The best panini recipes in the Universe

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:
1/4 fig jam
1 (8oz) ciabatta, cut lengthwise
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
2 tablespoons butter, softened
8 ounces sliced cooked chicken breast
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups arugula leaves
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Preparation:
Spread jam over cut side of top half of bread. Combine cheese and butter in a bowl, stirring until smooth. Spread cheese mixture over cut side of bottom half of bread. Arrange chicken evenly over cheese mixture; sprinkle with pepper. Place top half of bread, jam side down, over chicken.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, and add sandwich to pan. Place a heavy cast-iron skillet on sandwich; cook 5 minutes or until both sides are browned, turning once.

Place arugula in a bowl. Drizzle juice over arugula; toss gently. Remove top bread half from sandwich. Arrange arugula mixture over chicken. Replace top bread half. Cut sandwich into 4 equal portions.

[Recipe courtesy of CookingLight.com.]

Why run out to a restaurant for a panini when the best panini recipes could be made at home? For the cost of one panini at a restaurant, you can have an entire book of mouth-watering recipes at your fingertips.

The other great things about making your paninis at home include:

• Using only the freshest ingredients that YOU choose


• Getting your kids involved and letting them make their own sandwiches


• Huge cost savings


• No hassle - paninis are easy to make!

So get to cookin' - and more importantly - eatin'!

I am the type of person where I'll just throw stuff together and think it tastes fabulous. LOL. So, panini sandwiches are great for me because I love just sticking some stuff in bread and smooshing it up in my Foreman grill.

Yesterday, I tried this:

I used ciabatta bread and spread fig jam on each side. Then I added ham, Swiss cheese and a couple of basil leaves. (I'm convinced basil goes with everything! LOL.)

I thought it was so good!

You really can add anything that you want and make a beautiful, filling, crusty, toasty, delicious sandwich. And what's great is that it's so easy to use your leftovers. No more wasted food!

Now, if you'd like some REAL recipes, then I highly recommend you check out EasyPaninis.com. The recipes in this book are a little more thought out than my own. :)

This is what I did last night.

First, I took some thinly sliced chicken, added salt & pepper to all of them, then breaded them with Italian bread crumbs. Then I pan fried the chicken in a bit of canola oil.

Once the chicken was done, I...

- Brushed the outside of some mini cibatta rolls with olive oil
- Put marinara sauce on the inside of each roll
- Added the chicken
- Threw on some low-fat mozarella
- Added some freshly grated parm
- And a few fresh basil leaves

Then I smooshed them in my grill, and voila...chicken pizza panini.

It was so easy and so good too!! Try it out. :)

While a panini press makes the panini-making process easier and faster, there are alternative ways to press your panini.

Here's what you can do.

1. Assemble your sandwiches


2. Heat a little canola oil (about 1 teaspon) in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat and add your sandwiches to the pan


3. Get a medium pan and place it on top of the sandwiches. Put 4 soup cans in the pan to weigh it down.


4. Cook the panini until golden (about 2 minutes), then flip and cook the other side until golden.

The only thing you're really missing is the grill marks. Still tastes great though!