Panini for Dinner

Sorry that I’ve been missing-in-action for the past month. There has been a lot on my plate, including a trip to Canada to stay with my parents. A little advice for anyone about to travel by air: do not use Northwest Airlines. They are the worst.

Anyway, between the lost luggage and multiple delays I did manage to have a really good visit with my family. My sister just became a homeowner and she is a busy teacher. She asked me to prepare for her a menu that she can use this week for her meals. I was more than happy to oblige.

My sister is an amazing person. She is super kind, loving and so open. My daughter loves her so much and I can understand why. Anyway enough gushing. I’m going to list the whole menu for the week here, and everyday I’ll have the recipe online. Have a good week!

Here’s the menu:

Monday: soppressata, fontina and arugula panini
Tuesday: pizza with caramelized onions and goat cheese
Wednesday: roasted prosciutto and boccini salad
Thursday: toasted pine nut and sweet potato salad
Friday: baked herbed eggs
Saturday: steak sandwiches with garlic aioli

My sister is a huge fan of panini. I remember a few years ago my dad spent a lot of time researching and going to many stores before deciding on the perfect panini press for her. If you don’t have a panini press you can use another heavy frying pan or a saucepan to weigh down the sandwich while it cooks. Just put a couple of cans in the pan on top to add weight. You can even use a brick wrapped in tin foil.

This recipe comes from one of my favorite restaurants in New York. It is called ‘Ino and is a little wine bar in the west village. To be honest, I usually just order from their bruschetta menu, but if you are ever there a panini is worth a look too. The amounts I give here are tenuous, you may like a lot of meat or a lot of cheese in your sandwich. Use an amount you feel comfortable with, but keep in mind you want a compact flattened sandwich.

Soppressata, Fontina and Arugula Panini:

Serves 1

1 Ciabatta roll (or any type of bread you like)
Slices of soppressata
Arugula
Thin slices of fontina cheese (if you can’t find fontina use a Swiss or sharp cheddar)
Olive oil and fresh ground pepper

Preheat your panini grill or your frying pan.

Slice off the top of the ciabatta and then slice in half so that you have two slices of bread.

Drizzle the bread with olive oil and then lay down some soppressata, followed by the arugula and then finally the cheese. Sprinkle with pepper and add the top of the roll. Sprinkle the top of the sandwich with olive oil and place olive oil side down on the press or in your pan. Sprinkle the dry side with more olive oil and close the press for about 4 minutes or until the sandwich is nice and golden. If you are using a frying pan you will need to flip the sandwich to get it to brown evenly. Enjoy!