appetizers · Breads · Chocolate · Daily Thoughts · Desserts · Uncategorized

Cooking With Ginger

We have a young chef who comes into our community once a month who is absolutely wonderful. Not only does she bring us amazing recipes, but she is funny and just livens up the people who show up. You come away laughing and in such great moods, it is just a great class to attend. Last week she made 4 really good recipes of which I have already made one. It will be one of our staples from now on. Open Faced Caprese Sandwiches. She also gave us the recipe for Butterscotch Peanut bars, Watermelon-Feta-Basil Salad and a summer mixed drink which I will post tomorrow. But today I am posting the Caprese Sandwiches and Butterscotch Bars.
I bet when you read the title you thought this post would be all about recipes which included ginger. Fooled YA!

Caprese Sandwiches
1 Roma Tomato, sliced into four slices
2 tables chopped fresh basil (or more depending on how many slices of bread you are using)
Fresh Mozzarella log, sliced thinly
4 slices of Italian Bread or baguette
Balsamic Reduction *Found it at some Walmarts and also Trader Joes
Butter and Olive Oil

Preheat oven broiler or toaster oven
Gently spread olive oil or softened butter on one side of the bread. Place in oven to lightly toast.
On opposite side of buttered or oiled bread, with a pastry brush, place olive oil on the dry side of the bread that has not been toasted. Place tomato slices on top of bread. (If you are making more than 4 slices of bread, use another tomato)
Top with slices of mozzarella. Again, use enough slices to make however many slices you need.
Place bread onto baking sheet and place under broiler for 1-2 minutes until cheese is melted and starting to bubble.
Top with chopped basil and sprinkle with the balsamic reduction. You may want to sprinkle each slice with sea salt.

Butterscotch Peanut Bars
This quick and easy bar to make taste similar to a Pay Day candy bar.

Bar
1/2 cup butterscotch flavored baking chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup salted Spanish peanuts or salted peanuts
1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows

Glaze
1/4 cup milk or semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 teas shortening

Melt butterscotch chips, peanut butter and butter oven low heat in small saucepan, stirring constantly 3-5 minutes. Cool 5 minutes.
Stir in peanuts and marshmallows. Pour into a buttered 8″ square pan. Cover and place in fridge 30 min or until set.
Melt chocolate chips with shortening in a small saucepan or microwave until chips are melted. In 15 second intervals. Sir after each interval. Drizzle over the cooled bars and refrigerate until chocolate is set.
Cut into bars and keep covered in fridge.

Breads · Salads

Italian Bread Salad

Toasted Bread

1 loaf of 2 day old country Italian or sourdough bread

extra-virgin olive oil

Dressing

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 cup EVOO

Salt and pepper to taste

Salad

1 container red grape tomatoes, or 4 or 5 vine ripened tomatoes, chopped

1/2 container yellow cherry tomatoes, halved

1 large cucumber, seeded and diced

1 small red onion, diced

1 cup pitted and halved olives or 1/4 cup rinsed capers

chopped fresh basil to taste

chopped fresh parsley to taste

salt, finely ground pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400. Trip some of the crust from the bread, but not all and then cut into large crouton size pieces. Toss with a little bit of olive oil, spread on a cookie sheet and bake in the  oven until lightly toasted. (approx. 5 to 8 min).

Check every 5 min so the bread doesn’t get overly browned. Remove from oven and let cool.

Whisk together the garlic, red wine vinegar, 1/2 cup EVOO, salt and pepper to make a vinaigrette. Set aside.

In a bowl, gently toss together the bread cubes, tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, and olives. Season the salad with the fresh basil, fresh parsley, salt and pepper.

Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad. You may not use all of it/. Toss to coat and then let salad sit for about 20 minutes, so the bread soaks up the dressing.

Taste before serving and add more of the seasonings, if needed.

This recipe is taken from Plano Profile magazine and it will be on our table this week. Sounds perfect for these hot summer days.