Roasted Vegetable Stacks with Basil Pesto

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Roasted Vegetable Stacks with Basil Pesto

I stare at the computer screen. Mind totally blank. Feeling jittery from a caffeine jolt and drowsy from an allergy pill. My throat has been scratchy the past few days. There’s a plant or flower growing outside that makes me feel weird inside. Not my normal self. I haven’t slept well the past few nights. Besides being afraid of the dark, I blame it on brownies made with a huge dose of espresso. Probably shouldn’t be eating those before bedtime. Enough of this rambling nonsense. We’re here to talk about roasted veggies piled high with fresh mozzarella and basil pesto. Right?

eggplant, zucchini, red pepper, squash

The whole idea came from a roasted vegetables with penne recipe in one of my cookbooks. I’ve made it plenty of times, and though it’s quite delicious, roasted vegetables deserve to stand on their own without being buried in pasta and tomato sauce. At first, I had intentions of grilling the vegetables, but after seeing the mound of sliced and cut up vegetables, I knew it would be too labor intensive. Roasting won which simplifies things and brings out the flavors too.

roasted vegetables

When cutting the vegetables, the key is to cut them relatively all the same size so they stack nicely and won’t fall over. The eggplant is sliced thicker than the other vegetables to create a nice base to start out with for stacking.

These are great served warm or even at room temperature. You can stack the veggies high or low as you want, but trust me, you’ll want to stack them into a tall tower with pesto dripping down the sides, it’s one you’ll want to make again and again.

Roasted Vegetable Stacks with Basil Pesto

Roasted Vegetable Stacks with Basil Pesto
inspired by a pasta recipe in Everyday Pasta
pesto adapted from Everyday Italian

When cutting the vegetables, the key is to cut them relatively all the same size so they stack nicely and won’t fall over. The eggplant is sliced thicker than the other vegetables to create a nice base to start out with for stacking.

serves 2 to 4

Ingredients
1 eggplant, trimmed and sliced crosswise 1/2-inch thick
1 zucchini, trimmed, halved crosswise, and sliced lengthwise 1/4-inch thick
1 yellow squash, trimmed, halved crosswise, and sliced lengthwise 1/4-inch thick
1 red pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into thirds
4 cremini mushrooms, quartered
extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
fresh mozzarella, sliced

Pesto:
1 packed cup fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
1 small garlic clove
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place the eggplant, zucchini, squash, red pepper, and mushrooms on the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Roast for about 20 minutes until veggies are tender. While the veggies are roasting make the pesto.

In the bowl of a food processor, add the basil, pine nuts, and garlic. Pulse until finely chopped. Add the olive oil and process until the mixture is smooth. Transfer the pesto to a small bowl. Stir in the parmesan. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

To plate: Stack the eggplant, zucchini, squash, red peppers, and mozzarella, starting out with the larger pieces on the bottom. Place a few mushrooms around the veggie stacks. Spoon the basil pesto on top and serve.

Cucumber and Zucchini Panzanella

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Cucumber and Zucchini Panzanella

This panzanella takes me back to when I was a kid who had a thing for raw zucchini. The same odd child that loved anchovies on Greek salads and munching on raw green onions like they were carrot sticks. We never had a salad this fancy or anything, but it reminds me of how delicious raw zucchini is on its own. Soaked in good olive oil and red wine vinegar. Simplicity at its best.

Panzanella is traditionally made with stale bread and tomatoes, but Mario Batali’s version of cucumbers and zucchini is a twist on the classic salad with very little adaptation needed.

burpless cucumbers

Have you ever heard of burpless cucumbers? I didn’t know much about them either until I asked the farmer. How are they different compared to the normal variety you see at the store? According to the farmer, it’s the best tasting cucumber ever. It’s sweet, seedless, and one of their most difficult crop to grow. But of course I thought to myself, why are they called burpless? Do cucumbers really make you burp, and I just haven’t noticed this whole time? All I can say is, after eating this panzanella, the cucumbers weren’t so burpless…unless I just inhaled my food to fast. Who knows.

seeded bakery bread

The key to this salad is to use stale bread so that it doesn’t get soggy when tossed with the olive oil and vinegar. The bread is warmed and toasted in the oven to add even more crunch. I love this seeded bread which adds some texture to the salad.

zucchini and burpless cucumber

Since we’re working with raw ingredients, use the best quality that you can…especially the olive oil and red wine vinegar. Make sure to use extra virgin olive oil because it’s fruitier and has more flavor than regular olive oil. I used this aged red wine vinegar that is budget friendly.

zucchini, cucumber, basil, red onion

The veggies and bread soak up the flavors for a refreshing late spring panzanella.

