Potato Skin Bruschetta

There is an Italian restaurant nearby that serves up some pretty awesome bruschetta.  A few things I've noticed about it:

• The tomatoes are peeled and of good quality (not mealy or freakishly red like those at Taco Bell- seriously, what's up with that?)
• They're not skimpy with the fresha pepper.
• They are skimpy with the fresh basil, and even if you ask for more they still won't bring much.  

With these notes in mind, I set out to create some bruschetta, but having no decent bread in the house (or even at our little town store) I decided to give it a bit of a twist.  Potato Skin Bruschetta.  And it was awesome.

When my Grandma was still around (and what I wouldn't give to have her back again) we shared a little secret.  After family meals were over she would take whatever potato skins were left on the plates and roast them up with a little garlic and a whole lot of butter.  There was often hardly any potato left on the skins.  Potatoless skins, you might call them.  They were awesome, too.  But you want a little potato left on these.  1/4" border will help them to keep their shape.  On to the recipe.

Potato Skin Bruschetta
Yield: 1 serving 

For the Bruschetta:
4 Roma Tomatoes
1-2 cloves garlic, crushed (I used 2)
4-6 basil leaves, julienned (you can guess how much I used)
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
1/4 tsp salt

Other ingredients:
1 Russet Potato
2 tbsp Pinenuts
Garlic oil/ butter/ earth balance (your choice- I used garlic oil)

Preheat oven to 400F and bring a large pot of water to boil.  Pierce potato several times with a fork and roast for about an hour.  Meanwhile, remove stems from tomatoes and use a paring knife to cut an X across their bottoms.  Place in boiling water for 1 minute, then remove.  When they are cool enough to handle their skins should be easy to peel off.  Scoop out their seeds and membranes using a small spoon or your fingers, and chop.  Add to a bowl and mix with rest of bruschetta ingredients.  Place in the refrigerator until ready to use.  Briefly toast your pine nuts in a small frying pan with no oil, medium heat just until fragrant and set aside.  When potato is finished, remove from oven and let cool on wire rack for about 10 minutes, until cool enough to handle.  Increase oven temperature to 475.  Scoop out flesh from potato, leaving 1/4" border intact, reserve flesh for later use.  Brush both inside and outside with butter or oil of choice.  Place flesh side down and roast for 6 minutes, then turn over and roast another 6 minutes until edges are golden.  Top with chilled bruschetta and pine nuts and serve immediately.  

Southwestern Grilled Green Onion Salad

I love grilled green onions.  Oh, how I love grilled green onions.  When we have barbecues we make two bunches- one for the guests, one for myself.  Veggie burgers?  Psh.  I'll pass.  Give me some of these salty, sweet bad boys, some corn, and some garlic bread and I am one happy camper.  But sometimes it's too much trouble to fire up the grill, and this is where my new best friend comes in.

 Photo cropped because I have an ugly stove... and maybe because I'm a messy cook...

Ahhhh... a cast iron grill pan.  I've been dreaming of one of these for ages.  Look at the lovely grill marks- and the charring!  No, that's no mistake.  The charring is the best part!  Those little blackened ends are smoky barbecue-y goodness.  So anyways, I think  we've pretty much established that I love these babies for who they are.  But I wanted others to love them, too, and not just as a steak topping.  So I created this salad, in which they play a starring role- and steal the show, as far as I'm concerned.  

I'm not afraid of salads.  I know of vegan and vegetarian blogs that practically apologize every time they post one.  Yes, there's a stigma that all we eat is salads- but when they're this good, why wouldn't we?


