Carrot and Apple Panini ...

Sprout Sara made me this sandwich last weekend when I visited her in Boston. She said she'd gotten the idea from a sandwich she'd grabbed in a small bar somewhere in Beantown on one of her nights out with friends. Whoever came up with this sammy combo is a genius! I loved it so much that I made them for SB and I last evening for light supper ... so good!

It all starts with a big bag of roasted carrots ... you make a carrot hummus that is sweet and spicy.

Slice an apple and make some thin slices of pepper jack cheese.

Choose a crunchy-crusted artisan loaf and cut enough for a couple sandwiches.

Spread both slices with carrot hummus and layer on the cheese, apple, and roasted carrot slices.

Lay on a generous mound of cilantro and top with a second layer of cheese.

Butter both sides of the panini sandwich and place on a heated grill pan. Weight the sandwich with a panini press or a heavy pot.  Flip and repeat to get a golden crunchy sammy!

TASTY !!!!!

Carrot Hummus

Ingredients:

8 large carrots, peeled and chunked

olive oil, to coat the carrots and for drizzling

Kosher salt and black pepper

red pepper flakes, two good pinches

smoked paprika, a small pinch

juice of half a lemon

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 c. tahini

Making the Hummus:

1. Toss the peeled carrots with some olive oil, salt, the peppers and paprika. 

2. Place in a single layer on a cookie sheet and roast in a hot oven (400 degrees F) until they are knife tender and slightly blackened at the edges.

3. Cook slightly before placing in a food processor bowl with the rest of the ingredients.

4. Puree the mixture to a smooth consistency. Correct the seasonings, adding more of the lemon juice, salt and pepper. 

5. Drizzle in enough olive oil to make a looser hummus to your taste.

6. Use the hummus for sandwich spread or dip. Add dollops to a bowl of couscous with some green herbs. Be creative!