One of the reasons I love to experiment in the kitchen is that is allows you to be creative. Sometimes things turn out better than you expected, sometimes they flop, sometimes not everyone loves it. Creating meals is a form of art, and you can draw inspiration from anywhere.
I love to walk around the grocery store and find something new that peaks my interest, then just go with it from there. This week while picking some things up at Trader Joe’s, I spotted some fancy Medjool dates. Hmmmm what can I do with these? I asked myself.
I chose a few ingredients to come up with a flavorful combo for a panini dinner – date, goat cheese, thyme, and honey on fresh whole grain bread. While I loved my panini and thought it was tasty and different, my hubby decided that he isn’t a fan of dates. To each his or her own, but if this panini combo sounds delicious to you too, check out the recipe below!
Goat Cheese & Medjool Date Panini
Ingredients
- 12 oz of fresh whole grain bread
- 4 oz of goat cheese
- 8 Medjool dates 160 grams
- 1 TBSP + 1 TSP honey
- 1 TBSP + 1 TSP olive oil
- 1 TBSP fresh thyme chopped
Instructions
- Preheat your panini maker or oven to 350.
- Evenly cut the bread into 8 slices.
- Spread 1 oz of goat cheese onto 4 of the slices.
- Remove the pits from the dates, then cut them into thin slices. Arrange them on top of goat cheese bread slices.
- Drizzle 1 TSP of honey on top of dates, then sprinkle thyme onto each goat cheese slice.
- Put the plain bread slices onto the goat cheese halves, then brush 1 TSP of olive oil onto the tops of each slice of bread.
- Bake a few minutes on each side until lightly browned.
Nutrition
I’m off to walk around downtown at the farmer’s market and spend the day with my little family. Enjoy your weekend!
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