Apple, Ham, & Swiss Cheese Panini

Ingredients:

• 4 (6-inch whole-wheat hoagie rolls, split; 8 slices whole-wheat bread; or 2 whole wheat pita rounds, halved crosswise & split horizontally)
• 1 tsp. whole-grain Dijon mustard
• 8 slices Black Forest Ham
• 8 slices of a Granny Smith Apple, cored
• 8 slices of Swiss or Gruyere cheese
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• nonstick olive oil cooking spray

Makes 4 Servings

1.  Place hoagie roll bottoms or 4 of the bread slices or 4 pita pieces on a work surface; divide half of the spinach leaves among them. Spread each sandwich bread with mustard. Top each with 2 slices of ham, 2 slices of apple, cored, and 2 slices of cheese. Top with hoagie roll tops, remaining bread slices, or pita slices.
2. Lightly coat and unheated panini griddle, covered indoor electric grill, or large nonstick skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Preheat griddle, grill, or skillet over medium heat or heat according to manufacturer's directions. Add sandwiches, in batches if necessary.
3. If using griddle or grill, close lid and grill for 2-3 minutes or until bread is toasted.
4. If using a skillet, place a heavy plate on top of sandwiches. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until bottoms are toasted. Carefully remove plate, which may be hot. Turn sandwiches and top with the plate. Cook for 1-2 minutes more or until bread is toasted.

WW POINTS VALUE: 11 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the New Sonoma Cookbook. If you love sandwiches, these sandwiches are for you. They are a lot of points but they are worth every bite. This is an updated version of the traditional ham and cheese. It's got the fancy French cheese with Dijon Mustard, Granny Smith apple and ham. If you don't have ham on hand, bacon will work just as well. One bite of this panini and you'll never have a plain, boring sandwich again.

Ham and Cheese Frico Breakwiches

Ingredients:

• 1 cup shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese (4 oz.)
• 4 tsp. coarse-grain Dijon mustard
• 2 oz. sliced smoked ham, cut into 8 pieces
• 4 roasted red pepper halves (from a jar)
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion

Makes 4 Servings (1 sandwiches per serving)

1. Heat the oven to 375 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Using 2 tablespoons for each, sprinkle the cheese into 8 mounds on the baking sheet. Spread each mound into a 3-inch round. Bake for 3 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and spread lightly. Remove from the oven and let stand on he baking sheet until the cheese sets, about 2 minutes.
3. Using a thin-bladed metal spatula, lift the rounds off the baking sheet. Brush the smooth side of each round with mustard. Top each of 4 rounds with 1 piece of ham, a red pepper, another piece of ham, and one-fourth of the onion. Top with the remaining cheese rounds, mustard side down, and serve warm.

 

WW POINTS VALUE: 3 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Super Quick Cookbook. This is a breakfast sandwich but you can eat this 'sandwich' for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. This sandwiches are made from frico, or cheese crisps in place of bread. You can use a variety of shredded cheeses such as Monterey Jack, Provolone, Mozzarella, Swiss, Gruyere, etc, a variety of meats such as sliced turkey, roast beef, Canadian bacon, and a variety of vegetables such as tomatoes, bell peppers, spinach, arugula, etc. and use pesto, chimichurri, romesco in place of the mustard for a variety of breakwiches and you'll have endless possibilities.  

Baked Eggs with Spinach and Ham (or Sun-Dried Tomatoes)

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, thinly sliced
• 4 (1 oz.) slices lower-fat, lower sodium boiled or smoked ham (not honey glazed), cut into thin strips (or 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes chopped)
• 4 oz. baby spinach, chopped (4-5 cups)
• 12 large eggs
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Makes 8 Servings

1. Heat oven to 350 F. Lightly coat an 8 X 8-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until  softened, about 5 minutes. Add ham (or sun-dried tomatoes) and cook 3 minutes more. Transfer to a large bowl.
2. Add reamaining 1 tbsp of oil to the pan. Add spinach and cook, stirring occasionally, until  spinach has wilted, about 3 minutes. Add to the bowl with ham (or tomatoes) and onion mixture.
3. Whisk together the eggs, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Pour half of the egg mixture into the baking dish. Scatter onion, ham (or tomatoes) and spinach mixture on top of eggs. Cover with the remaining egg mixture. Bake until eggs are set and lightly browned, about 30 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes. Cut into squares and serve warm.

WW POINTS VALUE: 4  per serving

Note: This recipe appear in the South Beach Diet Parties and Holidays Cookbook. My mother and I do not like ham so I substituted sun-dried tomatoes instead. The spinach and the tomatoes add color and more nutrtional value to the egg dish. Eggs baked in a casserole dish makes a classic  breakfast, brunch or light dinner dish that is so easy to prepare. This egg dish gets added flavor and nutrients that include Vitamin B, folate and potassium from the spinach and onions. Ths sun-dried tomatoes add more zing to the dish as well.  My mom and I loved this dish. It was so delicious you forgot it was good for you. I highly recommend serving this dish for breakfast, dinner, brunch and any special occasion you are celebrating.