Kitchen Bitch

Cooking in the Kitchen with Sass & Class

The Return of the Great Tetrazzini November 30, 2010

Filed under: Casseroles,Chicken,Mushrooms,Pasta,Turkey,Vegetables — thekitchenbitch @ 10:46 AM
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Turkey Tetrazzini: A casserole with a creamy mushroom sauce, peas, turkey, pasta and Parmesan cheese.

Good morning dear readers! It’s been a long week since I last posted. Between Thanksgiving and many a Black Friday sale, I’ve been a very busy girl. Cooking for four days and then shopping for four days is a schedule I could get used to. Alas, it’s back to the daily grind now that I’ve returned to Chicago, and I have to hit the ground running.

I, like you, am still eating turkey and I’m starting to get sick of it. I decided last night that I wanted to make something very homey with my leftover turkey in the spirit of the holidays, something comforting but not at all related to Thanksgiving. In moments like these, there’s only one place to turn: mom.

My mom was (still is) the queen of comfort food. Since there were so many mouths to feed in my family (triplets + me and my dad), casseroles were a staple in my mom’s culinary repertoire, and it’s no wonder why: they’re easy to prepare, warm, comforting and you can hide vegetables in between the layers.

(more…)

 

A KB Thanksgiving Preview November 22, 2010

Filed under: Brussels Sprouts,Dips & Sauces,Entrees,Kitchen Basics,Pie,Pork,Recipes,Side Dishes,Turkey,Vegetables,Vegetables — thekitchenbitch @ 3:45 PM
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Apple-Cider Brined Turkey with Lemon and Rosemary

Happy almost Thanksgiving dear readers! I arrived at my parents’ house in Northern Kentucky last night, and I started preparing for Thanksgiving this morning. It may sound ridiculous to start this early in the week, but when you’re feeding 30 very hungry Linnemanns, it’s best to begin preparing sooner rather than later. Plus, if I spread out all my tasks over the week, it’s not bad for me or my feet, which always hurt after a long day in the kitchen. And, of course, my parents are slammed with work this week, so getting the house and food ready is all up to me again. Let’s just say it’s becoming an annual tradition. :)

On the plus side, I’ve delegated out most of the side dishes to my lovely aunts and cousins, who were all willing to pitch in and lend a helping hand. That leaves me making the stuffing and desserts, handling the turkey, and whipping up a giant vat of my favorite cranberry chutney.

The turkey pictured above is the one I roasted last year. I like to brine my turkey in an apple cider-salt water solution and then rub it down with a yummy herb butter before stuffing it with lemon, onion, rosemary and sage. As you can see, it’s one helluva turkey. I’m probably going to do a riff of this brine by the Pioneer Woman, an excellent food blogger who just threw down with Bobby Flay last week and won.

Today I made Alton Brown’s recipe for candied ginger. What do I use all this damn candied ginger for, you ask? Cranberry chutney! I like to give out jars of my cranberry chutney to guests to eat with leftover turkey, so I make a large stockpot of the stuff a few days before. The chutney is a sweet-tart mix of cranberries, apples, pears, onion, raisins, spices and, of course, candied ginger. It goes incredibly well with the turkey and it’s delicious on it’s own as well. I’ll be blogging about that recipe tomorrow, if all goes well.

I really like to hear what people are having for Thanksgiving, so I thought I’d share what we’re having this year. Here’s the list:

Apple Cider-Brined Turkey with Rosemary and Lemon
Alice Moeves’ Traditional Stuffing
Goetta & Herb Stuffing —a new Kitchen Bitch concoction still in the works
Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Brussels Sprouts with Bacon & Dried Cranberries
Cranberry Chutney
Soul Sweet ’Taters
Green Beans with Almonds
Cheddar Biscuits
Homemade Pumpkin Pie
Pioneer Woman’s Pecan Pie
Sour Cream Apple Pie Deluxe
Pumpkin Bread Pudding by Bobby Flay
Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream (recipe by David Lebovitz)
Homemade Cinnamon Ice Cream (recipe by David Lebovitz)

 

So, dear readers, what I am missing that you make at Thanksgiving? What are you favorite Thanksgiving dishes? Do you roast a turkey or skip it altogether and go with another protein?

