Caprese Tart

A light and crispy savory tart can be a fun snack or a nice appetizer to begin a meal. The inspiration for this caprese tart comes from a tomato tart recipe by our friends at Breaking Naan. The tomato tart consists of a baked puff pastry, topped with mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and herbs - simple ingredients and easy steps, especially if you’re using a pre-made frozen puff pastry sheet. In this recipe, the toppings are modified just a little by switching fresh basil for chives and adding some tart balsamic vinegar to contrast the creaminess of the cheese.

Ingredients:

1 puff pastry sheet - defrosted if frozen (I used Pepperidge Farm frozen puff pastry)

Toppings:

2 large tomatoes sliced very thin (I used Roma tomatoes)

1-2 low moisture mozzarella cheese slices

2-3 fresh basil leaves

Salt (optional - I didn’t use any)

Black pepper or red pepper flakes (optional)

Dressing:

Extra virgin olive oil

Balsamic vinegar

Minced garlic

Heat oven to 400 F. Cut the puff pastry sheet into 3 parts lengthwise. The one I used comes folded in thirds making this very easy. Place the puff pastry on a baking pan. Gently roll the edges and seal the seam by pressing down with your fingers. This is an optional step but the slightly raised edges keep the tomato juice from leaking out and it also makes good presentation. Using a fork, poke holes in the pastry (except for the rolled edges) to keep it from rising too much.

Bake for ~15 minutes until the pastry is golden brown. Don’t brown it too much because it will be going back in the oven with the toppings.

To make the marinade, mix 1 part olive oil with 2 parts balsamic vinegar. Add minced garlic (to taste).

Tear the mozzarella slices into small pieces and spread them evenly on the baked pastry sheets. Layer the tomato slices on top - I got about two layers of thin slices. Spoon over the dressing, add black pepper or pepper flakes (if using), and broil in the oven for about a minute until cheese melts.

Chiffonade or coarsely chop the basil and sprinkle on top of the prepared tarts. Slice and serve warm as an appetizer or a side.

~Gayatri

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Crispy Caprese Tart - inspired by the tomato tart by out friends at Breaking Naan...

Posted by The Cooks of Cake and Kindness on Sunday, February 7, 2016

Baked Bruschetta Topping

One of my favorite appetizers at Italian restaurants is bruschetta - toasty garlicky bread topped with deliciously seasoned tomatoes and mozzarella is the perfect start to a traditional Italian meal. I had always thought that “bruschetta” was the tomato part of the dish, with the bread simply being a medium for consumption (a not uncommon misconception, at least according to Wikipedia). Bruschetta actually refers to the bread, which is grilled, rubbed with garlic, and topped with olive oil and salt. This balsamic-tomato-basil-mozzarella mix is just one of many variations of toppings that can be served with bruschetta, and can be quite easy to make!

Ingredients: (makes ~8-10 servings of 2-3 pieces)

~1lb Roma tomatoes (can use other varieties as well)

~¼ - ½ cup balsamic vinegar

~2 TBSP chopped basil (fresh or dried)

~2-3 tsp garlic powder (or 5-6 garlic cloves, minced)

~1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 baguette

Olive oil

Heat oven to 350F.

Slice the tomatoes into ¼ inch thick slices. Place the tomato slices in a single layer on a greased baking pan. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar so each piece is coated. Season generously with garlic powder and basil. Top with shredded mozzarella cheese.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and brown at the edges and the tomatoes start looking wrinkly. Let cool for 5 minutes.

Slice the baguette into ¼-½ inch thick slices. Sometimes I am lazy and just leave the bread plain, but to get the toasted garlicky goodness, drizzle a little olive oil over the slices and sprinkle with garlic powder, then bake at 350F for 5-10 minutes.

Top a bread slice with a cheesy, basil-y, balsamic tomato slice. Serve as an appetizer, side, or anytime snack!

~Karla 

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Quick and easy version of an Italian classic.http://cooksofcakeandkindness.blogspot.com/2015/12/baked-bruschetta-topping.html

Posted by The Cooks of Cake and Kindness on Monday, December 7, 2015

Balsamic stir-fried vegetables

This recipe is inspired from my impatience and Karla’s delicious balsamic marinated mushroom and bell pepper sandwiches. To cut down the time between me and the tangy, delectable vegetables, I decided to use the marinade for making a stir fry. Since the marination time was omitted, I chopped the vegetables smaller to make sure they soak up the flavor from the sauce. Just like the previous recipe, any crunchy vegetables like carrots, broccoli, sugar snap peas etc. would work well in this recipe. 

Ingredients: (Makes ~1.5 cups of stir fry)

~8 mini sweet peppers - seeded and julienned

½ cup shredded carrots

white/portobello mushrooms - sliced (need to check package size at walmart)

1 clove of garlic - chopped / 1 tsp garlic powder (optional)

½ tsp olive oil

salt (or a drizzle of soy sauce)

black pepper

toasted sesame seeds (optional)

For the Marinade

3 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1-2 tsp honey mustard (or other type of mustard)

½ tsp olive oil
lemon juice (optional) - Balsamic vinegar made it tart enough for me, so I didn't add any lemon juice, but if you like it more tangy, add lemon juice to taste.

