I happened to be at an Armenian bakery last week to pick up some dessert for my kids’ doctor. I wanted to thank her for her last month’s generosity –by taking her office some sweets and to thank her for treating my cold last month free of charge. Can you believe it? She did not want anything for her time and service. I could not swallow the favor easily so I told her I will return the favor with sweets for her office. I wish I could have taken a picture of what I took… I did not have my camera on hand. But since I was already at the bakery, I decided to pick up some freshly baked Matnakash bread. Its texture is soft and fluffy on the inside and crusty on on the outside… It’s a bread that I grew up having everyday when I lived in Armenia.
Recipe:
Panini: Caramelized Mushrooms & Onions with Armenian Braided String Cheese
Ingredients:
Mushroom and Onion Mix
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 onions, sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- salt
- 2 lb white mushrooms, sliced
- 1/4 cup wine
- chili flakes
Sandwich
- 1 big loaf of Armenian bread cut across (matnakash), or any fluffy bread like focaccia.
- 2 tbsp butter
- 6 to 8 oz Armenian braided string cheese
- 1 tomato, sliced
- handful of basil
- chili flakes
- 3 cups mushroom mix
- salt
Directions:
Preheat oven at 475 degrees.
Mushroom and Onion Mix
Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large saute pan over medium high heat. Add the sliced onions let it cook until it starts turning golden. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, then add the mushrooms. Let it cook until the mushrooms start releasing their own water. Once the water has been released, add the red wine and simmer down the liquid until all water has been evaporated. Season with salt and pepper.
Sandwich
Slice bread in half. Spread butter on each slice of bread.
Start topping evenly the braided string cheese, tomato slices, basil onto the bottom slice of the bread. Season with salt and red pepper chili flakes.
Add the mushroom mix and cover sandwich with top piece of the bread. Put the top on and gently press the sandwich to flatten it slightly.
Since I do not own a panini grill I used an alternative approach to making my paninis: My handy dandy oven!
Place the sandwich in a baking tray and weight it down with another heavy pan or a clean brick wrapped in foil. Bake or grill for about 5 minutes.
Place