 

 

Thanksgiving Sides: Brussels with Bacon & Cranberries November 17, 2010

Filed under: Bacon,Brussels Sprouts,Healthy,Recipes,Side Dishes,Vegetables,Vegetables — thekitchenbitch @ 3:32 PM
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Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Shallots & Dried Cranberries

I decided that with Thanksgiving coming up, I couldn’t NOT repost my Brussels Sprouts with Bacon & Cranberries recipe, which appeared on Kitchen Bitch in May 2010. Over the past couple of months I’ve made it for my extended family several times, and I’ve yet to have any left over for snacking the next day. I’m quadrupling this recipe for Thanksgiving because I’m feeding 30 instead of 4 to 6, so feel free to do the same. No matter what, I’m sure every last scrap of these Brussels will be gone before Thanksgiving dinner is over.

Like any child, I hated Brussels sprouts. Detested them. They emitted that bizarre sulfur odor, tasted like garbage and looked like something the dog had thrown up. Even as an adult, I thought there was no way in hell you could ever get me to eat another Brussel sprout.

Enter my roommate, Laura. Armed with a fistful of bacon and a killer recipe, Laura proved to me that these tiny cabbages deserve a place in my cooking repertoire. Since then, I’ve convinced many other avowed Brussels sprout haters to give them another go-round, and I dare say this is the recipe I’m asked for most often. I’m even growing these beauties in my garden.

My recipe alters from Laura’s in that I add dried cranberries for that fruity chew. She hates dried fruit, so it would never appear in her version. That’s the best thing about cooking: you can change recipes to fit your taste buds. For me, the cranberries bring back memories of Thanksgiving, and there’s just something about the combination of them with Brussels and bacon that makes this a truly homey and heartwarming dish. Please, give Brussels sprouts another chance. You’ll be so glad you did.

Brussels Sprouts with Bacon & Cranberries
This is a perfect recipe for your Thanksgiving table. I know I’ll be serving it. Serves 4 to 6. Click here to download this recipe.

1.5 lb. Brussels sprouts
5-7 slices thick-cut, good-quality, bacon, chopped into ½ in. pieces
1/2 c. chopped shallots
½ c. dried cranberries
1 Tbs. unsalted butter
Kosher salt & freshly ground pepper

Trim and blanch the sprouts. Heat 4 cups of water to boiling in a medium saucepan. Meanwhile, peel off each Brussels’ outer layer of leaves, trim its hard stem and cut it in half with a paring knife. Set aside. When the water comes to a boil, salt it with a few tablespoons of kosher salt. Submerge the Brussels into the water, and blanch for 3 to 4 minutes, until the Brussels turn bright green and are almost fork tender. Remove from boiling water and return to the bowl.

An Unpeeled Brussel Sprout

Remove the outer leaves

Cut off the woody stem

The Peeled & Trimmed Brussels Sprout

The Prepared Brussels Sprouts

Cook bacon and combine. While the sprouts blanche, cook the bacon over medium-high heat. When the bacon’s almost crisp, drain off half the fat. Add the butter, shallots, Brussels sprouts, and the cranberries and sauté until the bacon is crispy and the sprouts begin to brown, about 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat and serve.

 

From Bland to Grand: Turmeric-Roasted Cauliflower November 15, 2010

Filed under: Asian Food,Cauliflower,Healthy,Herbs and Spices,Indian,Man Meals,Side Dishes,Vegetables,Vegetables,Vegetarian — thekitchenbitch @ 12:23 PM
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Turmeric-Roasted Cauliflower

I’m always looking for ways to spruce up simple, ordinary dishes, and I often turn to my trusty spice cabinet for culinary inspiration. Cauliflower is about as drab a vegetable as you can find in the supermarket, so making it into something fun and vibrant (and enjoyable to eat) was on the top of my list.

You can find yellow, orange, even purple cauliflower in some grocery stores these days, but for the most part those Technicolor specimens are hard to come by. Instead what we home cooks have to work with is bland and boring white. Yes, a white canvas is a wondrous thing just screaming possibilities for artists, but white food—unless it’s mashed potatoes, chocolate, or ice cream—can be kind of scary for the cook. We eat with our eyes as much as we do with our taste buds and olfactory glands, which makes food color almost as important as taste and smell.

