Fresh & Fast Vegetarian_ Recipes That Make a Meal - Marie Simmons [32]
For grilled cheese sandwiches, keep a stash of good melting cheese on hand. A few favorites are mozzarella, Monterey Jack, Comté, cheddar and Manchego.
Make quick work of cheese "curls" by pressing down hard with a vegetable peeler or cheese plane and pulling it along the smooth surface of the cheese. Hard or semihard cheeses are best for making curls.
Use up small amounts of leftover chopped cooked greens, broccoli or cauliflower, smashed peas or beans or grilled sliced vegetables for sandwich fillings or toppings for crostini and bruschetta.
Fresh goat's-milk cheese warmed to room temperature spreads smoothly on bread. For a crumbled topping for bruschetta or crostini, use cold cheese.
A thin layer of pickle slices or chopped olives balances the richness of melted cheese and adds a great flavor hit to sandwiches.
For a tender, golden brown crust on grilled sandwiches, use a silicone brush to apply olive oil to the griddle or skillet.
For grilled sandwiches, olive oil is better than butter because it will brown without burning.
QUICK HITS FOR BREADS
Broiled Open-Faced Cheese Sandwiches with Tapenade or Sun-Dried Tomato Spread
Broil slices of bread until light golden brown on both sides. Spread each with a thin layer of black olive spread (called tapenade in France and olivada in Italy) or sun-dried tomato spread. Top with a ¼-inch-thick slice of mozzarella and broil until the cheese is bubbly, 3 to 5 minutes.
Lemony Goat Cheese Spread
Mash 3 to 4 ounces softened fresh goat cheese, 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 1 teaspoon each grated lemon zest and snipped rosemary, half a clove of garlic, grated, and a grinding of black pepper until blended. Spread on crostini or bruschetta, drizzle each with about ¼ teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle with a little chopped fresh rosemary or other herb.
Warm Hard-Cooked Egg Spread with Parmigiano-Reggiano
Hard-cook 4 large eggs (see [>]) and peel while still warm. Mash the eggs in a bowl with 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons minced red onion, 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil or Italian parsley, ½ teaspoon coarse salt and a grinding of black pepper. Broil ½- to ¾-inch-thick slices of Italian bread, preferably whole-grain, on both sides until golden. Spread the toast with the egg mixture and cover with shaved curls of Parmigiano-Reggiano. Broil until the cheese is softened and the egg mixture is warm, about 3 minutes.
Fried-Egg Quesadillas with Tomato and Cheese
Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Add an 8-inch corn or flour tortilla and warm it, turning once, about 1 minute. Remove the tortilla from the pan and keep warm. Break 1 large egg into the pan and fry, breaking the yolk with the tip of a spatula, until the white and yolk are partially set, about 1 minute. Slide the spatula under the egg and transfer to the warm tortilla. Top the egg with ¼ cup chopped tomato and a few fresh cilantro leaves. Sprinkle with ¼ cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese. Fold the tortilla in half and, with the spatula, transfer the folded tortilla to the hot skillet. Cook until golden and the cheese is melted, turning once, about 1 minute. Cut into wedges.
Manchego-Fig Quesadillas
Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Add an 8-inch corn or flour tortilla and warm it, turning once, about 1 minute. Off the heat, cover the bottom half of the tortilla with 1 large fresh fig, cut into ¼-inch-thick slices. Sprinkle with 1 to 2 teaspoons chopped seeded jalapeño pepper, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro and about ¼ cup shredded Manchego cheese. Fold the top half of the tortilla over the filling. Return the quesadilla to the warm skillet and reheat until the cheese is melted, about 1 minute. Cut into wedges.
BRUSCHETTA VS. CROSTINI
Bruschetta (bruce-ket-ta) and crostini (kroh-stee-nee), two Italian favorites, are often confused.
Bruschetta is basically a thick slice of bread, grilled or broiled, rubbed with garlic and drizzled with extra-virgin olive