Baby Bella & Roasted Garlic Brown Rice Pilaf

As an accompaniment to my stuffed flank steak for dinner tonight, I prepared some brown rice. My husband tends to groan under his breath whenever I tell him brown rice is on the menu because he's not a big fan unless it's tossed with other ingredients. Sometimes brown rice can be pretty bland so to jazz it up, I added some sliced baby bella mushrooms, roasted garlic and some shredded parmesan.

Tip - if there's a sale on garlic at the store, take advantage and grab a few even if you didn't plan on it. When you get home, take those garlic heads and roast them so you always have roasted garlic on hand. They're great to add some flavor in so many dishes. Once you roasted the heads of garlic, squeeze them out of their skins and and store in a covered container in the refrigerator for about a week or you can freeze them in an ice cube tray as you would pesto.

Baby Bella & Roasted Garlic Brown Rice Pilaf
original Joelen recipe

2 cups prepared brown rice, cooked in chicken broth
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 head of garlic, roasted and cloves squeezed out of skins
1 cup sliced baby bella mushrooms
salt & pepper to taste
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese + more for garnish

In a saute pan over medium high heat, add oil and onion. Saute until onions soften. Add the roasted garlic cloves to the pan and mash to blend with the onions. Add the mushrooms and saute until mushrooms soften up and begin to caramelize.


In a bowl, combine the prepared brown rice and mushroom mixture. Fold everything together gently. Fold in the parmesan cheese. Serve hot and garnish with more parmesan cheese if you'd like.

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Roasted Duck Risotto

It's my day off and tonight I wanted to make something special for dinner. My husband has been working every day for the last couple of weeks as a result of a new job. He's been doing great as a newly licensed leasing agent and I'm so proud of what he's done in such little time. To celebrate a few recent successes, I made the following for dinner...

Roasted Duck Risotto
original Joelen recipe

1 tablespoon cooking oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
salt and freshly-ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon italian seasoning
1/2 cup dry white wine
5 1/2 cups homemade duck stock, warmed
1/2 cup frozen spring peas
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over moderate heat. Add the onions and garlic. Cook until softened. Add the arborio rice and stir until it begins to toast slightly.

Add the wine and the 1/2 teaspoon salt to the rice. Cook, stirring frequently, until all of the wine has been absorbed.

Add about 1/2 cup of the warm stock and italian seasoning and cook, stirring frequently, until it has been absorbed. The rice and broth should bubble gently; adjust the heat as needed. Continue cooking the rice, adding broth 1/2 cup at a time and allowing the rice to absorb it before adding the next 1/2 cup. Cook the rice in this way until tender, 25 to 30 minutes in all. The broth that hasn't been absorbed should be thickened by the starch from the rice. You may not need to use all the liquid, or you may need more broth or some water.

Stir in the frozen peas and the Parmesan and heat through. Serve the risotto with additional Parmesan.

To make my duck stock, I took all the bones and carcass of a roasted duck...
... and boiled it with whole garlic cloves, chopped onion, poultry seasoning and water for a few hours until a rich, deep stock has come together. I then strained the pot from all the big pieces and remove any remaining meat from the bones which I added into the strained stock. What you have after it's all said in done is a flavorful duck stock with delicious bits of duck, perfect for risotto!

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Couve Mineira (Brazilian Garlicky Collard Greens)

For our Brazilian Carnival dinner, I prepared the following recipe to share. Because Brazilian cuisine can often be very heavy on meats, I wanted to make sure we had some vegetables and greens on the table. This is a traditional vegetable side dish to enjoy with feijoada (a traditional black bean stew) during Carnivale.

Couve Mineira (Brazilian Garlicky Collard Greens)
recipe from DonaBrasil

1 pound of collard greens, kale or Savoy cabbage
2 tablespoons of sunflower oil or olive oil
garlic to taste
salt to taste
pepper to taste

Wash and drain the kale or the collard greens. Remove the hard stems of the kale. Roll the leaves tightly together and slice into very thin shreds. As the shreds have to be very thin, the knife has to be sharp.

Sauté the garlic, the salt and the pepper in the oil (some people add a small union at this step). Stir-fry the shredded leaves quickly at high heat. It is important that you stop in time: the leaves have to wilt slightly but should keep their bright color.

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Roasted Cinnamon Chipotle Corn

To accompany my pork carnitas today, I wanted to add some spice into a simple side dish. Having some fresh corn on the cob on hand, I decided to season them with cinnamon chipotle seasoning. So easy to do...

Roasted Cinnamon Chipotle Corn
original Joelen recipe

fresh corn on the cob
cooking spray
cinnamon chipotle seasoning
sheets of foil
wedges of lime
queso fresco


Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Spray corn with cooking spray and liberally season the corn with the seasoning.

