Crostini With Tuna And White Bean Puree Food

GRILLED TUNA WITH WHITE BEAN PUREE, OLIVE TAPENADE AND ROASTED CHERRY TOMATOES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Lay out cherry vine tomatoes in a single layer on a roasting tray. Drizzle with orange chili oil and roast in the oven for 8 to10 minutes until tomatoes are slightly burst and have given off their juices. Set aside.
• Add tapenade ingredients to a food processor and process to a coarse puree. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and set aside.
• In a saucepan add a 2 count of extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and anchovies and sweat for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the beans followed by the warm chicken stock and cook until heated through. Transfer the mixture to a food processor or blender and puree with a splash of white vinegar, salt and some freshly ground black pepper. Thin with extra stock if the puree is too thick. Give it a final taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Set aside and keep warm until ready to serve.
• Now prepare the tuna. Heat a large cast iron griddle pan over high heat. Drizzle the tuna with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on the hot grill for about 45 seconds and then turn over and do the same. The tuna should be rare on the inside and have nice grill marks on the outside.
• To serve, smear a spoonful of the white bean puree on the bottom of a plate. Top with a the tuna and a spoonful of tapenade over the top. Set a cluster of the roasted tomatoes over the top and drizzle the juices from the pan all around the plate. Garnish with fresh arugula leaves.
• Make the chili oil by adding the thyme, rosemary, chili flakes and orange peel to the oil. Put aside and let it sit for at least 1 hour to let the flavors infuse.

CROSTINI WITH TUNA AND WHITE BEAN PUREE

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic, rosemary, sage, red-pepper flakes, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; season with pepper. Cook, stirring, until garlic is soft and golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Add cannellini beans and cook until heated through, about 3 minutes.
• Transfer bean mixture to the bowl of a food processor. Add red-wine vinegar and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
• Preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Brush bread on both sides with olive oil. Place bread slices on grill pan; cook, turning once, until bread is toasted and grill marks appear, about 2 minutes per side.
• Spread two tablespoons white bean puree on each slice of grilled bread. Top with tuna and sliced olives. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

KALE & WHITE BEAN CROSTINI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and drizzle the bread with olive oil.
• In a small bowl, place the cannellini beans. Stir in the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, rosemary, red pepper flakes, and a few pinches of salt and pepper. Set aside and let the beans soak up the flavors while you prepare the other ingredients. (Soak for at least 15 minutes, this step can also be done up to a day ahead of time).
• Toast the baguette slices in the oven until golden brown. While the slices are still warm, rub with the open side of a cut piece of garlic. Set aside.
• Chop your kale in half down the center and then into thin slices (in the other direction). It'll cook down a lot but if your slices are too long and stringy they'll be messier to eat. Heat a drizzle of oil in a medium skillet, add the shallots and cook for a couple of minutes until they soften.
• Add the kale and garlic, and cook for a minute more. Add a good splash of white wine.
• Stir, and cook for another 30 seconds or so, until the kale is nicely wilted but still vibrant green. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Mix the cooked kale with the white beans. Taste and adjust seasonings.
• Assemble toasts with a baguette slice and a dollop of the kale and bean mixture. Top with the reserved rosemary, red pepper flakes, and a good shaving of parmesan. Taste one and adjust seasonings again - add more herbs if you wish, salt, pepper, or another squeeze of lemon if you like.

WHITE BEAN CROSTINI

Steps:

• In a food processor, combine the beans, 1/4 cup oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Cover and process until smooth. Add olives and thyme; process until blended. , Place bread on an ungreased baking sheet. Brush with remaining oil. Broil 3-4 in. from the heat for 1-2 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly. Spread each slice with 1 tablespoon bean mixture. Garnish with olives and thyme if desired.

EGGPLANT CAPONATA CROSTINI

Steps:

• In a 5-quart Dutch oven or pot, heat oil over medium-high. Add onion, raisins, pine nuts, garlic, and red-pepper flakes; cook stirring occasionally, until onion has softened, 4 to 6 minutes.
• Add tomato paste, cocoa powder, and sugar; cook, stirring, until tomato paste is fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Add eggplant, vinegar, and 1/3 cup water.
• Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until eggplant is tender and mixture is thick, 7 to 10 minutes. Season with salt and more sugar (up to 1 tablespoon), as desired.
• Preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Brush both sides bread with olive oil. Grill, turning once, until toasted and grill marks appear, about 2 minutes per side.
• Top grilled bread with caponata; garnish with basil leaves. Caponata can be refrigerated up to 5 days in an airtight container; let cool completely before storing.

CROSTINI WITH GARDEN PUREE AND PARMIGIANO

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the peas, asparagus, and green beans and cook until bright green and crisp tender, about 3 minutes. (If you're using frozen peas, you can throw them in during the last couple of minutes, to thaw.) Drain, transfer to a bowl of salted ice water to stop the cooking, and drain again. Puree the vegetables in a food processor with the ricotta, green onion greens, a drizzle of oil, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Brush the bread slices on 1 side with olive oil and put them, oiled sides up, on a baking sheet. Bake until lightly browned and crisp, about 10 minutes.
• To serve, spread the puree on the warm croutons, and top with shaved Parmigiano (shave with a vegetable peeler). Serve immediately.

TUSCAN BEAN AND ROASTED GARLIC PURéE

Steps:

• Place beans in large pot. Add enough water to cover beans by 2 inches. Soak beans overnight. Drain well.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Place garlic heads in small dish. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil. Wrap dish in foil. Bake until garlic is very tender and golden brown, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Remove garlic from oven. Cool; peel garlic cloves.
• Place beans, 5 cups water, broth, sage, rosemary and 1 tablespoon chopped garlic in large pot. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered until beans are tender, about 1 hour 20 minutes. Drain beans, reserving cooking liquid.
• Combine beans, roasted garlic, remaining 3 tablespoons oil and lemon juice in processor. Blend until coarse puree forms. Thin to desired consistency with some reserved cooking liquid. Season with salt and pepper.