I love hiding vegetables in sandwiches. Sometimes, those are the only vegetables my husband may eat all day. Sorry that I don’t remember the provenance of this recipe. This idea works well with any cooked greens you have on hand – as long as they’re well-drained. Who can resist a grilled cheese (and vegetable) sandwich?
Ingredients:
1 bunch kale, stemmed, leaves torn into pieces 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for grilling 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar Freshly ground black pepper 8 slices rustic sandwich bread 10 ounces local cheese – goat cheese, local feta, whatever you like Red chile flakes, if you like
Preparation:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add salt and working in batches, add the kale. Cook kale 3 minutes, then use a slotted spoon to transfer it to a colander. When all kale is cooked, let it cool and then squeeze to remove the excess moisture. Cut the kale into ½ inch wide strips and put them in a bowl. This can be done a day ahead.
Preheat a panini press, or heat a large cast-iron skillet over low heat and have another pan of the same size ready to weigh down the sandwiches.
Right before you are ready to assemble the sandwiches, toss the kale with the oil and vinegar and toss well. Taste for seasoning.
Lay out 4 slices of the bread and top them with equal parts kale and cheese; add chile flakes to taste. Top with the other slices of bread.
Lightly oil the panini press and follow the manufacturer’s instructions for grilling the sandwiches.
If using a pan on the stove top, raise the heat to medium, lightly oil it, and add as many sandwiches as can comfortably fit. Place the other heavy pan on top to press the sandwiches; if the pan is relatively light, add some weight to it, such as a large can or a full teakettle. Rotating the pan on the burner frequently, cook the sandwiches for about 5 minutes, until deep golden brown. Transfer the sandwiches to a plate, re-oil the pan, and return the sandwiches to the pan, browned side up, to cook the other side, about 3 minutes.