Ham, Cheddar and Fig Panini's with Balsamic Field Greens

Summer has arrived in full force here in RI and the last thing I want to do is turn the oven on. The solution? A hearty panini with a light salad on the side.

OF course you could stuff a panini with whatever you have on hand and to me, as long as the cheese is ooey gooey and the bread is crisp and tasty, you're good! I opted for a combo of honey ham, sharp cheddar, and fig preserves. Combined with the toasty bread, it was a sure winner.

The salad lets you get creative too but tonight I went with a reenactment of a salad that Mr. TL and I while photographing a wedding a few weeks back. It was the perfect combination of field greens, toasted almonds, dried cranberries and goat cheese. Dressed with a sweet and tangy balsamic vinaigrette and you have a guaranteed winner.

Enjoy :)

Ham, Cheddar and Fig Panini's with Balsamic Field Greens


Panini's (Yield: 3 sandwiches)
1/2 lb deli ham (I used honey ham)
1/2 lb cheddar cheese (I used extra sharp)
3 tablespoons fig preserves
6 slices dense bread (I used a sourdough)
extra virgin olive oil for brushing

Preheat your panini grill to medium heat and brush with extra virgin olive oil.
Spread 1/2 tablespoon of fig preserves on each piece of bread.
Layer the ham and cheese accordingly on each piece of bread and form a sandwich.
Brush both sides of the sandwich with oil and place on the panini grill.
Cook 5-7 minutes or until the bread is crisp and the cheese is melted.

Salad
1 bag of mixed field greens
1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup almond slivers, toasted
balsamic vinaigrette (recipe below)

Wash field greens through your salad spinner and allow to dry.
Toss greens with balsamic vinaigrette and then top with goat cheese, cranberries, and almonds.

Balsamic Vinaigrette
(adapted from Oprah.com)
4 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp grainy Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp agave nectar
3/4 C extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Combine the balsamic vinegar, mustard, garlic, and agave nectar in a blender.
With the machine running, gradually add the olive oil through the opening in the lid to process into a thick dressing. Season with salt and pepper.
The dressing can be made up to 1 week ahead, stored in a covered container and refrigerated. Stir well before using.

Spinach & strawberry... a salad match made in heaven!

When I tell you that this salad is super easy and such a crowd pleaser, you better believe me! I found the basic recipe on allrecipes.com & then added some twists to it that really helped the flavor along. Here is my version...

Enjoy! :)

Spinach and Strawberry Salad
(adapted from all recipes.com)



INGREDIENTS
4 bunches spinach, rinsed and torn into bite-size pieces
4 cups sliced strawberries
1 cup vegetable oil
½ cup balsamc vinegar
1 cup white sugar
½ teaspoon paprika
4 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 tablespoon poppy seeds
1 ½ cups candied almonds**
2 cups bleu or gorgonzola cheese crumbles

DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, toss together the spinach, strawberries and almonds.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, sugar, paprika, sesame seeds, and poppy seeds.
Pour dressing over the salad.
Top with cheese & serve!


** To candy almonds: drop into a hot pan and sprinkle with sugar and a few drops of water… allow the almonds to caramelize on low heat for a few minutes

Tana-Licious’s notes: You can prep everything ahead of time but make sure to leave dressing out on a counter and not in fridge. It will turn to sludge!