4 slices foccacia, each about 4 inches square
Olive oil
Black olive paste
4 ounces sliced salami
4 ounces sliced provolone
2 roasted red peppers, thinly sliced
Arugula leaves
1. Preheat an electric panini press or indoor grill according to appliance directions.
2. Cut each foccacia piece in half horizontally to make 4 pieces.
3. Brush uncut sides of each bread slice with oil. Lay slices on countertop, oiled-side down. Spread the cut sides with olive paste, then layer with salami, provolone, peppers and arugula. Top with remaining bread slices. Press sandwiches together and place on press or grill. Cook according to appliance directions or until bread is toasted and cheese melted.
TIP
Spread any leftover tapenade on crackers or crisp toast as an appetizer or snack.
Panini Marguerita
F occacia is a thick rectangular Italian flatbread. It’s now available in many supermarket bakeries or specialty stores.
Serves 2
2 slices foccacia, each about
4 inches square
Olive oil
Mayonnaise
1 large tomato, thinly sliced Fresh basil leaves
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Salt and pepper
1. Preheat an electric panini press or indoor grill according to appliance directions.
2. Cut each foccacia piece in half horizontally to make 4 pieces.
3. Brush uncut sides of each bread slice with oil. Lay slices on countertop, oiled-side down. Spread cut sides of bread with mayonnaise. Layer tomato, basil and mozzarella; season with salt and pepper. Top with remaining bread slice. Press sandwiches together and place on press or grill. Cook according to appliance directions or until bread is toasted and cheese melted.
TIP
If you can’t find foccacia, substitute a fat Italian loaf.
Creamy Tarragon Chicken Salad
T his is a lovely salad for a light lunch on a warm summer day. Double the recipe and it’s perfect party fare.
Serves 6
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 4)
8 ounces sugar snap peas, trimmed
½ cup sour cream (regular or reduced fat)
½ cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons minced red onion
¼ cup finely chopped fresh tarragon
Salt
1. Trim excess fat from chicken. Place chicken in medium heavy saucepan; cover with water and place over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer; cook 10 minutes, or until chicken is just cooked. Transfer to bowl; let cool. Shred into 1-inch strips.
2. Bring water to boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add peas; cook 3 minutes, until tender-crisp. Drain and rinse with cold water.
3. In a medium bowl, combine sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon juice and mustard. Add chicken strips, peas, celery, onion and tarragon. Season with salt.
TIP
Fresh herbs last longer if they are stored correctly. First, remove any rubber bands from the bunch, then trim off any woody stems. Put the unwashed bunch, stems down, in a tall glass. Add water just to cover the stems. Cover loosely with a plastic bag and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Turkey, Provolone and Garden-Vegetable Wrap
S callion cream cheese adds a burst of flavor to this hearty sandwich. Check out the varieties of cream cheese now available in the dairy case—there’s no excuse for a boring wrap!
Serves 2
1 large plain or spinach flour wrap (or flour tortilla)
2 tablespoons scallion cream cheese
4 ounces sliced roast turkey
2 ounces sliced provolone cheese
8 thin cucumber slices (about ¼ of a cucumber)
Handful baby spinach leaves
½ cup alfalfa sprouts
1. Lay tortilla on countertop. Spread cream cheese on tortilla. Layer turkey, cheese, cucumber, spinach and sprouts. Tightly roll up tortilla; slice in half diagonally.
TIP
Look for ready-made wraps at your market. Since this sandwich is stuffed full, you need a strong wrap to hold it all.
Broccoli and Cheese Soup in a Bread Bowl
H aven’t you always wanted to make your own soup in a bread bowl, like in restaurants? Now you can.
Serves 4
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small onion, chopped
Salt and pepper
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 pound broccoli (about 2 heads), stems thinly sliced and florets cut small
½ cup heavy cream
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
4 small round bread loaves (4-5 ounces each)
Olive oil
1. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; cook 5 minutes, until softened, stirring often. Add garlic and thyme; cook 1 minute, stirring. Sprinkle in flour, stirring constantly until incorporated. Slowly pour in broth, ½ cup at a time, stirring to blend. Add broccoli; cook 10 minutes, until tender.
2. Using an immersion blender, puree soup until smooth. (Or transfer soup to a blender; blend until smooth.)
3. Return soup to pot; add cream and cheese and warm over low heat, stirring.
4. For bread bowl: Preheat oven to 400°F. Using a serrated knife, slice a thin circle off the top of each round. Lift off the circle; use your fingers to pull out the soft insides of the bread, leaving at least a ½ inch of bread around the sides and bottom of the loaf. Set the loaves on a baking sheet and drizzle olive oil into each cavity; spread the oil to coat the inside. Bake rounds about 10 minutes, or until crusty and golden. Ladle warm soup into bowls and serve immediately.
TIP
Look in the bakery section of your supermarket for bread rounds about 5 ounces in weight to make the bowls.