Spinach & Cheese Panini

Ok, so technically this is a regular sandwich, but by virtue of its instrument of cooking, it earned the name of a Panini (an Italian sandwich made with bread roll).

Sandwiches are a part of our weekly menu and a Panini maker has made things simpler and tastier. Now, before everybody starts thinking this post is an ad for my Panini maker, I better get down to business.

Everything from the use of whole wheat bread to spinach to low fat cheese makes this recipe healthy with an added potential of making it even healthier The sandwich with a future – that’s what I would like to call it.

Ingredients

Whole Wheat bread slices – as needed

Diced onion – ¼ cup

Chopped spinach – 2 cups

Low fat Mexican cheese – 1 cup

Red chili flakes – as tolerated

Butter – as preferred

Salt

Pepper

Heat a little amount of butter in a skillet and cook the diced onion for a couple of minutes. Add in spinach, cheese and spices. Stir well and cook for a couple of minutes till the cheese melts. Let the spinach cheese mixture cool for some time. Butter the bread slices. Spread the spinach cheese mixture generously on one slice and close it with the other. Grill it in the Panini press for the desired crunchiness.

Serving suggestions

·         With Ketchup, chutney, chips.

Tips

·    You can add any cheese of your choice, cheddar and mozzarella cheese also go well with spinach.

·         You can add tomatoes too if preferred.

·         You can use the full fat cheese if cooking for kids.

·         You can use multi grain bread to make the sandwich healthier.

·         You can limit the amount of butter or skip it altogether.

  Interesting fact

·   Cheese gives out a better flavor and texture when allowed to warm up to room temperature before eating.

·         Traditionally, a “Ciabata” or “Rosetta” bread loaf is used to make Panini(s) in Italy. 

This Panini is going to

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Grilled Sandwich with Avocado etc.,

Two things must be clarified at the very beginning. First, this could very well have been a grilled sandwich with guacamole in it, but the chef was unable to mash the avocado and second, I can really not take credit for this recipe.

My husband puts together the best guacamole in this world, with the correct ingredients that is. Guacamole requires that a fine ripe avocado be used in its preparation. Since the avocado at hand was not ripe enough to be mashed, he had no choice but to dice it with the rest of the ingredients.

Unusual circumstances call for unusual actions. I chucked the normal practice of using used it as a dip with the chips or in my burrito bowl and decided to use this “nearly there” guacamole to make a sandwich.

Ingredients

Diced avocado – 2 medium

Diced red onion – 1 small

Diced jalapeño - 1 medium

Diced tomato – 1 medium

Cumin powder – 1/2 tsp

Red chili powder – 1/2 tsp

Lemon juice – 4 tsp

Salt and pepper

Wheat bread – 4 slices

Butter – as desired

Grated pepper jack cheese – 4 tsp

Mix the first 8 ingredients. Store in an airtight box and refrigerate for 1 hour. Heat a skillet and lightly toast the wheat bread using butter. Spread a scoopful of the avocado mixture over one slice. Sprinkle half of the grated cheese on top. Close it with another slice of lightly toasted bread. Toast the sandwich for a couple of minutes more, flipping sides. Take it off the skillet, cut into half and serve with ketchup.

Hubby was a little disappointed with the avocados, I am not complaining though, it made a great sandwich.

Serving suggestions

·         With ketchup/salad/chips on the side.

Tips

·         You can use any kind of cheese; pepper jack goes best because of it being closer in taste with the spice in the guacamole.

  Interesting fact

·         Avocado has a higher fat content than most fruits.


This sandwich is going to :

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Bell pepper and cheese make a yummy sandwich

People don’t kill me for posting yet another recipe with cheese in it, OK, make it loads of cheese!

So this sandwich is a quick fix, goes well with any kind of soup, salad or ketchup and is a good way to use the otherwise fastidious bell pepper.

Ingredients

Wheat bread – 4 slices

Butter – as preferred

Diced green bell pepper – half a cup

Grated cheddar cheese – half a cup

Potato boiled and mashed – one

Oregano – 1 tsp (optional)

Salt and pepper

Bring together the diced bell pepper, mashed potato, half of the grated cheese, oregano, salt and pepper in a bowl and mix well. Toast 2 slices of bread with butter on a griddle.

Apply two spoonfuls of the bell pepper and cheese mixture evenly on one of the slices. Sprinkle some cheese on top. Close it with the other slice of bread and toast some more on both sides. Cut in half and serve.

I really wish I could make this recipe look more interesting by writing some more  but the delicious truth of the matter is, this is how it is. It’s a quick, it’s simple and it’s tasty. Those looking for a matchless culinary execution are going to be disappointed; those looking for a tasty bite are not. Till then, food and more food….