bFeedme

Cooking, Recipe and Food Blog

Tomato Mozzarella and Pesto Tartins

By

Tomato mozzarella and pesto tartins are delectable appetizers which you can serve for cocktails or dinners. These fancy bites are easy to make. You can prepare them ahead of time and load them in the oven just before serving.

 

Makes 24 pieces

Ingredients:

6 small, ripe Roma tomatoes

1 1/2 sheets frozen ready-rolled puff pastry, partially thawed

1 egg white, lightly beaten

1/3 cup pesto

1/4 lb. fresh mozzarella

 

Preheat oven at 220C and lightly grease a 12-hole muffin pan. Cut twenty-four 4cm rounds of baking paper and use them to line the pan bases.

Next, trim the ends of the tomatoes. Cut them in 0.5cm thick slices. Put a slice of tomato in each hole.

With a 5cm round cookie or biscuit cutter, cut 24 rounds from the thawed pastry sheets. Brush one side of a pastry sheet round with egg white and then place them egg side down over the tomato slice in the pan. Repeat this for the remaining ingredients.

Place the pan in the oven and bake it for ten to twelve minutes or until the pastry is golden brown.

Loosen each tartin using a flat knife and put them tomato side up on a plate. Remove the baking paper and top them with a slice of mozzarella. Spoon some pesto on top and season them with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

 

Image from daveyll

Mozzarella Sticks with Marinara Sauce

By

Mozzarella sticks are my favorite appetizers. They are always on top of my list whenever I eat out. For this reason I decided to make some at home. It may be a bit tricky to keep the coating on. This is why it is best to freeze them to make sure that the cheese does not leak out. I suggest that you try it with a few sticks first. If you need to coat the mozzarella again, you can do so with more breadcrumbs and Parmesan.

These melt in your mouth cheese sticks are best eaten with marinara sauce. I prefer the sauce cold, but you can also re-heat it if desired. I also like the hint of spiciness thus the dash of paprika, but you can do without this and add a dash of ground pepper instead.

 

Ingredients:

For the batter:

1/2 cup plain flour

1/4 cup corn flour

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 cup water

Salt to taste

 

For the mozzarella sticks:

1 1/2 cups Italian-style dried breadcrumbs

1 1/3 cups freshly grated Parmesan

2 (16-ounce) blocks pasteurized mozzarella

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

 

For the marinara sauce:

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 small onions, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 stalks celery, finely chopped

2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

2 32 ounce cans crushed tomatoes

2 dried bay leaves

 

Cut the mozzarella into 1/2 inch sticks and then freeze them for an hour or overnight.

To prepare the marinara sauce, heat the oil in a casserole pot or saucepan. Sauté the garlic and

onions until he onions are translucent, around 2-4 minutes. Add the celery and the carrots. Cook it for another 8-10 minutes until soft. Stir in the tomatoes and add the bay leaves. Let it simmer for 30-40 minutes until the sauce thickens. Season the sauce with salt and pepper. Remove the bay leaves and discard them. Let the sauce cool and then refrigerate.

Combine the flour, corn flour, oregano, paprika and water in a medium sized bowl. Mix to form a batter and season it with salt. Set aside.

Next, combine the Parmesan and the breadcrumbs in a small bowl. After place it on a flat plate.

Dip the mozzarella sticks in batter and then let the excess batter drip off. Coat the battered mozzarella in the breadcrumbs mixture and then repeat the process to double coat the cheese. Place the mozzarella sticks on a baking sheet and freeze them for another 2 hours or up to 2 days.

Heat the oil in a frying pan or deep fryer and then fry the frozen mozzarella sticks until golden brown. Transfer the cooked mozzarella on a plate lined with paper towels to drain the excess oil. Serve immediately with the marinara sauce.

 

Photo Courtesy Of:  irrezolut

 

 

Mozzarella Sticks

By

I love cheese, thus the fascination with mozzarella sticks with marinara sauce. Here’s a recipe I adapted from Giada De Laurentis. Of course, I made some changes according to my taste.

