Archive for August, 2009

Grilled Eggplant Panini

Posted in American Food on August 5, 2009 by Jeannie

Totally unrelated but wanted to give some official props to the bf.  Picked me up at my office for our walk home after work with flowers.  my cheeks hurt from grinning so much.

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Grilled Eggplant Panini:

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Ingredients:

2 eggplants sliced into 1/2 inch thick  slices (I used Japanese eggplant. I like it better)

1 handful of arugula

1/2 handful of fresh oregano

1/2 handful of fresh basil

fontina cheese, in slices

1/4 cup of grated pecorino or parmesan

s&p

2 tomatoes, cut in 1/4 inch thick slices

focaccia bread (or any bread you like)

1) Brush olive oil on both sides of the eggplant and tomatoe and season with s&p.

2) Brush olive oil on both sides of the panini grill (I used the handy dandy George Forman grill and set the front on some cardboard so it wouldn’t drip)

3) Grill the eggplant for about 5 minutes. Grill the tomatoes for about 30 seconds to a minute.

4) On the focaccia, layer on the fontina, grilled eggplant, arugula, basil, oregano, parmesan/pecorino, tomatoe.

5) On the other slice of focaccia layer on more fontina.

6) Brush olive oil on the Foreman and place the sandwich on the grill and close.  It takes about 4 minutes for all the cheese to melt mmmmmmm.