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Quesadilla Caprese

I love Caprese salads… fresh mozzarella cheese, tomatoes and fresh basil drizzled with extra virgin olive oil. Mmmmm!!! So when Rachael Ray proposed in one of her shows to make quesadillas with an Italian twist, I was all eyes and ears.

I tried this one night I wanted a quick dinner… this Quesadilla Caprese works great alone or accompanied with a salad. As an appetizer or as lunch or light supper. The fresh mozzarella is very watery and oozes a bit when you’re making it, but the flavor is amazing.

QUESADILLA CAPRESE

1 whole wheat tortilla

4-5 fresh mozzarella slices

3 tomato slices

4-5 fresh basil leaves

Extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and Pepper to taste

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brush some olive oil.
Place whole wheat tortilla to warm up. Flip over to the other side.
Place 1/2 of the mozzarella slices, tomatoes, sprinkle salt and pepper, place basil leaves and the remaining mozzarella slices. You need cheese next to the tortilla side to act as the “glue” that will keep the quesadilla closed and together.

5. Press down with a spatula. Some of the moisture of the cheese will ooze out. Don’t worry, keep the skillet warm enough and the tortilla will not wilt. Actually it helps to build some crust on the outside rim. Flip it a few times to get the cheese well melted on both sides.

6. Dress with a additional drizzle of olive oil.

Try it… it’s awesome.

Tags: basil, fresh mozarella cheese, quesadilla, tomato, tortilla

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Categories appetizers, main courses

Pink Mac & Cheese

1 Feb

A good friend of mine reminded me I always talked to him about my blog and my recipes, but that I had NEVER cooked for him. So I immediately invited him to lunch and made this impromptu comforting pasta dish.

I love pink pasta sauces… I think they’re super tasty and combine the best of both worlds – cheese sauce and tomatoes.

PINK MAC & CHEESE

1/4 pound whole wheat pasta – penne, rigatoni, macaroni would all work

2 tbs olive oil

2 tbs sofrito

8oz heavy cream

4 oz cottage cheese

3/4 cup shredded Italian cheese mix, divided

2 oz. Laughing Cow cheese or 1/3 less fat cream cheese

1/4 cup crushed tomatoes

5 or 6 sun dried tomatoes, chopped

10-12 basil leaves

Salt, Garlic salt and Pepper to taste

In a medium pot, boil water, season with salt liberally and cook pasta until al dente… approximately 10-12 minutes. While pasta cooks, make the sauce.
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil. Add sofrito and saute for a few minutes.
Add cream cheese and whisk together with sofrito until it melts. Add heavy cream, cottage cheese, cream cheese and 1/2 cup of the Italian cheese blend. Whisk together until all cheeses are melted and well blended.
Add crushed tomatoes and season with garlic salt and pepper to taste.
Add sun-dried tomatoes and basil leaves.
Drain cooked pasta and add to saucepan with sauce.
Transfer pasta and sauce to a baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup shredded cheese blend.
Bake in oven for about 20 minutes until the cheese on top is melted and creates a golden crust.

Not too light, but delicious and comforting… my friend is a convert and now he wants me to cook for him all the time. I should have taken a photo of his amazed face.

Tags: basil, cottage cheese, mac & cheese, pasta, sun-dried tomatoes

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Categories main courses

Pesto 101

25 Dec

This is my recipe for pesto… my mom loves pesto and every time I have too much basil that might go bad, I do a batch. It’s great on it’s own with pasta, as a condiment, as an ingredient for a salad dressing or to add to a recipe where you would like some fresh basil flavor.

PESTO

2 tablespoons pine nuts or almonds

3 garlic cloves

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3 cups basil leaves, strip away the stems

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

1/4 teaspoon salt

Mix everything in a food processor.
Add more olive oil if the mixture seems a bit dry.

Store in a jar in the fridge or you can freeze it in an ice tray for individual servings .

Tags: basil, olive oil, parmesan, pesto, pine nuts

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Categories basics

Baked Pasta with 4 Cheeses

22 Dec

This is my FAVORITE pasta dish of all time!!!!!!

I did it last night as a Birthday present dinner for my friend Walter, who traveled with me to Spain this past Summer. And whom I am trying to convince to apply with me to be in The Amazing Race.

If I have to ask for a Last Meal, this will be the dish I would request. This is an adaptation from a Martha Stewart recipe, which is actually a recipe from a Providence, Rhode Island restaurant called Al Forno. I’ve never been to Providence, but if I get to go, Al Forno is the only restuarant I need to go.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do…

BAKED PASTA WITH 4 CHEESES

1/2 pound whole-wheat pasta – shells, penne or rigatoni would all work well

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese – I sometimes use a pre-shredded cheese blend from the store

1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese, divided in half – half for mixture, half for topping

1/4 cup freshly grated Fontina cheese

2 tablespoons ricotta cheese

1/2 cup pureed tomatoes

10 fresh basil leaves, torn with your hands

1/4 teaspoon salt

a few grinds of freshly cracked pepper

Heat oven to 500 degrees.
Bring large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente.
While pasta cooks, place cream, cheeses, pureed tomatoes, salt, pepper and basil in a large bowl.
Drain pasta and toss together with cheese mixture in bowl.
Pour into a medium-sized baking dish. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup remaining Pecorino Romano on top.
Bake until bubbly and brown on top for about 15 minutes.
Turn off oven and leave in there for a few minutes for the sauce to set a bit.
Serve immediately afterwards while still hot.

It’s important to watch out the measurements of the cheeses. The right amount will melt beautifully and create the most wonderful sauce. When I started to eye-ball the amounts, sometimes the results were not as I expected.

I make this recipe right in my toaster oven…

And the recipe doesn’t reheat very well. It will still be tasty, but the sauce becomes a bit oily… just so you know. This is one of those recipes to make and eat in the moment. Every time I do it for company, people can’t believe that came out of a home kitchen. It’s unbelievable!!!

I served this last night with my Cinammon Vanilla Plantains and my Super Easily Dressed Green Salad. Oh, and I also did my Garlic Parsley Breadsticks.

Buen Provecho.