I promised things would start getting difficult! Although paninis are not the hardest food in the world to make, this dish definitely required a little extra time and preparation.
Rosemary and Chicken Panini with Sun-dried Tomatoes
At first glance it doesn't seem like it would be too difficult, and then you read the directions. I didn't see the 30 minute marinating of the chicken when I found the recipe, which is a big chunk of time when you're hungry, so that delayed things quite a bit. I also am a big dummy and forgot to defrost my chicken the night before, so I ended up making this dish the next day.
Once everything was thawed and marinated, things got interesting. I had Jake helping me make it since he was over anyways and he was hungry, and to be honest I'm not sure it would have gone well if it was just one person. With this recipe there are a bunch of things going on at once, and I'm not so experienced with cooking that the pressure doesn't phase me. You end up grilling the chicken and dealing with a delicate pan of greens and tomatoes at the same time, which was when I realized how glad I was to have someone helping me. However, once the chicken is finished, it's not so bad.
In the end, the paninis were AWESOME! Just as great as something at a restaurant. Definitely a good recipe and good instructions. I was much happier with this choice than I was with the penne pasta I made on Thursday night. I think what I learned from this little guy is that I actually need to do a better job of LOOKING at the cooking instructions before I start making the dish. I didn't realize I needed a George Forman grill until I was marinating my chicken. Whoops! Luckily, both my roommates have them and I was able to borrow one (which I still need to clean...).
Tonight's meal is the BIG adventure: Barbacoa Beef with lime and cilantro rice.
Cross your fingers that I don't cut off mine in the process.
See you tonight!
Rosemary and Chicken Panini with Sun-dried Tomatoes
Once everything was thawed and marinated, things got interesting. I had Jake helping me make it since he was over anyways and he was hungry, and to be honest I'm not sure it would have gone well if it was just one person. With this recipe there are a bunch of things going on at once, and I'm not so experienced with cooking that the pressure doesn't phase me. You end up grilling the chicken and dealing with a delicate pan of greens and tomatoes at the same time, which was when I realized how glad I was to have someone helping me. However, once the chicken is finished, it's not so bad.
In the end, the paninis were AWESOME! Just as great as something at a restaurant. Definitely a good recipe and good instructions. I was much happier with this choice than I was with the penne pasta I made on Thursday night. I think what I learned from this little guy is that I actually need to do a better job of LOOKING at the cooking instructions before I start making the dish. I didn't realize I needed a George Forman grill until I was marinating my chicken. Whoops! Luckily, both my roommates have them and I was able to borrow one (which I still need to clean...).
Tonight's meal is the BIG adventure: Barbacoa Beef with lime and cilantro rice.
Cross your fingers that I don't cut off mine in the process.
See you tonight!
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