Now adding color AND flavor to the cauliflower was my ultimate goal and, as I scoured the Internet for inspiration, I noticed that cauliflower often came up in conjunction with Indian food, one of the most vibrant and colorful culinary traditions around. For someone who loves Indian flavors as much as I do, it was a no-brainer combining the brilliantly hued spice powders of India with something as blah as cauliflower.

What spice, more than any other, is prized for the gorgeous color it imparts to everything it touches? Well, yes, saffron is loved for it’s almost neon yellow color, but I’m talking about that more familiar, non-budget buster spice rack staple, turmeric.

Turmeric is a member of the ginger family and it’s used primarily for the vivacious yellow-orange color it imparts. For example, it’s often used in mustard. If you were ever wondering how your mustard got to be so gosh darn yellow, now you know. It’s also used in cheese, sauces, jams, butter, curries and pickles in both the Western world and in Asia. Turmeric has a very distinct earthy, slightly bitter taste and a piquant mustardy smell. Turmeric does come in root form, but more often than not you will find it as a powder, which is what I use.

A little turmeric sprinkled on those bland cauliflower florets really does take them from bland to grand. I’ve been making this dish for a quite a few months now, and I’ve yet to have any complaints. In fact, my boyfriend, Doug, even makes this dish for himself when I’m not around. That’s how I know this dish really is a keeper.

OH YEAH … I forgot to mention that I’m now a FoodBuzz Featured Publisher! Wohoo!

Turmeric-Roasted Cauliflower
This beautiful side dish is great way to change up your normal culinary routine. Click here to download a copy of this recipe.


One (3 lb) head of cauliflower, cored and separated into 1-inch florets
1 large onion, halved and cut into wedges
Olive oil
1 Tbs. garlic, minced
2 tsp. ground turmeric
½ tsp. crushed red pepper
Kosher salt and pepper
¼ c. chopped parsley or cilantro

Toss and roast. Preheat the oven to 400°. On a large rimmed baking sheet, drizzle the cauliflower and onion with olive oil, garlic, turmeric, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Roast in the oven for 25 minutes, or until the cauliflower is tender and beginning to brown. Scrape the cauliflower into a serving bowl, garnish with parsley or cilantro. Serve hot or warm.

Move the cauliflower to a serving dish, garnish, and serve.

 

Fall in a Bowl: Butternut Squash and Apple Soup November 5, 2010

Filed under: Butternut Squash,Healthy,Soup,Vegetables,Vegetables,Vegetarian — thekitchenbitch @ 4:27 PM
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Butternut Squash and Apple Soup with Crispy Sage Leaves

Sadly, I wasn’t able to make it to any apple orchards this year. Picking my own apples and gathering my own pumpkins are some of my favorite fall activities, but alas the Emerald Isle called me away during the perfect part of the season to pick Pink Ladies and Honey Crisps.

So when Doug’s roommate Ian brought home a beautiful butternut squash and I found some gorgeous Granny Smith apples at my local fruit market, I knew it was time to make a soup celebrating my favorite season—fall.

Butternut Squash and Apple Soup really is autumn in a bowl. Curry powder complements the sweetness of the squash and offsets the tartness of the apples, while also adding homey fragrant warmth to this soup. I like to add a good dose of cayenne pepper to this soup at the very end to add a spicy, complex note to this sweet soup, but feel free to eat it as.

Oh yeah, and a grilled bacon and cheese sandwich would be the perfect dipper for this tummy-warming soup. (more…)

 

A Pasta Dish for That “Fun Guy”: Mixed Mushroom & Chicken Pasta November 3, 2010

Filed under: Chicken,Healthy,Italian,Mushrooms,Pasta,Vegetables,Vegetables — thekitchenbitch @ 1:49 PM
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Mixed Mushroom and Chicken Pasta

A great new deli just opened in my neighborhood, Ravenswood, to much acclaim. Time Out Chicago called City Provisions deli “the best thing to happen to food shops in Ravenswood—heck, this whole town—in a long, long time.” With this much hype surrounding a deli opening, I knew it really had to be something special.

