Grilled Zucchini, Goat Cheese & Pesto Panini

The zucchinis are big & bountiful at the roadside farm stands and at the nearby farm. Having picked up a few, I searched a few of my favourite website for recipe inspiration. I’m not one to follow most recipes to the nine, but this one looked perfect to me so I gave it a go. And it certainly delivered! Homemade avocado & basil pesto, grilled zucchinis & tomatoes, and crumbled goat cheese. It’s worth the little extra effort to make this lunchtime sandwich!

Check it out for yourself: “Grilled Zucchini, Goat Cheese & Pesto Panini”

A few local notes:

• I picked up fresh baked Tomato Thyme Focaccia bread from the Rocket Bakery & Fresh Food
• I used tomatoes and zucchini from L A Farms Market, Gambo
• I used Garlic & Chive Goat Cheese from Hug Your Nanny, a cheese made in Nova Scotia and sold at Lester’s Farm Market
• I opted to use an immersion blender to mix the pesto, and it worked great!
• I don’t have a panini press (YET!) so I grilled my sandwich for 3-5 minutes per side in a cast iron fry pan

 

Grilled Goat Cheese & Beet Sandwich

Inspired by a menu I seen at a local farm, here’s a great way to use bottled beets in a quick lunch recipe! If you don’t own a panini press, like me, grill it on a cast iron fry pan.

Serves: 1          Prep Time: 5 minutes          Ready In: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 slices of bread of choice, I used multi-grain from Tilt House Bakery
• 2 tbsp goat cheese
• bottled beets (recipe to follow)
• 1 stem of a green onion
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Instructions:

1. Spread goat cheese on both slices of bread
2. Add thin slices of beets to cover surface of one slice of bread
3. Chop the green onion, and sprinkle over the beets
4. Add second slice of bread
5. Place sandwich on panini press and cook for about 5 minutes, OR, heat olive oil in a cast iron fry pan
6. Grill sandwich for 3-5 minutes on each side

Roasted Veggie Sandwich

If you don’t own a panini press, no problem! This is a great way to recreate the restaurant style favourite!

 

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2 slices each of yellow, red & orange peppers
• 1 handful of spinach
• 2 slices of focaccia bread
• 2 tbsp roasted red pepper hummus

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Meanwhile, chop peppers
3. Place focaccia bread on the bottom rack of oven and toast bread for 3-5 minutes on each side
4. Heat oil in a cast iron pan
5. Sautee peppers, until soft and add spinach, mixing until soften
6. Remove bread from oven and spread hummus on each slice
7. Add sauteed veggies and voilà you have created a panini style sandwich without the press

Leftover Turkey-Apple Sandwich

Mmmmm turkey dinner! But there’s nothing I love more than the day after when you get to toss the leftovers together for a delicious lunch. I just picked up some fresh focaccia bread from one of my favourite local bakeries in town, The Rocket Bakery & Fresh Food (http://rocketfood.ca/) and put this satisfying sandwich together for a light supper.

Serves: 1          Prep Time: 10 minutes          Ready In: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• bread of your choice (focaccia or ciabatta might work best)
• goat cheese
• left over turkey
• left over dressing
• left over cranberry sauce
• 4 slices of apple

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 and place bread on bottom rack
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a cast iron fry pan
3. Add enough turkey for your sandwich, a couple tbsp of dressing and cranberry sauce*
4. Saute until re-heated, then add apple slices and cook on both sides for approximately 1 minute each
5. Remove bread, turn over, add goat cheese and place back in the oven for another 3-5 minutes
6. Assemble sandwich and enjoy

*if you want to add some greens, throw a handful of spinach in the fry pan while re-heating turkey