects to National Panini Month, while also fulfilling a sandwich promise I made to myself not long ago. After being disappointed by The Sentinel's pork and fig sandwich that didn't actually contain figs, I pressed together this panino before fig season bids its sad farewell.

When I came up with the "fruit and nut" idea, I thought: this could be terrible. But thanks to this morning's discovery of the perfect bread - a seeded raisin roll from a nearby bakery - the panino turned out to be one of my favorite creations! I love warm nut butters, and even with the fruit, this sammie isn't to sweet. Serve it for lunch or breakfast, and get the recipe now.

10 Tasty Panini Recipes

partysugar — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 05:50:07 -0700

In Italy, a panino (or panini, in the plural) can refer to a type of roll or a griddled sandwich, but here in America, a panini is always a pressed sandwich that is served warm. Why do I have panini on the brain? Because August is National Panini Month! Since I'm a huge fan of the combination of toasty bread and melted cheese, I've rounded up my favorite panini recipes. You don't necessarily need a special kitchen gadget to make them; you can simply cook a panini on a skillet or, if it's hot in your neck of the woods, outdoors on the grill.

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Yummy Links: From Panini-Offs to Pie Crusts

YumSugar — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 07:00:31 -0700

Jimmy Fallon and Tom Colicchio face off in a panini showdown. -Eat Me Daily
Food'lebrities: Photoshopped celebs whose names sound like snacks. - Lemondrop
Gobbling up the world's best beach food. - Epicurious
Chefs weigh in on the Obamas' date night number two. - Grub Street
Veteran restaurant publicist says it wasn't this bad even after Sept. 11. - The Feedbag
These United Plates prints are almost cute enough to eat. - Serious Eats
Taybarns is the Golden Corral of the UK. - Chow
Taste-testing Vio, Coke's new fruity milk soda drinks. - Eater
Do you prefer butter or shortening in your pie crusts? - Baking Bites

'Wich of the Week: Cilantro Chicken Panini

YumSugar — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 14:00:51 -0700

At the farmers market near the Sugar offices, there's an Afghan food stand that sells all sorts of innovative breads and spreads, including a pesto sauce made from cilantro instead of the standard basil. I love the simplicity of the classic margherita pizza, and used that as inspiration for this panino.

The cilantro pesto combines perfectly with fresh tomato and grilled chicken. Instead of using a mild cheese like mozzarella, I subbed in saltier provolone, because it complements the cool flavor of the cilantro. Though cilantro haters won't go for this sandwich, it would be just as lovely with traditional basil pesto. To get the recipe, read more.

Cilantro Chicken Panini With Tomato and Provolone
Original recipe

Ingredients

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
8 slices multigrain or wheat bread
4 tablespoons cilantro pesto
2 Roma tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch thick round slices
4 slices provolone cheese

Directions

On a clean work surface, place the chicken breasts on a large piece of plastic wrap, and fold the plastic wrap over to cover the chicken. Using a rolling pin or meat hammer, flatten the chicken until it is about 1/2 an inch thick. Season with salt and pepper.

On a grill or in a lightly oiled grill pan on the stove, cook each piece of chicken for about 5 minutes per side over medium heat. Set aside to cool, then cut each piece in half so you have four pieces of chicken.

To make each sandwich, spread 1 tablespoon of cilantro pesto on one slice of bread, then top with chicken, tomatoes, and a slice of cheese. Place second slice of bread atop cheese.

In a panini press on medium heat or in a skillet on the stove, cook panini until bread is lightly browned and cheese is melted - about 5 minutes in the panini press or 3 minutes per side in a skillet.

Makes 4 panini.

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'Wich of the Week: Prosciutto and Mango Panini

YumSugar — Wed, 13 May 2009 14:00:29 -0700

Prosciutto and melon is a classic Italian appetizer, but right now, the abundance of juicy, summery mango is too tempting to resist. Combined with the salty, cured ham, this tropical fruit works just as well, especially when freshly cut mint from your garden (or grocery store) is added to the mix.

To balance out the bold trio of mango, prosciutto, and mint, I went basic with the rest of the ingredients: bitter arugula to cut the sweetness, simple hollowed-out ciabatta for the bread, and mild mozzarella to meld it all together. The resulting recipe sounds divinely high-end, but it's just as easy to make as any old panini - whether you own a panini maker or not. Get the recipe, complete with step-by-step photos, when you read more.

Prosciutto and Mango Panini
Original recipe

Ingredients

2 small ciabatta rolls (individual sandwich size)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup arugula
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, julienned
4 large slices of prosciutto
1/2 mango, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
4 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/2-inch thick rounds

Directions

Preheat the panini maker or, if you don't own one, place a cast iron skillet in the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Slice the ciabatta rolls in half horizontally and scoop some of the bread out of the top half to hollow out. Drizzle the bottom half of each roll with olive oil.
On each bottom piece of bread, pile half the arugula and top with half the mint.

Lay two slices of prosciutto on the arugula, followed by the mango and the mozzarella, dividing equally between the two pieces of bread. To close each sandwich, cover with top half of ciabatta .

Place sandwiches in panini maker for about 5 minutes, until cheese is fully melted. Or, if you don't have a panini maker, arrange sandwiches side-by-side on a baking sheet and cover with cast-iron skillet. Cook for about 5 minutes, until cheese is fully melted.

Makes 2 panini.

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'Wich of the Week: Honey Baked Ham and Cabbage Reuben

YumSugar — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 16:15:14 -0700

I love celebrating Easter, mainly because it means I get to make sandwiches with the leftover ham. This year, I decided to come up with a new sandwich that satisfies all year round.

