Sunny's Kitchen (11 page)

a
burger with a surprise of gooey cheese inside sets this recipe off on a good start, then I top it with my equivalent of candy. Roasted garlic and onions are truly sweet and I twirl them with pasta and spread them on crostini and steaks, so why not pile them high on a juicy burger with a secret. Make these for the perfect summer cookout with friends or even cook them indoors. The liquid smoke guarantees that no matter what, they’ll taste and smell like summertime.
MAKES 4

1
Roast the garlic and onions.
Preheat oven to 375°F. In a small ramekin or oven dish add the garlic, onions, salt, and enough olive oil to just cover them. Roast uncovered until golden brown and tender, about 20 to 24 minutes. Remove from the oven and using a slotted spoon, transfer the garlic and onions to a paper towel-lined plate. Reserve the oil for many uses, including toasting the buns below.

2
Season the beef.
In a large bowl break up the beef and sprinkle the Worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke, salt, and pepper over the top. With your less dominant hand, gently mix the entire bowl using pitchfork fingers.

3
Form the patties.
Either use a gadget made for stuffed burgers, placing 2 ounces of gouda in the center, or make 8 thin patties and place 2 ounces of cheese between the center of 2 patties. Press and crimp the ends to seal. Let rest at room temperature for 20 minutes.

4
Grill the patties and toast the buns.
Preheat a grill to medium-high heat. Pour some of the reserved roasting oil in a small bowl and brush the insides of each hamburger bun with oil, then the top of each patty as well. Place the burgers on the grill, oiled side down and cook until the burgers release, about 5 minutes. Flip only once and cook on the other side until it reaches the desired doneness. Remove the burgers from the grill to a plate and cover with aluminum foil for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, place the buns on the grill, oiled side down and toast until golden, about 2 minutes each.

5
Assemble the burgers.
Place a patty on each bottom half of the buns, then top with a heaping portion of the roasted garlic and onions. Top with the other bun half and eat.

i
n the mid-1980s, we took a family road trip to Denmark to see tulips and Legoland. For lunch, I ordered a grilled cheese and it wasn’t Mom’s, with white bread and American cheese. It was crusty, toasted brioche slices, and gooey mozzarella cheese, served with a squirt of ketchup on the side. It blew my mind! This is also great with my
Fastest Chunky Tomato Cream Soup
.
MAKES 4

1
Season and roast the tomatoes.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the tomatoes on a baking sheet lined with nonstick aluminum foil or parchment paper and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then roast until they begin to darken and caramelize on the edges, about 20 minutes. Remove and let cool, then gently chop.

2
Make the cilantro mix.
On a cutting board, pile the cilantro, onion, lime zest, and a pinch of salt, then chop vigorously until fine and well combined.

3
Assemble the sandwiches.
Preheat a griddle over medium-high heat. Butter one side of each piece of bread. Place 4 slices on the griddle, buttered side down. Add a slice of cheese to each. Evenly sprinkle the cilantro-onion mixture and the tomatoes over the slices. Finish with another layer of cheese, then add the second piece of bread, buttered side up.

4
Grill the sandwiches.
Check the bottom of the sandwich. If golden brown and the cheese is melting, gently flip. Reduce the heat if the bread is toasting too fast and the cheese has yet to melt. Remove after the second flip when the bottom shows golden brown and fully melted cheese, 4 to 6 minutes total. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 1 minute. Cut in half and serve.

t
his is a fast and pretty tart. I love pesto and think a quick basil pesto should be in every cook’s repertoire. It’s perfect with pasta or on garlic bread, and here it’s a great match with roasted tomatoes. Buying the piecrust makes this perfect for a potluck or invited guests. Shortcuts like that leave you more time to tidy up your place—or enjoy cook’s treats and a coffee for the long night before guests arrive.
MAKES TWO 9-INCH ROUND TARTS OR THREE 14 × 4½-INCH RECTANGULAR TARTS

1
Set the crusts.
Unroll and press the piecrusts into two 9-inch tart pans. If using rectangular pans, just trim one-third of each crust and press the pieces together to fit. Then, use your pointer finger to press the dough into the sides of the tart pan. Use a knife to remove the excess crust along the top edges and discard the scraps. Using a fork, prick the bottom of the crust a few times to allow for venting (maybe 3 pricks per quadrant). Chill for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 425°F.

2
Prebake the crusts.
Spray the shiny side of 2 pieces of aluminum foil with a bit of nonstick spray and press into the tart shells, sprayed side down. Fill with dried beans or pie weights and bake until the edges are golden and the sides are set, about 15 minutes. Remove the foil and beans and bake another 10 to 12 minutes, until cooked through. Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature. Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F.

3
Make the pesto.
Blend the parsley, basil, thyme, garlic, Parmesan, almonds, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a food processor until the ingredients resemble a rough paste. Taste the pesto and season with salt and pepper, if needed. To finish, slowly drizzle the olive oil into the feed tube while blending.

4
Assemble and bake the tarts.
Divide the pesto equally and, using a rubber spatula, evenly spread it over the bottom of each prepared crust. Starting around the outer edges, place the tomatoes over the pesto, overlapping each slice slightly as you move around the tart pan. Then make a smaller circle of overlapping slices within the starter ring. Continue until the entire pan is covered in circles of tomato slices. Repeat for the second tart. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil over the top of each tart and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the tomatoes appear roasted in texture and the edges of the crust are golden brown. If the dough browns too quickly, tent the edges with foil.

5
Garnish the tarts and serve.
Remove the tarts from their rings and sprinkle Parmesan on top. Serve warm, at room temperature, or cold.

 

tips!
Have a nut allergy? A great substitute for the texture and nutty flavor they provide in pesto is corn tortillas. Shallow-fry a few of them in an equal amount of unsalted butter and oil until they are a deep golden color, darker than tortilla chips. Let them cool on a paper towel–lined plate, then chop them down and measure them as you would the nuts in the recipe.
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Leftover pesto is great on toasted baguettes, mixed into ground meat for burgers, scrambled into eggs, and of course tossed with pasta.