Parmesan Pesto Stuffed Plum Tomatoes
August 20, 2009
Parmesan Pesto Stuffed Plum Tomatoes
What You Need:
1 C fresh basil leaves, tightly packed
2 cloves of garlic
3 T of pine nuts
1/2 C extra virgin olive oil, divided
3 T + 1/2 C of Parmesan cheese, grated and divided
1 t salt, divided
1/2 t pepper, divided
4 large plum tomatoes
How to Make It:
Place the basil, garlic and pine nuts in a food processor or blender and process until finely chopped.
While still blending slowly add in 1/4 C of the oil and process until the mixture forms a paste.
Add 3 T of the Parmesan cheese, 1/2 t salt and 1/4 t of the pepper and pulse until just combined.
Remove the mixture to a bowl and allow it to stand 15 minutes so the flavors can incorporate together.
Prepare the grill for the medium hot temperature.
Slice the tomatoes in half lengthwise and remove the seeds.
Brush the cut sides of the tomatoes with the remaining oil then sprinkle with the remaining salt and pepper.
Place the tomatoes cut side down on the grill and cook 8 minutes or until soft and slightly grill marked.
Carefully remove the tomatoes and stuff each tomato half with the pesto mixture.
Sprinkle the remaining Parmesan cheese evenly over each stuffed tomato.
Makes 8 servings
Grilling vegetables helps the natural sugars to caramelize giving them a bit of a sweet taste along with a slight smokiness that is pleasant to the taste buds. Use plum tomatoes because of their meaty texture and firmness making them much easier to handle when grilled.
Mexican Potatoes in a Shell
August 20, 2009
[#2: Edit Options>MightyAdsense>Adsense Code]
Mexican Potatoes in a Shell
What You Need:
3 large baking potatoes
1 green bell pepper cut in half and seeds removed
2 jalapeno peppers
1 C sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 T fresh cilantro, minced
1/4 t of salt
1/4 t of pepper
12 (6 inch) corn tortillas
1 T olive oil
How to Make It:
Preheat the grill to the medium temperature.
Prick the potatoes with a fork and wrap each potato in foil.
Set the potatoes, green peppers and jalapeno peppers onto the grill grate.
Roast the vegetables for 10 minutes, turning often, until both peppers are charred.
Remove the peppers from the grill and place in plastic bags to steam for 10 minutes.
Close the grill lid and continuing roasting the potatoes for 40 minutes, turning every 10 minutes, or until tender.
Peel the peppers and remove any remaining seeds.
Finely chop the peppers and set aside.
Remove the potatoes and allow them to cool enough to handle.
Unwrap the potatoes, cut them in half and scoop out the potato pulp.
Add the pulp to the peppers and stir to combine.
Stir in the cheese, egg, and cilantro, salt and pepper until blended together well.
Fill each taco shell with 2 T of the potato mixture.
Brush the outside of the tacos with the olive oil.
Place the filled tacos on the grill.
Grill 3 minutes per side or until crispy.
Makes 6 servings
When filling your tacos be careful not to fill them too full. This way the filling won’t fall out on the grill grate. Serve them with salsa, sour cream or Guacamole.
Grilled Italian Eggplant Steaks
August 20, 2009
[#3: Edit Options>MightyAdsense>Adsense Code]
Grilled Italian Eggplant Steaks
What You Need:
1 eggplant, peeled and sliced into 3/8 inch slices
1 bottle of Italian dressing
How to Make It:
Prepare the gill for medium hot heat.
Place the eggplant into a shallow bowl.
Pour the dressing over the eggplant and turn the eggplant to coat well.
Let the eggplant stand in the dressing for 15 minutes to absorb the liquid.
Place the eggplant on the grill and cook for 8 minutes, turning occasionally or until crispy on the outside but still soft in the middle.
Makes 4 servings
Eggplant is one of the best vegetables to grill. You must be careful with eggplant to reach a grilled perfection. Always cut your eggplant to 3/8 inch thickness. If you cut it to thin it will char and if too thick it will dry out. If you not marinating the eggplant slice coat them with oil before grilling. Be sure to always grill eggplant on high heat cooking to slow will give the eggplant an unpleasant texture and will cause them to become dry. Any type of your favorite dressing or marinade can be used in this recipe.
