Artichoke and Tomato Panzanella

Cook Time: 6 min
Level: Easy
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

* 1 (10-ounce) package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed (about 2 cups)
* 3 cups whole-wheat bread, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
* 3 large, red tomatoes, cut into wedges
* 1 cup pitted black olives, halved
* 3/4 cup chopped, fresh basil leaves (about 1 bunch)
* 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
* 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
* 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning

Directions

Place a grill pan over medium-high heat or preheat a gas or charcoal
grill. Drizzle the bread and artichoke hearts with olive oil and
season with salt and pepper. Grill the bread and artichokes until
golden brown at the edges, about 6 minutes total, turning every 2 to 3
minutes. Remove the bread and artichokes from the grill and transfer
to a large bowl.

Add the tomatoes, olives and basil to the bowl and toss to combine. In
a small bowl stir together the 2/3 cup olive oil, white wine vinegar,
1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Drizzle the dressing over
the salad. Toss to combine and serve immediately.

From: foodnetwork.com

Tomatoes Stuffed with Rice

Cook Time: 30 min
Level: Intermediate
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

* 1 cup Arborio rice (or other short-grain white rice)
* 6 ripe but firm large tomatoes
* 4 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 1 garlic clove, minced
* 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
* 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
* 1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Directions

Cook the rice in a medium saucepan of boiling salted water, stirring
periodically, until just cooked through, about 10 minutes. Drain.
Rinse the rice under cold running water. Set the rice aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Cut a 1/2-inch thick slice off the top of each tomato; reserve the
tomato tops. Cut and scoop the seeds, pulp, and juice from each tomato
into a small bowl. Reserve 1/4 cup of the tomato juice and pulp.

Oil the bottom of an 8 by 8-inch baking dish with 2 tablespoons of the
olive oil. Place the hollowed tomatoes in the prepared dish.

Toss the rice with the reserved tomato juice and pulp. Add garlic,
basil, parsley, Parmesan, the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil,
and salt and pepper, to taste. Combine well.

Spoon the rice mixture into the hollowed tomatoes, mounding slightly.
Sprinkle leftover stuffing on the bottom of the pan. Drizzle entire
dish with olive oil. Place the reserved tomato slices atop the
tomatoes. Bake until the rice is heated through, about 20 minutes.
Serve hot or at room temperature.

From: foodnetwork.com

Tomato, Mozzarella and Basil Bruschetta

Cook Time: 10 min
Level: Easy
Yield: 36 bruschetta

Ingredients

* 1 (32-ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained
* 1 cup fresh basil leaves, washed and spun dry
* 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
* 6 cloves garlic, peeled
* Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 2 large French baquettes, sliced 1-inch thick (about 36 slices)
* 1 1/2 pounds fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced 1/4-inch thick

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In the bowl of a food processor, add drained tomatoes, 1 cup basil
leaves, olive oil and 2 cloves garlic. Pulse until smooth, but
somewhat chunky. Season with salt and pepper.

On a baking sheet, line up baguette slices. Toast in oven for about 3
minutes or until light golden brown. Working quickly, rub the
remaining garlic on the toasted side of each slice and then lay a
piece of mozzarella cheese on top. Place bread back in oven and melt
cheese slightly, about 45 seconds. Remove from oven and spread one
tablespoon of the tomato mixture on each piece.

Place bruschetta on decorative platter and garnish with basil leaves.

Panzanella

Cook Time: 15 min
Level: Easy
Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

* 1/4 cup drained capers
* 12 ounces ciabatta or other country-style white bread, 2 to3 days old
* 9 ripe tomatoes (about 2 1/4 pounds total), cored and scored on the bottom
* 2 tablespoons plus 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
* 2 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
* 1 garlic clove, minced
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves
* 1 cup drained roasted red bell pepper strips
* 1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved lengthwise
* Fresh basil sprigs, for garnish

Directions

Soak the capers in 2 tablespoons of vinegar in a small bowl for 10
minutes. Drain.

Cut the crust off of the bread. Cut into 2-inch slices and grill,
drizzling about 2 tablespoons of olive oil on both sides of the bread.
Once grilled, cut or tear bread into 1 inch cubes and set aside.

