Eggplant Paninis Food

GRILLED EGGPLANT PANINI WITH BASIL AIOLI

Steps:

• For aioli, place the first 8 ingredients in a blender; cover and process until smooth. , Brush vegetables with oil. Place in broiling pan and broil 3-4 inches from heat, or grill, covered, over medium heat until tender, 4-5 minutes per side. Chop the peppers when cool enough to handle. , Spread cut sides of each roll with 2 tablespoons aioli; top each with cheese. Layer bottoms with eggplant and peppers. Replace tops., In a panini press, grill sandwiches until cheese is melted, 5-7 minutes. Serve remaining aioli with sandwiches or save for another use.

EGGPLANT PANINIS

Steps:

• Preheat grill pan or Panini press. You can also use a George Forman grill.
• Melt butter and mix with olive oil.
• Peel eggplant and slice.
• Brush the eggplant slices with butter and oil mixture. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
• Grill eggplant on the grill pan until the eggplant is marked and just soft, about 4-6 minutes. Turn once.
• Remove from the grill.
• Mix worchestershire, basalmic vinegar, mayonnaise, garlic powder and mustard in a small bowl.
• Spread mixture on four slices of bread. Add sliced eggplant, add 1 T red onions, and a few chopped tomatoes to each sandwich ( you may use fresh tomatoes, if desired. Because this recipe was developed for a contest, canned tomatoes were used).
• Add chopped cilantro.
• Add 1 slice mozzarella to each sandwich.
• Top with remaining bread slices.
• Brush both sides of bread with olive oil and butter mixture.
• Grill until cheese melts and bread is crisp.
• Serve with marinara sauce or picante sauce, if desired.
• Slice into fourths for buffet table.

GRILLED EGGPLANT PANINI

Steps:

• Sprinkle the eggplant slices with salt and let sit for 15 minutes. Pat dry and brush lightly with olive oil.
• Preheat a panini grill and place the eggplant slices in it in an even layer. Grill 3 minutes, until cooked through and nicely marked by the grill. Remove from the heat.
• Spread a little pesto on the bottom slice of bread. Top with a layer of eggplant slices, then a layer of pepper or tomato slices. Sprinkle with freshly ground pepper. Top with the grated cheese and the other slice of bread. Brush the outside of both the bottom and the top pieces of bread with olive oil. Grill 5 minutes, or until nicely toasted and the cheese has melted. Remove from the panini grill and cut into halves or thirds, depending on the size of the bread. Serve hot.

CAPONATA PANINI

Steps:

• Preheat a panini grill.
• Using a grapefruit spoon or fingers, scoop out a 1-inch wide trough along the cut sides of the baguettes. Place 2 half-slices of the provolone cheese on each bottom half of the baguettes. Spoon 1/3 cup of the caponata on top of the cheese. Place the top halves on the baguettes and grill the panini until the cheese melts, about 5 minutes.
• In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the celery and eggplant and cook until soft, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the red bell pepper and cook until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, raisins, and oregano to the pan. Simmer over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens, about 20 minutes. Stir in the vinegar, sugar, capers, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper. Season, to taste, with more salt and pepper, if needed.

GRILLED VEGETABLE PANINI

Steps:

• Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Drizzle the oil over the eggplant, zucchini, and onion slices, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Working in batches, grill the eggplant, zucchini, and onions until they are tender and grill marks appear, about 4 minutes per side. Cool completely.
• Cut each baguette into 6 pieces. Working with one baguette piece at a time, slice in half and spread both sides with the pesto. Working with the bottom slice of the baguette, stack 2 slices of eggplant, 2 slices zucchini, 1 slice onion, 1 slice tomato, 1 slice mozzarella, and 1 slice of roasted pepper. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place top half of baguette on top and continue with remaining baguette. (The sandwiches can be made 4 hours ahead. Wrap well with plastic wrap and refrigerate.)
• 2 cups fresh basil leaves
• 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup (about) extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
• In a blender, pulse the basil, pine nuts, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper until finely chopped. With the blender still running, gradually add enough oil to form a smooth and thick consistency. Transfer the pesto to a medium bowl and stir in 1/2 cup of cheese. Season the pesto with more salt and pepper, to taste. (The pesto can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
• Yield: 1 cup
• Prep Time: 10 minutes

ARTICHOKE AND EGGPLANT PANINI

Steps:

• Prepare a gas grill for direct-heat cooking over medium-high heat; see grilling procedure .
• Pulse artichokes, mayonnaise, capers, and garlic in a food processor until coarsely chopped.
• Trim off a thin slice from 2 opposite long sides of eggplant, then cut eggplant lengthwise into 4 (1/3-inch-thick) slices. Brush both sides of slices with 2 tablespoons oil (total) and season with 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.
• Grill eggplant slices, covered, turning once and brushing grilled sides with 1 tablespoon oil (total), until golden-brown and tender, about 4 minutes, then transfer to a tray.
• Brush both sides of bread with remaining 2 tablespoons oil and grill, covered, without turning, until grill marks appear, about 2 minutes.
• Top each of 4 bread slices, grilled sides up, with cheese and an eggplant slice. Spread artichoke mixture on remaining 4 bread slices, grilled sides up, then assemble sandwiches.
• Put sandwiches on grill and press down with a metal spatula, then grill, turning once, until heated through and grill marks appear, about 4 minutes total.

EGGPLANT (AUBERGINE) PANINI FOR TWO

Steps:

• Melt the 3 tablespoons of butter with the 1 tablespoon of olive oil and stir in the garlic powder and Italian seasoning.
• Brush the eggplant with the butter/oil mixture and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Grill the eggplant for 3-5 minutes, or until tender, but not mushy, turning once (I used an indoor grill, but you can use a panini grill or frying pan, etc.).
• If desired, brush the remaining butter/oil mixture onto the inside slices of the bread.
• Stack 2 slice of bread (side with the butter/oil mixture) with the fresh basil, arugula, slices of tomato, provolone cheese and the grilled eggplant.
• Top with remaining slices of bread and lightly brush each sandwich with olive oil.
• Place on grill for about 1 minute on each side (I had to press a frying pan on top of each sandwich to get the desired panini-effect).
• Enjoy!

EGGPLANT AND MOZZARELLA PANINI

Steps:

• Heat a grill pan or panini press.
• Brush eggpant slices with 1 t olive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper.
• Grill until marked and just soft, about 4-6 minutes. If using the grill pan, turn once.
• Cut bread into 4 pieces; slice pieces in half lengthwise.
• Drain and dice sun-dried tomatoes. In small bowl, mix mayonaise with tomatoes.
• Cover one side of ciabatta with mayo mixture.
• Divide grilled eggplant slices between the four sandwiches.
• Add cheese on tops and add other slice of bread on top.
• Brush sandwiches with olive oil and grill until cheese is melting and bread is crisp, about 5 minutes.
• Serve with marinara sauce or picante sauce.