Wrap seasoned corn in foil and roast in the preheated oven for 30-45 minutes.

Carefully unwrap, squeeze lime over corn and sprinkle some quesco fresco.

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Savory Corn & Pepper Muffins

This was a wonderful recipe from Dorie Greenspan's book! I made this to accompany a chicken & sausage gumbo and it really complimented it well. Due to the nasty winter weather we're experiencing here in Chicago, I had to make do with the ingredients I had on hand and made a few (okay, a lot of) substitutions...

• Rather than using a stick of butter, I used 1/4 cup each of canola oil and extra virgin olive oil. It resulted in a very moist and tender crumb.
• In place of cilantro, I used two stalks of green onions, sliced thin (green part only.) The onion seemed to work well with the peppers and gave more to the overall southwestern flavor.
• Speaking of peppers, I added additional color and used a trio of finely diced yellow, green and red bell peppers. (Honestly, I just can't do only red peppers. Red peppers just isn't my thing. So small doses of it are tolerable, even moreso when combined with yellow and green peppers.)
• Just when I thought I couldn't substitute anything else, I realized that I ran out of chili powder. I did have some Pilsen Latino Seasoning on hand and used that instead. The seasoning is on the spicy side so I used 1 teaspoon of this. I really loved that kick and heat it gives these muffins! This seasoning is 'hand mixed from: coarse Kosher flake salt, garlic & onion powders, Mexican oregano, Tellicherry black pepper, hot red pepper flakes.'
• Finally, the cheese lover in me thought it best to top these muffins with a Mexican blend of cheese. It added a nice golden color and slight crispness to the muffin top. Yum!

Be sure to check out the other fabulous foodies who made this week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe, Savory Corn & Pepper Muffins. Interested in the recipe? Check out Rebecca from Ezra Poundcake who has the recipe on her blog or page 6 of Dorie Greenspan's book, Baking from My Home to Yours.

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Zucchini Parmesan Crisps

This is a great way to serve up zucchini and a nice change of pace from the usual roasting that I tend to do. I prepared this for my Chef Spotlight Dinner where we featured recipes of health concious chefs, including Ellie Krieger.

Zucchini Parmesan Crisps
recipe from Ellie Krieger

Cooking spray
2 medium zucchini (about 1 pound total)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan (3/4-ounce)
1/4 cup plain dry bread crumbs
1/8 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.

Slice the zucchini into 1/4-inch thick rounds. In a medium bowl, toss the zucchini with the oil. In a small bowl, combine the Parmesan, bread crumbs, salt, and a few turns of pepper. Dip each round into the Parmesan mixture, coating it evenly on both sides, pressing the coating on to stick, and place in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake the zucchini rounds until browned and crisp, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove with spatula. Serve immediately.

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Quinoa & Black Bean Salad

I don't cook with quinoa as often as I should. It's an excellent grain to cook with packed with protein and definitely one that's healthier than even brown rice. My friend Robert prepared this salad and it was very refreshing and light.

Quinoa & Black Bean Salad
recipe from Gourmet Magazine

1 1/2 cups quinoa (small disk-shaped seeds)
1 1/2 cups cooked black beans, rinsed, if canned
1 1/2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
1 1/2 cups cooked corn (cut from about 2 large ears)
3/4 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
2 pickled jalpeno chilies, seeded and minced (wear rubber gloves)
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh coriander

For dressing:
5 tablespoons fresh lime juice, or to taste
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cumin, or to taste
1/3 cup olive oil

In a bowl wash quinoa in at least 5 changes cold water, rubbing grains and letting them settle Before pouring off most of water, until water runs clear and drain in a large fine sieve. In a saucepan of salted boiling water cook quinoa 10 minutes. Drain quinoa in sieve and rinse under cold water. Set sieve over a saucepan of boiling water (quinoa should not touch water) and steam quinoa, covered with a kitchen towel and lid, until fluffy and dry, about 10 minutes (check water level in kettle occasionally, adding water if necessary). While quinoa is cooking, in a small bowl toss beans with vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Transfer quinoa to a large bowl and cool. Add beans, corn, bell pepper, jalapeno, and coriander and toss well. Make dressing: In a small bowl whisk together lime juice, salt, and cumin and add oil in a stream, whisking. Drizzle dressing over salad and toss well with salt and pepper to taste. Salad may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring salad to room temperature before serving.

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Roasted Green Beans & Cherry Tomatoes

This is a super easy side dish I got from Pam Anderson's cookbook, The Perfect Recipe for Losing Weight & Eating Great. I prepared this for my Chef Spotlight dinner where we highlighted healthy chefs. It was a side dish that was colorful and complimented our menu well!

