The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook (40 page)

chicken wraps with mango, basil, and mint

MAKES 4

The chicken and the mango dressing can be made a day ahead and refrigerated separately.

for the chicken

1 garlic clove

½ shallot

¼ cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves

1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

½ teaspoon coarse salt

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Freshly ground pepper

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 12 ounces total)

for the dressing

½ shallot

½ mango, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces

2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

Pinch of cayenne pepper

for assembling

4 lavash breads (3½ ounces each)

½ mango, peeled and cut into ½-inch-thick spears

8 fresh basil leaves

8 fresh mint leaves

1.
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Make the chicken: Finely chop garlic and shallot in a food processor. Add basil and oil, and process until mixture forms a coarse paste. Stir in salt and cinnamon, and season with pepper. Make a few shallow ½-inch slits on both sides of chicken; rub all over with the basil mixture. Place on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake chicken until cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool completely, then shred chicken into small pieces; set aside.

2.
Make the dressing: Finely chop shallot in the clean bowl of the food processor. Add mango, and process until smooth. Add the lime juice and cayenne, and process until combined.

3.
Assemble wraps: Spread about ¼ cup mango dressing in center of each lavash. Top with chicken, mango, and herbs. Roll up diagonally to form a cone. Wraps can be refrigerated, wrapped in parchment and plastic, up to 4 hours.

FIT TO EAT RECIPE
PER SERVING: 350 CALORIES, 4 G SATURATED FAT, 8 G UNSATURATED FAT, 54 MG CHOLESTEROL, 29 G CARBOHYDRATE, 457 MG SODIUM, 26 G PROTEIN, 1 G FIBER

ham and cheese tartines

MAKES 6

This recipe works equally well with other cheeses: Try a mild fontina or Comté in place of the Gruyère.

½ pound Gruyère cheese, grated on the large holes of a box grater (about 2 cups)

½ pound cream cheese

2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

6 slices (½ inch thick) sourdough bread, cut from an oval loaf

4 ounces cooked ham, cut into 12 slices

3 to 4 red radishes, very thinly sliced

1.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a food processor, pulse half the Gruyère cheese and all the cream cheese until smooth, about 30 seconds. Transfer the mixture to a small mixing bowl. Fold in the thyme, and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

2.
Place the bread on a baking sheet, and toast in the middle of oven, flipping halfway through, until golden brown on both sides, about 12 minutes.

3.
Spread the reserved cheese mixture on each slice of toast, dividing evenly, and sprinkle with the remaining Gruyère. Place 2 slices of ham on each toast. Arrange the radishes on top, and serve.

niçoise tartines with peperonata

MAKES 6

Peperonata is an Italian mixture of stewed sweet peppers, tomatoes, onions, and garlic. In this dish, the peperonata is combined with classic Provençal ingredients to make a flavorful topping for toast.

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 large onion, thinly sliced

3 garlic cloves

3 red bell peppers, ribs and seeds removed, julienned

Pinch of hot paprika, plus more to taste

Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

6 slices (½ inch thick) sourdough bread, cut from an oval loaf

2 large eggs

1 can (about 6 ounces) tuna packed in oil (preferably Italian), drained

Fleur de sel, or sea salt (optional)

3 teaspoons capers, drained and rinsed

1 lemon, for garnish

1.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Heat the oil in a large nonstick sauté pan. Add the onion and garlic; sauté, stirring frequently, over medium heat until lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Add the bell peppers and paprika; continue cooking until the peppers are soft and juicy, about 30 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper.

2.
Meanwhile, place the bread on a baking sheet; toast in the middle of the oven, flipping halfway through, until the bread is golden brown on both sides, about 12 minutes.

3.
Prepare an ice-water bath; set aside. Place the eggs in a medium saucepan; add enough water to cover by about 1 inch. Bring to a full boil; cook 1 minute. Turn off heat; cover, and let stand 12 minutes. Transfer the eggs to the ice bath until cool. Peel the eggs; slice each about ¼ inch thick.

4.
Spread the red pepper mixture over slices of toast; top with tuna, dividing evenly. Place a few slices of egg on top of the tuna. Season with fleur de sel or sea salt, if using, and black pepper. Garnish with capers, and zest the lemon over the top just before serving.

roasted cherry tomato tartines

MAKES 6

1 pint mixed cherry tomatoes

4 to 6 garlic cloves (unpeeled)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 or 3 sprigs fresh thyme or rosemary

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

6 slices (½ inch thick) sourdough bread, cut from an oval loaf

7 ounces (about ¾ cup) tapenade

8 ounces mild goat cheese

1 cup fresh basil leaves, for garnish

1.
Preheat the oven to 450°F. In a medium bowl, toss the tomatoes with the garlic, oil, and herbs; season with salt and pepper.

