The Daily Grind, Chop and Fry

There is a story in my husband’s family of the year he gave his mother a deep fryer. For Mother’s Day. (He was young, but apparently not young enough to be forgiven.) This is a stellar illustration of why you don’t give your mother or wife a kitchen appliance as a gift, unless she asks for it.

I think he redeemed himself this year (in my eyes), by giving me a Breville Panini Press. I have wanted one of these things for a few years – the cheap ones are not worth having, and the decent ones are too expensive to up and buy for yourself, at least for me.

Our first day of having it in the house being Mother’s Day, we just had plain ole’ Grilled Cheese, since he was making them for me. I don’t know how many got made that day, with the teenager going to town on the thing, but it was a happy day. Grilled cheese sandwiches always hit the spot, but done on this grill they can be done without the butter in the skillet, and they are much quicker and crunchier than our old classic favorite.

(The Grilled Cheese craze continued today – the guys made 6. I think they want to fry eggs on it tomorrow.)

Once it was my turn, things got a little fancier. We only had a few meals at home as a family this week, but I made me some Panini, and I did not manage to get one photo! As it happened, the nights I made these we were all hungry, and the combination of hunger and toasty bread and gooey melty cheese made delayed gratification impossible for a weakling such as myself. So I’m using a stock photo for now.

I made a few different sandwiches – our two favorites are below. The grilled mushroom and mozzarella focaccia ended up tasting a lot like a Philly cheesesteak, without the steak and all of the grease. It wasn’t a really quick thing to make, since I needed to prep all of the veggies first, but it was still pretty fast. The brie and apple sandwich was really fast – nothin’ to it – and two out of three preferred it. My son said it was like fondue without all of the dipping.

Philly Portobello Mushroom Panini
Serves 3 – 4
2 portobello mushroom caps, grilled
1 red pepper, roasted
1/2 large sweet onion, sliced and grilled
6 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
8 fresh basil leaves
1 slab (approx. 8×10″) focaccia or other favorite Italian bread

Slice bread lengthwise into two pieces, making a top and bottom. Leaving bread in one large loaf, place mushroom caps on bread – cut to fit them, if necessary. Layer on strips of roasted peppers, grilled onion rings, slices of cheese, and, finally, basil leaves. Don’t let a lot of excess cheese get to the edge of the bread – it is going to ooze out of the sides of the bread as it melts.

Following the instructions of your panini press, place sandwich in heated press and grill until cheese is completely melted and bread is toasted on both sides. Slice sandwich into individual servings and serve immediately.

Brie, Apple and Watercress Panini
6 oz. Brie cheese, sliced
1 medium – large tart apple, cored and thinly sliced
Dijon mustard
Small bunch watercress leaves
Approx. 8″ loaf French bread (batard, or softer crust and thicker loaf than baguette, is preferred)

Slice bread lengthwise into two pieces, making a top and bottom. Leaving bread in one large loaf, spread desired amount of mustard on bottom ot the bread. Place slices of cheese, then apples, and pile on the watercress leaves. Don’t let a lot of excess cheese get to the edge of the bread – it is going to ooze out of the sides of the bread as it melts. (A little bit of browned cheese sticking out of the edge of your sandwich tastes pretty good!)

Following the instructions of your panini press, place sandwich in heated press and grill until cheese is completely melted and bread is toasted on both sides. Slice sandwich into individual servings and serve immediately.

I need a serious break from cheese now, but if you don’t have one of these gizmos, maybe you should put it on your wish list. Easy, family-pleasing meals ahead.