Mashed Potatoes With Mozzarella Tomato Basil And Pine Nuts Food

CHEESY MASHED POTATOES WITH TOMATOES, BASIL AND PINE NUTS

Steps:

• Set a pan of water to boil.
• Peel the potatoes and chop them into eighths.
• Potatoes -- Peeled and rough chopped. Put in a large pot of salted boiling water and boil 15-20 minutes until soft.
• Tomatoes -- while the potatoes cook roast the tomatoes. In a small bowl toss the tomatoes cut in half and the shallot with just a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Place on a foil or parchment paper lined baking sheet and roast at 425 degrees for 10-15 minutes until the tomatoes just start to get soft and the onions start to brown and are soft. The last 2 minutes I added the pine nuts to the baking sheet to slightly roast. Then, remove and cool slightly chop the onions a bit more.
• Potatoes Step 2 -- Drain and put back in the pot so they can dry out a bit, just for a minute is all you need. Then mash with a potato masher to the consistency you like.
• Combine -- Add the cream cheese and chicken broth and mix well. Then add in the tomatoes with all the juice, shallots, parmesan, pine nuts, basil, parsley, salt and pepper and mix well.

MASHED POTATOES WITH MOZZARELLA, TOMATO, BASIL AND PINE NUTS

Steps:

• Set a pan of water to boil.
• Peel the potatoes and chop them into eighths.
• Put them in the pan of hot water to boil for 15-20 minutes, until cooked.
• Meanwhile, chop the cherry tomatoes into eighths and set aside.
• Add the pine nuts to the tomatoes.
• Finely chop the fresh basil leaves into the tomato mixture.
• When the potatoes are cooked and soft, mash them.
• Stir the cream cheese and olive oil into the mashed potatoes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Add the tomato mixture to the mashed potatoes and mix gently.
• Add the mozzarella cheese to the mashed potatoes and gently stir to mix. Do not stir too much as the mozzarella can become "stringy" if mixed too much.
• Serve hot!
• Note: These mashed potatoes can also be stored in the fridge and reheated in the microwave if you have leftovers!

POTATO BASIL PUREE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil and fill a bowl with ice water. Add the basil leaves to the boiling water and cook for exactly 15 seconds. Remove the basil with a slotted spoon and immediately plunge the leaves into the ice water to set the bright green color. Drain and set aside.
• Peel the potatoes and cut them in quarters. Add the potatoes to the same pot of boiling water and return to a boil. Cook the potatoes for 20 to 25 minutes, until very tender. Drain well, return to the saucepan, and steam over low heat until any remaining water evaporates.
• In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat the half-and-half and Parmesan cheese until the cream simmers. Place the basil in a food processor fitted with the steel blade and puree. Add the hot cream mixture and process until smooth.
• With a handheld mixer with the beater attachment, beat the hot potatoes in the pot until they are broken up. Slowly add the hot basil cream, the salt, and pepper and beat until smooth. If the potatoes need to be reheated, cover and cook gently over low heat for a few minutes. Pour into a serving bowl, sprinkle with extra Parmesan cheese, season to taste, and serve hot.

FRITTATA WITH PAN-ROASTED POTATOES, SMOKED MOZZARELLA AND TOMATO-BASIL PESTO

Steps:

• For the tomato-basil pesto: Combine the basil, Parmesan, pine nuts, garlic, and salt and pepper in a food processor and process until smooth. With the machine running, drizzle in the olive oil. Transfer to a bowl and fold in the tomatoes. Set aside.
• For the frittata: Put the potatoes in a saucepan, cover with cold water and add a few tablespoons of salt. Bring to a boil and cook until a skewer inserted into the center meets with no resistance, about 25 minutes. Drain and let cool slightly. Cut the potatoes into 1-inch cubes.
• Preheat the broiler. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until it begins to shimmer. Add the potato cubes, season with salt and pepper, stir in the thyme and chile flakes, and cook until golden brown all over.
• Whisk together the eggs until light and fluffy, then pour over the potatoes. Scatter the smoked mozzarella on top and season with salt and pepper; stir and briefly fold everything together. Cook until the egg mixture has set on the bottom and is beginning to set up on top. Transfer to the broiler and cook until lightly browned and fluffy, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove the frittata from the oven and carefully slide it onto a cutting board. Cut into wedges and serve hot or at room temperature with some of the pesto and a sprinkling of grated Parmesan.

TOMATO, BASIL PASTA SALAD WITH PINE NUTS

Steps:

• Mix together tomatoes, basil and garlic in bowl with salt and pepper to taste.
• (Add optional red pepper flakes if desired.) Cover with olive oil and let sit for 1 hour.
• Cook pasta al dente.
• Drain and place in serving bowl.
• Add tomato mixture and mozzarella.
• Toss until cheese begins to melt.
• Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and pine nuts and serve.

FRESH TOMATO AND BASIL PASTA WITH TOASTED PINE NUTS

Steps:

• In large pot boil pasta until al dente. Drain.
• In heavy skillet, over medium heat, heat oil. Add onion and garlic; saute until tender. Add tomatoes and thyme; cook stirring frequently, until tomatoes are hot, yet still retain their shape and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes.
• Remove and discard fresh thyme sprig, if used. Add basil and drained pasta; toss until heated.
• Transfer to serving bowl; season to taste with salt and pepper and sprinkle evenly with pine nuts.

TWICE BAKED POTATOES WITH MOZZARELLA, TOMATO AND BASIL

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F or 180°C.
• Bake the potatoes in the oven for about an hour, until the skins are firm and the centre is soft.
• Meanwhile, chop the cherry tomatoes into eighths and set aside. Add the grated mozzarella, chopped basil and pine nuts.
• When the potatoes are cooked, remove from the oven. Halve them lengthways and scoop out the majority of the flesh with a spoon. Be very careful not to tear the skin- leave a quarter inch of flesh still in the skin to provide a firm shell.
• Lightly mash with a fork the flesh that has been removed from the skins. Mix in the cream cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Add the mozzarella and tomato mixture to the mashed potato and scoop back into the shells.
• Place on a foil-covered baking tray and bake for 5-10 minutes, until the filling is hot and beginning to turn golden.
• Serve hot!

THE BEST MASHED POTATOES

Steps:

• Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes; cook until tender but still firm. Drain and return to stove over low heat to dry for 1 to 2 minutes.
• Add butter, Parmesan cheese, chives, cream cheese, garlic, salt, and pepper. Use a potato masher to mash until smooth, and serve.