Grilled Veggie Panini

I went to the grocery store the other day.

And I went HUNGRY.

One of the biggest faux pas you can make in a grocery store.

The cardinal rule of grocery shopping is to go on a decently full stomach.

And please.. with a list!!

I went starving and sans a list.

Trouble ensued.

I went and bought that whole place up.

I robbed them.

I mean, I paid them, but I robbed them of everything they had.

In the veggie department, anyway.

The eggplants and zucchini never saw me coming.

Sorry little guys, but you're coming home with me.

They looked so luscious and ripe and ready to be devoured.

But really, buying so many was just out of line.

I jumped the gun.

I got home and re-evaluated my vegetable stack and realized my impulsive behavior had me drowning in eggplants and zucchinis.

Now I had to come up with a plan on what to do with it all.

Grilled Vegetable... something.

My grill pan had been collecting dust in the corner of lost pots and pans that I can't reach or get to easily, so I forget and/or am too lazy to pull them out and utilize them.

I decided that laziness was going to end... NOW.

I got down on my hands and knees to reach the lower cupboard (cuz that's where the abyss of pots and pans are stashed) and valiantly pulled out my All Clad grill pan.

It's really one of my favorite kitchen accessories.

It not only cooks anything gorgeously and easily, it also gives these beautiful grill marks which cannot be beat.

Really, you should get one.

You can grill everything on it.

Bread, veggies, meats, fish, shrimp, fruits even.

I love cooking on mine.

It just takes ordinary looking food and turns it extraordinary.

Like you got it from a restaurant.

Your steak will have exquisite grill marks.

Your chicken will bear some beautiful cross hatch marks.

Contrary to what you are thinking, no I have not recently become employed by the mighty All Clad peeps.

Even though I know I'm selling the shit out of their grill pan.

Not really sure what that's all about.

Ok, I'm moving on.

I decided to make a grilled veggie panini.

Oh, wait.

But I don't have a panini maker.

NEVER FEAR!

We'll just call that my Lebanese ingenuity.

With a touch of.. gangstaaaaaa.

But I'm getting ahead of myself...

Here's the lo down:

I cut the eggplant and zucchini into about 1/4 inch rounds and drizzled them with olive oil, salt and pepper.

I grilled them till they were perfectly branded with those lovely grill marks on both sides.

Take them off, slice your baguette in half and slather it with pesto sauce.

Then pile on your grilled veggies.

I also added shredded fontina cheese and fresh spinach.

It's really THAT easy.

So I used eggplants and zucchini, but you can use any veggies you like.

Bell peppers, artichokes, onions... whatever you like.

It's an easy lunch or dinner.

And there's a thousand different ways you can dress it up.

Make it pretty.

Dress up your baguette.

You know you want to.

Grill away.

Bon apetit.