Roasted Green Beans & Cherry Tomatoes
recipe from Pam Anderson

1 lb green beans
1 pint cherry tomatoes, sliced in halves
1 tablespoon dried oregano
salt & pepper to taste
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil.

Preheat your oven to 375.
In a bowl, place your green beans, tomatoes and oregano.
Drizzle oil over vegetables and toss to coat.
Sprinkle with salt & pepper to taste.
Place vegetables on a baking sheet and baking in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes.

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Crispy Onion Topped Orzo

Rather than doing the usual potato or rice side dish, I wanted to do something a little different. I came across this Baked Orzo dish from several food blogs I read and thought it would compliment my herbed turkey well.

I made quite a few adaptations to Giada's original recipe to use ingredients I had on hand and it came out wonderfully. The flavors were rich, hearty and perfect with roast turkey. I used turkey stock which provided more flavor, imported Spanish mushrooms (thanks to fellow blogger, Nuria), spinach, roasted garlic, brie cheese and topped with french fried onions.

Crispy Onion Topped Orzo
with Mushrooms, Spinach, Onion & Brie
recipe inspired by Giada DeLaurentiis

4 cups turkey stock
1 pound orzo pasta
3 tablespoons butter, plus more to grease the baking dish
1 onion, chopped
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced (I used imported Spanish mushrooms)
1 cup diced brie
1 cup frozen spinach, thawed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 cup french fried onions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter a 9 by 13-inch baking dish.

Bring the turkey (or chicken) stock to a boil over medium-high heat in a medium saucepan. Add the orzo and cook until almost tender, about 7 minutes. Pour the orzo and the broth into a large bowl. Set aside.

Meanwhile, melt the butter over medium heat in a medium skillet. Add the onions and saute until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and continue to saute until the mushrooms are beginning to turn golden around the edges, about 7 minutes. Add the mushroom mixture to the orzo in the large bowl. Add the spinach, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish.

Dot the top of the baking dish with brie and top the entire dish with french fried onions. Bake until golden, about 10-15 minutes.

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Roasted Asparagus w/Lemon Zest Butter

This is an easy side dish to prepare for any dinner or even brunch. I served this as a side to our Christmas Brunch. It was pretty easy to put together and the star of the dish is the Lemon Zest Butter. I recently purchased dried lemon zest from my favorite spice shop to experiment with. One way I used it was to mix it with butter and herbs to add some flavor to vegetables. It came out wonderful and definitely is a great way to use fresh or dried citrus zest, whether it's lemon, lime or even orange.

Lemon Zest Butter
original Joelen recipe

1 teaspoon lemon zest (fresh or rehydrated dried zest)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
salt to taste

Combine all the ingredients and store in fridge.
Use to flavor roasted or steamed vegetables.

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Yuca with Mojo

I made the following recipe for our annual Holiday Party where our menu highlighted Floribbean cuisine. Yuca is a root vegetable that is similar to a potato. It has a waxy skin that must be cut or peeled off, then boiled until tender. It's important to season the water the yuca is boiled in so it can add some flavor, otherwise it's pretty bland. I added salt and some of my dry mojo seasoning. To accompany yuca, it's traditionally served with a mojo sauce. Mojo is a sauce usually made with olive oil, citrus juice, lots of garlic and spices.

Yuca with Mojo
recipe adapted from CubanFoodRecipes.com

2 pounds Yuca Root peeled and cut into bite size pieces.
1/8 teaspoon Salt
Mojo sauce (below)

In a large saucepan, cover yuca with water plus 2 inches, add salt. Bring to a boil, lower heat to a simmer, cover, let simmer until yuca is fork tender but still intact. Drain yuca.

Add the mojo. (recipe below)

Mojo Ingredients:

1/3 cup olive oil
6 to 8 cloves garlic, thinly sliced or minced
2/3 cup fresh sour orange juice or lime juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Heat the olive oil in a deep saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant and lightly toasted but not brown, about 30 seconds. Add sour orange juice, cumin, and salt and pepper. Stand back: The sauce may sputter. Bring the sauce to a rolling boil. Correct the seasonings, adding salt and pepper to taste. Cool before serving. Mojo tastes best when served within a few hours of making, but it will keep for several days, covered, in the refrigerator.

Note: Sour orange juice can be found in Latino markets.

