Grilled Caponata Panini Recipes

CAPONATA PICNIC SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Heat 1/4 cup of the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the celery and saute until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Add the eggplant and saute until beginning to soften, about 2 minutes. Season with salt. Add the red pepper and cook until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Add the onion and saute until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the diced tomatoes with their juices, raisins, and oregano. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Simmer over medium-low heat until the flavors blend and the mixture thickens, stirring often, about 20 minutes. Add the vinegar, sugar, and capers. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Cut the bread pieces horizontally in half. Grill the bread cut-side down on a grill pan over medium-high heat until golden, about 2 minutes. Rub the whole garlic cloves over the toasted side of the bread. Add a slice of mozzarella to bread bottom, spoon the caponata on top, cover with the other bread half, and serve.
• To take for a picnic: Wrap the sandwiches separately in plastic wrap or parchment paper. Chill until ready to serve, or keep at room temperature up to 1 hour.

GRILLED CAPONATA

Steps:

• Heat your grill to high. Brush the eggplant, onion slices and tomatoes with olive oil and season each type of vegetable with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Grill the eggplant for 6 to 8 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through. Grill the onions for 3 to 4 minutes per side until golden brown and just cooked through. Grill the tomatoes for 2 minutes per side until charred and slightly soft. Remove to a cutting board and cut into quarters.
• Remove the vegetables from the grill to a cutting board and cut into 1/2-inch pieces. Transfer the vegetables to a medium bowl and add the olives, capers, raisins and pine nuts.
• Mix together the garlic, red pepper flakes, vinegar and honey in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Slowly drizzle in 1/4 cup of olive oil and whisk until emulsified.
• Pour the dressing over the vegetables, add the parsley and stir gently to combine. Let the salad sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours before serving.

BASIC GRILLED PANINI

Steps:

• Drizzle olive oil on 1 side of each bread slice. Spread 1 tablespoon mayonnaise on the other side of each slice. Pile Cheddar cheese, ham, tomato, and onion on top. Top with other bread slice, mayonnaise side down.
• Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat; spray lightly with cooking spray. Place sandwich on grill; weigh it down with a heavy pan. Cook until cheese is melted and grill marks appear, 3 to 5 minutes per side.

CALIFORNIA CAPONATA

Steps:

• For the salsa verde: Combine the garlic, capers, anchovies, avocado oil and some sea salt in a mortar and pestle. Grind to a paste; then add the parsley, basil, olive oil, pepper flakes and some black pepper. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Set aside.
• For the caponata: Heat the olive oil in a large cast-iron pan over medium-high heat. Add the eggplant, zucchini, poblano, tomatoes and onion. Sprinkle with sea salt and saute until the vegetables have softened and begun to brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for another minute. Turn off the heat and mix in the honey and vinegar, and the salsa verde. Serve warm or at room temperature.

GRILLED FONTINA AND CAPONATA PANINI

Steps:

• Arrange 2 bread slices on work surface. Top each bread slice with 1/4 of cheese, 3 tablespoons caponata and half of tomato. Sprinkle each with half of rosemary, then salt and pepper. Top with remaining cheese and bread. Brush top and bottom bread slices with oil.
• Heat large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add sandwiches to skillet and grill until bread is golden brown and cheese melts, about 6 minutes per side.
• Transfer sandwiches to plates. Cut in half and serve hot.

CAPONATA

Steps:

• Pour the olive oil into a large heavybased saucepan or casserole, place over a medium heat and add the aubergines. Cook for a good 15-20 mins until they are soft. Scoop the aubergines out of the pan - you should be left with some olive oil. Add the shallots and cook for about 5 mins until they are soft and translucent. Add the tomatoes and cook slowly, so they break down and turn to a soft mush, then add the aubergines back to the pan. Now put in the capers, raisins, celery and vinegar, season well and cover with a lid. Cook over a low heat for 40 mins, until all the vegetables are soft. Stir gently so it doesn't break up too much; the stew should smell sweet and sour.
• When the caponata is cooked, leave to cool slightly while you make the bruschetta. Heat a griddle pan, drizzle the bread with olive oil and griddle until toasted and lightly charred on both sides, then rub with a garlic clove and season. Serve the warm caponata scattered with the basil leaves and pine nuts, with bruschetta on the side.