Tasty Tuesday

I picked up a giant bag of basil at the farmers market last week. I made a double patch of pesto to freeze, but still had some left. This tart made a great dinner, along with a salad and breadsticks. For the crust, I made the Push-in pie crust recipe from the Family Feasts cookbook.

Tomato Basil Tart

Ingredients

• 1 whole Refrigerated Pie Crust
• 1-½ cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
• 5 whole Roma Tomatoes
• 1 cup Loosely Packed Basil Leaves
• 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
• ½ cups Mayonnaise
• ¼ cups Asiago Cheese
• ⅛ teaspoons Ground White Pepper

Preparation Instructions

Place the uncooked pie shell in a 9-inch pie plate. Flute the edges. Line the shell with double layer of foil and bake at 450 degrees for 8 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 4 minutes more until the crust is set and dry. Remove the pie from the oven and reduce the heat in the oven to 375 degrees.

Sprinkle crust with 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese. Let the pie crust cool slightly. Cut the tomatoes into wedges and drain on paper towels. Arrange the tomato wedges over the cheese in the tart. Rough chop the basil, mince the garlic, and combine with the mayo, asiago cheese, remaining mozzarella cheese and pepper. Spoon the mixture over the tomatoes, spreading to cover. Bake at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes until bubbly and browning. Garnish with basil leaves and serve warm.

I've made these breadsticks several times. They come together fast and taste great. I've been putting fresh rosemary on them since I have a plethora of it in my herb "garden".

Divine Breadsticks

Ingredients

• 1-½ cup Warm Water
• 1 Tablespoon Instant Yeast
• 2 Tablespoons Sugar
• 3-½ cups Flour
• ½ teaspoons Salt
• 3 Tablespoons Butter, For Melting In The Pan

Preparation Instructions

Mix all ingredients (except melted butter) in a large bowl or electric mixer and knead for three minutes. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes.

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Spread melted butter onto an 11×17-inch baking sheet. Roll out the breadstick dough about 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick and cut into strips with a pizza cutter. Twist slightly if desired and place about 1/2-inch apart on the baking sheet. Sprinkle with garlic salt, herbs of choice (I vary this depending on my mood, but it usually consists of rosemary, basil, or thyme in some form and crushed finely) and parmesan cheese. Cover with greased plastic wrap and let rise for 30 minutes.

Bake for 15-20 minutes at 375 degrees until golden brown.

These burritos were really tasty and they are really good for you! I didn't have brown rice, so I used regular old white rice. I also baked the sweet potatoes in my crockpot and then mashed them. And I skipped the oven part, we always throw our burritos on the griddle. (Have I told you how much I love my griddle and oval burner?!)

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burritos

Ingredients

• FOR THE RICE:
• ⅓ cups Brown Rice, Uncooked
• Vegetable Broth Or Water (Amount Specified By Package Directions, To Boil Rice)
• _____
• FOR THE MASHED POTATOES:
• 1 whole Large Sweet Potato, Peeled And Cut Into 1" Pieces
• 2 Tablespoons Butter Or Margarine, Or More To Taste
• 1 pinch Salt And Pepper, to taste
• _____
• FOR THE BLACK BEANS:
• 1 can Black Beans, Drained And Rinsed (15 Ounce Can)
• 3 teaspoons Lemon Juice, Fresh Or Bottled
• 1 teaspoon Ground Coriander
• 1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
• 1 teaspoon Chili Powder
• 3 dashes Cayenne Pepper
• 1 pinch Salt And Pepper, to taste
• 1 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil
• 1 whole Medium Yellow Onion, Diced
• 2 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 whole Green Chili, Deseeded And Minced
• _____
• FOR ASSEMBLY:
• 4 whole Large Burrito Sized Flour Tortillas
• 1 cup Grated White Cheese (i.e. Gouda Or Monterey Jack)
• 1 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil
• Chopped Cilantro, Optional Topping
• Sour Cream (optional Topping)

Preparation Instructions

RICE:

Cook the rice according to package directions until tender (using the required amount of liquid – either broth or water). Drain, then fluff with a fork and let it rest with the lid closed while you make the rest of the fillings.

MASHED SWEET POTATOES:

Boil the sweet potatoes until very tender, then mash or whip with the butter. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

SPICY BLACK BEANS:

In a bowl, mix the beans with the lemon juice and seasonings. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Cook the onions, garlic and green chili pepper about 2-3 minutes until soft. Add the bean mixture and warm through.

BURRITO ASSEMBLY:

Layer the warm ingredients down the center of each tortilla in this order: cheese, rice, beans, sweet potatoes. Fold the tortilla at the top and bottom of the filling in, rotate and roll the burrito up so that all the ends are closed. Place it on the baking tray seam side down. Brush with vegetable oil and place under the broiler until crispy and golden brown on top. This took about 15-20 minutes in my oven. I serve with sour cream mixed with 1 teaspoon of ground coriander or chopped fresh cilantro!