Monday, March 23, 2009

Turkey Pannini with a Citrus Balsamic Salad

You can have so much fun being creative when it comes to making panninis. You are only limited by your imagination. Another selling point to panninis, you can custom make each sandwich. This is a cinch in a house full of picky eaters!
This pannini started off with sliced red onion, minced garlic, chopped scallions and sliced roasted red peppers.


I was able to get my hands on a loaf of sun-dried tomato foccacia.
After slicing up the foccacia, I piled on the veggies with a little smoked turkey, a little smoked gouda and a sliced black olive or two and put them on the pannini press. Is it bad manners to stand in front of the pannini press and yell, "HURRY!"?
Oh, the smell and look at the grill marks! I don't know why, but grill marks make me drool.
I may not make the prettiest pannini on the block...talk about good!
Accompany your sammich with a crisp romaine salad sprinkled with a little crumble feta cheese and a couple of sliced black olives and crunchy croutons, then drizzle a citrus balsamic vinaigrette on top and you have a satisfying meal!
Citrus Balsamic Vinaigrette
1/3 cup Balsamic Vinegar
Juice of one orange
1/2 teaspoon orange zest
1/2 teaspoon lime zest
Juice from one lime
Coarse Sea Salt to Taste
White Pepper to taste
1/3 cup Extra virgin olive oil
Whisk all of the ingredients together in a measuring cup except the olive oil. Stream in the olive oil while whisking.

31 comments:

gigi said...

Another wonderful spring sandwich and salad! You just keep out doing yourself!
Grill marks are the best except on your butt. Harry backed into an old stove when he was little and grilled his rear end. The scars were still there when I married him. I think all the sitting he has done in the last few years they have finally worn off :)
Sorry, that was TMI for a Monday morning!

Susie said...

That looks so good!!

Green said...

That looks sooooo good!

Greg C said...

That sounds great. I need to try some new foods. I have only had store bought panninis. I know that is bad isn't it.

Joie de vivre said...

Oooh yummy! I was just watching Alton Brown the other night and he was doing sandwiches. I've been craving for paninis ever since!

Anonymous said...

Wonderful ingredients in this panini - it sounds really good and the salad is yummy with the citrus balsamic vinaigrette!

Sophia Lee said...

it's time like this I REALLY wish I had a panini press. LOVE the marks on the bread! yum!

Marjie said...

Maybe it's bad manners to stand in front of the food bellowing "Hurry!" But my kids stand at the passthrough and bellow "How long till dinner?!?" which is really the same thing. And food doesn't have to be pretty, as long as it tastes splendid.

Debbie said...

Iam sitting at my desk right now and want that pannini for lunch!!! Looks so good!

Netts Nook said...

Katherine this looks great I love Pannini's and the Balsamic to die for.. Thanks for sharing.

Michelle said...

Holy yummy Batman!! Visitng from SITS...congrats on being Saucy!!!

Always on the hunt for great cooking blogs and this one definately is!!! Off to snoop around a bit more!

The Blonde Duck said...

I love paninis.

And of course it's not bad form! I stand in front of all my appliances and snarl at them to move it. Sometimes, they listen.

Cathy said...

I am so in love with paninis these days -- probably for the reasons you state: (1) they are just invariably delicious; and (2) they are an easy way to make a house full of picky eaters happy. I don't know how I lived without my panini press! This turkey panini looks great, and I love your salad!

tamilyn said...

I keep telling the Dude we need to get a panini press. I would love to play with sammie fixings.

Um, I yell at the waffle iron to hurry up, so you're not alone!

Anonymous said...

I am sitting here drooling and green with envy over your pannini press...you are so lucky!
The only pannini I've ever had is the frozen kind that you nuke in the microwave...it was good, but yours looks ever so much better!

oh, and hey, I want you to know that I enjoy your blog and have opened a new one of my own. Come by if you get the chance.☺

AndreaLeigh said...

yum... i wonder if I could do this on the george forman.

priscilla joy said...

What an awesome looking sandwich and dinner! I'd love that.

So glad to know you enjoyed the cookies....those gooey butter cookies are good too.

Not Another Omnivore said...

Those look AMAZING!!!

NAOmni

La Bella Cooks said...

I am so addicted to paninis, but yours looks like a kicked up version of the simple ones I make. I'm coming to your house!

Jennifer said...

That looks yummy, I have the exact same paninni grill! I am making your fish tacos tomorrow!

Steph said...

Katherine, I finally got a grill..thanks to the closing of Sam's Club in my area. I'll have to choose one of you wonderful grilling recipes for my mom to try out when it gets warmer!

MaryBeth said...

Absolutely perfect, what a wonderful and yet simple meal ...Love it!

Reeni said...

I love panini's and everything you've put on yours = fantastic!! I saw that your saucy this week at SITS-congrats and enjoy!

Selba said...

Oh my... that's definitely wonderful dish!

Melissa said...

I always yell at my panini maker too. I just can't wait for the melty goodness.

Great dinner, panini and salad. One of my favorite quickies and oh so good and easily varied.

NKP said...

I want that sandwich! I have the boring panini that doesn't have the groovy grooves. I want lines in my sandwiches too!

Dawn Parsons Smith said...

This will be my lunch tomorrow! My son (age 12!) gave me a pannini press for Christmas and I use it all the time!

I want to find some of that foccacia bread! yummy!

3 Bay B Chicks said...

All of these tasty treats are making me so hungry. I guess that's what I get for skipping dinner.

I am free anytime you might want to stop by and cook. :)

-Francesca

Elyse said...

What a fabulous meal. Paninis are so versatile and delicious--especially when made on that yummy looking foccacia! And, of course, it's wonderful to balance everything out with a nice, fresh salad!

Crystal Renee said...

Saw you on SITS and that salad and sandwich look DELICIOUS! I am hungry now.

pam said...

Okay, you have convinced me. I really need a pannini press. Don't I? Well, don't I?