Great Panini Picnic, On A Budget
Is there anything better on a perfect summer day than a delicious picnic?
Yes: one that goes beyond the usual ho-hum sandwiches.
How do - Paninis sound?!
New York restaurateur Jason Denton, who's also a cookbook author, knows all about making sandwiches special. He's the co-owner of some of the city's hottest eateries, and is credited with helping to kick off the Panini craze in the United States.
Jason was inspired by a Panini bar he visited in Italy, and opened 'ino in 1998. Along with partners Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich, Denton is behind New York hotspots 'inoteca, Otto and Lupa.
Jason accepted The Early Show Saturday Edition's "Chef on a Shoestring" challenge of making a three-course meal on a recession-busting budget of $35 - in this case, a summer picnic for four.
He also was automatically entered in our "How Low Can You Go?" competition. At the end of the year, the "Shoestring" chef with the lowest ingredients total will be invited back to prep our great holiday dinner.
MENU:
RECIPES
Grilled Asparagus Salad with Hard Boiled Eggs, Red Pepper Vinaigrette and Shaved Grana
INGREDIENTS:
2 bunches of asparagus (about 18 spears in each bundle)
8 eggs
1 red pepper
2-3 ounces of grana cheese
1 tablespoon of balsamic dressing
1 ½ tablespoons of olive oil
Salt & pepper
METHOD:
Asparagus: (8-9 stems per salad)
Clean asparagus and cut off stems. Cut about one inch of bottom or the white part of the stem.
In large mixing bowl, add one teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil. Add pinch of salt and pepper.
Toss all together until all of the asparagus are coated nicely.
Heat panini grill to 375° degrees.
Lay spears length wise so they cook with nice grill marks. Cook for 1 minute and 30 seconds.
We are looking to have a crisp spear with nice depth and texture.
Hard Boiled Eggs: (2 eggs per salad)
Put eggs in a pot with room temperature water. Turn burner on high. When water hits a boil, turn off burner.
Let eggs sit for 8-9 minutes. Pull out and let eggs sit until they are room temperature.
Crack eggs. You should have a perfectly cooked hard-boiled egg.
Red Pepper Vinaigrette: (for entire salad)
Take one large red pepper and toast over stove until the skin is a charred color.
Peel off skin and place in a tightly covered bowl. This will allow the pepper to steam.
Then cut the pepper in half, take out any seeds and any white parts of the pepper out. Lay pepper down flat. Slice long strips then cut strips in to ½-inch cubes.
In large mixing bowl combine pepper with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of balsamic dressing, and dash of salt & pepper.
Mix all together, making sure to combine ingredients. The longer the vinaigrette sits the better the flavors will meld together.
To assemble salad, place asparagus on plate, either group the hardboiled eggs together or place on either side of asparagus. Layer thinly shaved grana on top of the asparagus. Finally a heap of the roasted red pepper vinaigrette on top to finish off. Simple, clean, and fresh.
For more recipes, go to Page 2.
Portobello, Arugula and Pecorino Peppato Panini
INGREDIENTS:
2 large portobello mushrooms or 4 small ones
4 ciabatta rolls
1 ½ tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
3 egg yolks
1 tablespoon of warm water
1 bunch of fresh Arugula
1 large lemon
8 ounces of pecorino peppato cheese
Salt & pepper
METHOD:
First we will prepare the panini. Cut one one-third off the top of the ciabatta for grill ability. Than cut the ciabatta bread in half. Lay ½ of a large portobello, including the stem, on one side the bread. The portobello is raw. Flavor with a little salt and pepper and a drizzle about ½ teaspoon of olive oil on top of the portobello.
Next, take undressed arugula, about 15 little pieces per sandwich and lay on top of portobello.
Sprinkle about 2 ounces of grated pecorino peppato on top. Grated cheese melts nicely and quickly.
Then juice the lemon on top of sandwich. This gives the greens a nice kick of flavor but it will also help tie in the lemon mayo, which goes on after the panini has been cooked.
Place lid on top. Heat panini grill to 350° degrees. Let sandwich cook for 5 minutes. We want to make sure we are cooking the portobello.
Once the panini is in the grill, we can prepare the lemon mayo ...
