Panini Wrap

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Healthier than bread and a creative way to make ordinary wraps taste even better is a Panini Wrap!! I have featured recipes on my blog before on how to make a delicious panini wrap, but don’t often see them on menus. So, I was thrilled when I went to this great little deli in Charleston, South Carolina called Dellz Deli; which featured a whole menu of grilled wraps and pitas.

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This place has only about 6 barstools… .and that’s it. The line was huge wrapped around the corner and just by the looks of the people in line, it attracted everyone!

Inside was an interactive place where the owner and her son knew their customers by name!

They are known for their “goddess dressing”, which is their secret sauce that they give you to put on your sandwich.  And whatever it was, it was amazing!  Here is a picture of my grilled wrap with the goddess dressing on the side.

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Their menu consists of seasonal items and the freshest ingredients.  My wrap had brown rice and an assortment of different kinds of fresh veggies, and with the goddess sauce on the side it was delicious!!! 

 

For my recipe on how to make great wrap panini’s check out this post by clicking on this link    >>    http://sanipanini.com/2012/11/19/thats-a-wrap/

Vegan Panini

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For all you Vegans and Vegetarians out there- I have a great panini for you! This recipe includes a major flavor booster: hummus!   My favorite type of hummus is one with extra lemon and lots of garlic.  Hummus is extremely easy to make.  It simply consists of using a food processor to blend garbanzo beans, lemon, tahini, garlic, salt, olive oil, an optional jalapeño, and paprika for looks!  If you are unfamiliar with the ingredient tahini, it is a grounded sesame seed paste that originated from the Middle East.  On the other hand, store-bought hummus is also a great option because of the various flavors!  You can leave it as is or make it your own by adding more lemon, crushed red pepper, etc.  Roasted garlic, jalapeño, and roasted red pepper are amongst my personal favorites.

Depending on your tastes and veggies you want to add into this panini, you can alter the type of hummus you use too!

Ingredients:

Your favorite vegan bread or lavash wrap

Any hummus you’d like

Lettuce (or Spinach or Arugula)

Cucumbers

Tomato

Red Pepper

Onion

Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

Assembling:

1. Cut and clean your red pepper and onion into slices

2. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper

3. Grill on the panini for 3-4 minutes or until the vegetables become tender

5. Cut tomatoes and cucumbers into slices

6. Wash and chop lettuce

4. Spread hummus on both slices of bread or lavash wrap

5. Add the grilled red pepper and onion to bread or lavash

6. Add cucumbers, tomatoes, and lettuce

7. Wrap your lavash or add your second piece of bread

8. Grill in the panini for 3 minutes

9. Cut in halves and then serve

The colors in this panini are fantastic!!

Enjoy,

Sani

TIP: Before adding the veggies inside the sandwich, grill them on the panini to enhance their flavor!

My Famous Panini

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Here is a picture of my famous panini, “famous” meaning only to the people in my city and school.  This is my go-to, always.

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It’s a panini on ciabatta with tomatoes, cajun mayo, olive oil, oregano, turkey, crushed red pepper, and Vermont white cheddar cheese.  Literally it’s the best thing ever, that was kept secret until now!!!

Here’s an up close shot:

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Enjoy my little secret ;) ,

Sani

Salad Panini

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Salad? On a panini? What??  Usually the response I would expect to hear, but after reading this post I’m hoping you all would reconsider.  A salad on a panini is actually very delicious! 

Ingredients for Salad:

Romaine Lettuce

Bacon

Olive OIl

Salt

Pepper

Assembling the Salad:

1. Take slices of bacon and grill on panini

2. Once it’s the desired texture (firm, but not too crunchy) take it off the panini

3. Cut the romaine length-wise, right down the middle to form two large pieces

4. Lightly spread olive oil to the open, face-side-up of the lettuce

5. Sprinkle with salt and peper

6. Grill on panini until warm and when the lettuce gets those nice grill marks

7. Meanwhile, crumble the bacon

8. Take lettuce out and put on a plate

9. Drizzle dressing on top of the grilled lettuce, then add the crumbled bacon on top of that

 

Dressing:  Most dressings would work great with this, homemade or pre-made.  Depending on your dressing, you could add different types of cheese.  Caesar is a great option, with parmesan cheese.  Or a balasmic dressing with bleu cheese, or even just a simple bleu cheese dressing.  The opportunities are endless!!

