Kale Panini Recipes

Steps:

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

Steps:

• Working in batches, blanch the kale in boiling salted water for 3 minutes, until tender. Use a slotted spoon to transfer each batch to a colander. When all the kale is cooked, let it cool and then squeeze with your hands to remove the excess moisture. Cut the kale into 1/2-inch-wide strips and put them in a bowl.
• Preheat a panini press, or heat a large cast-iron skillet over low heat and have another pan of the same size ready to weight down the sandwiches.
• Right before you are ready to assemble the sandwiches, season the kale with salt. Add the oil and toss well. Finish with the vinegar.
• Lay out 4 slices of the bread and top them with equal parts kale and cheese; add chiles to taste. Season with salt and pepper, and 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 stovetop, 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 tea kettle. 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.)