Last night required another super speedy dinner plan: I had only twenty minutes until Gilmores. Yes, I am terribly addicted to the Gilmore Girls. Who would have thought it, right? I, queen of cynicism and snark, book-readin’ and CSPAN-watchin’, I watch the Gilmore Girls? A television show was sponsored by Focus on the Family? (Or so the rumor goes. Can anyone confirm this?) Yes, I like to thank my old housemates, Laura T and Julia, for sending me down the path to ruin, by introducing me to the wit and spark that is the Gilmores, oh those several years ago.
Point being that after having a drink with Mr. X and rushing home after said drink, I had only twenty minutes to assemble something edible. Well, these sandwiches were not just edible, they were delicious. I think they were both completely digested five minutes into the show (which was pretty moving, despite my severe disappointment with this entire seventh season).
Grilled Eggplant and Roasted Red Pepper Panini
- 1 small eggplant (actually found a miniature eggplant at the market last week, which I wanted to take a picture of, but being short on time and all…)
- 2-3 pieces roasted red peppers
- 2-3 pieces of mozzarella
- 4 small slices of some crusty lovely bread
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
This was the first time I have personally used my fancy new grill pan (Mr. X used it awhile ago), and yes, it does have a tendency to smoke. A lot. It would be very nice if we had an exhaust hood because it was too damned cold to be opening windows and whatnot, but what can you do.
Slice the eggplant into 1/2 inch thick slices, and into the right size to fit on your bread. Brush both sides with olive oil, and sprinkle a bit of salt and pepper on them, then grill them, for about 4-5 minutes on each side, on a grill pan over medium heat (or an actual grill, if it happens to be not frigid outside).
Brush each side of your bread pieces with a tiny bit of olive oil, and assemble your sammies–eggplant pieces, roasted red peppers, and some mozzarella, then put each sandwich back on the grill pan, for about 2 minutes on each side, pressing them with a spatula to get that panini effect (and to help the cheese melt).
I had to put my sandwiches in the micro for about 20 seconds to finish the cheese melting, because the smoke from the grill pan was getting to be too much, but I think I just let my pan get too hot. What I probably should have done was use each side over one of the burners (it’s a big grill pan) separately, but this I now know for the future.
Another super fast dinner from Laura K. The ingredients listed above make enough for two small sandwiches, which was a good size for one person’s dinner, unless I was having soup or salad or something with it. But there was no time for soup or salad! There was Gilmores!
Tonight, though, I will be taking my time in the kitchen, and making potato leek soup. Though I don’t suppose that will really take hours, either.