April 15, 2015 Idea's - 5 Grilling Ideas to Try This Spring

5. Upgrade veggies and dip - Put a twist on the old standby starters of veggies and dip or cheese and crackers. Grill vegetables and bread to create DIY shareable toasts with toppings like artichoke hearts and hummus or spicy broccoli rabe and fennel.

   Recipe: Grilled Vegetable Antipasto Bruschetta, Grilled Ciabatta with Spicy Broccoli Rabe & Fennel

For more grilling recipes and tips from the McCormick Grill Mates Flavor Forecast 2015: Grilling Edition, visit www.FlavorForecast.com.

Grilled Ciabatta with Spicy Broccoli Rabe & Fennel

Pair broccoli rabe with fresh fennel, creamy ricotta and shaved Parmesan to make this attractive starter. The vegetables are grilled to increase their umami notes and intensify the savory flavor.

• Ingredients
• Directions

Ingredients

Serves: 24
Serving Size: 1 slice

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 1 1/2 teaspoons McCormick Gourmet™ Italian Seasoning

• 3/4 teaspoon McCormick Gourmet™ Garlic Powder, California

• 1/2 teaspoon McCormick Gourmet™ Red Pepper, Crushed

• 1/4 teaspoon McCormick Gourmet™ Sicilian Sea Salt

• 1/2 bunch (8 ounces) broccoli rabe, rinsed and trimmed of thick lower stems

• 1 medium fennel bulb, fronds reserved and bulb cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices

• 1 loaf ciabatta bread, split in half horizontally

• 1 cup ricotta cheese

• 1/4 cup shaved Parmesan cheese

Directions

30 mins Prep time 10 mins Cook time

30 mins Prep time

10 mins Cook time

• Mix oil, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, red pepper and sea salt in large bowl. Reserve 1 tablespoon for drizzling. Add broccoli rabe and fennel to bowl; toss to coat well. Let stand at least 10 minutes.

• Grill broccoli rabe and fennel on one side of grill over medium-high heat 4 minutes per side or until charred and tender-crisp. Grill bread halves on other side of grill 2 minutes per side or until grill marks appear. Cool broccoli rabe and fennel slightly then coarsely chop.

• Spread ricotta evenly on cut sides of grilled bread. Top with broccoli rabe and fennel. Drizzle with the reserved oil mixture. Top with shaved Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle with additional sea salt and garnish with fennel fronds, if desired. Cut each bread half into 12 slices. Serve immediately.

Cooking tip

Serving Suggestions:
• Drizzle toasts with balsamic glaze. It's a reduction of balsamic syrup that is used to drizzle over grilled meats, salads or even desserts. It can be found in some supermarkets shelved with the balsamic vinegar, gourmet or Italian markets, or online specialty stores.

• Top toasts with 3 slices prosciutto, grilled and coarsely crumbled. To grill prosciutto, grill over medium-high heat 1 to 2 minutes per side or until crisp.