Panini Heroes Continued: Prosciutto and Grilled Asparagus Panini

Well after the success of the Turkey Panini, I figured we would have another relaxed but delicious dinner this past Monday (and subsequent delicious lunch Tuesday) and do another Panini. After crusing the internet for inspiration I decided to combine a few recipes I saw, but put a little twist. It's not exactly "clean eating" but its better than a lot of alternatives! Just trusty ol' fashioned good eats :)

I’ll keep this post short since I’ve already gushed about the grill pan and it’s wondrous and numerous uses… But seriously, it doesn’t get much better, much easier, and much more delicious for 5 minutes of effort… than this. 

the infamous Grill Pan introduces our star player: Turkey Panini

Music: Otis Redding and Aretha Franklin (oh yeah... eat your heart out)

Drink: Water

Question: So what do you when you are having a particularly tiresome day, but still want to cook and eat something absolutely delicious?

Question: After making that fabulous aioli, how can I use it on more things, but keep it fresh and new?

Question: How do I do all this in one pan?

Answer: Panini.

After our longest but wonderful and victorious run yet, the last thing I wanted to do was get out lots of complicated instructions and.. well … try! What?! I was tired! (and sweaty!) So I literally took all five ingredients and the grill pan (my favorite kitchen utensil of the moment) and off we went!

And here is where I am going to put in a plug for the underrated Grill Pan. Honestly, I wasn’t so jazzed when we bought this.. thinking “who wants nasty soaked-in-its-own-grease table top burgers?” or “if I want to grill I’ll light the dang grill!” …oh no. I was mistaken

So versatile!

So simple to clean!

So fabulous!

I mean not only crispy paninis.. but perfect chicken... tender turkey burgers all worthy of great salivation. Hungry yet? Good! Go make a Panini on your new grill pan :P

Remember to always experiment! Try switching up the ingredients… Go wild! This makes ordinary sandwiches look… well…  ordinary!

Everything tastes like rosemary: Rosemary and Thyme Pita Bread

Music: Mumford & Sons (still...)

Drink: H2ooooooooooHHH!

So after my super easy dinner, emptying the dishwasher, loading the dishwasher, cleaning up around the apartment… I found myself slightly motivated (although Mumford & Sons was still blaring :P).. So I decided to take a swing at the Gracious Pantry’s Rosemary Pita Bread… Looks simple enough I said to myself…

Until I had committed to the thought with less than 3 cups of whole wheat pastry flour on hand…

I thought to myself “Self! You were engineering major! You can handle math!” and decided to take on conversions…

I learned today: As good as you are at math, you can’t make more flour appear in your pantry L

Heaven comes on toast: Clean Neufchatel Red Pepper Tea Sandwiches

I’m not sure if I have mentioned this in the past, but I LOVE goat cheese. (yes, I know, I’m obsessed) Well, when I started thumbing through Tosca Reno’s Clean Eating Books, I discovered a close cousin: Neufchatel. UGH! Is it heavenly!

Although not for the budget eater, this little treasure is a mix between brie and goat cheese (in my mind anyway) – salty but savory! Just the right amount of cheesy resistance (the Baby Bear of cheese consistency you could call it)

Perfect for a snack at work (with a little assembly – it’s been done!) or dressy enough for a schmaltzy brunch – this is a sure fire hit! This recipe is adapted from Miss Tosca herself… Eat it with squeaky love my friends J

Clean Eating Savory Mushroom Oatmeal

We are about to dive into a new obsession of mine: http://www.thegraciouspantry.com/

She is a real help with clean eating! We have bought several cookbooks, and continue to scour the internet for clean recipes to keep our taste buds dancing.. but this little lady is one stop shopping!!

Well, we are on a two week, sugar free challenge. Voluntarily.

I almost broke a few times so far (its day 7)… wanting a glass of wine, a cookie, (I’m a desert FIEND), shortbread!  But Steve has really been pushing me to finish this one with my head held high and victory in my hand! And I will!!

We have discovered many recipes on this challenge, some good, some not so suited for our refined pallets (well, mine really, Steve will eat anything…)

Here is a GOODIE!

This is wonderful for a lazy weekend brunch-y moment (it’s SO easy!), or maybe when you're feeling a little famished and want something to really fill you up in the morning without lying like a brick in your stomach. yum yum YUM!! I added more mushrooms because they are wonderful… Play around!

(original recipe found here)