Tomato Parmesan Tart

Tomato Parmesan Tart

Here's one of my go-to recipes when I need to serve a vegetarian lunch or if I'm looking for a lighter meal that still feels like a little treat. Anything with pastry is a bit of an indulgence so this tart really isn't a sacrifice at all. Some sweet, fresh, very small, vine tomatoes were used for this particular tart but I usually use even smaller cherry tomatoes. What makes this tart work particularly well is to cut the tomatoes in half, keeping the cut sides up so that the skins act as little boats, keeping most of the tomato's juices stay contained and do not make the bottom crust soggy as it bakes.

The pastry on this occasion was also gluten free to accommodate another dietary restriction. I just used an all purpose gluten free flour blend that was made up of mostly brown rice and sorghum flour. Since a short crust is used in this recipe it actually worked pretty well and everyone enjoyed it.

Fresh is the key to this simple recipe. Tomatoes at their best and fresh chopped herbs is what really makes this easy recipe and of course, the best Parmesan cheese you can get your hands on. Try it for a weekend lunch or as a simple, delicious, appetizer course for a dinner party.

Tomato Parmesan Tart

Recipe by Barry C. Parsons

Tomato Parmesan Tart - perfect for a celebration lunch with a gluten free option for the pastry too. It would also make a simple light appetizer course for your next dinner party.

Prep time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour (or gluten free flour)
• 1/2 cup very cold butter
• pinch salt
• 3 tbsp cold water (approximately)
• about 1 pound cherry tomatoes
• 4 tbsp chopped fresh herbs (oregano, chives, etc.)
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a food processor, add the flour, salt and cold butter. Pulse until the mixture resembles a coarse meal, then pulse in the water. The dough will probably still be crumby.
3. Press into the bottom and sides of a 9 inch tart pan. Chill while you prepare the tomato filling.
4. Cut the tomatoes in half. Place in a large bowl and add the herbs, Parmesan, olive oil, brown sugar, black pepper and a pinch of salt to season. Toss together well.
5. Arrange the tomatoes, cut side up in a single layer in the prepared crust. Spoon any leftover cheese and herbs in the bowl over the tops of the tomatoes.
6. Bake for about 40 - 45 minutes in the preheated 4oo degree F oven.
7. Serve with additional freshly grated Parmesan cheese on top. 

Tomato Parmesan Tart, ready for the oven.

Double Crunch Fried Chicken Parmesan Burgers on Parmesan Herb Buns with Chunky Fresh Tomato Compote

Double Crunch Fried Chicken Parmesan Burgers on Parmesan Herb Buns with Chunky Fresh Tomato Compote

This is one delicious and very satisfying chicken parmesan burger that is very traditional in terms of flavors but a little different in the way those flavours come together. Traditional Italian herbs are baked into the fresh buns and also included in the super crunchy fried chicken crust on the succulent  chicken breasts. In the sauce however, it's all about the sweet summer tomatoes. The tomatoes are very simply seasoned and quickly pan fried to a chunky compote that gets served on the burgers along with mixed mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.

This terrific sandwich is a meal in itself, all we ever serve with them is a simple salad on the side.

Double Crunch Fried Chicken Parmesan Burgers on Parmesan Herb Buns with Chunky Fresh Tomato Compote

Parmesan Herb Burger Buns

• 3 cups flour
• 1 pkg (5 grams) instant yeast
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 3 tbsp melted butter
• 1 cup warm milk
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh herbs (I used oregano, chives, basil and rosemary)Makes 12 burger buns

Combine 1 1/2 cups of the flour along with the sugar, instant yeast, cheese and herbs and salt in a large bowl or in the bowl of a large electric mixer that uses a dough hook. Add the melted butter and warm milk. Using a wooden spoon or the regular paddle of your electric mixer beat for 4-5 minutes until the mixture is smooth with no lumps. If using an electric mixer, switch to the dough hook at this point and begin to slowly incorporate the remaining  flour. If not using an electric mixer keep mixing in the flour gradually until a soft dough forms that leaves the sides of the bowl. Turn the dough out onto the counter top or bread board to knead. You may need to use a little less or a little more flour, this is not uncommon. Knead the dough for an additional 10 minutes either in the electric mixer or on a bread board or counter top.

