Artichoke Tomato And Asiago Focaccia Food

ARTICHOKE FOCACCINI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside.
• Unroll and separate biscuit dough. Pat each biscuit in to 1/4-inch thick rounds. Place on prepared baking sheet. Make "dimples" in each round with fingertips.
• In a small bowl, combine olive oil, garlic, and Italian seasoning. Using a pastry brush, brush tops with olive oil mixture. Place 2 artichoke quarters on each round and about 5 grape tomatoes halves and top with 2 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese
• Bake in oven for 13 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown.
• Serve warm.

GRILLED SPINACH-ARTICHOKE SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Combine half of the onion, the vinegar and a pinch of salt in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave until hot; set aside.
• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the remaining onion and cook, stirring, 3 minutes. Add the artichokes and heat through, 4 minutes. Stir in half of the spinach and cook until wilted, 2 more minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the asiago, goat cheese, mayonnaise and the remaining spinach.
• Heat a grill pan over medium heat. Sandwich the spinach-artichoke mixture between the bread slices. Brush the sandwiches with olive oil and add to the grill pan. Grill 3 minutes per side. Let rest 2 minutes; cut in half.
• Drain the reserved onion. Drizzle with olive oil, then add the tomatoes, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste; toss. Serve with the sandwiches.

ARTICHOKE CAPONATA (CAPUNATA 'I CACUOCCIULI)

Steps:

• Make tomato sauce:
• Crush tomatoes in a bowl with your hand. Cook garlic in oil in a 1 1/2-quart saucepan over low heat, turning occasionally, until pale golden, about 10 minutes. Discard garlic. Stir in tomatoes, sugar, basil, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer vigorously, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until sauce is reduced to a thick pulp, about 20 minutes.
• Prepare vegetables:
• Smash olives with a meat pounder or flat side of a large knife. Remove pits. Soak olives 30 minutes in cold water, changing water every 10 minutes. Drain. Juice 2 lemons into a large bowl half filled with cold water and add lemon halves. Working with 1 artichoke at a time and running knife through remaining lemon before each cut, trim about ‚ inch from tops and cut off stems. Pull off tough outer leaves and quarter artichokes lengthwise. Put them in lemon water as trimmed.
• Drain artichokes well and pat dry. Heat oil in a large heavy skillet over moderately high heat, then sauté artichokes, stirring, 2 minutes. Add salt to taste and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender, 15 to 20 minutes. While artichokes cook, blanch celery in boiling water 2 minutes and transfer with tongs to a bowl of cold water to stop cooking. Thinly slice.
• Add celery, olives, and capers to artichokes. Cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until hot. Stir in vinegar and cook 1 minute. Add tomato sauce and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer 5 minutes. Serve at room temperature with a few grindings of black pepper.

CREAMY ARTICHOKE AND ASIAGO PASTA

Steps:

• Cook rotini according to package directions. Keep hot.
• Drain and chop artichoke hearts.
• In a large skillet, sauté onion and garlic gently in the olive oil until onion starts to soften.
• Add artichokes. Heat gently, stirring often.
• Add basil and white wine.
• Shake the milk and flour together. Add to pan. Heat, stirring constantly, until simmering and thickened.
• Stir in Asiago and parsley. Taste and adjust seasonings.
• Toss pasta in sauce until well-coated. Serve sprinkled with cayenne pepper flakes and additional parsley.

ARTICHOKE FOCACCIA

Steps:

• Tip the flour into a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Add the yeast and salt, then gradually pour in 350ml tepid water, stirring as you go. Bring the dough together with a spoon, then with your hands. It should be soft, but not too sticky or wet. If it won't come together, pour in a little extra water; if the dough is too wet, add extra flour. Tip onto a floured work surface and knead for about 10 mins, or until it's smooth, soft and springs back when pushed with a finger. Leave to rise in an oiled bowl covered with cling film in a warm place for 1 hr or Packed with summer flavours until the dough has doubled in size.
• Strip leaves from half the rosemary and finely chop. Break the rest into smaller pieces. Drain the artichokes, reserving the oil, and chop into chunks.
• When risen, tip the dough onto an oiled work surface and roll out into a 35 x 45cm rectangle. Slip an oiled baking sheet under half of the dough. Top the half with artichokes, all the Parmesan and rosemary. Grind over black pepper and drizzle with a little of the reserved oil. Fold over the other dough half, pressing the edges together and under to seal. Leave to rise in a warm place, covered with the oiled cling film, for 30 mins. Heat oven to 240C/fan 220C/gas 9.
• Drizzle with a little more of the oil and make dents in the top with your fingers. Pop the rosemary sprigs into the dents and grate over a little more cheese. Bake for 15 mins, until golden and risen. Cool on a rack for 30 mins, cut into squares and serve.

ARTICHOKE, TOMATO AND ASIAGO FOCACCIA

Steps:

• Scald the milk, and cool to lukewarm, not too hot, or it will kill the yeast (about 100F).
• Mix flour, yeast, oil and milk in a medium bowl, cover and let rest for 20 minutes.
• Sprinkle on salt and mix dough in an electric mixer with dough hook on low medium speed, adding flour as needed until it is sticky and stretchy, and comes away from the sides of the bowl. (You can knead by hand, it will just take longer.).
• Let dough rest, covered, 30 minutes, knead again for about 5 minutes. The dough should be very sticky, but hold together in a ball.
• Rinse and drain artichoke hearts, and finely chop.
• Mix artichokes, tomatoes, and cheese, set aside.
• The tomatoes will absorb any excess moisture from artichokes and soften nicely.
• Let the dough rise until doubled, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• Scrape out onto a floured countertop or large cutting board.
• Shape the dough into a rough rectangle.
• Roll with a floured rolling pin to about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick.
• Top roughly 2/3 of the dough with cheese, tomatoes, and artichokes, the mixture should be damp, but not dripping wet.
• Fold dough into thirds, like an envelope, with the empty third over the center, and the other side over that, and roll again gently, until the fillings just begin to be visible through the top of the dough.
• Place dough on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or silpat.
• Preheat oven to 450F; let dough rise, loosely covered, 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until puffy and soft.
• Brush dough with olive oil. Use fingers to make several small dimples in bread.
• Sprinkle with kosher salt, and more cheese if you like.
• Bake for 15 minutes, rotating pan after 10 minutes.
• Let cool slightly before cutting into squares.