Parmesan Pesto Roasted Tomatoes

Well, these are just about the best appetizer I have ever eaten.  Seriously...I mean, just look at the pictures.  Not only do these tomatoes taste amazing, they look beautiful, too.  I could've plated them on a nice platter, but to be honest, they didn't last that long.  My husband and I were eating them right off the baking sheet - we had to restrain ourselves long enough for me to take the pictures...and that was LONG enough.

Slice the tomatoes and sprinkle with olive oil, oregano, salt and pepper.  Gorgeous already. 

Roasted tomatoes are so good on their own too.  So great for a caprese salad...but it gets better!  

Adapted from Ina Garten, so you know they are going to be good.  Double it if you're having company.  The pesto I used was her recipe, too.  I made it awhile ago and had it in the freezer.  Here is the recipe - super simple and freezes so nicely to use again and again.  Family - plan on having these as an appetizer at our next holiday!

Serves 4 (but really it's 2 because you won't be able to stop eating them)

Parmesan Pesto Roasted Tomatoes

2 Roma tomatoes, sliced 1/2 inch thick

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

1/4 cup pesto (store bought or homemade)   

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese  

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Arrange the tomato slices on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil.  Sprinkle with oregano and season with salt and pepper.  Bake for 10 minutes.  Remove from oven, spread pesto evenly on each tomato slice, then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.  Bake for another 7-10 minutes until cheese becomes golden brown.  I turned the broiler on for about 30 seconds just to get a nice crispy crust.  

(Source:  Adapted from Ina Garten)

Happy Thanksgiving Y'all!

Hope y'all had a great Thanksgiving!  As you can see from how long ago my last post was, I was busy busy. My in-laws were visiting from Pennsylvania, staying in downtown Savannah in the cutest house on Greene Square.  We got to live like we lived downtown for a week, which was nice...walking to dinner, breakfast, strolling around.  It was great.  

As for Thanksgiving dinner, I had all these grand ideas about posting all sorts of recipes from the dinner and dessert, but it just didn't happen.  We did most of the cooking on Thanksgiving morning and I couldn't get all the pretty pictures before everything was consumed!  I managed to sneak in a couple here and there and thought I would share my pictures of not just the food, but of our Thanksgiving holiday.  Enjoy!

This was the first day that Nonni and Poppi were here.  We were walking to lunch at Moon River Brewing Company...Jules wearing her Princess Halloween costume.  She's a trip.

 This is Jules and her Aunt Nikki, or Tetta as we call her.  Long story short, there was an Aunt Tetta in my husband's family, or Tetta is Russian for Aunt (not that he's Russian, so maybe that's wrong, too?)?  I forget, but that's what we call her! 

Me and Baxter, one of my three fluffs.  Relaxing...

Jules and Poppi making an advent calendar that is a tradition in my husband's family.  The princesses helped, of course.  

Jules after her Preschool Thanksgiving program.  The sweetest little Indian!  

This recipe you will surely see posted on this blog, probably sometime soon.  This is a tradition in my family on Holidays...Tollhouse pie.  Sorry I don't have a picture of the inside, but it is a scrumptious chocolate chip pie and so easy to make.  Stay tuned for that one.  

Getting set up for dinner.  I love the little decorations that Jules brings home from Preschool.  So homey...

This is our attempt at getting a Thanksgiving family picture.  Believe me....this is a good as it gets.  It's next to impossible to get everyone to sit still.  

Me and Miss Bean...so very thankful.  She is my world!! 

Jules helping Nonni tear apart the bread for the stuffing.  This has been her "job" since last year when she helped my dad, Nonno do it.  

 Paula Deen's Green Bean Casserole - so good!  

I love using lemons when I roast a chicken or turkey.  These came from my lemon tree!!  Cool, right??

And this delicious looking turkey is adapted from Ina Garten's Herb Roasted Turkey Breast.  OMG, really.  So unbelievably good.

Max was so sleepy at dinner, he fell asleep right at the table.  We all took naps afterwards, I mean, pretty much that's just what you do...

 And, what a perfect way to end such a lovely day.  Glass of Riesling and a fire...

How was your Thanksgiving?  Any recipes you need to tell me about?  

