A BIT OF GREEN & Happy Birthday, Debbie

Happy Birthday, Debbie. I hope this coming year will be a VERY good one. I love you.
Since today is St. Patrick's Day, I thought I would just write a few ideas for green dressings and dips. Yep, one more pesto post.

For a simple but unique pesto dressing, stir 2-3 table. prepared pesto into ranch dressing. This is a bit of the basil flavour for a basic green salad, or pasta salad.

One recipe I get a lot of requests for is a pasta pesto salad. It is just a bottle of Italian dressing (You can use the very cheapest, and I use low fat.) and stir in about 1/2 cup of prepared pesto. Stir into cooked and cooled pasta (I use rotini type.). Add your choice of vegetables. Cut tomatoes, olives, broccoli, matchstick carrots, sliced zucchini... Sprinkle with fresh grated Parmesan.

A bit of prepared pesto in mayo (regular or light) for using on a cold sandwich. I like removing the inside of a loaf of peasant pot bread. Then build the sandwich in the loaf and put the "lid" back on. This can be made ahead and wrapped well and kept in the fridge. To keep the bread from getting soggy, I butter the inside, and then line my bread bowl with washed and very dry lettuce.

For dipping hot sandwiches just mix half pesto and half sour cream (I use light.). Use this at room temp. (Remember this is also great as a pizza sauce.)

For a simple side dish cut red potatoes in to large cubes. (As many as you want.) Stir in pesto to coat.(As much as you want.) (I use about 2 lbs. potatoes and about 1/3 - 1/2 cup pesto.) Bake at 400* for about 40 mins.

Pesto Chicken Bake
Earlier in the week I tried another new recipe with pesto. I used the oven pot (with a lid) that I use for my pot bread. I sprayed the pan and added 4 (4-6)boneless skinless chicken thighs, one v e r y large potato (about 2 cups. I would have used red potatoes if I had had some.), cubed, 1-1 1/2 cut tomatoes (or cherry/grape tomatoes cut in 1/2). Stir in 1/2 cup prepared pesto. There is no reason to pre-heat the oven. Just cover and bake at 425* for 45 mins. I served this with pot bread and Parmesan cheese and fruit. I really liked this. Next winter this will go on my favourites list.
Tomorrow for throw back Thursday I am posting one of Doug's favourites adapted for a crock-pot. Also, I have a favourite thing to add to the give away basket. :D

Favourite Sandwich

At our house we love PANINIS!

I was making them before you could buy panini presses everywhere. I used a George Forman grill until I found (at a thrift store for $4.oo) this "General Electric Contact Grill". There are 2 main differences in this (or George
Forman) grill and a panini grill. A panini grill is at a straight horizontal level and an adjustable cover that lowers down to press. It also has (usually) a bigger surface. My grill cooks only 1 at a time. The angle on mine is level horizontal (Some major angle down.), but my top is hinged at the back and folds down. I can live with that. You will be much happier if you have grills that can be removed for washing.

It is hard to write a recipe for paninis. Use what you like. Start with the bread. I buy a decent hoagie roll. Decide on meats, cheeses and vegetables. Think about sauces and herbs. I'll start with this one.

For this panini I split a hoagie roll in 1/2 length wise. Because I am grill this I turn my roll inside out and using a silicone basting brush, brush the 2 outer sides (formerly insides) with olive oil. (You can also use melted butter.) I like to sprinkle dried herbs (basil, oregano) or garlic powder on mine.

Next I build the sandwich. I always put cheese on the top and bottom (first and last). This glues the sandwich. For this sandwich I used fresh mozzarella cheese. I added slices of fresh tomatoes and then a strip of bottled pesto down the centre. I added left over rotisserie chicken next. More cheese and then the top bread. You don't want to put too much sauce on the sandwich. Then I put it on the well heated grill.

To keep my sandwich from slipping apart as it grills, I use one finger to hold the part of the sandwich in place as I set the lid down on the panini. It will close on it's own as it cooks, leaving you with a perfect panini.

If the grill is hot, it takes 4-6 mins. on my grill.

Then, I serve a sauce at the side for dipping. (You don't use a lot of sauce on the sandwich so it will hold it's shape.) For this Chicken Basil Panini I serve 2 sauces. One is a basic marinara, and the other is the basil pizza sauce (from Melanie Q.). (1/2 cup prepared pesto + 1/2 cup light sour cream) You could also add pesto to mayonnaise if you prefer a heavier dip.

The great thing about paninis is that you can use any meat or cheese. Left over roast or chicken..., but one of my favourite dipping sauces is a mix of low fat mayo and Brianna's Chipotle Cheddar dressing. mmmm I serve the dips in a small serving dish with a spoon, like dip.

During the winter serve this with a soup. For summer, try a salad.

Just a note. If you don't like or have not used pesto, try it a new way. It has an amazing full flavour, but plays well with others. I will share a few more pesto recipes this week.