mozarella caprese panini

mozarella caprese panini
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

in an effort to get mike to branch out on his usual sandwich-making of pb&j and facilitate usage of produce from our produce box--e.g. lettuce & tomatoes--i threw together some grilled mozarella caprese paninis without a panini/grill pan or press this past weekend. actually, a pot of water and some pressure for a minute on each side works great. the recipe is simple and easily modified to your liking.

ingredients
large pieces of mozarella sliced
ripe tomatoes sliced
olive tapenade (or diced black & green olives; capers also work well, but you may want to add them to some mayo for stickiness)
lettuce
basil
mayo

brush slices of crusty bread on one of the sides with olive oil. on one slice of bread, spread olive mixture. then add basil leaves, slices of tomato, then mozarella. sprinkle with olive oil, balsamic glaze (or regular balsamic vinegar), coarse sea salt and freshly ground pepper. then top with lettuce. on opposite slice of bread, spread mayo and add to sandwich stack. make as many sandwiches as you need.

heat up a flat (or near flat) bottomed pan and add a little bit of olive oil. place sandwich in pan, and using another pan (or press if you have it) press down on the sandwich for a minute or two until the bottom is browned. then flip and do the same for the other side. voila! easy peasy.