Southwestern Grilled Green Onion Salad
Yield: one big, filling serving

1 bunch green onions
1 cup grape tomatoes
1 cup cooked or canned (drained) corn
1 cup drained black beans
1 tbsp chopped cilantro
1 clove garlic, crushed
Juice of 1 lime
dash of sriracha
1 tbsp olive oil + more for cooking
 salt and pepper to taste 
1 avocado, chopped

Preheat oven to 400.  Place tomatoes in 9" baking dish and coat with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roast for 25 minutes, stir, then start on your green onions (below) and cook tomatoes for another 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Green onions- Bring your grill pan to medium high heat.  Chop the root ends off of the green onions and massage just enough olive oil onto them to coat and make them shine.  Sprinkle salt and pepper- the same amount as you would for corn on the cob (I like them really well seasoned.)  Cook for about 8-10 minutes, turning halfway through.  Allow to cool enough to handle, then chop into 1 inch pieces.
Place green onions, corn, black beans, and cilantro in bowl.
Prepare dressing- Mix together garlic, lime juice, sriracha, and olive oil.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Pour over veggies, toss, then taste again to see if more salt and pepper are needed.  Very gently fold in avocado, so as not to smash it.  Enjoy!

Round Table Gourmet Veg Copy Cat Recipe

There's been a lot of pizza making going on in the Wilson household this year.  For the first 6 months they were all soft and Digiorno-y- and that's about the biggest insult I can think of for a homemade pizza. I was being stubborn.  I'd heard that in order to make a good pizza crust you must use a pizza stone- I just didn't want to believe it.  And it's not that I didn't have one- I did.  But it was something new to me, and I don't do "new" well.  Finally, I broke down and pulled it out.  I must have researched how to use that thing for an hour straight, I was so scared!  But just like most things in life, this turned out to be much easier than expected, and I was able to create the pizza crust of my dreams.  Now it was time to face my next challenge: a pizza that can hold a candle to the Round Table Gourmet Veggie.

The secret to the Gourmet Veg lies in Round Table's creamy garlic sauce.   I tried making this with store bought garlic alfredo sauce, but that was a huge letdown  (probably because store bought sauce never tastes good anyways.)  I tried making it with ranch dressing, as some people on the internet had suggested, but that was a flop as well.  But this?  This- is magic.

I did without the zucchini and mushrooms, because this is how I always order it.  I may have made peace with mushrooms and be on speaking terms with zucchini, but I still don't necessarily want them on my pizza.  But of course, if it tickles your fancy, pile them on. 
I used Jay's Pizza Crust recipe, which is amazing, but yields an extra large pizza.  My stone is medium-sized so I cut the dough in half and stored the rest in the freezer or fridge.  But you can use any dough you feel comfortable with. 



Round Table Gourmet Veggie Copy Cat Recipe


Creamy Garlic Sauce:
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp flour
3/4 cup milk, warmed in microwave until lightly bubbling
3 cloves garlic
1/4 tsp italian or pizza seasoning
pinch salt
pinch pepper
pinch nutmeg

In a small saucepan over medium heat melt the butter. Use a baby whisk to whisk in the flour and stir for about 2 minutes.  Add milk and bring to a boil. Add garlic, italian seasoning, salt, pepper and nutmeg, then reduce heat to low and cook, stirring for 2 to 3 minutes more.

 Toppings:
1/2 cup chopped baby spinach
1/4 cup shredded fontina
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/4 cup chopped marinated artichoke hearts
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup shredded cheddar
1/4 cup ground parmesan

Assembly:
Spread sauce evenly over entire pizza.  Add spinach, then top with fontina.  Add rest of  veggies, then top with mozzarella, cheddar, and lastly, parmesan. 

Balsamic Pasta Salad with Bocconcini and Roasted Asparagus

I'll never forget the first time I took my husband to Whole Foods.  "This place is miraculous" were his exact words.  And it really is.  It's nothing like the grocery stores we've become accustomed to- at which people rush around in an angry frenzy, all of them wishing they were somewhere else.  It's a place where people come to admire the fruits of mother nature- a museum for people who love food, if you will.  And if Whole Foods is a museum, then the salad bar is where the crown jewels are held- and priced accordingly.  So rather than spend a week's worth of diapers on one meal, I've taken to tasting and then recreating their offerings at home.  And this balsamic pasta salad, in my opinion, blows theirs straight out of the water. 

