Warm Up With a Spinach, Goat Cheese, and Sun-Dried Tomato Panini
I don’t know about you, but it’s snowing outside my window, and the temperature is sliding down the thermometer at a rapid pace--which makes me want a grilled cheese at the least, and a gooey veggie-and-cheese panini if at all possible. The plus of the panini is that you can use one of the many handy panini makers out there (my favorite is the DeLonghi Retro Panini Grill, which I use constantly, no matter what season) and not even dirty up a pan. And, thanks to Tiffany Collins' new book, 200 Best Panini Recipes (Robert Rose), you can make many panini’s in a row without ever having the same one. The following recipe is taken from that book, and will take the edge off any chilly day (especially when paired with some tomato soup).
Serves 2
Ingredients:
1/4 cup goat cheese, softened
1/4 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
4 slices sourdough bread (1/2-inch thick slices)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 cup baby spinach leaves
1/4 cup slice drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
1/4 cup shaved Parmesan cheese
Pinch freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
1. Preheat panini grill to high.
2. In a bowl, combine goat cheese, ricotta and Italian seasoning.
3. Brush one side of each slice of bread with oil. Place two slices on a work surface, oiled side down, and evenly layer with goat cheese mixture, spinach, tomatoes and Parmesan. Sprinkle with pepper. Cover with top halves, oiled side up, and press gently to pack.
4. Place sandwiches in grill, close the top plate and cook until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Serve immediately.
Tips from Tiffany: Store spinach in a plastic bag and refrigerate for no more than 3 days. Spinach has a tendency to be gritty, so make sure to rinse it thoroughly before using. Thoroughly drain the sun-dried tomatoes to ensure that the bread doesn’t get soggy.
--A.J. Rathbun
Hélène on December 18, 2008 at 05:24 PM
I love paninis, this one looks so good.
Jules on December 19, 2008 at 10:54 PM
Yummy! What a delicious idea and I'm especially diggin' your suggested pairing with tomato soup.