Showcasing house-butchered and homemade deli meats, local cheeses, artisanal grocery items and regional beers and wines, this place has something to offer both foodies and the average housewife. I stopped in early one morning to check the place out for myself. The deli’s owner, Cleetus, was chatting with me within moments after I walked in the door. He described all the deli meats and cheeses, and I was quick to snatch up some deliciously salty duck prosciutto and wonderfully tangy buttermilk blue cheese.

And then, I saw them: the pints of fresh picked cremini and shiitake mushrooms. These were some of the most gorgeous mushrooms I’d seen in a long time. I’d picked up some similar beauties last year at the Green City Market and whipped up some pasta ai funghi, or pasta with mushrooms, and I had never finished writing the recipe.

I instantly knew those mushrooms were destined to star in my revised recipe for Mixed Mushroom and Chicken Pasta. I invited my best gal Laura over to join in the recipe testing, because mushrooms are on her list of favorite foods. We oohed and ahhed as the dish came together, taking time to inhale the earthy aroma of the sautéed mushrooms and shallots and sigh at the beauty of fresh picked fungi. Believe me, you’ll be doing the same thing when you make this dish.

Mixed Mushroom and Chicken Pasta
Beef tenderloin tips would be a great substitute for the chicken in this recipe. Click here to download a copy of this recipe.

1 Tbs. olive oil
¾ lb boneless chicken breasts or tenders, cut into bite-size pieces
1 lb mushrooms (baby bella, crimini, etc.)
3 shallots or 1 med onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 heaping tablespoon flour
1.5 tbsp fresh thyme or 1 tsp. dried
2 tsp. fresh sage
1 lb. pasta
¾ c.  dry white wine
¾ c. of chicken stock
¼ c. heavy cream
Grated Parmesan for garnish.
Fresh parsley, for garnish

Boil the pasta water. Fill large pot with water and bring to a boil. Clean and quarter the mushrooms.

I used a combo of shiitake and cremini mushrooms for my pasta

Quartered mushrooms

Cook the chicken. Meanwhile, salt and pepper chicken tenders. Heat large skillet over medium-high heat, then add oil. When the oil’s hot, add the chicken. Sauté until golden brown and cooked through, 5-7 minutes. Remove chicken from pan and put on a plate. Cover with foil. Return skillet to heat.

Brown the chicken

Sauté the mushrooms. Add the butter to the skillet. Once it’s melted, add garlic. Sauté 1 minute. Add onion, sauté 1 minute more. Add mushrooms and season with salt. Sauté the mushrooms until they are soft and dark and the onions are translucent, stirring occasionally. Season with the fresh sage and thyme.

 

Add mushrooms and shallots to skillet over medium-high heat to brown and soften

 

The mushrooms will brown and soften after a few minutes

Cook the pasta. Salt the boiling water well and cook the pasta in the pot while you’re finishing the sauce. Drain the pasta when its al dente, reserving some of the starchy pasta water in case you need to thin out the mushroom sauce.

Finish the sauce. Add the flour to the skillet, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Add the wine to the skillet, scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Reduce until almost completely evaporated. Add the chicken stock and heavy cream. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally until mixture thickens and is reduced by about half.

The reduced mushroom sauce

The mixed mushroom sauce

Combine and serve. Add the pasta and the chicken to the sauce, tossing to combine until the chicken is warmed through.

 

Mix in the pasta with the mushroom sauce, adding additional pasta water to thin it out if necessary

Add the chicken, toss, and garnish the pasta with Parmesan and chopped parsley

 

For Chelsea: Southern Fried Green Tomatoes November 1, 2010

Filed under: Appetizers,Dips & Sauces,Southern Food,tomatoes,Vegetables,Vegetables,Vegetarian — thekitchenbitch @ 2:10 PM
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Southern Fried Green Tomatoes are best served with Spicy Garlic Aioli for dipping

I know it seems insane, but somehow, someway, I’m still growing tomatoes here in Chicago on November 1. Granted, these tomatoes aren’t that luscious red or orange or pink of a summer tomato. Nope, instead these babies are neon green, firm and acidic, almost bitter. These are perfect tomatoes for frying.

