Skinny Chicken And Roasted Vegetable Paninis Recipes

SKINNY CHICKEN AND ROASTED VEGETABLE PANINIS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 450° F. Line 2 cookie sheets with foil, and spray with cooking spray.
• In small bowl, mix salt, olive oil and vinegar.
• Using pastry brush, brush zucchini and onion with vinegar mixture; reserve remaining mixture. Place zucchini and onion in single layer on 1 of the cookie sheets. Place tomatoes on second cookie sheet. Roast 25 to 30 minutes, turning once, until zucchini and onions are golden brown and tomatoes give up most of their juices, rotating pans halfway through baking.
• Meanwhile, roast bell pepper over open gas flame (or under broiler) until blackened on all sides. Transfer to medium bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Let steam 5 minutes, then transfer to cutting board. Cut off top of bell pepper, then use sharp knife to scrape blackened skin from flesh. Cut flesh into 1-inch strips.
• Spray panini grill with cooking spray; heat to medium-high heat.
• Divide vegetables between 2 slices of bread. Brush remaining vinegar mixture over veggies. Top with chicken, basil, then cheese. Top with second slice of bread. Place sandwiches in panini grill; grill 4 to 5 minutes or until cheese is melted and bread is thoroughly toasted.

GRILLED VEGETABLE PANINI

Steps:

• Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Drizzle the oil over the eggplant, zucchini, and onion slices, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Working in batches, grill the eggplant, zucchini, and onions until they are tender and grill marks appear, about 4 minutes per side. Cool completely.
• Cut each baguette into 6 pieces. Working with one baguette piece at a time, slice in half and spread both sides with the pesto. Working with the bottom slice of the baguette, stack 2 slices of eggplant, 2 slices zucchini, 1 slice onion, 1 slice tomato, 1 slice mozzarella, and 1 slice of roasted pepper. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place top half of baguette on top and continue with remaining baguette. (The sandwiches can be made 4 hours ahead. Wrap well with plastic wrap and refrigerate.)
• 2 cups fresh basil leaves
• 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup (about) extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
• In a blender, pulse the basil, pine nuts, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper until finely chopped. With the blender still running, gradually add enough oil to form a smooth and thick consistency. Transfer the pesto to a medium bowl and stir in 1/2 cup of cheese. Season the pesto with more salt and pepper, to taste. (The pesto can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
• Yield: 1 cup
• Prep Time: 10 minutes

ROTISSERIE CHICKEN PANINI WITH ROASTED SWEET RED PEPPER, SPINACH, AND GUACAMOLE

Steps:

• Preheat panini maker to medium-low.
• Open the roll and place a layer of cheese on the bottom half of the bread, fitting cheese to the contours of the bun. Layer rotisserie chicken, roasted sweet red pepper, onion rings, and bacon on top.
• Place a layer of fresh spinach leaves on the bacon and spoon prepared guacamole on top. Place second half of bun on top. Brush top and bottom plates of panini maker with butter, and place the sandwich in the buttered area.
• Close the panini maker and cook until cheese is melted, chicken is warmed, and bun is crispy and lightly browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Serve warm with dill pickle spear.

SKINNY MEDITERRANEAN CHICKEN PANINI

Steps:

• For the sandwich spread: In a small bowl, combine dried tomatoes and the boiling water. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Transfer undrained tomato mixture to a food processor. Add roasted red peppers, balsamic vinegar, oregano, garlic, and black pepper. Cover and process until smooth.
• Lightly coat an unheated panini griddle, covered indoor electric grill, or large nonstick skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Heat according to manufacturer's directions or preheat over medium heat. Add chicken. If using griddle or grill, close lid and grill for 6 to 7 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. (If using skillet, cook chicken for 10 to 12 minutes or until no longer pink, turning once.) Cool chicken slightly; split each chicken piece in half horizontally and cut crosswise into 2-inch-wide slices.
• Spread the sandwich spread on cut sides of rolls. Place chicken on the roll bottoms. Using a vegetable peeler, cut very thin lengthwise strips from the zucchini. Place zucchini strips on top of the chicken. Place roll tops on top of the zucchini, spread sides down. Press down lightly. Lightly coat the top and bottom of each sandwich with nonstick cooking spray.
• Place sandwiches on griddle, grill, or skillet, adding in batches if necessary. If using griddle or grill, close lid and grill for 2 to 3 minutes or until bread is toasted. (If using skillet, place a heavy saucepan or skillet on top of sandwiches. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until bottoms are toasted. Carefully remove saucepan or top skillet-it may be hot. Turn sandwiches; top again with the saucepan or skillet. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes more or until bread is toasted.)

PAN-ROASTED CHICKEN AND VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°. In a large bowl, combine potatoes, onion, oil, garlic, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon rosemary and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; toss to coat. Transfer to a 15x10x1-in. baking pan coated with cooking spray., In a small bowl, mix paprika and the remaining salt, rosemary and pepper. Sprinkle chicken with paprika mixture; arrange over vegetables. Roast until a thermometer inserted in chicken reads 170°-175° and vegetables are just tender, 35-40 minutes., Remove chicken to a serving platter; keep warm. Top vegetables with spinach. Roast until vegetables are tender and spinach is wilted, 8-10 minutes longer. Stir vegetables to combine; serve with chicken.