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Maduros (sweet plantains)

I made the following recipe for our annual Holiday Party where our menu highlighted Floribbean cuisine. Maduros is a sweet side dish in Floribbean cuisine. It's made with sweet, fully or overripened plantains. The plantains are best if they are practically black... which is a tell tale sign that it's perfectly ripened and super sweet. Don't throw blackened plantains out - make this dish instead! Similar to the preparation of Tostones, these plantains are sliced and fried.

Maduros
(sweet plantains)

3 very ripe plantains (heavy black spotting to a fully black skin)
lard or vegetable shortening to cover half the thickness of plantains

Peel and bias cut (diagonal) into one-inch thick slices. Heat the oil until medium hot -- a drop of water will sizzle.

Fry the pieces briefly, about a minute or two per side. Reduce heat to low and continue cooking, turning occasionally until they are brown and caramelized.

VARIATION: Some people like to lightly roll the plantains in white or brown sugar before frying (which is what I did)

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Tostones (green plantains)

I made the following recipe for our annual Holiday Party where our menu highlighted Floribbean cuisine. Tostones is a popular side dish to Floribbean meals. This is made with green, unripened plantains that have been sliced and fried twice then served with a garlicy sauce.

Tostones
(flatted fried green plantains)
recipe from Dominican Cooking.com

2 unripe plantains
1/2 cup of oil
4 teaspoons of cold water
1/2 teaspoons of mashed garlic
Salt


Peel the plantains and cut into 1 inch thick slices. In a deep frying pan heat the oil and fry the plantains till golden brown. Flatten the plantains using the bottom of a flat-bottomed glass bottle. Fry the plantains again for 30 seconds on each side.

(This part is optional) Mix the water, a pinch of salt and the mashed garlic. Stir and pour over the plantains.

Serve immediately.

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Sauteed Spinach with Bacon

Sauteed Spinach w/Bacon

original Joelen recipe

1-2 packages fresh baby spinach leaves

5 slices canadian bacon, diced
3 cloves garlic, sliced
2-3 tablespoons butter
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth

In a saute pan, melt butter and saute garlic and bacon.
When bacon is crisp, add chicken broth and spinach; toss until it wilts.
Serve immediately.

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Butternut Squash Gratin

The following recipe was prepared during my International Chefs Dinner. You can read about it and check out the other recipes that were made for the event HERE.

Butternut Squash Gratin

shared at the event by Laura

recipe courtesy of Jacques Pepin

1 large butternut squash (3 1/4 pounds), peeled and seeded (2 1/2 pounds)

1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Cut off and discard the stem of the squash, then cut the squash into two pieces by cutting through it horizontally at the bottom of the neck. This will make it easier to peel.

Peel the cylindrical neck lengthwise, removing enough skin so that the orange flesh underneath is revealed. (Under the outer skin there is a layer of green, which should be removed.) Peel the round part of the squash by cutting around it in a spiral fashion with a sharp knife; it is easier to peel a round object in this manner. Cut the rounded part in half lengthwise, and, using a spoon, scoop out the seeds. Then cut the squash into 1/8-to-1/4-inch slices either with a knife or in a food processor fitted with the slicing blade.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the squash slices in a large saucepan, cover them with water, and bring to a boil. Boil over high heat for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, then drain in a colander. The pieces will break a little in cooking. Arrange pieces in a gratin dish, and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Pour on the cream, and stir gently with a fork to distribute the additions properly. Cover with the cheese, and bake for about 30 minutes.

At serving time, brown the top of the gratin by placing it under a hot broiler for 4 to 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

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Palak Paneer

The following recipe was prepared during my International Chefs Dinner. You can read about it and check out the other recipes that were made for the event HERE.

Palak Paneer

shared at the event by John

recipe courtesy of Tarla Dalal

2 cups paneer (cottage cheese), cut into 12 mm. (½") cubes

10 cups spinach (palak) leaves
¾ cup onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic
12 mm. (½") piece ginger, grated
2 green chillies, finely chopped
½ tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
¾ cup tomato purée
¼ tsp garam masala
2 tbsp oil
salt to taste

Blanch the spinach in a big vessel of boiling water. Drain, wash with cold water and blend in a liquidiser to a smooth purée.

Cut the paneer into small pieces and deep fry in hot oil until golden brown. Remove and drain on absorbent paper. Keep aside.

Heat the oil in a pan and fry the onions till they turn translucent. Add the garlic, ginger, green chillies and turmeric powder and fry again for a little time. Add the tomato purée and fry stirring continuously till the mixture leaves oil. Add the spinach purée, paneer, garam masala, and salt 1 cup of water and bring to boil. Serve hot.

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German BBQ Potato Salad

I made the following for my Oktoberfest event. You can read and get other recipes from the event HERE.

