The Panini Montly: August

I know I know, its a little late. I really did make them in August.... I just haven't put up the post yet. So, here we go:

Grilled Veggie Panini

What you need:

Bread: I used a Trader Jo's Ciabatta 

Cheese: Mozarella (I used Trader Jo's part skim low moisture)
Tapenade: I made my own with the ingrediants shown below- capers, olives, sundried tomatoes and olive oil. 

Vegetables to grill: I used 1 eggplant, two zucchini and several tomatoes, and I had too much for my Ciabatta loaf. 

1. Make your Tapenade. 

Put equal portions of each ingredient in food processor. I started with this- about 1/3 cup of each and ended up adding more olives and olive oil. Personally, I wasn't a big fan of the capers, so I would probably redo it without them. 

Blend and taste. Add more of any ingredient that you like. 

2. Prepare and grill veggies. 

Slice veggies and coat with olive oil. Grill until cooked and crispy if possible. 

3. Prepare sandwich. Slice bread. Coat one side with olive oil and layer with cheese. Coat other side with tapenade and layer veggies. Press together and grill until cheese is melted and bread is crispy. 

This is the messy part. My sandwiches fell apart all over. I am not entirely sure how to do this another way. I might try grilling in a pan instead, as my grill is angled and everything tends to slide out. Anyway, if anyone has any tips, they would be welcomed! 

4. Enjoy meal. 

This panini is something that I had thought about many times before and never tried. In the end, it is something that I would probably make differently: either with less veggies so that it is easier to grill or in Jordan's opinion, with some sort of meat to give it a bit of solidity. My family sampled it as well, and my Dad loved it... so, I guess maybe it appeals to some and not to others. It was fun though!