Words cannot express how much I love balsamic vinegar, and this salad is such a perfect vessel for it.  It's also great to make ahead of time, as the flavors only intensify, especially in the asparagus, which soaks it up so beautifully while still holding its shape.  Heaven.


Balsamic Pasta Salad with Bocconcini and Roasted AsparagusYield: 4-6 servings
(Can be made vegan by substituting nutritional yeast for parmesan and omitting bocconcini)

12 oz multicolored rotini
1 lb asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
1/4 cup olive oil, divided
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 cup capers 
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup sundried or slow-roasted tomatoes
1/2 cup sliced black olives
1/2 cup sliced red onions
1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan
1 cup bocconcini
salt and pepper, to taste


Preheat oven to 350.  Drizzle asparagus with 2 tbsp olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Bake for 20-30 minutes, until fork tender.  Bring large pot of water to boil and cook pasta according to instructions on package.  Whisk together remaining 2 tbsp olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and garlic.  Add all ingredients to pasta and gently toss with dressing.  Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Curried Dill Couscous with Slow-Roasted Grape Tomatoes and Pearl Onions

I woke up this morning with the words "curried dill" repeating on a loop in my mind.  I knew that nothing would satisfy me today unless it contained those two ingredients.  

And oh, my, was I satisfied!  Please, please don't dismiss this because you see the word slow-roasted.  That doesn't mean loads of work- it simply means it will take a while, and that the flavors will be super-concentrated and amazing.  You could make the onions and tomatoes ahead of time, or the couscous ahead of time, whatever you do- just make it!  I think you'll be glad you did :) 


Curried Dill Couscous with Slow-Roasted Grape Tomatoes and Pearl Onions

For Tomatoes and Onions:
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1 cup frozen pearl onions, thawed
1/4 tsp salt, divided
1/8 tsp pepper, divided
1/4 tsp dried thyme, divided
olive oil, to coat


Preheat oven to 225.  Place halved grape tomatoes and pearl onions in separate bowls (if pearl onions are larger than tomatoes, you may have to halve them as well.  Have to halve :)  Drizzle just enough olive oil over each to coat, then sprinkle equally with salt, pepper, and thyme.  Place on foil-lined baking sheets in oven.  Remove onions after 2 hours, tomatoes after 2 1/2 to 3 (tomatoes should be dried but juicy inside, but you want your onions nice golden and plump.)


For Couscous:

2 cups vegetable broth
1/4 cup butter (vegans use Earth Balance margarine)

1/2 tbsp curry powder
dash of sriracha (optional)
2 cups couscous
2 cloves garlic, crushed
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup pine nuts
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

Toast pine nuts in medium frying pan over medium heat until golden and fragrant, shaking the pan a few times to make sure that they don't burn.  In a medium saucepan add vegetable broth, butter, curry powder, and sriracha and bring to boil, then immediately add couscous and garlic, stir quickly, and remove from heat.  Cover and let rest for 5 minutes, fluff with fork and add salt and pepper to taste, and toss with rest of ingredients.  Serve hot or cold.

Panko Fried Zucchini Rollups

There they were.  Zucchinis.  Three of them.  "Why did you buy these?" I asked Frank, probably in a rude tone that was completely unnecessary.  Poor Frank.  "They were on the list," he replied.  "Why were... ohhhhh."  Right.  Today was the day.  I had made up my mind to face my bogey man.  And I had put it right there on the list, along with things that I actually wanted to eat.  Things that I would much rather spend my time cooking than... zucchini.  Shudder.  I sliced the zucchini into thin ribbons, salted them liberally, and placed them on a wire rack to drain.  I figured if it works for eggplant, it just may work for zucchini as well.  I've seen a lot of fun recipes for zucchini and cucumber rollups floating around the webosphere lately, and I wanted to give something like that a try.  But deep down in my heart of hearts, I knew that I just wasn't ready for naked zucchini yet.  It had to be... breaded... and there had to be another vegetable component, one that I earnestly enjoyed, one that could take my mind off of... the zucchini.  Enter roasted tomatoes.  I love them.  Could eat them plain.  And I even loved them in this.  In fact, I even loved the zucchini in this.  True Story.

