Grilled Vegetable Panini With Herbed Feta Spread Recipes

GRILLED VEGETABLE PANINI

Steps:

• Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Drizzle the oil over the eggplant, zucchini, and onion slices, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Working in batches, grill the eggplant, zucchini, and onions until they are tender and grill marks appear, about 4 minutes per side. Cool completely.
• Cut each baguette into 6 pieces. Working with one baguette piece at a time, slice in half and spread both sides with the pesto. Working with the bottom slice of the baguette, stack 2 slices of eggplant, 2 slices zucchini, 1 slice onion, 1 slice tomato, 1 slice mozzarella, and 1 slice of roasted pepper. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place top half of baguette on top and continue with remaining baguette. (The sandwiches can be made 4 hours ahead. Wrap well with plastic wrap and refrigerate.)
• 2 cups fresh basil leaves
• 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup (about) extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
• In a blender, pulse the basil, pine nuts, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper until finely chopped. With the blender still running, gradually add enough oil to form a smooth and thick consistency. Transfer the pesto to a medium bowl and stir in 1/2 cup of cheese. Season the pesto with more salt and pepper, to taste. (The pesto can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
• Yield: 1 cup
• Prep Time: 10 minutes

GRILLED VEGETABLE PANINI WITH BASIL PESTO

Steps:

• For Panini:.
• Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Drizzle the oil over the eggplant, zucchini, and onion slices, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Working in batches, grill the eggplant, zucchini, and onions until they are tender and grill marks appear, about 4 minutes per side.
• Cool completely.
• Cut each baguette into 6 pieces.
• Working with one baguette piece at a time, slice in half and spread both sides with the pesto.
• Working with the bottom slice of the baguette, stack 2 slices of eggplant, 2 slices zucchini, 1 slice onion, 1 slice tomato, 1 slice mozzarella, and 1 slice of roasted pepper.
• Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Place top half of baguette on top and continue with remaining baguette.
• (The sandwiches can be made 4 hours ahead. Wrap well with plastic wrap and refrigerate.).
• For Basil Pesto:.
• In a blender, pulse the basil, pine nuts, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper until finely chopped.
• With the blender still running, gradually add enough oil to form a smooth and thick consistency.
• Transfer the pesto to a medium bowl and stir in 1/2 cup of cheese.
• Season the pesto with more salt and pepper, to taste.
• (The pesto can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
• Yields 1 cup and takes about 10 minutes to prepare.

GRILLED VEGETABLE PANINI WITH HERBED FETA SPREAD

Steps:

• Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. In a large bowl, combine the mushroom, bell peppers, yellow squash and zucchini. Drizzle with the oil, season with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Place the vegetables on the hot pan and grill until tender and lightly browned; use tongs to flip them once or twice during cooking. Transfer the vegetables to a plate.
• Reduce the heat to medium. Spread one side of half the ciabatta pieces with Herbed Feta Spread and top each with one-fourth of the grilled vegetables and 1 lettuce leaf. Cover with the remaining pieces of ciabatta and brush the outsides of the sandwiches with oil.
• Place on the pan and grill, turning once, until the bread is browned and crisp and the cheese and vegetables are heated through, 8 to 10 minutes. If desired, place a cast-iron skillet on top of the sandwiches to press them while grilling. Serve warm.
• In a small bowl, combine the feta, cream cheese, sour cream, basil, chives and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper and mix until blended. Cover and refrigerate until using.