a taste of the good life.

came up on another amazing recipe the other day and wanted to share it.
Panini with pears, brie, carmelized walnuts, and arugula pesto mayo. let me just say, if you want to 'wow' whomever you're cooking for, this may be your next go-to. here is your map to being crowned 'best chef!' :

arugula pesto mayo:
3 cups of packed arugula
1/4 cup of toasted pine nuts
1/4 cup of grated parmesan
1/2 cup olive oil
3 1/2 tbs mayo
sea salt and black pepper to taste

directions: combine arugula, pine nuts, and parmesan in food processor until smooth. slowly add olive oil and mix until well blended. season with sea salt and black pepper. add mayo and blend well. (you'll have some left over after making the sandwich) carmelized walnuts:

1 cup walnuts

2 tbs sugar*

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

*the recipe i had called for 2 tbs light corn syrup and 1 tbs sugar. im not a fan of using corn syrup with anything so i doubled the sugar and just added a tiny bit of water so the sugar would coat the walnuts. they still turned out fine.

directions: preheat oven to 325. combine ingredients in bowl and toss well. spread mixture on non-stick baking sheet and bake until deep golen brown and sugar is bubbling. remove from oven and cool. (i also had a bit of extra walnuts after sandwich)now to make the sandwich:

4 slices of sourdough bread

1 pear, thinly sliced

4 thick slices of brie

panini: spread arugula pesto may on both sides of bread. on one side layer pears, then cheese, then walnuts. add top slice of bread and toast in pan lightly coated with olive oil. make sure to keep pressure on panini as you toast bpth sides evenly.

serve warm and let those tastebuds enjoy every bite.