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

Basic Basil Pesto

Pesto is one of those wonderfully versatile sauces that can add flavor to a variety of foods such as pasta, sandwiches, soups, pizza, etc. It’s super easy to make and is really nice to have on-hand for snacking or throwing together a last-minute meal. Plus, you can personalize everything about pesto from the taste to the texture, and use a multitude of variations such as adding spinach, broccoli or sun-dried tomatoes, or substituting different nuts - you really can’t go wrong!

Ingredients: (makes about 1 cup)

2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed

½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

⅓ cup pine nuts

3 garlic cloves, minced

salt, pepper to taste

*Note: all ingredients may be adjusted to taste and texture preference

Put basil leaves, pine nuts, and garlic in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add the Parmesan cheese and pulse until the cheese is fully mixed in. You might have to occasionally scrape down the sides with a spatula. With the food processor running, slowly add the oil until the mixture is smooth and the desired consistency is achieved. If you add too much oil and the pesto is too runny, add a bit more cheese to thicken it up again. I added a bit more oil and processed a little longer to achieve a creamier consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve as an appetizer with pita wedges, toasted bread or crackers, or toss with pasta for an easy, flavorful sauce.

~Karla


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Basic basil pesto - a flavorful and versatile sauce!http://cooksofcakeandkindness.blogspot.com/2015/10/basic-basil-pesto.html
Posted by The Cooks of Cake and Kindness on Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Spinach, Feta cheese scones with sundried tomatoes & basil

I love baking treats for friends’ birthdays - cupcakes, muffins, cookies, and lately - my new favorite, scones! Scones are quick and easy to make, and the same base recipe can be adapted to make different kinds of sweet scones (for example, chocolate chip and cranberry-orange). However, this time I was looking for something savory to make as a birthday treat for a friend who is trying to cut back on sugar. Starting with the same base recipe, I switched out the milk with buttermilk to get a subtle tang, and replaced the sweet add-ins with a combination of spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, basil and Feta cheese. All these ingredients came together really well to form deliciously soft and flaky scones - with the flavor of each savory ingredient coming through without any one of them being overwhelmingly strong.

Ingredients (Makes 16 small scones)

Base ingredients

2 cups self rising flour (See note if you don’t have self rising flour)

~½ tsp salt

5 Tbsp cold butter

⅔ cup buttermilk (See note if you don’t have buttermilk)

~2 Tbsp milk (or buttermilk) for brushing tops of scones

Add ins

1-1.5 cup packed fresh spinach - chopped

¼ cup sun dried tomatoes - chopped

1 tsp chopped basil (fresh, frozen or dried) - optional

⅓-½ cup crumbled Feta cheese (I used low fat)

Preheat oven to 425 F.

Mix salt with the flour. Cut the butter into small pieces. Rub the butter into the flour with your fingers until you get a crumbly mixture - this helps make the scones light and flaky.

Add the spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, basil and Feta cheese. Mix well. Add the buttermilk and mix everything to form a soft dough. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a square (about 1” thick).

Cut into 16 pieces. Spread them out on greased (or parchment lined) cookie sheet. Brush the tops and sides of the scones generously with milk.

Bake in preheated oven for ~15-20 minutes until golden brown. Let scones cool down before storing in an airtight container to prevent them from drying out.

~Gayatri

Notes

Self rising flour can be made by combining 1.5 tsp of baking powder with each cup of all purpose flour. Use same ratio for wheat flour, but increase the liquid quantity in the recipe.

Substitute for 1 cup of buttermilk: Add ~1 Tbsp vinegar or lemon juice to 1 cup of milk, mix it a little and let it sit for about 5 minutes until it curdles.


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Savory scones with spinach, Feta cheese, sundried tomatoes and basil.http://cooksofcakeandkindness.blogspot.com/2015/07/spinach-feta-cheese-scones-with.html
Posted by The Cooks of Cake and Kindness on Saturday, July 25, 2015