Our Sunday panini: An Italian foodie affair

I made two panini today and my husband loved them. We got up early and had a light breakfast, so by 11am we were both very hungry. We wanted something fast and easy to make, and as usual my mind went straight to panini. (I guess I am panini obsessed 🙂 ) Luckily I had what I needed in the fridge, so going out to do grocery shopping was not necessary.

To make the first panino I used ingredients I had bought from an Italian deli earlier this week. For both panini I used pane italiano (Italian bread) and cut the slices of ham and cheese in half for an even distribution.

Ingredients for panino #1

2 slices prosciutto cotto

2 slices Genoa salami

2 slices provolone

2 slices pane italiano

3 slices cucumber

1/2 tbsp mustard

Take the two slices of bread and brush them with mustard. Put one slice of provolone on each slice of bread. Roll the prosciutto and put it on top of the provolone, then add the Genoa salami on top of the prosciutto. Put the sliced cucumber on top of the Genoa salami on the bread that is going to form the basis of the panino. Finish with the other slice of Genoa salami, the provolone and the remaining slice of bread. Grill for around 1 minute or until the bread is golden-brown.

This is how the entire preparation process looks like:

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Peppadew peppers are among the ingredients for the second panino. I’m a big fan of peppadew peppers (I wrote more about them here) so I was happy to put them to good use again. They created an excellent flavor contrast with the mild Swiss cheese, and complemented the peppery flavor of the turkey pastrami. You can use pickled roasted red peppers or pickled jalapeno peppers if you don’t have peppadew peppers in your pantry or fridge.

Ingredients for panino #2

4 slices turkey pastrami

2 slices Swiss cheese

2 slices pane italiano

3 peppadew peppers

Extra virgin olive oil (to brush the bread with)

Take the two slices of bread and brush them lightly with the olive oil. Put one slice of Swiss cheese on each slice of bread, then add two slices of turkey pastrami on top of the cheese. Cut the peppadew peppers in half and put them on top of the pastrami on the bread that is going to form the basis of the panino. Finish with the other two slices of pastrami, the Swiss cheese and the remaining slice of bread. Grill for around 1 minute or until the bread is golden-brown.

This is how the entire preparation process looks like:

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

I loved the flavor of the prosciutto cotto in the first panino. The cucumber gave the panino freshness and crunchiness, while brushing the bread with mustard added a new layer of assertive flavor. As for the second panino, I liked how the mild and nutty Swiss cheese melted and created an oasis of gooey goodness, which was the perfect vehicle for the sophisticated spiciness of the peppadew peppers.

I hope you like these panini too. Bon appétit!