Come follow me on Instagram, too.  I'm addicted!  @bsgriffin

   

Chicken Caesar Club Sandwich

One of my favorite things is rifling through my cookbooks and seeing pages crumbled or stains from various spills.  Silly, but seeing the years of use and wear makes me happy.  One of my absolute favorite cookbooks is Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa at Home, and surprisingly, it still has the dust jacket on it.  But it's pretty crumbled, from years and years of love and use.  I mentioned in a previous post that I was going to try to cook my way through Ina's cookbooks and this is another one of those tries.  I substituted some things and omitted others, but this is my version of her sandwich and I must say it turned out excellent!

My absolute favorite way to cook chicken is to roast it (thanks to Ina!)...it is moist and flavorful and perfect for a sandwich like this or it makes a fantastic chicken salad.  If you have not tried it this way, you must!  Hope you all enjoy this sandwich as much as my family did! 

My rumpled cookbook...and a few of my other favorites! 

Chicken Caesar Club Sandwich

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Olive oil

Kosher salt and black pepper

1/2 pound of bacon

Caesar dressing 

3 ciabatta rolls

A few Romaine leaves

2-3 ounces of Parmesan cheese, shaved

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Place the chicken breasts on a sheet pan, rub with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roast for 30-35 minutes until cooked through.  Cool slightly and slice meat thickly.  Set aside.  

Meanwhile, place the bacon in skillet and cook until crisp.  Set aside to drain on paper towels.  

Slice the ciabatta rolls in half horizontally and separate the top from the bottom.  Toast the bread in the oven, cut side up for 5-7 minutes; cool slightly.  Spread the cut sides of each piece with the Caesar dressing.  Place a Romaine leaf on the bottom piece of bread, then layer in order:  bacon, shaved Parmesan, sliced chicken.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and finish with another Romaine leaf.  Repeat with the other 2 rolls.  Serve at room temperature.  

(Source:  Adapted from Barefoot Contessa at Home)

Tuscan Lemon Chicken with Creamy Lemon Vinaigrette

How good is grilled chicken?  I mean, really any kind.  I love a good, crispy, charred piece of chicken breast that is still juicy in the middle and the grill is just excellent for that.  I love summer!  We do tons of grilling.  You will love this recipe from the Barefoot Contessa for lemon chicken - it is just packed full of flavor.  And simple, too, especially if you use boneless, skinless chicken breasts like I did (in her original recipe, Ina used a whole bone in chicken and flattened it - also fantastic, I'm sure). 

I served this with romaine lettuce topped with a Creamy Lemon Vinaigrette adapted from the always fabulous Tyler Florence (it is apparent yet that I watch a lot of Food Network?).  This meal was light and refreshing and I know would be killer for your next grilling party! 

Serves 2-3 

Tuscan Lemon Chicken with Creamy Lemon Vinaigrette

2 large chicken breasts, sliced in half lengthwise (or 4 small chicken breasts)
1/3 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons lemon zest (2 lemons)
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced rosemary (I used dry, Ina used fresh)
Freshly ground black pepper
1 lemon, halved

Creamy Lemon Vinaigrette
1 tablespoon grainy mustard
1 tablespoon hot water
1 lemon, juiced
1/3 cup olive oil
1 heaping teaspoon sour cream (Tyler used Creme Fraiche)
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Kosher salt and black pepper

Sprinkle each side of the chicken breasts with salt and place in a large plastic storage bag.  Combine olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, rosemary and 2 teaspoons black pepper in a small measuring cup.  Pour the marinade into the storage bag over the chicken, seal and squeeze to work the marinade into the chicken. Place bag in a bowl to prevent spills and place in the refrigerator for about 2 hours.  Squeeze the bag a couple of times to ensure every bit of chicken is getting some of the marinade.

Preheat your grill and pull chicken out of the marinade, gently shaking to remove excess.  Grill each piece for 5-6 minutes on each side or until the juices run clear.  Place the lemon halves on a cooler side of the grill when you put the chicken breasts on.  Serve the chicken with the grilled lemon halves and a nice green salad.

Combine all the ingredients for the vinaigrette (salt and pepper will be to taste) in a mason jar, put cap on a shake vigorously to emulsify (or whisk everything together in a large measuring cup).  Drizzle over greens and toss well to coat.

(Source:  Adapted from the Barefoot Contessa, Back to Basics and Tyler Florence)

Cornmeal-Fried Onion Rings

I love onion rings.  Love, love, love.  But, I don't really care for onions all that much, so I don't know what it is about them that I go crazy for?  This is another super delicious Ina Garten recipe that I make over and over again.  Unfortunately, my husband shares my dislike for onions and will actually not even eat these, so I've been know to make just one onion at a time for myself.  A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do...