Cover dough and leave to rest and rise for one hour. Punch the dough down and knead it for a few minutes by hand before letting it rest for another 15 minutes.

Divide the dough into 12 equal portions, forming each division into a ball.  Roll the ball into about a 4 or five inch disk and place on baking sheets 2 to 3 inches apart. Cover with a tea towel and allow to rise in a draft free place for about 1 1/2 hours or until at least doubled or tripled in size. Bake at 375 degrees F for about 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

Double Crunch Italian Fried Chicken Breasts

• 6 large boneless skinless chicken breasts

Place the chicken breasts between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and using a meat mallet, pound the meat to an even 1/2 inch thickness.

Sift together:

• 2 cup flour
• 4 tsp salt
• 4 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 1tbsp dried basil
• 1 tbsp dried thyme
• 1tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp dried oregano finely chopped

Make an egg wash by whisking together:

• 2 eggs
• 3 tbsp water

Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper, then dip the meat in the flour and herb mixture. Dip the breast into the eggwash and then a final time into the flour and herb mix, pressing the mix into the meat to get good contact.

Heat a skillet on the stove with about a half inch of canola oil covering the bottom. You will want to carefully regulate the temperature here so that the chicken does not brown too quickly. The thinness of the breast meat practically guarantees that it will be fully cooked by the time the outside is browned. I find just below medium heat works well. I use a burner setting of about 4 1/2 out of 10 on the dial and fry them gently for about 4 or 5 minutes per side until golden brown and crispy.

Drain on a wire rack. Hold in a warm oven.

Quick Chunky Tomato Compote

• 4 cloves minced garlic
• 6 tbsp olive oil
• 8 large ripe tomatoes diced
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 6 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 tsp chilli flakes (optional)
• salt and pepper to season

Sauté the garlic in the oil over medium heat for just a minute before adding the tomatoes, brown sugar, chilli flakes, salt, pepper. Continue to cook until the tomatoes soften and the compote reduces to a jam-like consistency. Add the balsamic vinegar in the final few minutes of cooking time before serving.

Toast the burger buns under the broiler. Place the fried chicken breasts on a cookie sheet or in a baking dish spoon on some of the warm tomato compote, then top with a mixture of:

• 1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Place under the broiler to melt and lightly brown the cheese. Serve on the toasted burger buns.

The Best Cajun Spice Rub

The Best Cajun Spice Rub Surf and Turf

Is there really a best Cajun Spice Rub? If you search the internet, you will probably find thousands of them and celebrity chefs have made small fortunes branding and marketing their own "secret blends". The truth is that for the most part, many of these are composed of the same basic ingredients in different ratios. 

Over the years, I have experimented with adding a little more of this, a little less of that, adding a new ingredient etc., until I came up with one that suited my own taste and that's exactly what I encourage you to do. Feel free to reduce the heat or salt content or pump up the smokiness by using all smoked paprika in place of the two mentioned here...adding some ground chipotle powder will also add some smoky heat. The point is that the best Cajun spice rub is YOUR personal favorite blend, so get out there and start working on your own. Here's a great place to start. ;)

Mix together:

• 3 tbsp paprika
• 3 tbsp smoked paprika
• 3 tbsp onion powder
• 2 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 2 tbsp dried oregano
• 2 tbsp dried basil
• 1 1/2 ground thyme
• 1/2 tbsp crushed chili flakes
• 1 tbsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tbsp coarsely ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp white pepper
• 1 tbsp celery salt
• 2 tbsp kosher salt

In the photos above we have used this great Cajun spice rub  in this mouth-watering Surf and Turf. When using it on seafood like these sweet, succulent shrimp and scallops, I generally just toss them in the spice rub and put them directly onto the grill. When using it on beef, like this beautiful rib-eye steak, I like to give it as much time as possible. I rub plenty of it all over the surface of the steaks and leave them in the fridge for the day or at at least a few hours if possible. I then add a little more when I take them out of the fridge and let the steaks come up to room temperature before hitting the preheated hot grill.

