Caponata Panini Sandwich

Italian Food not just offers great pasta dishes but they have amazing rice, salads, soups and sandwiches. Italian sandwiches are very popular all over world whether it's cold or pressed paninis. Usually these sandwiches are topped with grilled vegetables and meats, tapenades, cheeses, and dressings on their many different types of bread. One of the most popular Italian sandwich is basil, tomato, and fresh mozzarella with balsamic vinaigrette drizzled all over, also known as Caprese Sandwich; however I like Caponata Sandwich even more. This delicious sandwich is filled with eggplant, other veggies, mixed with herbs, raisins and hefty portion of  feathery moist fresh mozzarella cheese on Chibata Bread. One can use sourdough or Baguette instead as well. 

Ingredients :-

• 1 Medium Eggplant, peeled and cut into small cubes
• 1 Small Green or Red Bell Pepper, diced
• 1 Small Red Onion, diced
• 1/4 cup Black Olives, sliced or diced
• 2 Garlic Cloves, chopped
• 12 oz Can Tomato, diced
• 2-3 tbsp Raisins
• 2-3 tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
• 2 tsp Brown Sugar
• 1/3 cup Olive Oil
• 1/2 tsp Dried Oregano
• Salt & Black Pepper to taste
• Baguette or Ciabatta bread
• Fresh mozzarella Slices

Method:-

1. Heat oil in pan, cook eggplant, onion, bell pepper, and garlic.

2. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 10 minutes, until vegetables are soft.

3. Add tomato with their juice, olives, vinegar, sugar, oregano, and raisins. Mix well.

4. Again season with salt and pepper. Simmer over medium-low heat about 20 minutes. Stir a few times.

5. Cut the bread pieces horizontally in half. Add a slice of mozzarella to bread bottom, spoon the caponata on top, cover with the other bread half.

6. Lightly Grill this sandwich in panini grill.

Serve hot..

Open Faced Macaroni Sandwich

Open-faced sandwiches are nothing but single slice of lightly toasted bread with various toppings. They are also called messy sandwiches as well because toppings, sauce will drip sometimes, so keep a napkin handy). These sandwiches are very famous these days as restaurants are serving them in breakfasts, lunch, and dinner. Poached eggs with grilled asparagus and paprika on toast is typically American breakfast item at diners. Smoked salmon pate and shrimp pate on bread are Netherlands ' favorite. Kidney Beans, pomegranate, and cheese pate on toasted bread slice is Mediterraneans' favorite. Italians love their tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, eggplants, red bell peppers, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil on top of their open sandwich. Any kind of meat, seafood, fruits, cheeses, and vegetables are perfect for the open faced sandwiches. The toppings are endless for this sandwiches, and one can even make sweet open sandwiches as well. Spread Nutella on warm toast and put strawberry slices or banana slices, and dust little powdered sugar on top and boy o boy it is slice of the heaven, party in your mouth! :)))

I am making this Open Faced Macaroni sandwich for a quite while now, and still me and DH can't get enough of it. It is very easy to make and super creamy, little sweet, little tangy, little spicy, and yes little messy. All ingredients compliment each other, and they mix very well with each other. One can make this sandwich spicy but I like mild so I used pinch of cayenne pepper. One can use hot sauce as well. One more thing to keep in mind that, bread slices should be lightly toasted and but strong enough to be able hold toppings well. And no no for griddle toasting, use only oven or bread toaster. That way they remain their shapes after toasting. And serving.


Ingredients:-

• 1 Cup Small Elbow Macaroni (Or your choice of small pasta), boiled
  
• 1/4 cup Carrot, grated
  
• 1/8 cup Corn, boiled
  
• 2 tbsp Tomato, deseeded and chopped
  
• 1 tbsp Sweet Cucumber Pickle, chopped
  
• 3 tbsp Low Fat Mayonise
  
• 4 tbsp Fat Free Sour Cream or Yogurt
  
• 1/2 tsp Ketchup
  
• 1/8 tsp Paprika
  
• 1 tbsp Fresh Mint, chopped
  
• Pinch of Cayenne pepper
  
• Olive Oil
  
• White Bread Slices
  
• Fresh Garlic Cloves, peeled and cut into half.
  
• Salt to taste
  

Method:-

1. Mix well all above ingredients in bowl. Cover and let it sit for 15 minutes before serving.

2. Drizzle little olive oil on bread slices and toast them lightly in oven or in toaster.

3. Now rub little garlic on hot bread slice. Put 2-3 tbsp macaroni salad on top of the bread.

4. Serve immediately with iced tea, soda, and paper napkin :)

Enjoy...