These are the BEST onion rings I have ever had (or made).  They are light, crisp and so flavorful.  Basically, there's no heavy batter, but instead a light dusting of flour and cornmeal.  I try to cut these as thin as possible and even use a sweet onion to cut that really strong onion flavor.  You can use a Spanish onion or yellow onions, but you will need 2 large or 3 small if following the below recipe.  Try these on your next Burger night and your family will flip!!  

Serves 4-6 

2 large onions

2 cups buttermilk

kosher salt and black pepper

1 1/2 cups flour

1/4 cup yellow cornmeal

1 quart vegetable oil

Peel the onions, slice them 1/2 inch thick, and separate them into rings.  Combine the buttermilk, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl.  Add the onion rings, toss well and allow to marinate for at least 15 minutes (they can sit in the buttermilk for a few hours).  In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.  Set aside.  

When you're ready to fry the onion rings, preheat the oven to 200 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with paper towels.  

Heat the oil to 350 degrees in a large pot or dutch oven.  Working in batches, lift some onions out of the buttermilk and dredge them in the flour mixture.  Drop into the hot oil and fry for 2 minutes, until golden brown, turning once with tongs.  Don't crowd them!  Place the finished onion rings on the baking sheet, sprinkle liberally with salt and keep them warm in the oven while you fry the next batches.  Continue frying the onion rings and placing them in the warm oven until all the onions are fried.  They will remain crisp in the oven for up to 30 minutes.  Serve hot.  

(Source:  from the Barefoot Contessa at Home - Cornmeal-Fried Onion Rings)

            

Roasted Tomato Caprese Salad

I'm revisting my Barefoot Contessa cookbooks and am really trying to cook as much as possible from them.  I have so many cookbooks and feel like I'm constantly using the internet to get inspirations for recipes and I hardly use them!  The first time I had roasted tomatoes was at my mom's house, who purchased them from one of those antipasto bars in a high end grocery store (you know the ones that have olives, artichokes, mozzarella balls, etc) and I could not stop eating them!  The flavor just gets so concentrated, but different than a sun-dried tomato.  Remembering that I saw Ina Garten roast tomatoes on her show, I knew I had to try it out at home.  I was not dissapointed!  We were eating these right off the tray when they came out of the oven and had to restrain ourselves so I could make this salad, which needless to say was amazing.  I love a good Caprese salad, it's probably one of my most favorite meals EVER, but the flavor of these caramelized tomatoes just put this right over the top.  Like Ina says, tomatoes with the volume turned up (LOVE her!!). 

Just a side note, I've also read where she does these at 475 degrees for 25-30 minutes.  Much faster, so whatever your time allows for (this recipe takes 2 hours to roast).

Serves 6 (unless you're my family) :)

12 plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise, seeds removed

1/4 cup olive oil

1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

16 oz fresh mozzarella

12 fresh basil leaves, julienned

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees.  Arrange the tomatoes on a sheet pan, cut sides up, in a single layer.  Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  Sprinkle the garlic, sugar, salt and pepper over the tomatoes.  Roast for 2 hours until the tomatoes are concentrated and begin to caramelize.  Allow the tomatoes to cool to room temperature.

Cut the mozzarella into 1/2 inch slices, cutting in half again in they are bigger than the tomatoes.  Layer the tomatoes alternately with the mozzarella and sprinkle with basil.  Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper and drizzle lightly with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  Serve at room temperature.  

(Souce:  Adapted from Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics)

          

Berry Berry Muffins

I am not a huge blueberry fan, unless they're in a muffin (love blueberry muffins) or pancakes or something that makes them sweeter.  By themselves, they are just too tart for me.  I had a pint of blueberries that was given to me and was all set to make plain ol' blueberry muffins when I came across Ina Garten's Tri-Berry Muffins.  Minus the strawberries (which I really don't like either - unless it's like a fake strawberry flavor in a candy or something...I know, it's strange), these looked fantastic.  I do love raspberries - finally, you say! - so I bought a pint of those and got to work.  I pretty much followed her recipe to a tee, omitting the strawberries but making up for it with additional raspberries and blueberries.  I also didn't realize that I was out of paper liners (don't you hate that??) so I used just used a non-stick cooking spray in the pans and the muffins popped right out.  Although I would have liked the look of them with the liners...

