I'm currently quite smitten with my panini press. Gifted to me several Christmases ago, it has become a beloved kitchen gadget despite it's limited use. I go through phases with my small appliances, and I think I'm more seasonally dependent on them that I admit. The ice cream maker is used continuously from May to October and the panini press comes out of hibernation in those months as well. Both items seem to find their place back in our cupboard sometime in mid-Autumn and the slow-cooker then takes centre stage on my counter top.
Lately, we've been using the press to make an assortment of grilled sandwiches. There's something about those grill marks that make my boys positively giddy with excitement. We've been eating simpler dinners the past few weeks and quesadillas are a favourite among all of us.
Similar to making a pizza, my children love topping the tortilla with an assortment of favourite ingredients. Once topped with a second tortilla and placed in the lightly-oiled press, it's mere minutes until dinner is ready and it's hard for anyone not to like that. If you don't have a panini press, you can create a similar sandwich by using a regular pan and a foil-covered brick (heat a small amount of oil in a pan, add the sandwich and cover with the brick to "press" the sandwich flat), or alternatively you can make them in a toaster oven. These sandwiches really make for simpler dinners, which make for a simpler evening and it's hard to argue with any form of simplicity these days, isn't it?
Chicken and Spinach Quesadillas, my recipe
8 whole wheat tortillas
2 small chicken breasts (or 1 large), cooked and sliced
2 large handfuls of baby spinach
3 tbsp of taco sauce
1/2 cup of grated Monterey Jack cheese
Olive oil
~ Plug in your panini maker to allow it to pre-heat.
~ In a small mixing bowl, combine the chicken, spinach and taco sauce and set aside.
~ Lay out four tortillas on your counter-top and spread each with an even amount of the chicken mixture.
~ Top with cheese and then cover with the other tortilla shell.
~ Brush one side with a small amount of olive oil and place that side down in the panini press. Coat the other side with the oil and close the press.
~ Remove when the cheese has melted and the tortilla is browned and grill-marked.
~ Continue with the remaining paninis until they are all cooked.
~ Enjoy!
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