Summer Caprese Panini
A Taste of Summer
Fresh basil, Buffalo mozzarella and vine-ripened tomoatoes....how on earth can you go wrong with a combination like that :).
Gluten-Free Options
Although, it's rare to find a GF version of this sandwich in restaurants, making this at home is no problem! Thankfully there are so many amazing, GF bread options available today...so creating a classic sandwich like this is totally easy and doable. My favorite GF bread options currently are:Little Northern Bakehouse and Schar Deli Slice. They provide the most realistic texture, density and flavor to wheat based bread...that's also egg-free.
Summer Caprese Panini.
This panini makes for a fast, tasty and super fresh summer meal....I personally like to serve mine with a side of soup or salad.
INGREDIENTS ( 2 sandwiches)
- 4 slices of your favorite bread
- Olive oil for brushing
- 4 teaspoons mayonnaise
- 2 slices mozzarella cheese
- 3 tomato slices
- 1 teaspoon. red wine vinegar or your favorite Italian Dressing
- Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 6-8 fresh basil leaves
DIRECTIONS
- Preheat an electric panini maker according to the instructions or heat griddle on the stove.
- Brush one side of each bread slice with olive oil. Lay the slices, oiled side down, on a clean work surface. Spread the top of each slice with 1 teaspoon mayonnaise. Place the cheese on one slice and top with the tomato slices. Drizzle with red wine vinegar/ Italian Dressing and season with salt and pepper. Top with the basil leaves, then with the other bread slice, oiled side up.
- Place the sandwich on the preheated panini maker (or griddle on stove) and cook until the bread is golden and the cheese is melted, 3 to 5 minutes. For sandwiches made on the stove, after about 2 minutes, make sure to flip and allow to cook on other side for about the same amount of time.
- Transfer the sandwich to a cutting board and cut in half. Serve immediately.
VEGAN NOTES -Replace cheese with a Vegan mozzarella
GLUTEN FREE NOTES -If you use gluten-free bread, then it's totally gluten-free!
YOGIC COOKING NOTES -Pitta constitutions might want to lessen the amount of tomatoes. Kapha constitutions might want to add some spice (ground jalapeno, red chili flakes, etc) to help digest the cheese. Vata constitutions--enjoy! However, skip the salad and serve with soup or something warm.
ENJOY!
