Dinner tonight! Green panini with roasted peppers and Gruyere cheese

Tonight’s dinner inspiration comes courtesy of chef and cookbook writer Deborah Madison and her husband, Patrick McFarlin, in their book, “What We Eat When We Eat Alone.” Sandwiches, simple to make and adaptable to almost any ingredients you have on hand, are a perfect choice whether you’re feeding the family or flying solo. This version -- ciabatta bread piled with mustard greens, cheese and roasted red peppers, then cooked in a panini maker or skillet -- is one of McFarlin’s favorites.

For more quick-fix dinner ideas, check out our video recipe gallery here. Food editor Russ Parsons and Test Kitchen manager Noelle Carter show you how to whip up a dozen dishes in an hour or less.

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Green panini with roasted peppers and Gruyère cheese

Total time: 25 minutes

Servings: 1

Note: Adapted from “What We Eat When We Eat Alone” by Deborah Madison and Patrick McFarlin. It is one of McFarlin’s favorites. This recipe makes more mustard greens than are used in the sandwich.

1 bunch mustard greens, stemmed and washed but not dried

1/2 cup water

Salt and pepper

1 garlic clove, pressed or minced

Red pepper flakes, a few pinches or to taste

Pepper sauce or red wine vinegar, to taste

2 pieces ciabatta, or your favorite rustic bread

Olive oil

Grated Gruyère or fontina cheese

Roasted bell pepper cut into wide strips

Dijon mustard

1. Put the mustard greens in a pot over high heat with the water that clings to the leaves plus one-half cup. Sprinkle with one-half teaspoon salt, pepper to taste, garlic and the pepper flakes and cover. After the leaves have collapsed, reduce the heat to medium and cook until they’re tender when you taste one, about 7 minutes. Drain, then squeeze the excess water out of the greens. Put them in a bowl and season with additional salt, if needed, and pepper sauce or vinegar to taste.

2. Slather the outside of the bread with olive oil. Cover one slice of the bread (the dry side) with cheese, pile on a half or a third of the greens, and add the pepper strips. Spread the top slice with Dijon mustard, then cover.

3. Cook in your panini maker or in a skillet until the bread is crispy and the cheese melts. When a wave of melted cheese hits the hot surface, there’s a bonus tang, but don’t let it burn. Slice it diagonally; it’s easier to eat that way and it looks jaunty too.

Each sandwich: 611 calories; 20 grams protein; 73 grams carbohydrates; 9 grams fiber; 27 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 16 mg. cholesterol; 1,447 mg. sodium.