Ingredients:

For the marinara sauce

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 small onions, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 stalks celery, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

2 (32 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes or diced tomatoes

2 dried bay leaves

For the mozzarella sticks

1 1/2 cups Italian-style dried breadcrumbs

1 1/3 cups freshly grated Parmesan

1/2 cup flour

1 teaspoon salt

2 pieces 16-ounce blocks pasteurized mozzarella cut into 4 by 1/2-inch sticks

4 large eggs, beaten

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

In a deep saucepan or casserole, heat the oil under medium heat. Sauté the garlic and onions for 5 minutes or until the onions are soft. Stir in the tomatoes (including the juices) and celery. Season it with 1/2 a teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Cook for another 10-15 minutes or until the celery bits are soft. Add the bay leaves and simmer for another 20 minutes under low fire or until the sauce thickens. Remove the bay leaf and discard. Pour the mixture in a blender and blend for 30 seconds or until there are no more solid parts. Season it with salt and pepper. Set it aside or refrigerate if you prepared it in advance.

Combine the bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese in a bowl and mix well. Transfer it to a plate.

Dredge the mozzarella in flour. Dip it in beaten egg and let the excess egg drip back into the bowl. After, roll it in the bread crumbs mixture. Repeat this process for all the mozzarella sticks. When you are done, dip the mozzarella sticks in egg; let the excess egg drip. Coat it in bread crumbs for the second time. Place them in a baking sheet. Cover and freeze until frozen (2 hours – 2 days).

Heat the oil in a large frying pan or deep fryer. Fry the mozzarella sticks until golden brown. Drain the excess oil using paper towels or in a strainer. Transfer to a plate and sprinkle with cheese or chopped parsley if desired. Serve warm with marinara sauce.

Photo Courtesy Of: irrezolut

Eggplant Parmigiano

By

Some say that eggplants contain no nutrition, but others disagree because according to them it can treat high blood pressure. The funny thing is it actually contains nicotine. No wonder it is addicting. I like eggplants fried, in stews or in salads. Kidding aside, there is no need to worry because the nicotine content is negligible. You have to consume almost 10 kilos of eggplants to achieve the same amount of nicotine from a cigarette.

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 large eggplants or about 2 pounds of eggplants

1 bunch fresh basil leaves

1 pound fresh mozzarella, sliced

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup bread crumbs

1 Spanish onion, diced

4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced

3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves, or 1 tablespoon dried

1/2 medium carrot, finely grated

2 (28-ounce) cans peeled whole tomatoes, crushed by hand and juices reserved

Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 450(F) degrees and then grease the baking sheet with olive oil.

Next, cut the eggplant into 1 inch thick slices. If you are using big eggplants you can slice it horizontally to make circles, but if you use the thinner varieties, slice lengthwise. Place them on the baking sheet and season with salt and pepper. Bake the eggplants for 10-15 minutes or until they turn brown. Remove them from the oven and let them cool. Lower the temperature to 350 degrees.

While waiting for the eggplants, prepare the tomato sauce. In a deep saucepan, heat the olive oil under medium heat.  Sauté the garlic and onions for 5-8 minutes or until they are lightly browned. Add the thyme and carrots. Stir-fry for another 5 minutes or until the carrots are soft. Mix in the tomatoes and the juice and let it boil. Make sure to stir it frequently. After, lower the heat and let it simmer for 20 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Continue to stir to avoid the bottom from burning. Season it with salt and pepper.

In a greased baking pan, place one layer of eggplants. Pour some tomato sauce and sprinkle with basil. Place a slice of mozzarella on each eggplant and then add a dash of Parmesan cheese. Continue the same layering process until you use up the remaining eggplants. Top the eggplant layers with bread crumbs. Bake it in the oven for 15-20 minutes until the cheese melts and becomes slightly toasted.

Remove from the oven and let it cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Photo Courtesy Of: jules:stonesoup