Grilling any good cut of steak straight out of the fridge is, I think, the most common mistake that folks make when trying to grill the perfect steak. It is ESSENTIAL to take the steaks out of the fridge for at least an hour depending on the thickness of the cut in order to achieve the perfect rare, medium or even well-done steak.

Herb and Garlic Rolled Steak Medallions

Herb and Garlic Rolled Steak Medallions

I've always been a simple steak lover. There's no need to go to extraordinary lengths to please me when it comes to a good cut of steak. Season it with salt and pepper and slap it on a hot grill until it reaches a beautiful medium rare and I'll be quite satisfied. Pure beef taste is fine for me, thank-you. 

Spouse is a bit more particular about her steak. She likes her steak more well done and additional flavors added in marinades and rubs. Often, we make steak two ways in order to satisfy all tastes at the table but on this occasion, after being reminded of this recipe by a similar steak idea, again provided by David Olsen over at A Bachelor and his Grill, we all enjoyed these herb and garlic infused rolled steak medallions, which Spouse always says is her favorite way to enjoy steak.

A couple of things to consider when grilling these steak medallions is that they are cooked on bamboo skewers, so you will want to soak those in water for a half hour or so before grilling or just soak them overnight to save time. The heat from the grill will also travel through the rolled meat more quickly using this method, so they tend to cook faster than a solid piece of meat, so be careful not to overcook them. I like strip loin steaks for this recipe and find that it is better to use larger steaks which will yield more medallions and be easier to roll. An additional benefit to these steak rolls is that you can cut them to different thicknesses to accommodate different steak grilling preferences. For those who like well done, they can be cut thinner and those for the medium rare folks can be cut thicker which means they can all  be cooked to the perfect level to suit all tastes in the same cooking time; a valuable benefit indeed, especially when serving guests, so that nobody is left waiting or letting their steak get cold.

I do brush these with butter before putting them on the grill because I like the way that temporary flame-up adds an extra char to the meat but this step is, of course, optional. Thinner cuts of meat are best for this recipe so cut your steaks in half or get your butcher to cut them thinner for you, about 1/3 to 1/2 an inch is good.

The herbs can also be varied to suit your taste. Almost any combination will work well but we always tend to start with rosemary as a base.

For more outstanding grilling ideas, check out our Pinterest Board, Great Grilling by Rock Recipes.

Serves 4-6

8 large thin cut striploin steaks

6 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Marinate the steak in the Worcestershire sauce for only 10 to 15 minutes before preparing the rolled steak medallions.

Mix together:

4 cloves minced garlic

4 tbsp chopped rosemary

4tbsp chopped oregano

4 tbsp chopped chives

1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg (optional)

Season the steaks lightly on both sides with salt and pepper lay them flat on a cutting board and rub the herb and garlic mixture onto the surface of the steaks. Starting at the narrowest end roll the steak up tightly. Cut the steak roll into as many medallions as you want, usually 2 or 3 depending on the size of the steak you use. Working with 3 or 4 of the medallions at a time, lay them flat on a cutting board in a straight line and push one of the soaked skewers horizontally through the center of the medallions.

6 tbsp melted butter

Brush both sides of the medallions with the butter and transfer them to a hot preheated grill.  Grill for 2- 4 minutes per side depending on if you want them rare to well done. When cooked, let the medallions rest for 4 or 5 minutes on a serving plate, covered in aluminum foil before serving.