Recipe: Antipasto Panini

Gooey cheese with Italian meats, olives and roasted red peppers… tastes mingled with the light garlic flavor grilled into the bread…. yummmm! Antipasto between two grilled pieces of bread… delicious!

This time of year everyone is short on time… I know we are… sometimes I think I want a 40 hour day… but then I would just fill that one up too.

I’ve been working a job with a two hour each way commute… so that’s why you haven’t seen many posts from me… what with the job and the commute… it’s all I can do to have supper on the table and clean-up before it’s time for bed … to start it all over again the next day.

So the supper dilemma … what to make… I’ve turned to my Panini maker… it makes great hot sandwiches… pair it with some oven fries, or soup or even a salad… and viola! Supper!

It’s great for quick weekend lunches too…. I like to make a platter of grilled sandwiches… great food for while watching the games..

Tonight I decided to make Italian Antipasto Paninis… so easy… and so good! All the things you find in an anti pasto salad… salami, pepperoni, black olives, roasted red peppers, garlic olive oil… you can even add some greens if you like.

TIP

I used block mozzarella cheese… that’s what I happen to have had in the fridge… but provolone would be awesome on this.

I hope you try these!







Recipe: Antipasto Panini

All you need:

Italian bread loaf
Olive oil
Garlic powder
Sliced Genoa salami
Sliced pepperoni
Mozzarella cheese or Provolone
Sliced black olives
Roasted red peppers

All you need to do:

Pour about ¼ cup olive oil into a small custard cup.

Add about ½ teaspoon of garlic powder and stir well.

Slice the bread into ¼ inch slices.

Brush both sides of the bread with the garlic oil. Let it set for about 5 minutes so the oil will soak into the bread.

Layer the cheese, salami, pepperoni, olives and red pepper onto the bread… with the cheese on the bread side.

Place the the sandwich in the Panini maker or on a hot grill until chesse has melted and the bread is lightly browned.

Serve hot.

Recipe: Mini Cream Cheese Flans

This recipe for Mini Cream Cheese Flans is so quick and easy to prepare that you’ll want to make this often. This sweet little dessert is a cross between a flan and a cheesecake. We tasted it warm, before refrigerating it as the recipe instructs, and found the taste to be more “flan like”. After refrigerating it, it definitely reminds me of a cheesecake. Either way you can’t go wrong.. it’s simply delicious.

They unmold perfectly and make a terrific presentation… a perfect finish to a special dinner or for guests.

The recipe comes from the people at Nestle, it was in a soft cover book of theirs titled, Make it Simple Entertaining.

I made no changes other than they make the caramel from scratch. I didn’t bother to do that… making it from scratch can be tricky and I wanted to cut the prep time down too… so I used a jar of Smucker’s Caramel Ice Cream Sauce. You need about a coffee teaspoon of caramel in the bottom of each custard cup.

TIPS

The original baking instructions say to bake them for 35-45 minutes, mine took 50 minutes and my oven is accurate… so I changed the time range… insert a knife in the middle and when it comes out clean .. they’re done.

I had only one baking pan deep enough to stand these in … so I baked them in batches… I just put the blender in the fridge while the first batch was baking… when it was time to prepare the second batch, I just gave it a quick whirl again and poured it into the remaining custard cups.

Definitely try these… they are oh so yummy!







Recipe: Mini Cream Cheese Flans

All you need:

Caramel Ice Cream Sauce
1 (12 oz.) can of Carnation Evaporated Milk
1 (14 oz.) can Carnation Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 (8 oz.) package Philadelphia Brand Cream Cheese, softened and cut-up
4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter, softened and cut-up
5 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

All you need to do:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat some water in a tea kettle to very hot not boiling.


Place 12 (6 ounce) custard cups in two 13 x 9 baking pans.

Place about a coffee teaspoon of caramel sauce in the bottom of each custard cup.
(remember a coffee teaspoon is much larger than a measuring teaspoon).





Place remaining ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.







Pour the mixture into the custard cups.





Place the baking pans in the oven and carefully pour the hot water around the custard cups.. about an inch deep.

Bake for 35-50 minutes or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Remove the pans from the oven and place them on racks. Allow the flans to cool in the pan for 20 minutes.



Remove the flans from the pans and refrigerate for several hours or over night.







To serve, run a sharp knife around the rim and invert over a plate. Shake gently to loosen.

Recipe: The Cuban Sandwich

My first Cuban sandwich was from my favorite bagel place in upstate New York… Bruegger’s Bagels… which, by the way… if you’re in the area of one of the many Bruegger’s Bagels… they’re giving away free coffee on November 10th 2010… and are asking you to consider giving a donation to the Children’s Miracle Network… supporting Children's hospitals in your area...a great cup of coffee and a great cause…

Okay… back to the Cuban sandwich… Bruegger’s has monthly special sandwiches and one month it was the Cuban…. one bite and I was hooked… simply delicious!

The origins of the Cuban sandwich are not really known… many think it originated in Cuba or quite possibly somewhere in south Florida where there is a significant Cuban population.


The traditional Cuban has thinly sliced roast pork and baked ham, Swiss cheese, thinly sliced dill pickles and mustard between two sliced of Cuban bread… the outer sides of the bread slathered in butter and grilled to perfection… the tastes mingle so well… now you can make it with other types of bread (it was fabulous on a bagel)… but it is best on Cuban bread.

