Turkey & Pesto Panini with Provolone and Roasted Red Pepper

Here is a great gourmet style sandwich which is impressive when served, but simple to make.  Change it up by using different pesto flavors and changing up the cheeses.  I don't have a panini press, I use my George Forman grill and that works just great.

Turkey Panini with Pesto and Roasted Red Pepper

1 Arnold Sandwich Thin or Foccaccia bread
2 oz. shaved deli turkey
1 slice Provolone cheese
1 T. of your favorite pesto
1/2 of a whole roasted red pepper from a jar (drain between paper towels)
baby spinach leaves

Spread bottom of sandwich thin with pesto, layer on cheese, red pepper, spinach leaves turkey and top of sandwich thin.  Grill on preheated grill about 3-6 minutes until nicely toasted with grill marks and cheese is melted.  This is a great combination that we like real well, but you can change up the sandwich by using roast beef or ham and changing the pesto and the type of cheese.  Try Swiss or Havarti cheese.  I like spinach pesto but you could use basil or cilantro pesto.

Focaccia Bread

This bread goes well served alongside a lasagna or spaghetti dinner or as a snack dipped in marinara sauce or cut into 1 inch x 6 inch "breadsticks" and baked till crisp.  I love to use the leftover bread for panini sandwiches.  Using the bread machine makes this an easy process.

Focaccia Bread


7 1/2 oz. lukewarm water
3 c. bread flour  (I use 2 c. whole wheat +1 c. bread flour)
2 T. dry milk powder
2 1/2 T. sugar
1 t. salt
2 T. ground flaxseed
3 T. olive oil
1 t. dried minced garlic
1 t. dried oregano
1 t. dried basil
2 t. active dry yeast

Add all ingredients to bread pan in order given.  Select dough cycle.  When dough cycle is done, punch down dough and let rest 10 minutes.  Meanwhile spread a 15 x 10 inch pan liberally with olive oil.  When dough is done resting spread it into oiled pan stretching and gently pulling to make it fit to edges of pan.  Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise in warm place about 30 - 45 minutes.  With handle of wooden spoon, make indentations in dough every inch or so.  Brush with olive oil then sprinkle with:
2 T. grated Parmesan cheese
1 t. dried oregano
1 t. garlic salt or garlic powder.

Bake in preheated 400 degree oven for 15 minutes or until nicely browned.  Cut into squares for serving.  Serve warm.

Personal Pan Chicken Pesto Pizzas

I love kitchen gadgets and am always seduced into buying them. Most of the time over the years I have gotten them guilt free by buying them at garage sales. I love garage sales! I can usually justify the purchase of kitchen collectibles reasoning that "it is really cheap entertainment" first of all "shopping" and then putting these finds to good use. Some of the time I use the item once or twice and never get in the habit of using it. Such as the Microwave Waffle Maker. Only 75cents and if I only use it once oh well. Well, I only used it once. And then there is the donut maker...used once and the spaetzel maker...never used. But this little appliance is different. I do use it occasionally. It is good for one person cooking, so if you cook for one this may be a valuable tool in your kitchen. It is the Express, Ready, Set, Go. I am sure you have seen the infomercials. They are seductive...just like the Easy Bake Oven commercials when I was a kid. This I did buy new as I couldn't find any used ones out yet that came with all the accessories which of course I had to have. Here is a recipe that I make in it. You could bake these in the oven and make more than one at a time and they would be just as good. But, I use my little appliance making only one for myself for lunch when I am home alone just to get past the guilt!

Personal Pan Chicken Pesto Pizza


1 gyro bread or pita
2 T. Spinach Pesto
2 T. leftover cooked broccoli
2 T. chopped roasted red pepper
2-3 T. chopped cooked leftover chicken
1 slice provolone or shredded mozzarella

Preheat your Ready Set Go for about 10 minutes.  Meanwhile, spread pesto on bread; top with broccoli, pepper, chicken and top with cheese.  Spray inside of appliance and set pizza in.  Cover and cook 10-12 minutes until cheese is melted and golden.  If making these in the oven, bake at 350 degrees about 10 minutes.

Bread Machine Peach Jam

Jam is usually one of those seasonal things made only during the fruit harvest.  If you don't set yourself up by making lots during the summer you may have to resort to store bought varieties in the middle of winter which pale by comparison to the homemade varieties.  I love gadgets and have had a bread machine for several years. I had been using it to make homemade breads, of course, cinnamon rolls, foccaccia bread, homemade sandwich buns and the like for many years.  One day my old bread machine gave out and I needed to get another.  There were several varieties now.  Bread machines had come along way since the first ones that came out, and the price went down considerably from the first one I invested in.  As I shopped, I noticed the different cycles that the new ones had and thought to myself, I don't need all these features...jam cycle, quick bread cycle, cake cycle.  I will never use these cycles, but the price was right and even though I would never use these other features, well the machine came with them so I guess I just had to take them along with it.  A few years went by and I ignored these special features.  I am not sure how I came to pay attention to the fact that I could use these other features, it just happened.  I think it was the fact that I had lots, I mean lots of cherries in the freezer from our tree in the back yard.  I love cherry jam and just thought to use the machine to make the jam instead of standing, cooking and stirring at the stove.  Am I ever glad I did!  It has been a couple of years now and I make jam in it all the time.  There are many varieties to be made in it.  Here is one that I use frequently...the basic recipe:  Play around with fruit combinations to see what you like.

Peach or Cherry Bread Machine Jam


1 cup sugar
1 T. low-sugar fruit pectin (Sure-Jell)
2 c. thawed frozen peaches or cherries
2 t. lemon juice

Chop the peaches or cherries a bit.  Put in bread machine pan in the order listed.  Select jam cycle.  When jam is complete pour into clean jars.  Let jam stand on counter for 24 hours before refrigerating.  This may be frozen or used within a few weeks.

I have made this with peaches, cherries, cherries/raspberries, cherries/rhubarb, pears, raspberries/peaches.  You can also add ingredients like vanilla or ginger to spice it up a bit or try cinnamon etc.