Poor Man's Panini Maker (and a great panini recipe!)

While we were in Door County, we ate lots of delicious food. Obviously.

One night we ate at a restaurant called The Cookery. Part wine bar, part casual restaurant - it was awesome.

Being my typical self, I scoured the menu online before we left to check out the options. I had my heart set on a flatbread, but when we got there, it was not on the menu! (Turns out it was on the wine bar menu only, and we were dining in the restaurant.)

But... after a few minutes of sweet talking and schmoozing with the waiter, I was able to order it! (Okay, I basically just asked and he said yes.)

I ordered the Chicken & Cherry Flatbread--house made cherry chutney, roasted chicken, caramelized onions, and gorgonzola on wheat crust.

I wanted to take my plate home. It was really neat.

It was so delicious! The flavors all complimented each other so well. I knew I would have to repeat the same flavors at home.

And thus, the Chicken Cherry Panini was born!

Yes, it's on a Christmas tree plate. I hadn't intended on blogging about this so I didn't use my pretty plates. But it was too good not to blog about!

Ciabatta bread, piled high with roasted chicken, caramelized onions, dried cherries, swiss cheese, and a bit of barbecue sauce. Oh, and the basil. Can't forget the garden fresh basil.

I have a lot of kitchen gadgets and appliances, but one thing I don't have is a George Foreman or panini press. I know, it's tragic.

So we made do. We put the sandwiches in a large skillet over medium heat on the stove, and put another pot on top. The pot wasn't quite heavy enough, so we added a brick from the yard. It did the trick!

Just a few minutes on each side, and the paninis were nice and crisp on the outside, and warm and melty on the inside. Yum!

---

In other news, it's Friday! Which doesn't mean a whole lot right now, but it will three weeks from now. I'm running a 5k here in the Bean Town tomorrow (hoping to break 20:00). So I've got these cookies in the oven to help me carb load. Because carb loading for a 5k is extremely necessary.

Happy Weekend!

Servings/Yield

As many as you make!

ciabatta bread, sliced
barbecue sauce
shredded chicken
caramelized onions
swiss cheese, sliced
dried cherries
fresh basil chiffonade

Method

Prepare sandwiches. Layer barbecue sauce, chicken, caramelized onions, cherries, basil, and swiss cheese in between two slices of ciabatta bread. Prepare in griddle pan or panini press until toasted on both sides.

Comments

Day 7: Buried Cherry Cookies

I don't remember where my mom & I got this recipe... we started baking these about 8 years ago. And haven't stopped since! The name says it all - there is a 'buried cherry' in each cookie. The cookie itself is chewy and chocolatey, and inside there's a surprise cherry! It's all topped with a unique type of frosting; it is poured over the cookie before it's baked. It's like a cookie version of a chocolate-covered cherry! (Without all that nasty sweet white goo inside...) Here's a step-by-step break-down: Roll the dough into 1-inch balls. Make an indentation in each ball. Place a cherry in each indentation. Make the frosting. (And don't forget to lick the spoon. And scrape the sides of the pan.) Top with the frosting. Bake! And then wonder what to do with the leftover 1/2 can of sweetened condensed milk. (What kind of recipe only calls for 1/2 cup?) I guess I could be like my friend Jen , as she tol...

Hot Off the Press... [Chicken Bacon Bleu Panini]

So I totally forgot to post a panini recipe last Thursday... whoops. I'm sure you were all waiting with bated breath and were very disappointed. Well, never fear, because I've got a fabulous panini recipe tonight! Tangy bleu cheese and salty bacon come together to form a delectable sandwich. It comes from the panini cookbook I received for Christmas, 200 Best Panini Recipes (thanks Mom!) . The Chicken Bacon Bleu panini : grilled chicken, crisp bacon, and bleu cheese on sourdough with a spread of barbecue sauce and sliced red onion. I had never thought of putting bleu cheese on a panini before I saw this recipe. I feared there wouldn't be enough ooey gooey cheese! But bleu cheese actually melts pretty nicely. It's no Velveeta, but it added a great tang to the sandwich. First, spread the bottom piece of bread with a bit of barbecue sauce, and top with some grilled chicken. I actually used my panini press to grill my chicken for the first ti...

The Arrival of Something New...

Woo hoo for the last Friday of the school year! And only one more day of school next week. (And then a couple teacher workshops...) Another reason to be excited? Our fridge came today!! Isn't she a beauty? It is so nice to have a fridge again. You don't realize how much you miss a full-size refrigerator until you go a couple weeks without it. A bit bare... but that can be solved easily. Bottom-drawer freezer, containing the essentials: moose tracks & Diet Dew trying to get cold asap. Anyways, I'm just popping in to share my beautiful new appliance. The baking monster has taken over, and I'm in the midst of making 150 cupcakes for a graduation party tomorrow. First big baking project in the new kitchen! I'm loving all the counter space. Mmm... chocolate buttercream! Making good use of the baking nook! :) Adios!

Livin' the Dream in Lima

Search This Blog