Fried green tomatoes were catapulted into fame and became a staple in the South after the movie Fried Green Tomatoes hit theaters in 1992. According to one source (and there really aren’t many), fried green tomatoes originated from either Jewish or Italian immigrants; for example, a recipe for fried green tomatoes appeared in the International Jewish Cookbook in 1919. All in all, it was a movie about the fictional Whistle Stop Café that elevated what was once a home-ec 101 recipe to an instant Southern culinary classic.

Chelsea, you asked for it, and here it is—a delicious and easy recipe for Fried Green Tomatoes. Here’s hoping you have access to a still-flowering tomato plant, too. If not, I’m sure these will be on the menu as soon as those tomatoes start plumping up on their branches next year.

Fried Green Tomatoes with Spicy Garlic Aioli
Serves 2-4, depending on how hungry you are. Simply double or triple this recipe to accommodate a crowd. Leftover aioli is great on sandwiches or as a dipper for other fried foods.

For the tomatoes:
2 green tomatoes, sliced about ¼-in. thick.
Kosher salt
Vegetable oil or canola oil, for frying
¼ c. flour
1 egg
¼ c. cornmeal
¼ c. breadcrumbs
½ tsp. garlic powder

For the Spicy Garlic Aioli dipping sauce:
¼ c. mayo
1 clove of garlic, minced
Splash of hot sauce
Salt & pepper

Salt the tomatoes. Put the tomato slices on a paper towel and sprinkle with kosher salt. Let sit 10-15 minutes. While the tomatoes sit, pour enough oil in a heavy-bottomed sauce or sauté pan to come 1-inch up the side of the pan. Use a thermometer to heat oil to 375˚F.

 

Salt the tomatoes and let them sit for a few minutes before dredging to expel the excess water.

Set up breading station. While the oil heats, scoop the flour into one bowl and beat the egg in another bowl. In another bowl, mix together cornmeal, breadcrumbs and garlic powder, and season mixture with salt and pepper. Place a wire rack over a sheet tray lined with paper towels next to your frying station so you can easily remove tomatoes from hot oil to cooling rack.

 

The breading station set up for the fried green tomatoes

Make dipping sauce. Combine mayo, minced garlic and hot sauce in a small bowl. Season to taste with salt, pepper and add hot sauce as desired. Set aside or refrigerate until ready to use.

 

Combine mayo, hot sauce and fresh garlic to make the aioli

Spicy Garlic Aioli

Bread and fry tomatoes. When the oil reaches 375˚F, you are now ready to fry. Dip each tomato slice in the flour, shake off excess, dip in beaten egg, and then dredge it in cornmeal mixture, coating thinly and evenly. Transfer tomato slices to hot oil a few at a time, turning once to ensure an even brown crust. Remove from oil when the tomato is golden brown and delicious and place on the prepared wire rack. Continue until all tomatoes have been fried, making sure the oil maintains a temperature between 365 and 375˚F. Serve immediately with the Spicy Garlic Aioli for dipping.

Fried Green Tomatoes are best served with a garlicky aioli

 

Easy Breezy Caprese Salad September 8, 2010

Filed under: Appetizers,Healthy,Italian,Man Meals,tomatoes,Vegetables,Vegetables — thekitchenbitch @ 3:14 PM
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Caprese Salad

Oftentimes it’s the simplest ingredients that produce the best dishes. For example, a juicy garden-fresh tomato, a hunk of creamy mozzarella cheese and a sprinkle of basil are all you need to make my favorite Italian salad, the caprese.

Insalata caprese. a.k.a caprese salad, is an antipasto or first course near and dear to many Italian and Italian-American hearts. For one, this salad has all the colors of the Italian flag represented, so much so that it’s often called insalata tricolore, or tri-colored salad. Furthermore, its main ingredients are all staples in the Italian kitchen—tomatoes, cheese, basil and olive oil.

