TFF & FIC - Grilled Cheese Forever!

This past month has been bewildering for me. It's gone by so fast, and I feel like I've accomplished so little! But I've enjoyed a lot of it, so I should satisfy myself with that. I do have one teensy regret though; that I couldn't celebrate Grilled Cheese Month the way it deserves to be celebrated! My original plan to was make one new grilled cheese sandwich every week (which would've been easy enough, because the Lord knows about my undying love for grilled cheese!). But somehow, something always seemed to derail me. What can I say? I'm easily distracted. For instance, right now I'm watching Ellen and blogging at the same time. Bad idea. I should know by now that I'm a uni-tasker. I envy people who can multi-task. Bet their lives are much more productive than mine. No wonder employers always like to see that word on resumes!

Anyway, back to grilled cheese (see?! I'm not kidding about being easily distracted). I couldn't just let this month go by without at least one serious dedication. So that's where my buddy Tyler stepped up to the plate. He gave me a recipe that I will cherish forever, as will future generations of grilled cheese lovers! I did cheat a little though, because I was short on time, and ended up using store-bought basil pesto instead of making it from scratch like Tyler did. Just keeping it real between you and me, dear readers. When I make it again though, maybe for a crowd, I'll make my own pesto. To accompany these scrumptious sandwiches, I threw together a quick salad of avocado, kidney beans, roasted corn, red onions and fresh lime juice (inspired by something very similar that my skinnier-than-me-dammit-yet-awesome sister-in-law makes). Remember, DH and I are giving salads a fair shot from now on!

The thing with Tyler is that he has excellent timing (hmmmmmmmmm, perhaps in more ways than one, eh?!). What I mean by that is, he couldn't have picked a better day for me to make this recipe. It was deliciously warm and bright outside, and the air was fragrant with the first buds of spring. Outside my window I could see families strolling about, kids laughing and playing - basically everyone looked happy! Which is what the perfect spring day should look like. To give you some perspective, take a look at this view from my window just a couple of months ago ...

And now see the magic that Mother Nature has crafted, yet again!
Tyler's Mozzarella Grilled Cheese Sandwiches (find original recipe on Food Network's site)
Serves: 2

Click Here For Printable Recipe

Ingredients
8 slices rye bread
4 quarter-inch slices of fresh mozzarella
3 plum tomatoes, cut into thick slices
1 cup fresh basil pesto, recipe follows (or use the store-bought stuff)
Freshly ground black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil

Basil pesto:
1/2 cup pine nuts
2 cups fresh basil leaves
1 cup fresh Italian parsley leaves
1/2 cup Parmesan or Romano
2 garlic cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Method:

1. Toast pine nuts in a skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Combine pesto ingredients in a food processor and pulse until well combined but still rough-textured.

2. If you have a panini press, turn it on to warm up; otherwise, set a skillet over medium heat.

3. Assemble sandwich by smearing insides of bread slices with pesto. Arrange a layer of sliced tomato and season with a few turns of fresh pepper. Layer the mozzarella slices over the top and then place another piece of bread on top to make the sandwich.

4. Drizzle olive oil over skillet's surface and place sandwiches on the hot skillet or panini press. If using a skillet, place another heavy skillet over the top to form a "press". Turn after 2 to 3 minutes and replace weight. The sandwich is ready when golden brown and mozzarella has melted around the edges.

Verdict: Oh for pity's sake, just look at the darn thing, would ya? What do you think I'm going to say about it?! It was cheesy, melty, flavorful, rich, crispy, PURRRRRRRRFECT. I want to have it every day for the rest of my life. Maybe not a war, but I'm sure mini-battles can be fought over this concoction. It's devious in its simplicity. It's one of those foods that you will have cravings for in the middle of the night.

I'm submitting this for the next Tyler Florence Fridays round-up, tout de suite! Ladies, this is a hot one!

And I believe this colorful dish will also qualify for this month's Food In Color event, originated by Sunshinemom from Tongue Ticklers, and hosted by Neha from Easy N Tasty Recipes. This time, the theme is "Red + Green", and there's definitely lots of that in this recipe!