The Best Sandwiches Ever!

Panini

Today we had the best sandwiches ever and felt the need to thank those who made this event possible! Diana knows how much we love sandwiches. She did much research then got us a Cuisinart Panini Press for Christmas. This is one of those "nice to have" extras in the kitchen that we might have coveted in the store, but had never actually bought for ourselves.

We were both excited when it arrived yesterday, but I don't think either of us truly expected them to be as good as they actually were. Now that we've used it, we're already trying to think of new sandwich combos to use. It puts me in the mood to make some more homemade bread, because if the store bought made such a great sandwich, I cannot wait to taste one with terrific bread!

The pictures are of my sandwich, as Michael was already devouring his when I decided to grab the camera. I made it with wheat bread, thin sliced turkey breast, Colby-Jack cheese, and homemade pesto mayo.

I should also give props to Stephannie here. Before she and Tom and left for San Francisco, they brought us some goodies from their freezer and pantry. In the stash was some of Stephannie's homemade pesto - fabulous! It was the perfect addition to my lovely little sandwich.

Now, I'm happily flipping through the rest of the recipes in the booklet and eagerly planning my next gourmet sandwich! Yum!

Update: OK, now we're on a panini kick. This morning we decided that the only thing that sounded good was a breakfast panini. Ham, egg, cheese, toast....mmmmmm. I omitted the ham from mine and added a bit of dill. It was so yummy! Of course I couldn't resist adding pics of our breakfast sandwiches to the album!

Warm Dressed Spinach Salad

Warm Dressed Spinach Salad

Among the other things I have been been staying busy with these past couple of months, I have also been taking a cooking series at Central Market. I've made several tasty dishes that I learned from the class, but when I made this I actually remembered to get a picture! Here is the recipe for Warm Dressed Spinach Salad and Cajun Grilled Shrimp. Enjoy!

Cajun Grilled Shrimp
1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
2-4 tbsp Cajun spice
1/4 cup oil

Toss all together - use more spice mix for hotter flavor. Set aside in frig for 20-60 minutes. Place shrimp on skewers and grill until they are pink and curl into a "C" shape.


Warm Dressed Spinach Salad
8 oz baby spinach, rinsed and dried
1 med yellow bell pepper, diced
3-4 shallots, diced
3 garlic cloves, minces
4 tbsp EV olive oil, divided
2 tbsp raspberry or balsamic vinegar
15-20 red grape tomatoes, halved
1 tbsp stone-ground mustard
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
1 med avocado, sliced
feta cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Divide the spinach between 4 serving plates and top with the nuts. In a medium skillet, sauté the shallots in 2 tbsp of oil until they soften. Add the garlic and cook another minutes. Add the bell pepper and sauté another minute. Add vinegar, tomatoes and salt and pepper. Cook a few minutes until the tomatoes lose some liquid. Off the heat stir in the mustard and remaining oil. Let sit for a minutes, stir again, check for seasoning and spoon over the spinach. Top with feta cheese and avocado. Serve immediately.

Apple Pie

Apple Pie

These few pictures are of the apple pie I made. Diana took the time to teach me to make her famous pie crust. Now I can make pie as well as both of the moms! Thanks Diana! My husband will be forever grateful - now he won't have to make the apple pie all the time. Wait, maybe it wasn't such a good idea for me to learn this new skill! LOL!