August 3, 2008

Roasted Peppercorn Turkey Panini

A few weeks back, my mother and grandmother came to spend the weekend with me. Not one to miss an opportunity, I enlisted them in choosing and helping me fashion a lunch for the three of us. After a long weekend of cleaning and shopping, nothing hits the spot like a delicious, not-exactly-healthy panini. This particular recipe came from a book on cast-iron grilling, but applied equally well to my less antiquarian cooking methods. That is to say, I used a panini grill and not two pieces of ribbed metal. I wonder if George Foreman has a panini grill, as it really is the trendy version of his famous "grilling machines".
I had to highlight the sliced avocado, as it something to behold. These paninis are made in fun sections. For each one, butter a side of its two pieces of multigrain bread (for serious, multigrain actually tastes good here). Prepare a mixture of the mayonnaise, sour cream, chipotle pepper, lime juice and zest, and cilantro. Spread this on the non-buttered side of each slice. Spread the turkey breast between the paninis, laying it along one side each, and then top with the cooked bacon. Put the paninis together and grill them until the cheese has melted, about 7 minutes or so. Once removed from the grill, add the sliced avocado in the middle, slice, and serve. To slice an avocado, by the way, peel it, pull out the core, and then cut length-wise until it's in thin slices, being careful that they don't fall apart. This my mother taught me and she did it fantastically.
The ingredients to make four are as such (please don't sue me):
  • 1/2 cup of mayo
  • 1 tablespoon of sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon of "chopped chipotle chile in adobo"
  • 1 teaspoon of lime juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon of lime zest
  • 1 tablespoon of cilantro (if you want)
  • 2 tablespoons of softened butter (for each side of the paninis)
  • 8 slices (or 2 * n) of whole wheat or multigrain bread
  • 8 slices of provolone cheese
  • a pound of deli-sliced peppercorn turkey breast
  • 8 slices (or more!) of smoked, cooked bacon
  • a ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, and cut in 1/4" slices
The chilis in adobo sauce you can find in the Hispanic section of your grocery store (did I say that unracistly?). The sliced provolone can be found in your fresh dairy section.

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