The Gourmet Grilled Cheese Cookbook (6 page)

Tomatoes seasoned with basil, oregano, garlic, and olive oil can be used to make soup, added to sandwiches, or served over pasta.

You will need:

3 cups diced Tomatoes, any variety

2 tablespoons Olive Oil

2 cloves Garlic, minced

1 tablespoon Oregano, finely chopped

1 tablespoon Basil, finely chopped

1/4 teaspoon Salt

1/8 teaspoon Pepper

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place the tomatoes in a large baking dish.
   
2. Add the olive oil, garlic, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper to the baking dish. Stir until the herbs are evenly distributed.
   
3. Bake for 30 -40 minutes. The tomatoes should be soft and most of the liquid from the tomatoes should have evaporated.
   

Freshly made ricotta is thick, creamy, and surprisingly easy to prepare.

You will need:

2 cups Whole Milk

1 cup Heavy Cream

1/2 teaspoon Salt

1 1/2 tablespoons White Wine Vinegar

Cheesecloth

1. Stir the milk, cream, and salt together in a saucepan, and bring to a full boil over medium heat.
   
2. Once the mixture reaches a boil, turn off the heat. Add the vinegar and let the cheese curdle for 1 minute.
   
3. Line a colander with 2 layers of cheesecloth.
   
4. Pour the ricotta through the cheesecloth-lined colander. Let sit and drain for at least 30 minutes. The longer the ricotta drains, the thicker it will be. Refrigerate in an airtight container. The ricotta will keep for 2 days.
   

Sweet honey roasted walnuts with just a hint of cayenne pepper can also be added to a cheese plate or served as a snack.

You will need:

1/4 cup Honey

1 1/2 tablespoons Sugar

1/8 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

1 cup Walnut Pieces

1. Melt the honey, sugar, and cayenne pepper together over medium heat in a small saucepan.
   
2. Remove from heat, and stir in the walnuts.
   
3. Strain excess honey off the walnuts.
   
4. Spread the walnuts out in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 7 minutes.
   

Pears poached in rich Marsala wine and butter are a great addition to a salad or sandwich.

You will need:

1 tablespoon Butter

1 Bartlett Pear, sliced

1/2 cup Dry Marsala Wine

1. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-low heat; add the pears. Stir and cook for 2 minutes. Then add the wine. Bring to a low simmer.
   
2. Cook for about 15 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed and the pears are translucent.
   

Oven roasted garlic is easy to spread and can be added to pasta, sandwiches, or mashed potatoes.

You will need:

1 head of Garlic

2 teaspoons Olive Oil

1. Slice the top off the head of garlic and place it head down in a muffin pan. Pour 2 teaspoons olive oil over the garlic. Place aluminum foil over the garlic. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.
   
2. Remove the garlic from the oven. Let cool, and then use a fork to remove the roasted garlic cloves from the head of garlic.
   

Simple steps to prepare roasted peppers either using a stovetop flame or an oven.

You will need:

1 Pepper, any variety

1. Gas stove method: Turn on a burner. Use tongs to place the pepper directly over the flame. Rotate every couple of minutes until the skin of the pepper is charred.
   

   Oven method: Slice the pepper into 4 or 5 large pieces. Spread the peppers out on a baking sheet, skin facing up. Roast for 15 minutes at 500 degrees until the skin of the peppers is charred.
   

2. Immediately place the peppers in a bowl and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. The steam that forms helps to separate the skin from the pepper.
   
3. Let the peppers come down to room temperature. Cut the pepper into 4-5 pieces if you used the gas stove method. Then peel the skin off the peppers under running water.
   

The easiest way to prepare evenly crisped bacon is to bake it in the oven.

You will need:

Bacon

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees.
   
2. Slice the bacon in half widthwise, so that it will easily fit into a sandwich.
   
3. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. It is important to use a baking sheet that has edges. Spread the bacon out in a single layer on the aluminum foil.
   
4. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the bacon has reached the desired amount of crispness.
   
5. Remove bacon from the oven, and place on a plate or cooking rack. Use a paper towel to blot extra grease.
   

Kit Graham writes
thekittchen.com
, a food site focused on original and practical recipes. The Kittchen has been featured on Refinery 29, Eater, The Frisky, and The Urbaness. Kit grew up in Kennebunk, Maine and currently resides in Chicago with her husband.