Turkey Brie Panini

Alright, we probably ought to get something straight here.  Apparently, according to Wikipedia (which is ALWAYS right) Americans have a tendency to think that a panini refers only to a grilled sandwich.  Feeling a responsibility to not contribute to misconceptions I feel it's best to go on record that in Italy, a panini can refer to any form of sandwich (and if you want to get really technical, you'd really call one sandwich a "panino").  As for this sandwich, however, it falls right into the grilled panini stereotype.  But that is alright.  In fact, in my book, gooey melted brie layered with roasted deli turkey, crisp apple slices, tangy honey mustard and fresh spinach all grilled up in toasty French is a very good thing indeed!  In honor of my parents enjoying their time in France right now, I whipped up a French-inspired lunch.  Bon Appetit!

Turkey Brie Panini

For each sandwich (panino : ):
1 4-6 inch section of baguette, split (or two slices rustic-style bread)
1/2 teaspoon grainy mustard
1/2 teaspoon honey
1/2-1 oz brie cheese, thinly sliced
thinly sliced apple (I used Braeburn)
fresh spinach leaves
softened butter

Stir together mustard and honey.  Spread on inside of bread.  Layer turkey, apple slices, spinach leaves and brie.  Smoosh the sandwich together.  Spread a thin layer of butter on the outside of the sandwich.  Grill in a panini press until golden brown.

note: If I was at home and did not have my parents' fancy Griddler Gourmet at my disposal, I would've probably just grilled my sandwich in a skillet, flipping to brown on both sides.  Or, I may have dusted off the good ol' George Foreman grill (when he was "Knocking out the fat" was he thinking of making grilled cheese?). Or, if I was feeling really wild, I might've used the skillet,  loosely covered the sandwich with a layer of aluminum foil and then topped the sandwich with another skillet weighed down with some heavy cans to weigh it down and flatten the sandwich, flipping halfway through to brown both sides.  Panini press?  Who needs a stinkin' panini press?

Italian Turkey Soup

 Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving weekend!  We had a very delicious holiday that I managed to forget to take pictures of EVERYTHING.  Guess I was too busy enjoying the weekend.  Oh well. Last night, we had a previous recipe, Chicken Wild Rice Soup (but with turkey, of course!). I'm not sure how many of you still have leftover turkey, but this recipe for Italian turkey soup another very un-Thanksgiving recipe to maybe help use up the last of it.  And, in case you don't, it's also good with chicken or ground turkey!

 Italian Turkey Soup 
Serves 6-8
1 20 oz. package lean ground turkey or 2 cups leftover shredded cooked chicken or turkey
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
6 cups chicken broth (about three 15 oz cans), or turkey broth
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes with basil and garlic (undrained)
1 15 oz. can white beans drained and rinsed
1 8 oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained (or a couple big handfuls of fresh spinach)
2 cups frozen or refrigerated cheese tortellini or mini ravioli
2 tablespoons pesto (optional)
shredded parmesan cheese for garnish

In large soup pot, brown ground turkey (or if using precooked meat, skip to next step).  Season with salt, pepper, garlic and herbs.  Once turkey is browned, pour in chicken broth, can of tomatoes and beans.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes over medium-low heat.  Add tortellini and simmer another 7-8 minutes or until tortellini is cooked through.  Stir in spinach and simmer a couple more minutes until spinach is heated through.  If using, swirl in pesto right before serving. Pass shredded Parmesan cheese for sprinkling on top.