Panini Open Faced Insalate
Many of you have commented on new ideas for Grilled Cheese. That was and still is my favorite sandwich. There is nothing like a great grilled cheese. Nancy Silverton, now of Mozza, used to have a Grilled Cheese night at Campanile. The place would be packed with diners waiting to try the weekly specials. She would be behind the bar, whipping out her takes on grilled cheese.
Kathy, over at Panini Happy, recently had a Grilled Cheese Pageant. There are many ideas for updating the classic grilled cheese.
A twist on the grilled cheese is the Panini Open Faced Insalate. I first had this at a great little italian cafe near where I lived, the Panini Cafe. It is a small cafe that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. The food is simple but amazing. Since the beginning the cafe has featured gorgonzola cheese topped with roasted red peppers on a bed of organic mixed greens.
This weekend I was craving it and created a new version with goat cheese. It combines the comfort food of a sandwich with a light salad topped with balsamic vinaigrette.
Panini Open Faced Insalate
Serves 2
2 slices of hearty bread, I used Rosemary Olive Bread
Olive Oil
2-3 ounces goat cheese
1 red pepper, seeded and sliced
1 orange pepper, seeded and sliced
1 large shallot, thinly sliced
1 cloves of garlic, minced
Balsamic vinegar
Kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper
2-3 cups mixed greens
Take the slices, brush with olive oil and grill on a grill pan until lightly toasted on each side.
In a medium pan, heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil. Place peppers in there and sauteed until soft. Add the garlic and shallots and cook 5 minutes more watching that the onions don’t burn.
Add a large splash of balsamic vinegar and season with salt and pepper.
Spread each slice with goat cheese and top with the pepper mixture. Serve on a bed of mixed greens tossed with balsamic vinaigrette.