Lemon Mayo: (for 4 sandwiches)
Take 3 egg yolks and one tablespoon of warm water and put in blender. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Whip for about 15-20 seconds or until a froth appears. Then slowly drizzle in olive oil, till it becomes rich and creamy.
Next, squeeze the rest of the fresh lemon as well as fresh cracked pepper on top.
Take a teaspoon and generously spread on one side of the bread. Place lid back on top and cut in half, enjoy!
Chicken, Summer Squash, and Mozzarella Panini
INGREDIENTS:
4 ciabatta rolls
1 green squash
1 yellow squash
8 ounces of chicken breast about 1 ½ breasts
1 ball of fresh mozzarella
1 ½ tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
1 ounce of chili flakes
1 teaspoon of lemon juice
Bunch of mint
Salt and pepper
METHOD:
Take each one of the squash and cut lengthwise and add to mixing bowl. Combine squash with pinch of salt, 5 sprigs of rough chopped mint, 1 teaspoon of lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Mix every couple of minutes. The salt will draw out the water form the squash and create a marinade.
Preparing the chicken is simple. First, choose good quality chicken breast that is antibiotic free. Lay meat out before preparing to go into the oven. This enables the meat to adjust to the environment and cook evenly. If it's not room temperature before it goes in the over than the skin tends to burn. Then we season the chicken, simple and modestly. Sprinkle salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.
Heat oven to 400° degrees.
Make sure skin side is up. The gives the chicken a more depth texture for the panini and added flavor. Cook for 15 minutes.
Once cooked let meat rest so we don't loose any flavor from the juices. Sprinkle salt and pepper on top.
Next, take ciabatta and cut 1/3 top off for grill ability. Cut bread in half. Place chicken on bottom. (About 2 ounces per sandwich). Make sure the chicken slices are thin. One of the important factors in preparing a perfect panini is to make sure each flavor shines through and to make sure it happens there should never be too much of one ingredient.
Next, top with summer squash. Layer lengthwise, they should look like beautiful yellow and green ribbons. Take liquid from marinade and drizzle on top of squash.
On top of squash layer 2 thin slices of unsalted fresh mozzarella. The cheese should always be closest to the surface of heat so it melts. We are not looking to cook every ingredient rather we are looking to melt the ingredients together. Add a little salt and pepper on top of the fresh mozzarella.
Place lid on and heat grill to 375 degrees. Place on grill and let sit cook for 5 minutes. DO NOT LIFT UP LID. This will not allow for the panini to get good grill marks or cook properly.
After 5 minutes push down grill and listen for sizzle. The panini should be ready to eat!
For yet another recipe, go to Page 3.
Purple Grape Trifle with Simple Syrup and Fresh Whipped Cream
INGREDIENTS:
1 bunch of fresh purple grapes
1 bottle of sparkling water
1 cup sugar
1 small container of fresh heavy cream
4 sprigs of mint
METHOD:
First make a simple syrup by heating the sparkling water and slowing mixing in the sugar until a rich consistency is achieved.
Cut grapes in half-length wise and add to a bowl with a quarter of the simple syrup. Add 4 sprigs of mint and cover tightly. Put in fridge. Throughout the day mix the marinade.
Next, take grapes and layer on the bottom of a martini glass or small bowl. Take heavy cream and whip until it is a medium firm texture. Ladle on a generous tablespoon on top of grapes.
Next drizzle juice from marinade on top of cream! It's a super refreshing way to end a meal.
So, how did Jason fare in our "How Low Can You Go?" competition?
Asparagus Salad
asparagus $4.99
eggs $0.97
red pepper $1.39
grana cheeese $3.00
total $10.35
Panini
portobello mushrooms $3.49
ciabatta rolls $3.98
Arugula $1.49
lemon $0.49
pecorino $2.50
green squash $1.34
yellow squash $0.87
chicken breast $2.99
mozzarella $2.49
mint $0.69
total $20.33
Grape Trifle
purple grapes $2.99
heavy cream $1.19
total $4.18
Grand total: $34.86
Where does that put Jason in the competition?
1. Paul Liebrandt $32.35
Corton
2. Scott Peacock $32.60
Watershed Restaurant
3. Joey Campanaro $33.27
The Little Owl