Cucumber and Zucchini Panzanella

Cucumber and Zucchini Panzanella
barely adapted from Molto Batali

The key to this panzanella is to make sure the bread is somewhat stale before toasting in the oven so it won’t become soggy when tossed with the oil and vinegar. Use good quality ingredients, especially the olive oil and red wine vinegar for best flavor.

serves 4

Ingredients
1 cucumber, trimmed and thinly sliced (preferably seedless variety)
1 zucchini, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
10 fresh basil leaves, torn
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 cups day-old multigrain or seeded bakery bread, cut into 1-inch cubes

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large salad bowl, add the cucumber, zucchini, onion, olive oil, red wine vinegar, and half of the basil. Season with salt and pepper.

Arrange the bread cubes on a lined baking sheet. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes until warmed and toasted. Add the bread and remaining basil to the veggie mixture. Gently toss to combine. Let the panzanella sit for 5 minutes to soak up the flavors before serving. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Herbed Chicken with Spring Vegetables

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Herbed Chicken with Spring Vegetables

Last Friday it was pouring rain. Dark and windy. The kind of day where you want to stay inside curled up on the couch with a cup of coffee. That morning I came across a tweet that the Union Square Greenmarket posted. It was an Instagram picture of rainbow carrots. Knowing they would be all snatched up by lunchtime, I rushed for the raincoat, umbrella, and boots and headed out the door.

rainbow carrots

With a half mangled umbrella covering my major frizz-ball, slightly damp hair (ladies you know what I’m talking about), I arrived up the stairs from the subway station to see a scarcity of white tents and really no one around. Was I the idiot that treked to the farmer’s market for a bunch of carrots? Yep.

thyme, fennel seed, parsley, pepper flakes

Might as well stroll around the market and see what else they had since I was already wet. There were mounds. Ok barrels of snap peas that I couldn’t resist. So I bought just enough snap peas for this dish remembering the cashier’s dirty look gleaming right at me because all I had was a twenty.

scallions

I had some leftover scallions from a prior trip to the farmer’s market that were still sitting in the fridge. Without letting them go to waste. they made a perfect addition to this dish.

snap peas

This is a redo from an old post that I did like a year ago. Obviously the photos were no good, but most importantly, the recipe itself needed updating. It’s crazy how what you eat and how you cook can evolve and change over time…from using more fresh herbs to seasonal vegetables to supporting local farms. This dish really celebrates spring. The produce of spring.

The chicken is stuffed with fresh herbs tucked underneath its skin to keep it moist and full of flavor. Don’t skip out on the fennel seed. It adds a depth of flavor that takes the chicken from ordinary to something special. The vegetables are simply sauteed with salt and pepper. The meaty mushrooms flavor the broth. A simple dish to let the vegetables’ flavors stand on their own.

sauteed spring veggies

Herbed Chicken with Spring Vegetables
adapted from Giada’s Kitchen

Don’t skip out on the fennel seed. It adds a depth of flavor that takes the chicken from ordinary to something special.

serves 2

Ingredients
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 chicken breasts, boneless with skin
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
6 spring onions, trimmed (white and light green parts only)
1 small bunch rainbow carrots, trimmed and halved lengthwise
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup snap peas, trimmed and strings removed
1 portobello mushroom, stemmed and sliced

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In a small bowl, add the parsley, thyme, garlic, fennel seeds, and red pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Stuff the herbed mixture underneath the chicken skin. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.

In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken skin-side face down. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes until skin is crispy and golden. Turn the chicken over and cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Turn off the heat. Transfer the chicken to a baking dish skin side up. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until cooked through.

Meanwhile, using the same pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions and carrots. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally until slightly browned. Add the chicken broth and scrape any brown bits off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add the snap peas and mushrooms. Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes until the vegetables are tender and the liquid has reduced. Serve with chicken. Season with salt and pepper to taste.