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As my blog title suggests, these pages contain a wild mix of recipes which sample a wide range of flavours and cultures. I won't even try to apply an over-arching theme to this project other than to say that every dish is about creating good food!

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Friday, June 6, 2008

Gourmet Cheese, Tomato & Carmelized Onion Panini

Cheese & tomato sandwiches, grilled cheese, and cheese & onion just about anything are traditional common grub in my native land. In the best tradition of my adopted country; however, I've combined these flavours with some local specialties and a cooking technique from yet a third country (the Italian pressed & grilled sandwich or "panino") to create this delicious sandwich. Simple food with gourmet taste.

Gourmet Cheese, Tomato & Carmelized Onion Panini


Ingredients:
  • hearty whole grain, multi-grain bread
  • onion, thinly sliced
  • tomato, sliced
  • chèvre
  • aged Canadian cheddar, sliced
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • olive oil for frying

Notes:

Panini are traditionally made in a ridged sandwich press which toasts both slices of bread while heating the sandwich through and fusing the fillings together. The ridges give the panino its characteristic stripes. If you don't have such a press; however, you can still enjoy this delicious sandwich by cooking it in a skillet and pressing down the top of the sandwich with a second heavy skillet or other weight, then flipping the sandwich halfway through the cooking time to toast the opposite side of the bread. You won't have the stripes using this second method, but you'll still get all of the flavour!


Directions:

Stir fry onion in olive oil over medium heat until onions are caramelized (soft and caramel in colour).
Spread chèvre on one side of each slice of bread.
Place tomato slices on one slice of bread for each sandwhich.
Top tomato with slices of Canadian cheddar. (I've had great results making this sandwich with Balderson's 2 Year Old Royal Canadian Cheddar.)
Spread carmelized onions over top of cheddar.
Assembling Panini
Top sandwiches with second slice of bread (cheese side inside).
Brush outside of sandwiches lightly with extra virgin olive oil.
Cook in a hot sandwich press or skillet with top weight until both sides of the sandwhich are toasted and the cheeses have melted, fusing the fillings together.
Enjoy hot off the grill.

2 comments:

Karen Bosch said...

This looks really good - I love carmelized onions. I use my George Foreman Grill to make panini - it works perfectly!

Laura Rainbow Dragon said...

Hi Karen. Thanks! It sure was good. And yes, those are George Foreman Grill marks you see on my panini too.