Grilled Goat Cheese Sandwiches with Fig, Honey & Basil

Something has happened. Something wonderful. Magical. Entirely overdue.

Mornings, those awful, horrible, dreadful things, have undergone a drastic transformation. Now that Mother Nature has finally shed her frosty outer layer, I no longer wake up to dreary, pitch-black skies and icy cold floors. Instead, streams of golden sunlight and vivid green tree buds have been bursting through my bedroom window each morning, springing me to life.

With this warmer, happier weather, I, myself, am warming up to the very idea of mornings. And what better way to start them than with a beautiful spring breakfast? 

This sweet little sandwich is perfect with the delicate flavors of goat cheese, honey, lemon, fig and basil. All that between two buttery grilled slices of cinnamon raisin bread? There's simply no better breakfast treat. (Ahem, if you uh, don't count Krispy Kreme donuts and bacon.)

And trust me, if this recipe is easy enough for even me to whip up on a busy barely-have-time-to-eat morning, you'll definitely have time. Simply mix goat cheese, lemon zest and honey, spread that on a slice of raisin bread, top with fig preserves, sliced basil and a second piece of bread and grill! They were done before the hubby could finish pouring a glass of milk. (Granted, I do mornings a bit better than him.)

Delicious. They reminded me of stuffed French toast, but with much more flavor and way less fat. We devoured them in seconds. And since the recipe yields eight and there are only two of us, I was lucky enough to make this breakfast a few days in a row.

Now, if you really want a really flavorful, rich sandwich, adding a little extra goat cheese mixture is the way to go. And while the recipe says to use a second pan to press the sandwiches while grilling, I have to say...I prefer mine unpressed. For some reason, pressing them seemed to hide the flavors. 

But however you decide to make them, I'm sure you'll love them. The sweet, creamy flavor and absolute simplicity make these sandwiches equally wonderful for a fancy brunch or a quick weekday dinner.

So now that icy windshields and snowy driveways are but a faint memory, take a seat on the patio, pour yourself a tall glass of OJ and bite into a sweet taste of spring.

Grilled Goat Cheese Sandwiches with Fig & Honey
David Bonom, Cooking Light, June 2004
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 sandwich)

Ingredients:
2  teaspoons  honey
1/4  teaspoon  grated lemon rind
1  (4-ounce) package goat cheese
8  (1-ounce) slices cinnamon-raisin bread
2  tablespoons  fig preserves
2  teaspoons  thinly sliced fresh basil
Cooking spray
1  teaspoon  powdered sugar

Preparation:
Combine first 3 ingredients, stirring until well blended. Spread 1 tablespoon goat cheese mixture on each of 4 bread slices; top each slice with 1 1/2 teaspoons preserves and 1/2 teaspoon basil. Top with remaining bread slices. Lightly coat outside of bread with cooking spray.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 2 sandwiches to pan. Place a cast-iron or heavy skillet on top of sandwiches; press gently to flatten. Cook 3 minutes on each side or until bread is lightly toasted (leave cast-iron skillet on sandwiches while they cook). Repeat with remaining sandwiches. Sprinkle with sugar.

Nutritional Information: Calories: 243 (31% from fat), Fat: 8.5g (sat 4.8g,mono 2.7g,poly 0.5g), Protein: 9.8g, Carbohydrate: 33.1g, Fiber: 2.5g, Cholesterol: 13mg, Iron: 2.2mg, Sodium: 326mg, Calcium: 78mg.

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