Joelen's German BBQ Potato Salad
recipe adapted from HERE

6 large potatoes (about 2 pounds)
1 cup Bermuda onions, chopped
3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
2/3 cup rice wine vinegar
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup salad oil
4 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 egg
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Thoroughly wash potatoes and boil with the skins on until tender (about 25 minutes). Remove potatoes from pan and drain the water. Return the potatoes to the pot and place over a low heat shaking constantly to dry the potatoes. Peel and chop potatoes into 1/4-inch pieces. Place potato pieces in a large bowl and toss with onions, parsley, salt and pepper. Set aside. Meanwhile combine the vinegar, water and sugar in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil. Whisk egg in a bowl and pour the vinegar mixture over top while stirring. Add salad oil and stir. Pour this mixture over potatoes and place in a large skillet or pot over a low heat. Cook until evenly heated. Top with crumbled bacon.

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Stuffing It... In a Healthy Way!

Today was a dreary, cold, wet and cloudy day... a typical fall night in Chicago. It definitely called for a warm and comforting dinner, but I wanted it to also be healthy. (Often times, warm and comforting means starch heavy and sauce laden meals in our house!)

It's been a few nights since we had some seafood so I baked some flounder fillets, seasoned with rosemary, garlic and lemon slices. To go along with our flounder, I roasted some asparagus spears and served up these stuffed tomatoes:

Couscous Stuffed Tomatoes

courtesy of Weight Watchers Best Eats Cookbook

1/2 cup water
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/3 cup whole wheat couscous
6 (7 oz) beefsteak tomatoes
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 small zucchini, diced
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 small red bell pepper, diced (I omitted)
1 teaspoon dried basil (I used fresh)
1 (15.5 oz) can great northern beans, rinsed & drained
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1/3 cup crumbled fat free feta (I used regular feta)

Bring the water, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and 1/8 teaspoon of the pepper to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the couscous, cover, and remove from the heat. Let stand 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.

Meanwhile, cut a thin slice from the top of each tomato and reserve (I accidentally threw it out when I prepared it!). With a spoon, carefully scoop out the seeds and pulp, leaving a tomato shell. Reserve the pulp for a soup or sauce.

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add the succhini, onion, bell pepper, and basil; cook, stirring frequently, until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Add the beans and tomato sauce; cook until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the couscous, cheese, and remaining salt & pepper. Spooon about 3/4 cup of the filling into each tomato shell and cover with the reserved tomato tops.

* I baked these stuffed tomatoes in a 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes to roast them as well. This can be made in advance and frozen too!

Serves 6
Serving size: 1 stuffed tomato
WW Points value: 3 Points

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Baked Mac & Cheese

The following recipe was made for my Food Network Chefs Dinner. You can read about it and get other recipes made for the event HERE.

Baked Mac & Cheese
shared at the event by John
(an Alton Brown recipe, found HERE)

1/2 pound elbow macaroni
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon powdered mustard
3 cups milk
1/2 cup yellow onion, finely diced
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 large egg
12 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Fresh black pepper

Topping:

3 tablespoons butter
1 cup panko bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large pot of boiling, salted water cook the pasta to al dente.

While the pasta is cooking, in a separate pot, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and mustard and keep it moving for about five minutes. Make sure it's free of lumps. Stir in the milk, onion, bay leaf, and paprika. Simmer for ten minutes and remove the bay leaf.

Temper in the egg. Stir in 3/4 of the cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Fold the macaroni into the mix and pour into a 2-quart casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese.

Melt the butter in a saute pan and toss the bread crumbs to coat. Top the macaroni with the bread crumbs. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and rest for five minutes before serving.

Remember to save leftovers for fried Macaroni and Cheese.

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Bruschetta Planks

The following recipe was made for my Food Network Chefs Dinner. You can read about it and get other recipes made for the event HERE.

Bruschetta Planks
shared at the event by Joelen
(adapted from a Rachel Ray recipe, found HERE)

2 pints grape tomatoes
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 loaf sesame semolina bread (I used split hot dog buns)
2 cloves garlic, halved
4 scallions, finely chopped
1/2 cup basil leaves, thinly sliced

Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Coat the tomatoes in olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast 20 minutes to concentrate the flavor and burst the tomatoes.

Cut 2 large "planks" of bread each 1-inch thick by slicing the bread lengthwise horizontally. Reserve the rest of the loaf for another use. (Use each half of hot dog bun as a plank.)

When you remove the tomatoes from the oven, switch on broiler. Char bread on both sides then rub hot bread with cut garlic.

In a bowl, lightly mash the roasted tomatoes and combine with scallions and basil. Top the large planks with tomato mixture then cut each giant crostini into 4 pieces, 8 pieces total.

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