Grilled Vegetable Panini

Cook Time: 10 min
Level: Easy
Yield: 12 servings

Ingredients

* 1/4 cup olive oil
* 2 small Japanese eggplants or 1 medium to large regular
eggplant, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
* 2 zucchini, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
* 1 small red onion, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 2 baguettes (each about 2 feet long)
* 1/2 cup Basil Pesto, recipe follows
* 8 ounces fresh water-packed mozzarella cheese, drained, sliced
* 2 tomatoes, sliced
* 1/2 cup roasted red peppers
* 8 large basil leaves, optional

Directions

Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Drizzle the oil over the
eggplant, zucchini, and onion slices, then sprinkle with salt and
pepper. Working in batches, grill the eggplant, zucchini, and onions
until they are tender and grill marks appear, about 4 minutes per
side. Cool completely.

Cut each baguette into 6 pieces. Working with one baguette piece at a
time, slice in half and spread both sides with the pesto. Working with
the bottom slice of the baguette, stack 2 slices of eggplant, 2 slices
zucchini, 1 slice onion, 1 slice tomato, 1 slice mozzarella, and 1
slice of roasted pepper. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place top half
of baguette on top and continue with remaining baguette. (The
sandwiches can be made 4 hours ahead. Wrap well with plastic wrap and
refrigerate.)

Basil Pesto:

2 cups fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup (about) extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

In a blender, pulse the basil, pine nuts, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of
salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper until finely chopped. With the
blender still running, gradually add enough oil to form a smooth and
thick consistency. Transfer the pesto to a medium bowl and stir in 1/2
cup of cheese. Season the pesto with more salt and pepper, to taste.
(The pesto can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Yield: 1 cup
Prep Time: 10 minutes

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.

Crostini with Sun-Dried Tomato Jam

Cook Time: 45 min
Level: Easy
Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

Sun-Dried Tomato Jam:

* 1 (8-ounce) jar sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained and
chopped, oil reserved
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 1/2 onion, thinly sliced
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 2 tablespoons sugar
* 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
* 1 cup water
* 1/2 cup chicken broth
* 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Crostini:

* 1 baguette, cut into 3/4-inch slices
* 1/4 cup olive oil
* Salt
* Freshly ground black pepper
* 5 ounces goat cheese, room temperature
* 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves

Directions

For the Sun-dried Tomato Jam:

Place a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the chopped sun-dried
tomatoes, 1 tablespoon of the reserved sun-dried tomato oil, olive
oil, onion, and garlic. Stir and cook until the onions are soft and
beginning to brown at the edges, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the sugar,
vinegar, water, chicken broth, thyme, salt, and pepper. Bring the
liquid to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, covered, for 30
minutes. Remove the cover and continue simmering until most of the
liquid is reduced and the mixture is the consistency of jam, about 5
to 10 more minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

For the Crostini:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil.

Place the baguette slices on the baking sheet. Using a pastry brush,
lightly coat the baguette slices with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt
and pepper. Bake until lightly toasted, about 8 minutes.

Place the soft goat cheese in a small bowl. Stir in the thyme.
To assemble:

Spread the crostini with Sun-Dried Tomato Jam and top with the goat
cheese and herb mixture. Transfer to a serving plate and serve.

From: foodnetwork.com

Bruschetta with Gorgonzola Cheese and Honey

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

Ingredients

* 36 slices (1/2-inch thick) baguette bread, about 1 loaf
* 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
* 8 ounces Gorgonzola, sliced
* 3 tablespoons honey

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Arrange the sliced baguette on a baking sheet. Brush with olive oil.
Bake until the bread is pale golden and crisp, about 10 minutes.

Arrange the cheese on the toasts and bake until the cheese is melted,
about 3 minutes.

Drizzle the toasts with honey. Place on a serving platter and serve immediately.

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.