Grilled Fennel And Red Onions With Sun Dried Tomatoes And Basil Food

GRILLED RED ONIONS

Steps:

• Trim the a thin slice off the side of the whole, unpeeled onion. Set the onion flat on the cut surface for stability. Cut the onion into 4 (1-inch thick) slices. Remove the outer ring of skin from each slice. Drizzle the sliced onion with light colored oil and season both sides with steak seasoning or salt and pepper, to taste. Grill on hot grill or on a nonstick griddle for 5 to 7 minutes on each side until onion is tender and has begun to caramelize.

ROASTED VEGGIE SANDWICH WITH SUN-DRIED TOMATO BASIL DRESSING

Steps:

• Prep your grill pan or the outdoor grill.
• Once hot, brush the grill pan with oil then place the sliced vegetables on the pan. Brush some oil on the veggies. Sprinkle a little bit of salt and pepper and cook.
• Press the veggies occasionally. You can use a spatula to press these vegetables down or use heavy grill weight. You can use skewers or toothpicks to keep the onion together
• Cook until the vegetables have good golden brown stripes on them. Flip and continue to cook.
• Meanwhile, make the sun dried tomato spread: Add everything to the blender and a 1/4 cup of water and blend.
• Let the mixture sit for 2-3 minutes then blend again and then add water, 1 tablespoon at a time until the mixture is a spreadable consistency. Taste and adjust salt and flavor.
• Toast your bread slices. Apply the spread on both of the slices. Then top the grilled vegetables on top of the one slice then place another slice on top and serve.

GRILLED FENNEL

Steps:

• Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat and lightly oil the grate.
• Slice a very thin layer from the bottom of each fennel bulb using a vegetable peeler or paring knife, leaving the core in place to help hold bulb intact. Remove fennel stalks, reserving fronds. Slice bulbs vertically into 1/4-inch slices. Brush slices with 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with ground black pepper and salt on each side.
• Grill fennel slices until charred, about 5 minutes per side; transfer to serving platter.
• Whisk remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, basil, parsley, lemon juice, lemon zest, freshly ground black pepper, thyme, and reserved fennel fronds together in a bowl. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese and drizzle lemon mixture over fennel.

FRITTATA WITH TOMATOES, ONIONS AND BASIL

Steps:

• Sweat the onions in the oil until just browning. Chop the tomatoes and add to the onions with salt to taste. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Press the vegetables to the side of the pan and remove to a bowl with a slotted spoon. Leave to cool.
• Beat the eggs until well mixed but not frothy. Add the vegetables, cheese, a good quantity of pepper and salt to taste. Tear up the basil leaves, add and stir everything together. Melt the butter in a 12 inch nonstick frying ban until just foaming. Pour in the egg mixture, lower the heat and cook for 15 minutes until the eggs are set but the top is still a bit runny. Then put the pan under the broiler for 30 seconds.
• Loosen the frittata with a pliable spatula and slide onto a suitable dish. Cut into wedges when cooled. It can be eaten warm with a salad or cold on a hunk of bread.

GRILLED EGGPLANT WITH MOZZARELLA, TOMATOES, AND BASIL

Steps:

• Prepare a barbecue (or preheat a broiler). Cut the eggplants into slices about 1/2-inch thick. Spread on a baking sheet and brush with olive oil on both sides. Set aside.
• Cut mozzarella in half crosswise, then slice each half about 1/4-inch thick to create half-moon shaped pieces. Slice tomatoes in the same manner. Arrange tomatoes and mozzarella decoratively around the edge of a large serving platter.
• Place eggplant slices on barbecue (or place on baking sheet in broiler) and cook, turning once, until nicely charred on each side; the eggplant should almost caramelize. Arrange the cooked eggplant down the center of the serving platter, surrounded by the tomatoes and mozzarella. Pluck about 12 large leaves from the basil bunch, stack them, roll them up like a cigar, then slice crosswise into thin shreds (?chiffonade?). Scatter the basil shreds over the vegetables and cheese, then drizzle balsamic vinegar and more olive oil over all. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, to taste, and let stand until eggplant is at room temperature.

PENNE PASTA SALAD WITH SUN DRIED TOMATOES, ASPARAGUS AND BASIL

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to directions. Drain.
• Saute asparagus tips in garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper until tender. Add to the pasta along with the basil and sun-dried tomatoes. Toss to mix. Adjust seasonings as necessary. Refrigerate 1 hour or longer before serving.

BRUSCHETTA WITH WHITE BEANS, SUN-DRIED TOMATOES AND BASIL

Steps:

• Rinse the beans well and then put in a 1-quart saucepan. Cover with water to 1-inch over the top of the beans. On medium-high heat, bring to a boil. Immediately take the pot away from the burner, cover and hold for 1 hour. Change the water; add half of the extra-virgin olive oil, 1 garlic clove and the bay leaf. Cook beans on low. Simmer for about 40 minutes or until tender. During last 10 minutes, add 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir in carefully. Remove from heat and hold in the saucepan with the cooking liquid until cool. This may be done 1 to 2 days before serving, and kept refrigerated.
• For the bruschetta topping:
• Preheat a grill or stove-top grill pan.
• Grill the bread on both sides until crispy. Be careful on high heat as bread burns easily.
• While bread is grilling, in a saute pan on medium heat, toast the sliced garlic in the olive oil. When it is light golden, add the chili flakes, cook for 10 seconds and then add the basil leaves. Do this carefully, as the basil may spatter some oil.
• With a slotted spoon, transfer the beans to the pan. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of the bean cooking liquid (or liquid from canned beans) and mix all together. Hold warm. Adjust consistency, as necessary, with the bean liquid, a little at a time.
• When the basil leaves are wilted, remove mixture from the heat. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and chopped parsley. Toss to combine and adjust the seasoning with lemon juice, to taste, and salt and pepper.
• Lightly swipe the remaining garlic clove on 1 side of the bread. Arrange the toasted bruschetta on a serving platter and drizzle with the remaining extra-virgin olive oil. Top each piece with some of the tomato-bean mixture, then evenly divide the ricotta salata over the mixture. Serve warm.

MACKEREL WITH FENNEL, OLIVES, AND SUN DRIED TOMATOES

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat in a large nonstick skillet with the garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the fennel and onions and cook until brown and tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the thyme, rosemary, lemon and orange peel, pepper flakes, olives, and tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper and cook until herbs and zest are fragrant, about 3 minutes more. Transfer vegetables to a serving platter and cover with foil to keep warm.
• Wipe out the skillet.
• Make 1-inch diagonal slashes into the fishes' skin to prevent the mackerel from curling while cooking. Add the remaining olive oil to the skillet over high heat and season the mackerel with salt and pepper. Place fish skin side down in the skillet and cook undisturbed until crisp brown and a spatula can easily be slipped under the fish to flip, about 2 to 3 minutes. Turn the fish over and cook another 2 minutes, until just firm. Set on top of the fennel mixture and serve.

ROASTED FENNEL AND RED ONIONS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Cut each fennel bulb lengthwise into 8 wedges and in a roasting pan toss fennel and onions with butter, oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Roast vegetables, stirring once halfway through roasting, 25 minutes, or until tender. Add vinegar to vegetables and toss to coat.