Makes 16-18 muffins

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

Barefoot Contessa Ultimate Chocolate Cake and Chocolate Butter Cream Frosting Mix

1 1/4 cups milk 

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted

1 cup fresh blueberries

1 cup fresh raspberries

1 1/2 cups sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line muffin tins with paper liners.

In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon until combined.  In a separate bowl, combine the milk, eggs and butter.  Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined.  There will be lumps but don't over mix.  Fold in the berries and sugar.  

Using a large spoon or ice cream scoop, spoon the batter into the liners in the muffin tins.  Bake for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.  

(Source:  Adapted from Barefoot Contessa at Home, Tri-Berry Muffins)

      

Lemon Cake

I might be a little obsessed with the Barefoot Contessa (to put it mildly!)...there's something about her food that is so sophisticated and classic, yet simple somehow.  I feel like she's sort of the same way.  I mean her black and pure white kitchen is awesome!  And I love that she doesn't use a lot of specialized equipment - rarely do you see her using something other than her stand mixer or food processor...maybe a food mill, but that's about the extent of it.  So, I've modeled a lot in my own kitchen after hers...those big glass jars that she has for sugar and flour?  Got em'!  That white steel rack that she has in her pantry to store plates, bowls and equipment?  Yup!  Although mine is not nearly as big or as stocked as hers (I'm working on it).  And of course, I own most of her cookbooks.

I came across this recipe for her Lemon Cake and decided to try it.  It sounded too good and it meant that I was stepping out my usual realm of baking with chocolate.  Her recipe called for 2 loaf pans, but I wanted to use a bundt pan because I thought it would be just gorgeous - which it was!  I think I could have put all of the batter into the bundt pan but I didn't know how much it was going to rise.  I put the extra batter into a loaf pan and made a really short cake.  Up to you what you want to do, but either way it was delicious!  Seriously, not only is there a glaze, but there's also a lemon syrup which keeps the cake as moist as it can be.  

How bad can that be?  :) 

 The two cakes with the Lemon syrup, but without the glaze.  See how shiny?  

Makes 1 bundt cake or 2 in loaf pans

2 sticks butter, room temp

2 1/2 cups sugar (divided into 2 cups and 1/2 cup)
3 eggs, room temp

2 tablespoons lemon zest

3 cups flour

1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon kosher salt

3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (divided into 1/2 cup and 1/4 cup)

3/4 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Glaze

2 cups confectioner's sugar

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tablespoon water or milk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour 2 loaf pans or 1 bundt pan.  Cream the butter and 2 cups of sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time, then the lemon zest.  

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  In another bowl, combine 1/4 cup lemon juice, buttermilk and vanilla.  Add the flour and buttermilk mixture to the batter, beginning and ending with the flour.  Pour into desired baking pans and tap to release any air bubbles.  Bake for 45 minutes to an hour until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Allow to cool for 10 minutes.  Remove from pans and place on a cooling rack set over a baking sheet.    

For the lemon syrup:  Combine 1/2 cup granulated sugar with 1/2 cup lemon juice in a small saucepan and cook over low heat until sugar dissolves.  Poor over the warm cakes. 

For the glaze:  Combine the confectioner's sugar with the lemon juice and water, whisking until smooth.  Poor over the tops of the cakes and allow to drizzle over the sides.  

(Recipe adapted from the Barefoot Contessa Parties!)

Ina Garten's Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Icing

There's nothing better than chocolate and peanut butter combined. These are amazing, moist and the icing is just the right consistency. Combined, the cake and the icing are just sweet enough, although very rich. Make sure you have a glass of milk standing by!

Makes 14-16 cupcakes

Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Icing

12 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 eggs, room temp
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons brewed coffee
1 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Peanut Butter Icing

1 cup confectioner's sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/3 cup heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pan with paper liners.

Cream the butter and two sugars with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, then add vanilla and mix well. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, sour cream and coffee. In another bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. On low speed, add the buttermilk mixture and the flour mixture alternately in thirds to the mixing bowl, beginning with the buttermilk and ending with the flour.

Divide the batter among the cupcakes until about 2/3 full. I typically use a standard size ice cream scoop and it's the perfect amount. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Cool completely before frosting.

To make the icing, mix confectioner's sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla and salt with an electric mixer until creamy. Add the cream and beat on high until the icing is light and smooth.

(Source:  Recipe from Ina Garten)