I had a delectable rendition of this salad a few weeks ago at a lovely Italian restaurant called Piccolo Sogno here in Chicago. Although Piccolo charged $13 for the plate, it was worth every bite because the cheese, tomatoes and olive oil were all top-notch. In fact, it was quite possibly the best caprese I’ve ever had. Not to mention that when I introduced myself to the head chef, he knew who I was! Now, that’s service! Who ever said Twitter didn’t get you places? But I digress. Take one of those tomatoes your neighbor left on your porch and make this salad. There’s no way you’ll be disappointed.

Caprese Salad
This simple salad is great any time of year, but it’s really amazing with garden-fresh tomatoes and Mozzarella di Bufala (buffalo mozzarella) if you can find it at your local cheese shop or supermarket. Using the highest quality ingredients you can find will pay off here. Serves 4-6. Click here for a print copy of this recipe.

2 very ripe tomatoes, sliced ¼-in. thick
1 large ball of fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced ¼-in. thick
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling
¼ c. chopped fresh basil leaves
Balsamic vinegar, for garnish

Arrange salad. Alternate one slice of tomato with one slice of mozzarella in a circular pattern on a platter. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle olive oil over the salad and sprinkle the basil over top. Put a splash of balsamic in the center of the tomato-mozzarella ring, or serve on the side for dipping.

 

From the Garden: Sweet Corn in Soup Form August 22, 2010

Filed under: Healthy,Mexican,Soup,Vegetables,Vegetables — thekitchenbitch @ 4:14 PM
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Sweet and Spicy Corn Soup

The most delicious sweet corn in the world is sold right off the two-lane road to my parents’ house in Northern Kentucky. The farmer sets up shop in the parking lot of the local Elk Lodge a few times a week, tempting passersby with the towering mound of freshly picked corn sitting in the back of his red pickup truck.

This farmer’s corn is the stuff summer is made of. It’s round, plump, juicy and ridiculously sweet. Just the thought of it makes me wish I was back home with my family, shucking corn for what I know would be a great Sunday summer dinner and enjoying what my dad lovingly calls “cocktail hour.” Sweet corn straight from the cob is a reminder of why we wait for summer to begin the other nine months of the year—because it’s a time we can let loose, slow down (or not), get outside and share the sun with those we love the most. And the end of the summer, like corn and tomatoes from the garden in August, is always the sweetest.

While I couldn’t get my hands on the corn from my parents’ local farmer, I did find a great 10-cobs-for-$1 deal at my favorite local produce shop, Stanley’s. With fall coming up, I’d been yearning for soup, and a sweet corn soup was the perfect vehicle to use up all that corn. I’m also growing four different kinds of peppers, so I decided to add those to the mix and make a Sweet and Spicy Corn Soup.

A quick puree of half the soup adds a nice creaminess to this dish. It’s mildly spicy, and the corn gives it a sweet crunch and a little texture. A splash of cream adds richness and helps to enhance its color. A dollop of crema suprema or sour cream gives this soup a slight tanginess, while the fresh cilantro brightens the flavors. The sweeter the corn, the sweeter and more delicious the soup. This Sweet and Spicy Corn Soup is truly summer in a bowl.

Sweet and Spicy Corn Soup
This soup is mildly spicy. For additional heat, leave in the peppers’ stems or simply add another jalapeno or Serrano to the mix. For a print copy of this recipe, click here.

½ stick (4 Tbs.) unsalted  butter
4 c. sweet corn, cut fresh from about 5 corncobs
2 small red onions, diced
1 poblano pepper, roasted, peeled, stemmed, seeded and diced
2 sweet red peppers, diced
1 jalapeno, seeded, stemmed and minced
1 serrano, seeded, stemmed and minced
1 Tbs. ground cumin
1 Tbs. Mexican oregano
½ Tbs. chili powder
5 c. chicken stock, homemade if possible
¼ c. half-and-half
Mexican crema (crema suprema), for garnish
Cilantro, minced for garnish

Create soup base. Melt butter over medium-low heat in a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot. Add onion and sweat until soft, about 5-7 minutes. Add corn and peppers, season to taste with salt and pepper, and sauté for 5 minutes more. Add cumin, oregano, and chili powder, and sauté for 2-3 minutes more or until fragrant. Pour in chicken stock. Cover and simmer for 30-45 minutes, or until corn begins to soften.