I used Boursin in these because, well, that's what we had.  But you could use any spreadable cheese.  If you like it, then slather it on.  Now that zucchini and I have reached a common ground, I am excited to explore other opportunities in our relationship.  And I hope that you feel the same way.
Panko Fried Zucchini Rollups

3 medium zucchini, cut lengthwise to 1/4" thickness, salted and drained (directions follow)
1 pint grape tomatoes
3 eggs
1/2 tsp salt (plus more for tomatoes and zucchini)
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp pepper, divided
2 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs
1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan
1 cup spreadable cheese
vegetable oil, for frying

Place zucchini in one layer on wire rack and sprinkle with 1 tsp salt.  Cover with cookie sheet and add weights to it (I use a few heavy bowls.)  Let drain for 2 hours, then pat dry.
Preheat oven to 400F.
Add a little oil to tomatoes, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roast for about 20 minutes, shaking the pan a few times, until they burst and skin begins to shrivel.  Meanwhile, heat a large frying pan filled with at least 2 inches of vegetable oil to medium high heat.  In shallow bowl, beat egg, mixing in salt, garlic powder, and pepper.  In seperate shallow bowl, mix together panko breadcrumbs and parmesan.  Dip zucchini slices in egg mixture first, letting excess drip back into the bowl, then dip in panko mixture and press to coat well.  Fry in batches of 3-4 at a time until golden on both sides, then drain on paper towels.  (Resist temptation to turn before they're ready, as this causes the panko to fall off.  You'll know it's time when the sides start to turn golden brown.)  Dot little bits of cream cheese onto the slices (I did 3 drops, about 1 tsp each.)  After a few seconds, the cheese will have softened enough that you can easily spread it without messing up the breading.  Then add 1 tomato to each one, and use toothpicks to secure.  Finish off with a little extra grated parmesan.  These are great dipped in tomato sauce or ranch. 

Thank you, mystery man/woman

If you read my earlier post about Thai Peanut Noodle Salad, then you know that when I am really impressed with a dish, I don't just court it.  I become "OMG I can't live without you" serious about it.  I gush about it.  I take it home to meet my parents.  I experiment with it (too much?)  This salad is no exception.

Doesn't look like much, does it?

But beneath that quiet, unassuming exterior is a deliciousness that really drove me crazy for a while.  The first time I came across this was at a Christmas party a few years back.  Hardly anyone had touched it, and to be honest, I didn't have any intention to, either.  But my aunt had insisted, saying it was surprisingly good, and thus the search for it's maker began.  I just had to get my hands on this recipe, but no one seemed to know who had brought it.  Years later, I think I've finally done the original justice. 

Olive and Roasted Tomato Wheatberry Salad

Yield: 4-5 servings


4 cups cooked wheat berries (about 2 cups uncooked)

1 1/2 cup good marinated olives, chopped (the quality of this dish depends on this.  Whole Foods olives are a favorite of mine.)

2 1/2 cups roasted grape tomatoes, halved

1/2 cup red onion

1/2 cup toasted pine nuts

Vinaigrette:

4-5 cloves garlic

1 tsp sriracha

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

1 cup olive oil

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

2 tbsp sugar

Preheat oven to 400F.

Cook wheat berries according to package instructions.  Halve grape tomatoes and scoop out seeds, then toss with olive oil and a bit of salt and pepper.  Roast for 20 minutes, shaking the pan a few times.  Add to wheat berries, along with pine nuts, olives, and onion.  Mix together vinaigrette, streaming olive oil in lastly, then add to wheat berry mixture and chill for at least an hour.