Fabulicious!: On the Grill (6 page)

 

 

Makes 16 slices of crostini, 6 to 8 servings

In Italy, we love our beans. We serve them for appetizers (just like this spread), in salads, and even in sweet bean cakes! If they're not part of your weekly diet, you should change that now. You can begin with this starter. This spread can be made in a flash with things you probably have in the kitchen anyway. You can also serve it with any kind of cracker, or even as a dip for veggies (red bell pepper strips are especially tasty).

Bean Spread:

1 (15.5-ounce) can white kidney beans (cannellini), drained and rinsed

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or flat-leaf parsley, plus more for serving

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 garlic cloves, minced

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil,

plus more for drizzling

Salt

Crostini:

16 (¼-inch-thick) slices baguette

Extra-virgin olive oil

1.
To make the bean spread:
Purée the beans, basil, lemon juice, garlic, and red pepper flakes in a food processor. With the machine running, add the oil. Season with salt to taste. Transfer to a bowl. (The bean spread can be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days.)

2.
Meanwhile, preheat the grill for direct cooking over medium heat (400°F).

3.
To make the crostini:
Brush the bread slices on both sides with the oil. Place the bread slices on the cooking grate and close the grill lid. Cook, turning as needed, until toasted, about 2 minutes. Remove the bread slices from the grill.

4.
Spread about 1 tablespoon of the bean spread on each crostini. Drizzle with additional oil, sprinkle with the additional basil, and serve.

 

Makes about 1¼ cups, 8 servings

You know by now that the Giudices love (in no particular order) garlic, olive oil, red pepper flakes, olives, anchovies, and fresh herbs. Olivada, a black olive spread, has them all! It's one of those things that you should make according to your taste with as much pepper, garlic, or anchovies as you like (or love!). Stashed in the refrigerator, it keeps for a few weeks, ready to be spread on bruschetta, spooned onto tomatoes for a quick salad, stirred into vinaigrette to perk up dressing, or tossed with a little spaghetti.

2 garlic cloves, crushed under the flat side of a knife and peeled

4 anchovy fillets in olive oil, drained and coarsely chopped

2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary or 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, or more to taste

2 cups pitted Kalamata or green olives, or 1 cup of each

⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for storage

1.
In a food processor, with the machine running, drop the garlic through the feed tube to mince it. Add the anchovies, rosemary, and red pepper flakes and pulse the machine a few times until they are minced. Add the olives and pulse until very finely chopped. With the machine running, gradually add the oil to make a thick paste. (Or, in a blender, working in batches, process all of the ingredients together, scraping down the sides of the container as needed.)

2.
Transfer the olivada to a covered container and smooth the top. Serve at room temperature. (To store, pour a thin layer of oil over the top of the olivada and refrigerate for up to 1 month. Before serving, remove the olivada from the refrigerator, stir in the top layer of oil, and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour.)

 

 

Makes about 1 quart, 12 servings

If I can win a cook-off in a trailer park using tiny RV burners to make my family's famous ciambotta, you can definitely wow your friends on a proper grill. This quick and easy eggplant appetizer can be served alone, with bread, or on top of bruschetta or crostini.

⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil

4 garlic cloves, crushed under the flat side of a knife and peeled

1 large eggplant, cut into ½-inch-thick rounds

4 plum (Roma) tomatoes, cut in halfs lengthwise

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano, plus more for serving

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes Salt

1.
Heat the oil and garlic together in a small saucepan over medium heat until small bubbles form around the garlic, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand for about 15 minutes. Using a fork, remove and reserve the garlic.

2.
Preheat the grill for direct cooking over medium heat (400°F).

3.
Arrange the eggplant on a large baking sheet and brush both sides with the garlic oil. Place the eggplant directly on the cooking grate, and close the grill lid. Cook the eggplant until the undersides are golden brown and seared with grill marks, about 5 minutes. Flip the eggplant and continue cooking, with the lid closed, until the other side is golden brown and the eggplant is tender, about 5 minutes more. Remove the eggplant from the grill.

4.
Brush the tomatoes all over with the remaining garlic oil. Place the tomatoes, cut-side down, on the cooking grate and close the grill lid. Cook until seared with grill marks, about 5 minutes. Flip the tomatoes over and cook, with the lid closed, until the peel is seared and splitting, about 3 minutes. Remove the tomatoes from the grill.

5.
Pulse the eggplant, tomatoes, reserved garlic, any remaining garlic oil, basil, and red pepper flakes in a food processor to make a chunky purée. (Or put all of the ingredients in a large bowl and mash with a potato masher.) Transfer to a medium bowl and let cool.

6.
Cover and refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours and up to 2 days. Sprinkle with the additional basil and serve chilled or at room temperature.

 

Makes 16

Serve as part of a bigger antipasto platter so your guests can balance these stuffed peppers with a few not-so-rich items like olive or pickled veggies. You'll find the miniature peppers in lots of supermarkets. Choose ones “a little larger than bite” size.

Stuffing

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

6 ounces sweet turkey sausage, casings removed (about 2 links)

½ cup ricotta cheese

¼ cup Italian-seasoned dry bread crumbs

1 large egg, beaten

1 tablespoon fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

¼ teaspoon salt

⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Peppers

Extra-virgin olive oil, for the pan and serving

16 miniature red, yellow, green, and orange bell peppers

Fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped, for serving

1.
Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Add the sausage and cook, breaking up the sausage with the side of a wooden spoon, until it loses its raw look, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and let cool completely. Stir in the ricotta cheese, bread crumbs, egg, parsley, salt, and pepper.

2.
Lightly oil a 13 x 9-inch metal or disposable aluminum foil roasting pan. Cut each pepper in half lengthwise, keeping the stem intact. Using a small spoon, scoop out and discard the seeds and ribs. Stuff each pepper with the ricotta mixture. Arrange the peppers, stuffed sides up, in the pan. Drizzle with the oil. Pour ½ cup of hot water into the pan.

3.
Prepare the grill for indirect cooking with medium heat (400°F).

4.
Place the pan on the grill over the not-yet-ignited burner(s). Close the lid and cook until the topping is lightly browned and the peppers are tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the grill.

5.
Drizzle with the oil and sprinkle with the parsley. Serve warm or cooled to room temperature.

 

Makes 4 servings, more if part of an antipasti platter