Bagel Panini Sandwiches

Hello and welcome! 

Today's meal was inspired by Chicago Bagel Authority, a restaurant by my high school that makes fantastic sandwiches on fantastic bagels that I've been craving for quite some time. 

                                     

Thanks Lauren, Emmy, Emma, and Keywan for having dinner with me and trusting my Improv Cooking :) 

Thanks Alec for the term Improv Cooking :) 

Thanks Aunt Connie for teaching me to make paninis :) 

                                   

Thanks dad for teaching me to maximize caramelization :) 

                                   

The Recipe: (Per serving)

• 1 Bagel
• 2 tsp Olive Oil
• 2 tablespoons Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• 1/4 cup spinach
• 2 tsp Canola Oil
• 1/4 cup mixed Cucumber, Mushrooms, Tomato Slices, Red Onion

The Process:

1. Heat frying pan and panini pan on the stove. 
2. Sautee cucumber, mushrooms, tomato, and red onion on frying pan. 
3. Cut bagel in half using a serrated knife. 
4. Use a glaze brush to coat both sides of both halves of the bagel lightly with olive oil. 
5. Place the bottom half of bagel on the panini pan. 
6. Sprinkle with cheese. 
7. Add spinach. 
8. Add sauteed vegetables. 
9. Add top half of bagel. 
10. Press until cooked (should take a minute or so depending on your stove). 
11. Enjoy! 

The Calories:

Bagel: 260 calories

Cheese: 30 calories

Spinach: 3 calories

Olive Oil: 90 calories

Canola Oil: 80 calories

Vegetables: 10 calories

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TOTAL: 473 calories

What went right:

          Everyone loved these sandwiches and each only took about 5 minutes to make! Apparently they're also very good without cheese, because Keywan doesn't like cheese and loved it anyway. 

What went wrong: 

          I didn't make this sooner in the year :( 

What I would do next time: 

          Nothing, this is perfect the way it is and will be made so much more often from now on :) 

Overall, a super amazing, fast, easy addictive sandwich. Love. 

 

Pizza Bagels

Hello and welcome!

I'm sure you're looking at "Pizza Bagels" and wondering where the fitness comes into play. Fitness is determined by a lot of factors, and sometimes, it is good for your body to eat the healthier version of something entirely "normal" rather than deprived of one ingredient or another. In the long run, as long as you don't overeat, you can really eat whatever you want.

That said, this recipe is one I made with a friend yesterday. We are on fall break now, which means the cafeteria is closed, so cooking is a must if you plan to eat and not go broke. Fortunately for me, cooking is no problem! Especially with a recipe that is so quick and easy.

The bagels for these pizza bagels were originally from Panera Bread, but I kept them in my freezer for a  few weeks and thawed them out for an hour or so before cooking. Thank you to my grandmother for that bread-saving tip!

The Recipe: Pizza Bagels

• Three bagels (of any kind), sliced in half
• Prego Traditional Pasta Sauce (amount to your liking, I used about 1 TBSP per 1/2 bagel)
• Low Fat Mozzarella Cheese

The Process:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. Thaw bagels if necessary.
3. Spread sauce on inner face of each bagel half. 
4. Sprinkle shredded cheese on inner face of bagel half. 
5. Bake for about 10 minutes (depending on your oven). 
6. Enjoy! 

The Calories:

1/2 Bagel: 105 calories

1 TBSP Sauce: 10 calories

1 TBSP Mozzarella: 50 calories

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TOTAL: 165 calories

Not bad!! This is about as filling as a slice of pizza, but much lighter and more healthy. There is far less butter involved in bagels compared to pizza crusts. My friend and I each ate three, making our total consumption 495 calories. 

What went right: 

          The bagels came out nicely, they were cooked for the right amount of time to allow the sauce to soak into the bread. Additionally, we used a plain, whole wheat, and cranberry raisin bagel, and all three had a completely unique but amazing taste. The cranberry raisin was the best in my opinion. 

What went wrong: 

          While I thought there was plenty of sauce, my friend felt there was not enough. Because sauce is a matter of personal preference, it is best to apply the sauce yourself so you know how much looks like a good amount to you. I think he thought there was not enough because, as pasta sauce rather than pizza sauce, the sauce that remained on top of the bagel rather than soaked into it was not still liquid like pizza sauce, but firmly attached to the bread the way baked pasta sauce soaks into pasta. I might try this again with pizza sauce instead, to see if there is a difference. 

Would I do this again?:

           Yes! I loved these and will definitely be making more pizza bagels in the future. Look out for Pizza Bagel Sandwiches, which will happen after I acquire toppings to put in the middle of two Pizza Bagel slices. 

Overall, a fun, easy meal to make. It was healthy and satisfying, and clean up was not very labor intensive. A perfect college meal if I do say so myself!