Mozzarella And Prosciutto Sandwiches With Tapenade Food

MOZZARELLA AND PROSCIUTTO SANDWICHES WITH TAPENADE

Steps:

• Combine first 5 ingredients in mortar; mash with pestle to paste. Add 1 cup olives and mash to coarse paste. Chop remaining 1/4 cup olives and stir into mixture. Mix in 1/4 cup olive oil, chopped basil, and lemon juice. Season tapenade with pepper. (Can be made 2 weeks ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
• Brush cut sides of ficelle with additional olive oil. Place 1 prosciutto slice on bottom half of each ficelle, then top with mozzarella slices, dividing equally. Spoon tapenade over each. Sprinkle with pepper; drizzle lightly with olive oil. Garnish with basil leaves. Cover with top halves of ficelle.

MOZZARELLA, PROSCIUTTO, AND PESTO BUTTER TEA SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Make the pesto butter: Combine butter, basil, garlic, Parmesan, and pine nuts in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade; process until blended. Set aside. Lay prosciutto slices flat on a piece of plastic wrap, and cover with another piece of plastic wrap. Place in freezer for 10 minutes.
• Remove prosciutto from freezer; use a 2 1/4-inch round cutter to cut into rounds. Slice mozzarella 1/8 inch thick, and cut into rounds. Cut bread using the same cutter, being sure to remove all the crust.
• Spread a thin layer of pesto butter on two bread rounds. Layer one round with a round each of mozzarella and prosciutto; top with other bread round. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Cover with damp paper towels until ready to serve.

MOZZARELLA, PROSCIUTTO, PESTO AND PLUM TOMATO SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Slice baguettes in half and then lengthwise but don't cut all the way through.
• Slather the bottom half of the baguettes with pesto. Top with prosciutto, tomatoes and mozzarella. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Placing the mozzarella on top will keep the top of bread from getting soggy from tomatoes.
• Wrap sandwiches tightly in parchment and slice in half. Pack away.
• Place walnuts, cheese, garlic, and 1/2 cup olive oil in a blender and puree until smooth. Add basil and parsley, and then with the motor running, gradually add the remaining olive oil until pesto is thick and smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

MINI CHEESE SANDWICHES (PANINI WITH MOZZARELLA AND OLIVE TAPENADE)

Steps:

• Spread bread pieces on a work surface. Spread 1/2 tablespoon olive tapenade on half the pieces, then cover with a slice of mozzarella, then cover with the remaining bread slices. Butter both sides of the sandwich and grill in batches in a panini press until browned on both sides. Put on a platter and cover with foil to keep warm until serving.
• Put anchovies, garlic and thyme in a blender or food processor and puree. Add olives and olive oil, and pulse to a smooth paste. If it is too thin, add more pitted olives. If it is too thick, add more olive oil.

PROSCIUTTO, MOZZARELLA AND CITRUS TAPENADE SANDWICHES

Steps:

• For pesto:
• Toast walnuts in small skillet over medium heat until golden brown, stirring often. Cool. Puree walnuts, olive oil, Parmesan cheese, and garlic in processor to paste, stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of bowl. Add half of basil leaves; puree. Add remaining basil; blend until coarse puree forms. Season pesto to taste with salt and pepper.
• For sandwiches:
• Brush 1 side of each bread slice with olive oil. Heat griddle or heavy large skillet over medium-high heat; grill bread, oiled side down, until golden brown, about 1 minute. Transfer grilled bread to clean work surface; let stand until cool. Turn 4 bread slices over (grilled side down) and spread thin layer of Citrus Tapenade evenly over each. Top with prosciutto slices, then mozzarella cheese slices. Drizzle with pesto. Drizzle 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar over ungrilled side of each of 4 remaining bread slices. Place bread, grilled side up, atop sandwich filling. Cut sandwiches in half and serve.

GRILLED FRESH MOZZARELLA, PROSCIUTTO, AND FIG JAM SANDWICH

Steps:

• Split each roll, and layer with the mozzarella and prosciutto.
• Spread the top slices with the fig jam, then close up to form sandwiches.
• Lightly butter the outside of each sandwich.
• Heat a heavy nonstick skillet or panini press over med-high heat.
• Place the sandwiches in the pan, working in two batches depending on the size of the pan.
• Press the sandwiches or close the grill and brown, turning once or twice, until the bread is crisp and the cheese is melted; **you can press the sandwiches by weighting them with something heavy-such as a skillet or wide-bottomed saucepan.
• Though the rolls start off as round, once pressed they are considerably flatter and can easily be turned, if careful.
• Serve right away, cut on the diagonal.