Vegetable Panini with Arugula & Almond Pesto

This is nice with the wild mushroom bisque. It starts with arugula & almond pesto. This is based on something that I saw the increasingly annoying but still a little helpful, Rachael Ray make on 30 Minute Meals. She used hers as a dip for lamb chops, mine I spread on a sandwich — hey! It’s versatile. It can also be made a day or two ahead of time.

I didn’t actually look her recipe up online — I just threw arugula and smoked almonds and whatnot in my processor, as listed below.

Arugula & Almond Pesto
2 cups arugula leaves
1/4 cup smoked almonds
1 clove garlic
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup olive oil (possibly more)
salt & pepper
Optional: a handful of Parmesan cheese (I omitted the cheese the first time I made this, but I bet it would be good!)

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Vegetable Panini
1 medium eggplant, peeled and sliced
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
Arugula & almond pesto
Olive oil
A loaf of sourdough, French, rustic or kalamata olive bread (any big, hearty, loaf will do)
Provolone cheese

Place eggplant circles in a colander in the sink and sprinkle liberally with salt. Let sit for about 20 minutes. Rinse and pat dry. Grill in a grill pan for a few minutes on each side until you have darkened grill marks and the eggplant is soft.

Next, wash and cut peppers in half. Remove stem and seeds. Roast under the broiler until blackened. Place in a plastic bag and steam for about 10 minutes. Peel blackened skin and slice as needed so that they are sandwich-sized.

Putting it all together…
Spread some of the pesto onto one piece of bread, for each sandwich.

Next, layer eggplant and peppers until it looks so tasty you want to eat it right then, open-faced.

But wait…add the provolone and top with another slice of bread. Brush with olive oil and lay, olive oil side down, in a pre-heated grill pan. I use a cast iron skillet as a panini press. Much cheaper and works just as well. I cover the bottom of my pan with aluminum foil to avoid getting melty, sandwich goodness on it.

Brush the other side with olive oil before turning over. Cook for a few minutes on each side, until golden.

Slice sandwiches in half with a very sharp knife and serve with the soup of your choice and enjoy!