Grilled Vegetable Panini & Tomato Soup

These sandwiches were really good, and I liked that the vegetables were cooked right on the panini grill. I wanted to use rosemary bread instead of the olive bread, but the store was out of it when I went so I used a baguette instead.

Grilled Vegetable Panini

paninihappy.com

Balsamic vinaigrette (bottled or homemade)

1 Japanese eggplant, sliced lengthwise into 1/4-inch strips

1 zucchini, sliced lengthwise into 1/4-inch strips

1 yellow onion, sliced into 1/4-inch rings

Extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper

4 slices olive bread (I used a baguette)

Hummus

2 roasted red peppers (I made my own, but you can use bottled - just pat dry)

4 slices provolone cheese

Place eggplant and zucchini in a plastic bag with enough balsamic vinaigrette to coat the vegetables. seal and marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Preheat panini grill. Brush olive oil on both sides of onions, season with salt and pepper and place on the grill. remove eggplant and zucchini from marinade (discard remaining marinade) and place onto the grill as well. Close the lid and grill the vegetables for 3-4 minutes until cooked through.

Brush olive oil on the outer sides of each bread slice. On the bottom bread slices (oil side down) spread a layer of hummus. Top with slices of eggplant, zucchini, red pepper, onion, cheese, and the top bread slices (oil side up).

Grill 3-4 minutes until cheese is melted and golden grill marls appear.

Serve immediately.

2 servings

This is a fantastic recipe for tomato soup! It has to be started ahead of time, but once the tomatoes and garlic is roasted it comes together in no time.

I let the tomatoes roast overnight, and I roasted the garlic in the morning, then put them in the fridge until I was ready to make the soup. (I did not make the garlic chips, but would if I was serving to company.)

Oven-Roasted Tomato and Garlic Soup

Bobby Flay, Foodnetwork.com

Oven Roasted Tomatoes:

4 plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 200 degrees F. Place the tomatoes cut-side up on a baking sheet. Combine the garlic and olive oil and brush the tomatoes with it. then season with the salt and pepper. Roast until dried and soft, about 8 hours.

Garlic Chips

1 cup olive oil

8 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced paper thin

heat oil in a medium skillet until the oil starts to simmer. Add the garlic and cook until the slices begin to brown and curl. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

Tomato Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium Spanish onion, chopped

1/2 cup white wine

4 cups chicken stock

2 cups canned plum tomatoes (I used 1 15-ounce can, drained)

6 roasted garlic cloves

Oven Roasted Tomatoes

2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves

1 tablespoon honey

Salt and white pepper

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat until it begins to smoke and saute the onions until golden. Add the wine, raise the heat to high, and reduce until almost dry. Add the stock, canned tomatoes, roasted garlic and roasted tomatoes and reduce by one-quarter.

Puree the mixture in a food processor (I used an immersion blender) and return to the pot. Add the thyme, honey and salt and pepper to taste.

Garnish with garlic chips.

8 servings