Italian Grilled Tomatoes

I learned this a few years ago while working at a grill down in Seabrook, Tx. The lady who taught me Gidget, is my inspiration for a lot of things in life. She is a strong survivor of brain cancer and still had the umpft to get up and make a big batch of stuffed grape leaves (she grew the grape leaves herself). Of course I had to change a few things... she grilled them and just sprinkled them with white vinegar. After I was done with them, we were selling a plate of them for 6.95.

You want to make about 1 tomato per person as an appetizer.

1 Tomato for each person
2 tbsp Olive or Sesame Oil
Mozzarella, shredded
Basil
Balsamic Vinegar

1) Heat large skillet on high with oil.

2) Slice tomatoes about 1/2" thick. They need to be thick so they do not get too mushy in the cooking process.

3) Lay slices in hot oil in skillet and cook for about 1-2 minutes. You want to get a good sear on one side. Flip over and quickly sprinkle with basil then cheese. Cover for about a minute, just long enough for the cheese to melt and quickly remove to a serving plate. Sprinkle with balsamic vinegar and serve.

Italian Stuffed Mushrooms

No, your not going to find a bunch of Italian folks stuffed into these shrooms. But you will find Italian sausage, ricotta and a few other things that will remind you being in an Italian Bistro.

1 lb Mushrooms
1/2 lb Mild Italian Bulk Sausage (hot if you like it)
1 tsp Garlic, minced
1/2 cup Ricotta Cheese
1/4 tsp Thyme, dried
2 tbsp Butter
1/4 cup Panko
1 tbsp Parmesan
Dash Crushed Red Pepper
Salt & Pepper to taste

1) In large skiller, brown sausage with garlic and drain any excess oils/grease; return to pan. Over med-low heat stir in ricotta and thyme until cheese is creamy. Remove from heat.

2) Heat oven to 400. Line pan in foil and spray with non-stick spray.

3) Using a damp paper towel, gently rub off any dirt on mushrooms. Remove stems and place on foil lined pan, hole side up.  Using small spoon, fill cavities with meat mixture.

4) Bake for 10 minutes then remove.

5) In small bowl, melt butter then add Panko, parmesan, salt and peppers to taste. Stir to distribute butter evenly, then sprinkle on top of meat mixture and bake another 10 minutes until Panko turns brown.

The West Texas Rolltini

Once again one of my favorite TV cooks showed me a mouth watering recipe that I was unable to duplicate out here. So, on my one day off work, I decided to give it a go with the foods I was able to improvise with.

Thank you Giada De Laurentiis for giving me a great new idea and a twist on the ravioli!

Dough:

1 1/2 cup Flour

2 Egg Yolks

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

1/2 tsp Salt

1/4 cup + Water

Filling:

1 1/2 cup Spinach, fresh and chopped

4-6 Bacon slices, par-cooked (see below for tips) and chopped fine

3/4 cup Mushrooms, chopped

1/2 cup Ricotta Cheese

1/2 cup Parmesan, grated

2 tbsp Olive Oil

1/2 tsp Salt

2 Egg Whites

1/2 - 1 tsp Crushed Red Pepper

Topping:

Parmesan

Garlic Powder

1) In large bowl mix flour, yolks, olive oil and salt. Add 1/4 cup of water and stir. Slowly add more water a tsp at a time until the mixture begins to hold together.

2) Turn out onto floured surface and knead until it forms a ball. Wrap in plastic and set in refridgerator for 30 minutes to cool.

3) Meanwhile, in large bowl mix the filling ingredients. Set a really big (wide) pot of water on the stove to boil.

4) When the dough has cooled, place it on a floured surface and roll out to about 1/16th of an inch.  The trick to this is to make sure the roll will not be longer than your pot is wide.  Once the dough is rolled out, spread the filling over it, leaving about a 1/2 inch edge all around. 

Gently roll, jelly roll style, folding in the ends. 

Very carefully place the entire roll on a linen napkin (do not use cheese cloth. This needs something a bit sturdier) and roll, tieing the ends off with bread ties.

5) Preheat broiler.

6) Place in pot of boiling water 10-15 minutes. It really depends on how hard you want your dough to be. Remove from water, unwrap from napkin, and let rest about 5 minutes to cool.

7) Slice roll into 1/2" - 1" pieces. Lay out on a foil lined, oil sprayed baking sheet. Sprinkle Parmesan and garlic powder lightly over tops. Place in broiler about 2 minutes to get browned.

8) Serve with your favorite red sauce.

***Par-cooked Bacon: Lay slices flat on skillet or grill and cook until top side of bacon turns a foamy white, flip and cook 1 minute more and remove from heat to drain on a paper towel. ***

Pesto Dip

1 Pkt Dry Pesto Sauce (made according to package)
Olive Oil
Crushed Red Pepper
Balsamic Vinegar

In a small serving bowl for dipping, drop 2 tbsp Pesto Sauce and sprinkle red pepper. Fill with oil and a few drops of vinegar. Serve with Pesto Bread or your choice of breads.