Grilled Garlic Infused Baby Bellas
by Claire Criscuolo, RN

Serves 6

• 6 Baby Bellas, rinsed to remove dirt, drained
• 4 Cloves garlic, sliced thin
• 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 Tablespoon fresh mint leaves, finely chopped salt and pepper to taste

Using a paring knife, make several small slits in the smooth, rounded side of the Baby Bella caps, about a 1/4 inch deep, and about a ½ inch long, to create enough space to insert a slice of garlic into each slit. Carefully (not to break the cap) insert a slice of garlic into each slit, gently pushing the garlic using your fingertip. In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, mint leaves, salt and pepper to taste. Brush the oil mixture onto the tops and underside of the caps, then sprinkle them lightly with salt and pepper. As you complete each cap, place it onto a plate. Spray the grill rack with olive oil spray before heating it to a medium-high setting. The grill is sufficiently heated, when you can’t hold your hand closer than 3" from the rack, for longer than 5-6 seconds. Arrange the Baby Bella caps, gill side down onto the hot grill rack, a set of tongs works well for this. Cover the grill and cook for about 3 minutes, or you see dark grill marks on the underside when lifted with tongs. Turn the caps over, cover, and cook the other side for about 3-4 minutes, until tender when tested with a fork. Serve hot, at room temperature, or chilled.

Soy Bacon and Onion Pizza
by Claire Criscuolo, RN

Soy Bacon and Soy Parmesan can be found in the produce section of the supermarket. Serves 4-6

• 1 Pint sweet grape tomatoes
• 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons for drizzling onto pizza
• 5 Large leaves fresh basil
• 2 Tablespoons chopped Italian flat leaf parsley
• 2 Cloves garlic, chopped
• ½ Teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional salt and pepper to taste
• 1 Small sweet onion, Vidalia are gorgeous right now, cut into thin rings, separated
• 8 Slices soy bacon, I use Smart Bacon by Lightlife, slices cut in half and separated
• 1/4 Cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese or grated soy parmesan
• 6 Small balls of fresh mozzarella, Boconccini, sliced
• 2 Tablespoons coarse cornmeal
• 2-3 Tablespoons flour, for rolling the pizza dough
• 1 ½ Pounds pizza dough, divided into 4 pieces, at room temperature

Place the grape tomatoes, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the basil, parsley, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper into a blender cup to prepare a sauce. Cover and Blend on high speed for about 45 seconds until well mixed but just a little chunky. Turn into a bowl, using a rubber spatula to scrape the container. Set the onions, bacon, and cheeses onto a platter. Sprinkle two cookie sheets with cornmeal. Sprinkle a tablespoon or so of the flour onto the counter, then place one piece of dough onto the counter. Sprinkle a teaspoon or so of flour onto the dough, and roll out the dough into a 8-10" freeform round. Continue rolling out the remaining dough, adding additional flour to the counter to prevent sticking. As you roll out each piece, transfer it onto the prepared cookie sheet. When you finish, take the pizza dough, the tomato sauce, and the plate of toppings to your grill. Bring a long metal spatula, a spoon, tongs, a pastry or basting brush, and platters for the cooked pizza. Spray the grill rack with olive oil spray. Heat the grill to medium. Before grilling the pizza dough, carefully place your hand 3 inches from the rack. If you can’t keep your hand there for more than 10 seconds, the rack is hot and ready for the dough. Arrange 2 or as many pieces of the rolled out dough as you can fit onto the hot rack. Brush the tops lightly with olive oil. Cover and grill for 2-3 minutes, or until the underside of the dough has medium brown grill marks, test this by lifting the pizza with tongs or a spatula. Turn the grilled dough over to grill the other side. Working quickly, spoon a few tablespoons of the tomato sauce over the cooked side of the pizza dough, using the back of the spoon to spread the sauce. Scatter about a quarter of the onion rings and the soy bacon slices evenly over each pizza. Scatter a quarter of the cheeses evenly over the top. Drizzle a teaspoon or so of olive oil over each pizza. Cover the grill and grill for about three minutes, until the cheese is melted and the underside of the dough has medium brown grill marks. Transfer to a platter and serve. Grill the remaining pizzas.

Apricot and Strawberry Lemonade
by Claire Criscuolo, RN

Makes 6 glasses

• 1 1/4 Cups hot tap water
• 5 Tablespoons sugar, or more if desired
• 5 Ripe apricots, cut in half and pitted, sliced
• 15 Locally grown strawberries, cut in half
• 15 Tablespoons, to one cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, about 5 lemons
• 3 3/4 cups cold tap or bottled water

Measure the hot tap water and the sugar into a blender cup. Cover and blend on high (liquify) speed for about 30 seconds to dissolve the sugar. Add the apricots and strawberries, cover and blend for about 30 seconds or until well blended. Add the lemon juice and cold water, cover and blend for about 45 seconds until blended. Serve over ice.