2.
Transfer the tomato mixture to a large (10-inch) cast-iron skillet, spreading it in an even layer. Roast in the oven, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are soft and slightly blackened, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat. Let cool completely.

3.
Reduce the oven heat to 400°F. Toast the bread on a baking sheet in the middle of the oven, flipping halfway through, until golden brown on both sides, about 12 minutes.

4.
Spread 1 to 2 tablespoons tapenade over each toast. Divide the goat cheese evenly among the toasts; spoon some of the tomatoes and their juices on top. Garnish with basil leaves, and serve.

classic panino

MAKES 1

1 ciabatta roll

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

¼ teaspoon coarse salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

2¼ ounces sliced fresh buffalo mozzarella

¾ ounce shaved Parmesan cheese

1 ounce thinly sliced prosciutto

8 fresh basil leaves

Olive oil, for the pan

1.
Halve the ciabatta roll. Drizzle the cut sides with the extra-virgin olive oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Layer the mozzarella, Parmesan, prosciutto, and basil on the bottom half. Top with the other half.

2.
Heat a grill pan over medium heat until almost smoking. Lightly brush the pan with olive oil. Grill the panino until browned and crisp on the bottom, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip with a spatula; grill until browned on the other side. Serve hot.

OTHER PANINI IDEAS

These grilled Italian sandwiches can be filled with other ingredients, some traditional, others more novel. Before starting, lightly brush cut or inner sides of the bread with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Then follow the recipe for the Classic Panino.

1. Fontina cheese, fresh buffalo mozzarella, rosemary, and toasted walnuts on a baguette.

2. Sardines, Parmesan cheese, shaved fennel, red onion, and lemon juice on rustic bread.

3. Hot sopressata, Taleggio cheese, and paper-thin lemon slices on ciabatta.

4. Goat cheese, black olives, and radicchio on rustic bread.

5. Bacon, Gorgonzola dolce, and baby spinach on a baguette.

grilled margherita pizzas

MAKES SIX 9-INCH PIZZAS

Pizza Dough (recipe follows)

Extra-virgin olive oil

Pizza Sauce (recipe follows)

1 pound fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Basil leaves, for garnish

1.
Heat a grill until medium-hot. Generously brush one side of the pizza dough with oil; grill, oiled side down, until the underside is golden brown and the top begins to bubble, 3 to 5 minutes. Quickly brush the top with oil; flip the crust. Top with thin layers of sauce and cheese. Grill until the cheese is just melted, the sauce is hot, and the crust is cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes more.

2.
Slide the pizza with a large spatula onto a cutting board. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange basil on top. Repeat to make more pizzas.

pizza dough

MAKES ENOUGH FOR SIX 9-INCH PIZZAS

The dough is easiest to handle when it’s well chilled—keep it in the refrigerator until right before it hits the grill. Depending on the size of your grill, you can make more than one pizza at a time. (Instead of making six pizzas, another option is to make four large ones; cut the dough into quarters before rolling it out.) If you don’t own a grill, you can make the pizzas on a grill pan.

2 cups warm water (about 110°F)

½ teaspoon sugar

2 envelopes active dry yeast (2 scant tablespoons)

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the bowl

6 to 7 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

1 tablespoon salt

1.
Stir the warm water, sugar, and yeast in a small bowl until the yeast is dissolved. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Brush a large bowl with oil, and set aside.

2.
Stir together 6 cups flour and the salt in a large bowl. Pour in the yeast mixture and the oil; stir mixture until all of the flour is incorporated. Continue to stir until a stiff dough forms. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface, and knead with floured hands, dusting with as little flour as possible if dough seems sticky, just until the ball becomes smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Reshape the dough into a ball. (Alternatively, put 6 cups flour, the salt, yeast mixture, and oil in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until the dough is smooth and slightly sticky to the touch, 2 to 3 minutes. If the dough seems too sticky, add up to 1 cup flour, 2 tablespoons at a time, mixing after each addition. Knead 4 or 5 turns to form a ball.)

3.
Place the dough in the oiled bowl, smooth side up. Tightly cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in bulk, about 40 minutes.

4.
Remove the plastic wrap; punch down the dough. Fold the dough back onto itself 4 or 5 times; leave the smooth side up. Cover with plastic wrap; let rise again until doubled in bulk, 30 to 40 minutes.

5.
Punch down the dough, and transfer it to a clean work surface. Cut the dough with a bench scraper or knife into sixths. Knead each piece 4 or 5 turns to form a ball. Cover all but one with plastic wrap.

6.
On a lightly floured work surface, flatten the dough ball into a disk. Loosely cover with plastic wrap; let rest 5 minutes. Using a rolling pin or your fingertips, flatten and push the dough evenly out from the center to form a 9-inch circle (or a 7 × 11-inch rectangle or rough oval).