Greens and Mushroom Panini

For these greens-packed panini, try to find a bag of washed, stemmed greens. If you blanch your greens after bringing them home from the market, you can make the panini in no time.

Ingredients

• ½ pound stemmed and washed sturdy greens, like kale, chard, turnip greens or mustard greens
• 1 medium-size portobello mushroom (for stuffing), sliced 1/2 inch thick
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 to 2 garlic cloves, minced (to taste)
• Salt
• freshly ground pepper
• 1 ½ ounces Gruyère or a mixture of Gruyère and Parmesan, sliced very thin or grated (about 1/3 cup)
• 4 slices whole grain bread

• Nutritional Information

  • Nutritional analysis per serving (2 servings)

    372 calories; 22 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 12 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 27 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 15 grams protein; 23 milligrams cholesterol; 592 milligrams sodium

  Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.
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Makes two panini

Preparation

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Fill a bowl with ice water. When the water in the pot comes to a boil, salt generously and add the greens. Bring the water back to a boil, and boil for two to three minutes, depending on the sturdiness of the greens. Transfer to the ice water to cool for a few minutes, and then drain and squeeze out excess water. Chop coarsely.
2. Preheat a panini grill. Brush both sides of the mushroom slices with olive oil, and grill for one to two minutes. Season if desired. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat, and add the garlic. Cook, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds, and stir in the greens. Toss to coat with oil, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.
3. Sprinkle half the cheese over two of the bread slices, and top the cheese with a few mushroom slices. Next, pile half the greens on top, and press them down with the back of a spoon. Top the greens with the remaining cheese, and cover with the remaining bread. Brush the outside of the sandwich with a little olive oil. Place in the panini maker, and grill for three to five minutes until the cheese has melted and the bread is toasty.

• Advance preparation: You can prepare the mushrooms and greens through step 2 several hours or even a day ahead of assembling the panini. You can assemble the panini several hours before grilling. Wrap tightly in plastic and refrigerate. Martha Rose Shulman can be reached at martha-rose-shulman.com.

About 30 minutes