*Puree, garnish and serve. Season soup with salt and pepper to taste. Remove soup from heat. Let cool 5 minutes. Transfer half of soup to blender, puree, and return to pot, or use a stick blender to puree half of soup. If serving immediately, stir in half-and-half. Ladle into soup bowls and garnish with a dollop of Mexican crema and a sprinkle of minced cilantro.

*If making ahead or freezing, follow directions only until the pureeing of the soup. Do not add half-and-half until right before service.

 

From the Garden: Rustic Ratatouille Pizza August 15, 2010

Filed under: Healthy,On the Grill,Vegetables,Vegetarian — thekitchenbitch @ 4:29 PM
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The Rustic Ratatouille Pizza before the cheese is added

I dream (and daydream) up new dishes all the time, but mostly I dream about pizza.  Pizza is a fabulous vehicle for culinary creativity because it’s literally a blank canvas. Pizza can be sweet or savory, vegetarian or loaded with meat, and topped with Camembert or basic mozzarella—whatever your little heart desires.

This week, my heart desired vegetables. Lots of them. I wanted to eat heaping helpings of garden-fresh vegetables. I wanted my veggie-laden plate to look like the most vibrant rainbow my backyard had ever seen. And I wanted to do it ALL on the grill.

So, here it is, my Rustic Ratatouille Pizza, done completely on the grill. It’s got purples, reds, oranges, yellows, greens and beautiful off-white Fontinella cheese to make those vibrant vegetal hues stand out even more. It’s creative cooking, for sure, but if you’re going to spend time outside, you might as well be making this gorgeous, healthy and incredibly delicious pizza and sharing it with those you love most.

Rustic Ratatouille Pizza
This is one of those pizzas where a fork might be necessary. It’s packed with beautiful grilled summer vegetables and topped with cheese. Click here for a print copy of this recipe.

1 lb pizza dough, homemade or store-bought
1 zucchini, cut into quarters lengthwise
1-2 Japanese eggplants, halved lengthwise
1 large red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and quartered
1 red onion, quartered
½ pint cherry tomatoes
¼ c. olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 Tbs. fresh oregano, finely chopped
¼ c. flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
2-3 Tbs. cornmeal
1 (8 oz.) jar of your favorite marinara sauce—I love DiNicola Spicy Marinara
1 (8 oz.) block fontinella cheese, grated, or purchased shredded Italian cheese blend

Equipment: 3-4 skewers, pizza pan,

Grill veggies. Preheat grill to medium-high. Place all cut vegetables and the tomatoes in a large shallow baking dish, add the ¼ cup of olive oil, and toss to coat. Season veggies to taste with salt and pepper. Put the tomatoes on the skewers. Place the vegetables on the grill and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, turning halfway through the cooking time. Remove the tomatoes, cover grill, and cook the remaining vegetables for 2 minutes, or until almost cooked through.

Make the ratatouille. Transfer vegetables to a cutting board and coarsely chop (leave tomatoes whole). Place the chopped vegetables and tomatoes back in the large bowl, add the 2 tablespoons of olive oil, garlic, oregano and parsley, and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.

The grilled ratatouille

Grill pizza. Using hands, stretch out pizza dough to make a large, even circle. Brush top of dough with olive oil. Holding the board you rolled the pizza out on at a 45-degree angle, gently flip the pizza oiled-side down onto the grill. Let the pizza cook until the bottom is lightly browned.

Gently lay the dough onto the grill and cook until puffed and lightly brown.

Add toppings. While the crust cooks, oil the other side of the pizza and sprinkle the pizza pan with cornmeal. Using two spatulas, move the pizza from the grill to the pizza pan with the grilled side facing up. Working quickly, spread on the marinara, then top with the ratatouille. Move the pizza pan to the grill and top with the shredded cheese. Cover the grill and cook the pizza until the cheese melts and the bottom has browned, about 7-10 minutes. Remove from grill, slice and serve.

Grilled Ratatouille Pizza

This Rustic Ratatouille Pizza doesn't last long

 

 
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