To make the marinade mix all the ingredients. If required, adjust the quantities as per your liking.

Saute the mushrooms and garlic with ½ tsp oil (just enough to prevent the mushrooms from sticking to the pan until they start sweating) over medium heat. Depending on how soft you like your carrots you can add them while the liquid from mushrooms is reducing. To keep the crunch in the peppers, add them when most of the liquid has evaporated. Add about 2 tbsp of the marinade. Season with salt/soy sauce and pepper. Keep cooking over medium high heat stirring occasionally, for a few more minutes, until the liquid evaporates and the veggies get a little charred (but not burned!). Mix in toasted sesame seeds and take pan off the heat.

Serving suggestions: 

1. Serve as is with the remaining marinade drizzled on top. 
   

   
   

 

2. Make a delicious sandwich! - I used mini ciabatta rolls, spread a little bit of the marinade on one side, topped with a couple pieces of lettuce, a simple chive omelette, and the crunchy stir fried vegetables - so many different textures!
   
   

These little colorful sandwiches are packed with a lot of flavor. This is definitely my favorite way of eating the vegetable stir-fry.

~Gayatri

Balsamic-marinated Porto-Bell-Pepper Sandwiches

I got this recipe straight from my mom, and every time I make it I can't get enough, it's so deliciously tangy! I typically use it to marinate bell peppers and Portobello mushroom slices, but carrots, snap peas, broccoli, onions, and even proteins like chicken or tofu can also work well. It can really be used for anything you care to try!

 

 

Ingredients: (makes 6-8 sandwiches)

3 bell peppers, sliced (I use one each of red, yellow, and orange, and avoid green because of its strong, not-so-sweet flavor)

~4 Portobello mushroom caps, sliced about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick

For the marinade:

1 cup canola or extra virgin olive oil

6 TBSP balsamic vinegar

4 TBSP grainy mustard (I use regular yellow condiment mustard)

2 TBSP lemon juice

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp salt (optional - I usually skip the salt)

 

 

Combine all marinade ingredients in a bowl or large Ziploc bag and mix well. Add sliced mushrooms and peppers to the bowl or bag and stir or shake contents so everything is well-coated in the marinade. Set aside and refrigerate for 8-48 hours (I will usually let it sit for at least a day).

 

When ready to cook, heat oven to 400F. Spoon the veggies into a baking pan (I use a 9x13 brownie pan). If you have excess marinade, you can save it and use as salad dressing. Bake the veggies 15-30 minutes, depending on how crunchy or soft you like them. I prefer a bit softer, so I usually bake 30 minutes.

 

A lot of the time, I will make a double batch of the marinade and use it for chicken as well as veggies. About 12 boneless skinless chicken thighs or 6 chicken breasts (halved or quartered) will work well for this amount of marinade. Bake the chicken at 400F for an hour.

 

When done baking, let the veggies (and/or chicken) cool for 5-10 minutes. Assemble sandwiches using your bread of choice - ciabatta works quite well! Garnish with tomato, lettuce, sprouts, etc. if desired. Makes a deliciously colorful and juicy sandwich!

 

 

~Karla

 

NOTE: You can also serve with rice instead of making sandwiches. Leftover marinade makes for great snacking with excess rice!

Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts

The first time I had Brussels sprouts was probably only 3 years ago. I had never even heard of them back in India and after I came to the US, I was a little weary of trying them because of all the negativity around the taste and smell of Brussels sprouts. Then one day as I was browsing through some food blog, I came across a Brussels sprouts recipe and the picture looked so good! I decided to look up different ways that people like to cook them, combined a few ideas and ended up with one of my favorite Brussels sprouts recipe. I’m sharing this recipe here in hopes of converting some Brussels sprouts avoiders to seekers (or tolerators ;-P )

Ingredients:
1-2 lbs Brussel sprouts
Feta cheese crumbled
Walnuts - chopped

Vinaigrette (This vinaigrette would be good for about 2 pounds, but extra vinaigrette can be used as salad dressing)
1/4 cup Balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
~1 tbsp Dijon mustard
Honey
Garlic (optional)
Salt
Pepper

To make the vinaigrette, mix all the ingredients and whisk until combined (adjust honey, mustard, salt, pepper to taste). You can make a bigger batch and store it in the refrigerator. It tastes great as a salad dressing or drizzled on roasted vegetables. I typically take it out of the refrigerator about a half hour or so before using it so that the oil comes back to room temperature.

Preheat oven to 400 F and line a baking with parchment paper or silicone mat (not necessary, but the Brussels sprouts will come off easily and also makes cleanup easier).

Wash the Brussels sprouts. Trim the stems and remove the outermost leaves. Cut the sprouts in half lengthwise. Toss the sprouts with about half the vinaigrette and make sure they are coated well (add some more if required).

Arrange the sprouts cut side down on the baking sheet, and bake for approximately 15-20 min until brown on the bottom. Flip them and bake for another 10-15 min until the other side is browned. You may need to turn the pan a couple times to get them browned evenly. The crispy leaves on the outside taste great so don’t worry if you feel like a few are over-browned.

Remove from oven and add more vinaigrette to taste. Toss in feta cheese and walnuts, and serve warm as a side.

~Gayatri