Picture this...

Sicily...1925...no, no, just kidding - although did that remind you of Sophia from the Golden Girls? Picture this meal because I forgot to take a picture last night! I know...booo!!...but what can ya do when a panini looks so good that you can't wait to dig in to it? Ah well...the next time I make it, I promise to update the blog with a picture.

Kyle and I made the trip down to Long Island for Father's Day on Sunday (an adventure for another time) and made, what has become, my "must-take" trip to the Italian deli in the town where I grew up. For some reason, I haven't yet found a decent Italian deli nearby where I work or live in Connecticut so I take advantage when I visit my parents. We indulged in 2 1/2lbs of fresh mozzarella (that we'll use over 3 days), 1/4lb of prosciutto di Parma that cost $6.75 (yes, that's right $27 per pound!!), and 4 "He-Man"-size sausage links (spicy for Kyle and sweet for me) that we'll make into patties for burgers. All told, we walked out $35 lighter but looking foward to some "unfawgetable" meals. I finally found some Heirloom tomatoes at the grocery store last week so the fresh mozz will have a nice friend now.

So on the way home from work last night, I stopped in a little bakery/cafe/bookstore to pick up a loaf of our favorite ciabatta bread - roasted garlic ciabatta. Between the slices, I added 2 slices of fresh mozz (on the top and bottom of the panini components), sliced Heirloom tomatoes, 2 slices of prosciutto, a few leaves of fresh basil, sprinkled on some olive oil and balsamic vinegar (maybe 1/2 teaspoon of each) and carefully put them on my beloved panini maker for about 5-6 minutes.

And what came off the panini maker? Toasted goodness!!! Everything was well-warmed through (the cheese wasn't melted which worked out perfectly so there wasn't a big melted mozzarella mess) and the flavors of the basil and prosciutto exploded in my mouth. I didn't want the experience to end!! Sadly, because I'm trying to cut down on my calories, I didn't opt for a second...but Kyle did, this one with turkey pepperoni because we ate the last of the prosciutto.

And the moral of this story? I need to find a good Italian deli nearby so that we can have this sandwich more often - store-bought fresh mozzarella DOES NOT compare to real, Italian fresh mozz - no questions asked.

A New Favorite

Have I said before that I am in love with my panini maker? Probably not, but it's difficult to describe the feelings I have for a kitchen appliance without making my Kitchenaid mixer feel bad about itself.

I bought the long-sought-after panini maker a few months ago and only recently came up with the perfect specimen for a new sandwich (and it's my own recipe!!). Since Kyle has realized that cilantro is one of the most incredible herbs out there, he has begged me to make this sandwich...err...panini on a weekly basis. No problems with that here!!!
Cilantro-Garlic-Lime Chicken Panini

Step 1

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2" thick
• 2 limes
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 1 Tbsp olive oil

Squeeze the juice of the limes into a large Ziploc bag and add cilantro, garlic, honey, and olive oil. Close the bag and squeeze contents to incorporate. Add the chicken and refridgerate for 8 hours.

Step 2

• 6 oz Monterey jack cheese, sliced and divided in half
• 1/2 roasted red pepper, cut into 1/2" strips
• 1/2 loaf ciabatta bread (or other artisan or thick-sliced sourdough bread)
• mayonnaise
• chipotle chili powder
• olive oil

Pre-heat grill and panini maker. Slice the bread into two equal pieces then slice open through the soft part of the bread. Drizzle some olive oil on to each piece of bread, place oil-side down on the panini maker, and close the lid. Grill chicken while bread is warming.

When chicken is cooked and bread is slightly browned (but not toasted), spread some mayo (to preference) on all slices of bread (the soft side only) and sprinkle with a minimal amount of chipotle chili powder (a little goes a long way!). Place a couple pieces of cheese on the bottom slices of bread, add a few strips of roasted red peppers, then top with chicken. Add more peppers, cheese, then top with the other sides of the bread.

Carefully put sandwiches back on panini maker and close the lid, pressing down slightly. Try to evenly distribute the weight of the lid over the sandwiches so that they aren't squishing out on one side. Remove sandwiches when cheese is starting to melt down the sides of the sandwich (takes about 3-5 minutes).

Prep time: Step 1 - 10 minutes; Step 2 - 10 minutes

Inactive prep time: 8 hours

Cook time: 12 minutes

Serves: 2