 

Enjoy,

Sani

 

Fancy Panini

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Have you ever had a fancy panini?  When I mean fancy, I mean not knowing what half of the ingredients are. I had the best fancy panini at a very little place in New York City called Salumé.  Their panini menu was amazing, it was divided into sections according to the meat.  I chose from the Prosciutto Crudo list of panini called Parma Black Label.  

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Literally, the only ingredients that looked familiar from the Parma Black Label was the young lettuce and the lemon aioli.  I had zero clue what Bottarga and St. George Gin were.  Bottarga originated in Italy where they would press dried eggs of tuna or grey mullet.  It ages anywhere from a couple weeks to a 6 months, and you watch the color change until its a deep orange.  It’s also described as ‘pressed caviar’.  Eventually I realized that St. George Gin was simply a type of Gin incorporated into the sandwich. 

The presentation was beautiful, on a wooden chop block with a Parmesan crisp and some well seasoned vegetables. 

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Here’s a close up picture so you can see how all the elements were layered:

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(Bottarga is the orange part on the very bottom.)

 

Holiday Panini

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Now that the Holidays are over, what are you to do with all of those leftovers??  Here are some quick ideas:

 

Steak- An easy Philly cheese steak, holiday style. 

Ingredients:

  • Leftover tenderloin (or whatever beef you had) 
  • Leftover veggies, preferably peppers and onions
  • Dinner roll from the previous night, (or if you have a sub or sourdough bread)
  • Swiss Cheese

Assembling:

  • Reheat the meat on the panini maker
  • Then reheat the veggies on the panini maker
  • Put both into your dinner roll or sub/bread
  • Add cheese
  • Grill it on the panini maker

 

Turkey- Geared more toward Thanksgiving.

Ingredients:

  • Leftover turkey
  • Leftover stuffing and/or mashed potatoes
  • Gravy
  • Bread

Assembling:

  • Add all these ingredients to any type of bread you’d like
  • Grill it on the panini

You’ll have one heck of a sandwich, that will be sure to put you in a food coma.

 

Ham-  An alternative to ham and eggs.

Ingredients:

  • Leftover ham
  • Dijon mustard
  • Maple syrup
  • Cheese, optional
  • Bread

Assembling:

  • Mix equal amounts of Dijon mustard and maple syrup
  • Spread on bread
  • Add ham
  • Add cheese, which is optional
  • Grill in panini

 I guarantee that will provide a much more enjoyable meal than ham and eggs in the morning.

 

Enjoy,

Sani

 

Oasis in a Desert

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I found my own little oasis inside the ‘desert’ of Detroit, Michigan at a little place called Russell Street Deli.  Here people line up around the block, even in the dead of winter, just to wait to be seated.  The seating in the Deli is very unique, they have limited seating with only about 8 tables.  Each of these tables sit 6 people and they fill up these tables no matter how big or small your party.  If you go with a group less than 5, then plan on sitting and interacting with complete strangers!  I really loved this concept!  They have a great breakfast and lunch menu, and I was drawn to their vegetarian side.  I like ordering vegetarian sandwiches because I feel that the sandwiches are the most unique, creative and have the most variety of ingredients.  The trick to create that perfect sandwich (restaurant permitting) is to customize, maybe add my own choice of meat to a vegetarian sandwich.  When I was there, I ordered a grilled avocado melt.  The melt was served on grilled pumpernickel with avocado, tomato, provolone, lettuce, red onion, and my addition of smoked turkey, with a garlic mayo spread- all grilled of course!

 

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Up close shot:

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Contrary to common belief, Detroit is a city on the rebound with a recent infusion of great restaurants just like Russell Street Deli.  It’s full of life and booming restaurants and shops. Russell Street Deli is located right in the middle of the Detroit Eastern Market, where venders come from all over the state of Michigan to sell their homegrown crops and produce from vegetables to meats, and even seasonal goods such as Christmas trees, holly, etc.  There are speciality stores for wines, cheese, seafood, nuts, spices and so much!  If you are ever in the area, I would highly suggest stopping by on a Saturday (be sure to get there early)!