I had way too much cabbage, but I didn't want to go to the trouble of cooking it, so I came up with the idea of pressing it raw into a panini. Low and behold, it worked. With Swiss cheese, the result was something like an earthier, crunchier Reuben with honey baked ham standing in for the usual salty-sweet combo of corned beef and Thousand Island dressing. To see how I made it and get the recipe, read more.

When assembling, be sure to put the ham down first, then the pickles; on the first try, I put the pickles directly on the bread, which caused tragic sogginess once it hit the panini maker. This sandwich would also probably work in the oven, but I recommend the panini press in order to thoroughly cook the cabbage.

Honey Baked Ham and Cabbage Reuben
Original recipe

Ingredients

1 cup raw cabbage, cut into strips
4 slices wheat bread
4 teaspoons spicy mustard
6 slices Honey Baked Ham or similar
12 sandwich-size bread and butter pickle slices
1 tablespoon salt
2 slices Swiss cheese

Directions

Prepare the cabbage: place in a colander and salt generously. Place the colander over a bowl and allow the cabbage to "sweat" for at least one hour or as long as overnight. Rinse and pat dry.
Heat a panini press to medium.
To make each sandwich, spread 1 teaspoon of the mustard on one slice of bread and cover with ham. Top with 6 pickle slices, followed by half the cabbage.
Spread mustard on the second slice of bread, lay swiss cheese over cabbage, and place second slice mustard-side down on cheese.
Heat in the panini maker until cabbage is just wilted and cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.
Cut in half and serve immediately.

Makes 2 sandwiches.

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Do You Own a Panini Press?

YumSugar — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 11:45:34 -0800

'Wich of the Week: Chocolate and Brie Panini

YumSugar — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 14:00:32 -0800

If you're not cooking a romantic dinner for two this Valentine's Day, then give this strangely delicious sandwich a shot. Made with salty, creamy brie and dark chocolate, this panini is neither a full-on dessert or a savory entree, but the sticky, gooey results will have you licking your fingers anyway. I've been curious to try this ever since PartySugar featured it on the menu of her wine and chocolate tasting, so I whipped up a batch on the panini press the other day. I had a lot of leftover dark chocolate from the holidays, so I used that rather than the semisweet chips, which sounded too sweet. To see how it turned out and to get the recipe, read more.

In addition to swapping in dark chocolate, I also reduced the amount used on each sandwich, after making one panini and finding that the chocolate totally overpowered the cheese. To me, it's the combination of velvety chocolate and savory, decadent brie that makes this sandwich interesting. I also added more basil and left the leaves whole, just because I liked the look of it. Some of my friends found the basil too weird and said they'd swap in mint, which would also be good. Here's how I did it.

Chocolate and Brie Panini
Modified From Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients

12 slices sourdough bread
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
12 ounces Brie cheese, thinly sliced
10 ounces dark chocolate squares
2/3 cup fresh basil leaves

Directions

Preheat the panini grill.
Using a very sharp knife, cut the chocolate squares into bite-size pieces.

Brush both sides of the bread with olive oil. Grill the bread slices until they begin to turn golden, about 1 to 2 minutes.
Remove from the panini grill and place 2 ounces of cheese on 1 slice of bread (the bottom half), top the cheese with 1/4 cup chocolate chips, and a few leaves of basil. Top with another slice of bread. Continue with the remaining sandwiches.

Return the sandwiches to the panini grill until the chocolate begins to melt, about another 2 minutes.

Cut the sandwiches into 2-inch wide rectangles or small triangles and transfer to a serving platter.

Serves 6.

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'Wich of the Week: Avo Spinach Panini

YumSugar — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 14:00:42 -0700

Not all of you were loving my last vegetarian sandwich, so I thought I'd try again with a recipe inspired by a recent trip to San Francisco's (appropriately named) Panini. Perfectly pressed in a warm panini grill, this sandwich taught me several lessons about making smushed sammies. First, I never think to put avocado on a hot sandwich, but it held up well in the heat and added a deliciously creamy texture. I was also astounded at how much spinach was piled onto the massive sourdough slices - seriously, like a cup of spinach - but after a few minutes in the press, the spinach had wilted and the bread had flattened so that the sandwich was very compact and manageable. The contrast between the earthy greens and smooth avocado make for a delectable combo. To learn how to re-create it at home, read more.

Avo Spinach Panini
Inspired by Panini

Ingredients

2 thick slices of sourdough bread
1 teaspoon aioli or mayonnaise
1 slice of pepperjack cheese
1 cup fresh spinach
1/4 cup diced tomato
1/4 of an avocado, cut into slices

Directions

Spread aioli or mayonnaise on one slice of sourdough. Top with pepperjack cheese.
Arrange the spinach leaves evenly over the cheese. Top with diced tomato.
Cover the spinach and tomato with sliced avocado and second slice of sourdough.
In a panini press or grill pan, cook the panini until the bread is lightly browned and crisp. Slice in half and serve.

Makes 1 sandwich.

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Toastabag: Love It or Hate It?

YumSugar — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 03:00:32 -0700

These little toaster bags quickly turn your toaster into a sandwich maker. While I think it's a creative concept, I'm also rather skeptical: How would a whole sandwich fit into a one-slice toaster? Wouldn't the melted cheese settle at the bottom of the bag? And, more importantly, couldn't this be a serious fire hazard? I'd love to hear your thoughts below. Have any of you ever tried a Toastabag?

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