The sandwich does not have to be grilled... but I highly recommend it... the buttery outside and the melted Swiss cheese really make it outstanding.

Of course I just had to get a Panini maker …. It’s been on my list of things I want ever since I started making Paninis … they are infinitely easier to make with a Panini maker than trying to just grill and flip the sandwiches….and what better sandwich to break in the new Panini maker but the beloved Cuban.


A word about Cuban bread… I had never had it before coming to south Georgia… and now I’m hopelessly addicted to this bread. I will have to get a recipe for it and make it in the not too distant future… our local supermarket, Publix, has it in their bakery and I swear Warren and I could sit and eat it for supper alone… crusty thin layer on the outside, soft on the inside… it’s just so good! BUT… buyers beware... it does go stale quickly… so buy it and enjoy it!

TIP



Slice the bread on an angle to get more surface area.









Serve these fantastic sandwiches with some steak fries and you have yourself a great little supper!






I hope you try this wonderful sandwich!







Recipe: The Cuban Sandwich

All you need:

Thinly sliced roast pork
Thinly sliced baked ham
Sliced Swiss cheese
Golden mustard
Thinly sliced dill pickles
Butter
Slices of Cuban bread

All you need to do:

Butter one side of the bread slices.

Turn them over and put mustard on the other side.

Lay a slice of Swiss cheese on one slice of bread.

Then lay pickle slices, then roast pork and ham on it.

Lay another slice of Swiss cheese on top.

Put the other slice on top (mustard side down).

Grill until the cheese is melted and the bread is a golden brown.

Recipe: Breakfast Quesadillas

One day as we were sitting at the supper table … we were munching on some quesadillas when Warren remarked how these would be good with breakfast ingredients… hmmm…. now why hadn’t I thought of that before?!… I was impressed… so the wheels were turning… perfect for a breakfast on the go!

Now before I go any further I must tell you.. I have made quesadillas for years… with all kinds of ingredients… it has been a lunch and supper favorite… I serve them with Mexican Rice or refried beans.. and we are happy campers. Now here’s the shocker… I didn’t own a quesadilla maker… I have carefully flipped them all these years.. a complete pain in the butt… not to mention how I managed not to burn myself is a mystery.

So off to our local kitchen outlet store I trotted.. and bought myself a quesadilla maker. They had only one choice and it was cheap… $19.99.. glad I didn’t pay more for it.. it’s okay.. not great.. but seems to work okay… more on that in another post..

So this past weekend.. I made my breakfast quesadillas… and they were fabulous… if you love quesadillas… you’ll love these..

TIPS



I list ingredient suggestions… make them with as many or as little ingredients as you like… I tried various combinations… we decided our favorite was the one that piled on all the “Mexican’ type of ingredients including a bit of salsa…

Leftovers… which has been a recurring theme here lately… were great too… Warren loved them cold… I reheated mine for a minute or so in the micro.

You could easily cut the fat in these… use turkey or “veggie” sausage… you could also scramble egg substitute .. with all the flavors of the other ingredients.. no one will ever know you made them with Egg Beaters…

Some people like lower fat cheeses… all the power to them.. I usually personally prefer the real thing… but they have improved and some are really quite good… Sargento makes some excellent lower fat cheeses.

I peeled and cubed potatoes and browned them in a little margarine… these were a great little addition.

As far as a quick breakfast on the go during the week.. simply “make-up” the ingredients when you have time and store them in airtight containers… then all you have to do is assemble them and cook them.. they cook in minutes…

Try these… I know they will be a hit with the family!







Recipe: Breakfast Quesadillas

All you need (ingredient suggestions):

Browned hash brown potatoes or home fries
Scrambled eggs
Chopped green, red and yellow pepper
Chopped green onions
Chopped plum tomatoes
Browned, drained and crumbled sausage
Bacon, cooked and chopped
Thinly sliced deli ham or cubed ham
Shredded cheese (Colby Jack or cheddar)
Salsa

All you need to do:



Layer whatever ingredients on your tortilla and place another tortilla on top… and cook.





Cut into pie slices and serve hot.

Turkey Guide

Just click on the links below to go directly to the post. To return to the main page hit the back button twice or just click on Home

Let's Talk Turkey
Fresh or Frozen Turkey - Your Decision
How Much Turkey to Buy?
Turkey Guide - Part 2
Cooking Methods for Turkey
Thawing a Frozen Turkey
Turkey Guide Part 3
Safe Handling and Roasting of the Turkey Tips
Stuffing Tips
Food Safety Support
Turkey Guide Part 4
Safe Carving and Serving of Turkey
Storing Leftovers Safely
Time Limits on Leftovers
Fun Stuff - Turkey Trivia

Additional posts you may find helpful:

Using Thermometers
Instant Mini Grilling Thermometers

It’s Turkey Time Again!

Yes… it’s that time of year again… how fast the year went! I will repost all my Turkey guides for you … from deciding how much turkey to buy to helping you decide which cooking method works best for your family… plus fabulous recipes… everything you need to make a wonderful stress-free holiday.

I’ll keep the links on the side of the blog for easy reference… I hope you find it helpful!