Roasted Cauliflower Panini with Sriracha-Tomato Chutney-Mayo

I know in my heart that I was born to spend my life on a tropical island, but until Chris and I become millionaires and can hop on our private jet to the Caribbean, I must endure the winter.

I like sweaters and slippers, and of course all those cute boots, but the best thing about winter is all of the comfort food...like a melty sandwich. (Try this ooey, gooey one filled with roasted veggies that would satisfy even the pickiest of carnivores.) Yum!

Roasted Cauliflower Panini with Sriracha-Tomato Chutney Mayo
Ingredients:
1 large head cauliflower, cored and thinly sliced
1 large eggplant, sliced
4 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
Olive oil
Kosher salt
2-3 small poblano peppers
1 bunch mustard greens, stems removed and leaves chopped
2 oz bacon, diced
4 oz aged cheddar
1/4 cup mayo
2 tsp sriracha
1 TBS tomato chutney
Sliced homemade or thick-sliced bread
Salted butter

Minimal MESS/ingredients/clean-up: Category 2

To Do:

• In a 400 degree oven, roast the sliced cauliflower and eggplant with a couple garlic cloves, a few pinches of salt and a heavy drizzle of olive oil in separate pans until the eggplant is creamy and the cauliflower is crispy.
• Carefully hold each of the poblano peppers over an open flame until charred, then let them cool. When cool, peel off the skins, discard the stem and seeds, and cut the peppers into thin slices. Alternatively, roast in the oven until the skins burst, then peel off the stems and follow the steps from there.
• Sauté the mustard greens with the bacon in a hot pan on the stove until they are wilted.
• Thinly slice the cheese. (I used a gorgeous 6-month cheddar from Shelburne Farms.)
• In a bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, sriracha and chutney until blended.
•  Now, build your sandwich. (Recipe should make enough for two large sandwiches plus some leftovers.)
• Take two slices of bread and spread both pieces with the butter, then turn over and spread the mayo mixture on both. 
• On one slice, add the eggplant, cauliflower, and peppers. On the other, the cheese and then the greens.

• Smoosh together, then place on a hot griddle or panini press, butter side down. 
• Repeat these steps for the second sandwich.

• Cover the sandwiches with a lid if using a pan or the top of the panini press and toast until both the top and bottom pieces are golden brown and the cheese has melted.

• Devour.

And that my friends, is how you survive the winter.

xoxo

Grilled Chicken, Roasted Pepper, Basil and Mozzarella Panini

I was 32 when I started cooking; up until then, I just ate. --Julia Child

If the Earl of Sandwich were alive today, I think we'd be good friends. 

Some days, there's nothing more satisfying than a warm, gooey, flavorful sandwich.  As far as I'm concerned, any sandwich combination will do as long as there's a crusty/creamy/crunchy element to each bite. Some people say it's the bread that makes a great sandwich, others say it is the filling-- I say it's the combination of both. You can't really have one without the other anyway, can you?

I recently hauled out the trusty panini maker and put it to good use, giving new life to some leftover bread, grilled chicken and fridge staples.

I sliced some crusty ciabatta bread and brushed both sides of each slice with olive oil.  Then, I layered on slices of juicy grilled chicken breast, basil leaves (plucked from my herb garden), fresh mozzarella, and some smoky/sweet roasted red peppers.  I drizzled a mix of balsamic vinegar and pesto on the top slice before closing and pressing the sandwiches into lovely, melty panini goodness.

A perfect snack, lunch or light dinner...easy, quick and of course, tasty, too!

xoxoxo

Panini, please!

I was 32 when I started cooking; up until then, I just ate. --Julia Child

I just bought myself a new panini press/grill/griddle combination from Cuisinart, and Chris and I have had so much fun making paninis.

I was trying to use up some of my homemade herb bread, and decided to make us a  sandwich...a pressed sandwich for lunch.  I buttered the outer sides of two slices of bread then spread 2 TBS of a lovely tomato relish I found at Williams-Sonoma (by the 'witchcraft folks), on one side and placed slices of fresh mozzarella on the other.  This would have been perfectly delicious like that, but I remembered that we had some veggie burger-type chicken patties in the freezer, so I threw them in the microwave for a few minutes, then sliced them up and added to the sandwich as well.

It was ooey and gooey and buttery and crunchy...the perfect sandwich for a winter's lunch. If you don't have a panini press, I highly recommend getting one.  Tons of tasty fun!

xoxoxo