Submerge the tomatoes into a large saucepan of boiling water for 10
seconds. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the tomatoes to a large bowl
of ice water to cool slightly. Using a small sharp paring knife, peel
off the tomato skins. Cut the tomatoes in half and scoop out the
seeds. Cut the tomatoes into 1-inch cubes and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk 2/3 cup of oil, 1/4 cup of vinegar, and garlic.
Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the bread cubes, tomatoes,
and basil; toss to combine.

Transfer half of the bread mixture to a 13 by 9 by 2-inch dish.

Arrange half of the roasted peppers, drained capers, and olives over
the bread mixture. Repeat layering with the remaining bread mixture,
then the remaining roasted peppers, capers, and olives. Cover the
salad and let stand at room temperature for flavors to blend, at least
1 hour.

Garnish with the basil sprigs and serve.

Roman-style Chicken

Cook Time: 40 min
Level: Easy
Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

* 4 skinless chicken breast halves, with ribs
* 2 skinless chicken thighs, with bones
* 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus 1 teaspoon
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus 1 teaspoon
* 1/4 cup olive oil
* 1 red bell pepper, sliced
* 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
* 3 ounces prosciutto, chopped
* 2 cloves garlic, chopped
* 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
* 1/2 cup white wine
* 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
* 1 teaspoon fresh oregano leaves
* 1/2 cup chicken stock
* 2 tablespoons capers
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

Directions

Season the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. In
a heavy, large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. When the
oil is hot, cook the chicken until browned on both sides. Remove from
the pan and set aside.

Keeping the same pan over medium heat, add the peppers and prosciutto
and cook until the peppers have browned and the prosciutto is crisp,
about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the
tomatoes, wine, and herbs. Using a wooden spoon, scrape the browned
bits off the bottom of the pan. Return the chicken to the pan, add the
stock, and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer,
covered, until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 to 30 minutes.

If serving immediately, add the capers and the parsley. Stir to
combine and serve. If making ahead of time, transfer the chicken and
sauce to a storage container, cool, and refrigerate. The next day,
reheat the chicken to a simmer over medium heat. Stir in the capers
and the parsley and serve.

Baked Caprese Salad

Cook Time: 10 min
Level: Easy
Yield: 8-12 appetizer servings

Ingredients

* 1 loaf baguette, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices (about 30 to 36 slices)
* 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 5 Roma tomatoes, sliced
* 1 1/4 pounds fresh mozzarella, sliced
* 1 bunch fresh basil leaves, stemmed

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Arrange the sliced baguette bread on a baking sheet. Brush with some
of the olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake until the bread is pale
golden and crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven. Top each
slice of bread with a slice of tomato and sprinkle with salt and
pepper. Top each slice of tomato with a slice of mozzarella and
sprinkle with salt. Return the baking sheet to the oven until the
cheese and tomato are warmed, about 5 minutes.

Arrange the toasts on a serving platter. Top each toast with a basil
leaf. Using the brush, drizzle the remaining olive oil over the basil.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and serve.

Pizzettes with gorgonzola, tomato and basil

Pizzettes are bite-size pizzas, and you can top them with any of your favorite pizza toppings. This is a bit of a variation on the classic margherita — I find the gorgonzola and sweet cherry tomatoes make a great appetite enhancer.

Other combos to try are grated fontina cheese, chopped mushrooms, and prosciutto, or coarse sea salt, extra-virgin olive oil, and fresh rosemary.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 ball (12 ounces) purchased pizza dough

• 5 ounces gorgonzola cheese, crumbled

• 5 ounces cherry tomatoes, quartered

• 1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

• 1/3 cup fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces

• salt and freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F. Roll out the pizza dough into a ¼-inch-thick round. Using a 2 ¼ - to 2 ½ - inch-diameter cookie cutter, cut out 30 dough circles.

Arrange the circles on 2 large, heavy baking sheets. Sprinkle the Gorgonzola cheese over the circles. Top with the tomatoes, pressing them gently into the dough.

Bake until the pizzettes are golden brown, about 10 minutes. Drizzle the pizzettes with the oil, then sprinkle with the basil, salt, and pepper. Arrange the pizzettes on a platter and serve immediately.

From: msnbc