fruit & ricotta panini two ways

So I love to cook. But the weather lately has been...shall we say..."toasty" the past few weeks. Thursday it's supposed to break 100 degrees--I don't care how much you love to cook, the thought of turning on an oven or standing near a burner when it is that hot (no A/C in this abode) is nauseating. So unless you want to eat salads & cereal for every meal the rest of the summer, you're going to need some options. These sandwiches may seem warm & comforting thanks to the melty cheese and toasted bread, but the fruit gives them just enough of a bright punch to taste refreshing.

Yep, I just used "refreshing" to describe a sandwich. I'm a rebel like that.

I made these on my little George Foreman grill, but you can also make them on a stove top like you would a grilled cheese (if you can stand the heat) or just by nuking the ingredients for, say, 15 seconds, and popping the bread in the toaster before assembling. Whatever keeps you cool.

Spicy Pineapple Ricotta Panini
2 slices of Texas Toast
2 1/2 Tbsp ricotta cheese
1/4 cup cubed pineapple (please use fresh & not that weird tasting canned stuff)
sprinkle of crushed red pepper

Spread the ricotta cheese on one slice of bread. Top with a sprinkle of red pepper & pineapple. Put the other piece of bread on top. Grill on a hot panini machine/ George Foreman grill that is liberally coated with cooking spray for 60-90 seconds (depending on how crispy you want your panini--I like mine lightly grilled, so I cooked it for 60 seconds).

Blackberry Jam & Ricotta Panini
2 slices of Texas Toast
2 1/2 Tbsp ricotta cheese
2 1/2 Tbsp blackberry jam
pinch of salt

Spread the ricotta cheese on one slice of bread. Lightly sprinkle with salt. Spread the jam on the other slice of bread, and put the two slices of bread together with the jam/ricotta kissing in the middle. Grill on a hot panini machine/ George Foreman grill that is liberally coated with cooking spray for 60-90 seconds (again, depending on how crispy you want your panini--I like mine lightly grilled, so I cooked it for 60 seconds).

Or mix it up! Use whatever jam or preserves you have on hand. I made a version with pineapple, ricotta, sliced jalapenos, and chicken breast last week. Yum.

Hope you're staying cool!