Seared Beef Caprese

Seared Beef Caprese
Man, I love fresh basil.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010



Okay, I am back. It has been so long between posts. I have been a little busy at work and I am thinking about what to do when the season is over. I.e. What do I blog about. So, Here is a pic of bruschetta with roasted tomato and corn, paprika dusted chickpeas and queso fresco. Queso fresco is a Mexican white cheese. You can get a few different types but for this recipe stick with the soft crumbly one. If you cannot find it, a good sub is fresh mozzarella or ricotta salata. The bread is not toasted. I really wanted a nice fresh feeling to these snacks. I feel that toasting the bread would have made it feel stale. It is an easy recipe. First oven at 400 degrees, oil, salt and pepper your tomatoes and corn. The corn can be frozen or out of a can. I like fresh cut, but who doesn't. Place the corn and tomatoes on a sheet pan and roast until you get some color on the corn and the tomatoes start to soften and burst open, about ten to fifteen minutes.The chickpeas are from a can, rinse them and toss with paprika, salt and pepper. Saute the chickpeas over medium to low heat until they dry out a bit, around fifteen to twenty minutes. Sauteing the chickpeas also brings out the flavor of the paprika. Toss these two in a bowl and coat with a tablespoon of olive oil. Toss together, taste and season them to your liking. place this mixture in the fridge to cool. Slice the baguette into 1/2 inch oval. Crumble the Queso Fresco and when the mixture is cool enough plate it. I have garnished with some fresh cilantro, it really adds some color to the plate and some brightness to the bruschetta. Cheers.