Eggplant Panini

This post may or may not go in a few different directions. After all, there is a lot to cover. Let's start off with the panini press.

A few weeks ago, my sister & brother-in-law passed on their wonderful panini press to us. Whether it's an upgrade in the latest technology or just stuff they don't use anymore, we frequently reap the benefits. Take the Mac that I'm using at this very moment for example. Love it! Apparently they only used the panini press once, if that, so it made its way to the southeast side. I have now used it four times.

Across the street from my bestest friends house in West Roxbury, MA, there is a little italian place called DeNo's. Last summer, I tasted the most delicious sandwich ever invented: THE GODFATHER. Perfect eggplant covered with roasted red peppers and fresh mozzarella cheese, served over homemade pesto on top of the best focaccia bread...it was vegetarian heaven. Ever since that glorious day, I have been trying to recreate The Godfather.

My brother-in-law, Chuck, decided that he was going to grow an herb garden. This is not only smart, it's perfect when you're like me and just want to throw things together and see what happens. I have never made fresh pesto before. Chuck had a massive bush of basil (that's what she said), so fresh pesto was happening. I have to say, it might have been some of the best pesto ever. It could be that it was because WE put it together and I'm biased, or it could be that it was just so ridiculously fresh there is no topping it. Either way, it was tasty.

So. Eggplant. The way that I make Eggplant Parm is by coating the eggplant slices in flour, then dredging them in an egg mixture, then coating them in a bread crumb & cheese mixture. All things non-vegan. Last night was my first night trying to make eggplant WITHOUT all the chicken and cow tears. It wasn't perfection, but it was still tasty, and it just means I'll have to keep trying till I get it right.



Eggplant Panini
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
(I made this for 6 people, so you can always cut in half)

2 large eggplants
4 red bell peppers
1 cup kalamata olives
3 cups fresh basil
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
3 garlic cloves
salt & pepper
1/4 cup olive oil, plus another 1/4 cup
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tbps veggie parmesan cheese
1/2 cup vegan breadcrumbs (I used panko)
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp basil
1 loaf vegan sourdough bread (most regular bread is vegan!)
Vegannaise for spreading
Soy butter for the bread

1. Preheat oven to 400° F. Cut the red bell peppers into 2" strips. Place on a cookie sheet (I cover mine in tinfoil). Pour the balsamic vinegar over the red peppers, along with a little bit of olive oil. Begin roasting.

2. Cut the eggplant into 1/2" pieces. Sprinkle salt on both sides of the pieces and let sit for a few minutes. This takes the bitter edge off the eggplant. Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Combine the breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, and dry spices in a bowl. In another bowl, add water. Dip each eggplant piece in water, then the breadcrumb mixture, then place in the skillet. After 3-5 minutes, flip. Do this with each piece. Place the eggplant on another cookie sheet (wrapped in tinfoil!) and place in the oven.

3. In a food processor, add the 3 cups of basil, pine nuts, salt & pepper, and garlic. Pulse until it's combined. Slowly add the olive oil while pulsing. Do this to taste. I think ours yesterday had a bit too much olive oil.

4. If your roasted red peppers aren't blackening by this point, stick them in the broiler for just a minute or two. Keep your eye on them; you don't want them to be TOO burnt! Turn on your panini press. This is where the assembling begins!

- Very lightly butter one side of your bread.
- Add a small amount of Vegannaise.
- Add a spoonful of pest and spread.
- Add some chopped kalamata olives.
- Place 2 pieces of eggplant.
- Add a few strips of red pepper on top of the eggplant.
- Sprinkle a little extra parmesan cheese, if you'd like.
- Place second piece of bread on top of this, buttered.

5. Place these in your panini press, 2 at a time. Cook until golden brown on top. They SHOULD be cut in half since they're massive and rather difficult to eat whole!

I'm not going to put a nutritional value chart up for this one. The eggplant is fried, the bread is buttered, and it's PROBABLY not all that healthy. It's a treat. Just enjoy it. As I said before, the eggplant wasn't its usual, crispy goodness. I'm going to have to work on that. However, it was still a TASTY sandwich that pleased everyone. Think it would be some type of copyright infringement if I called it The Godmother? :)





Cody rates this dish...

ALMOST TASTY!

Ok, so first off, this blog is turning into slave labor! I feel like I should go on strike because she "can't put the posts up until I write my thing." Well guess what, I don't always feel like slandering hippies! Sometimes it seems like they just aren't worth it. I mean, that's where they draw their super"natural" (pun intended) power from! The more attention we give them and the more vegan food we eat, the stronger they get! Here is a list of secret hippie agents trying to convert us to the dark side: Popeye! Awesome cartoon? YES. But guess what, all that dirty sailor eats is spinach! And it makes him strong! Stop trying to brainwash me! You know what? I bet if you check the credits, PETA is hiding in there somewhere. Here's another: Mario! Possibly the mascot of all things vegan. He eats a mushroom, gets super strong. Eats a flower - can shoot fire out of his hand. If you grab a star (like PETA grabbing Brad Pitt and making him their own) you are invincible! Make sure to not kill the turtles! Just jump on them so they hide in their shells and you can spin them to safety! Oh no, a shark just ate that turtle I tried to save! Let's ki....ohhh, you almost got me. Let's be kind and nurture that beautiful shark. Just close your eyes and try to ignore the horror that is nature. Rocking back and forth and crying a bit helps. Mmmm, hippies crying. Your tears make me strong!

Anyways! The vegetarian eggplant sandwich is awesome. However, with no eggs to make the delicious breadcrumb and cheese batter, the vegan counterpart falls short. The roasty red peppers rocked as always. If she can figure out some way to get the batter right without using eggs, then we shall rejoice. Amen.