tomato recipes

Tomato season is coming to an end but thought I would share a few favorite recipes that we enjoyed this summer.

Tomato Salad
2 lbs. assorted vine-ripened tomatoes
12-14 slices of fresh mozzarella
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. honey
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
10-12 basil leaves, plus flowers if any
1. Slice large tomatoes; leave small tomatoes whole, or cut into wedges or halves. Arrange on platter with cheese.
2. In a small bowl, whisk 1 tsp. salt, the vinegar, and honey until salt is dissolved; whisk in olive oil. Spoon over tomatoes.
3. With kitchen scissors, snip basil leaves and flowers over tomatoes. Sprinkle with salt to taste.
(Recipe altered slightly from Sunset recipes.)

My friend Carrie shared this cherry tomato tart recipe on her blog and also made it for a group of women on night. It was delicious so I thought that I would give it a try with the cherry tomatoes with had from our CSA. It was super easy to make and the dough will definitely be used in future recipes.

Mache Salad

We have been receiving our fresh veggies from our CSA for a few weeks now. This week I was surprised to find what I believe is mâche. Mâche is a tender, heirloom variety of lamb’s lettuce. I had this recipe below (though, I tweaked it a bit)tucked away (from Southern Living) and had been wanting to use it for sometime but had never had the oppurtunity..due to no mâche. What a delicious summer surprise! Even David went back for seconds if that tells you anything!

Ingredients
Chopped pecans
Watermelon, cubed
Mâche
Vinaigrette of choice (I used Trader Joes Balsamic Vinaigrette..mmmm!)
Feta cheese

Preparation
Combine mâche and watermelon in bowl. Add vinaigrette, tossing gently to coat. Spread mâche and watermelon mixture to a platter, sprinkle with peacans and fetta.

Chocolate desserts

I made two desserts over the weekend for a Super Bowl party. Of course, they were both with chocolate.

Two-Bite Chocolate Cream Pies (from myrecipes.com)

Ingredients
Cooking-oil spray
About 30 chocolate cookies, such as Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers
3/4 cup sugar, divided
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
2 large eggs (1 separated)
1/2 cup chopped bittersweet chocolate
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons cornstarch
5 teaspoons Dutch-processed unsweetened cocoa powder, divided
1 cup milk
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Spray 2 mini-muffin trays (12 muffin cups each) with cooking spray. In a food processor, whirl cookies into fine crumbs. Measure; return 1 1/2 cups crumbs to food processor, along with 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. sugar, the salt, and 1 egg white. Pulse to blend evenly.
2. Spoon 1 tbsp. crumb mixture into each muffin cup. Press crumbs over bottom and up sides of cups. Bake until set, 15 minutes.
3. Put chocolate and butter in a microwave-safe container and heat in 30-second intervals, stirring often, until melted.
4. In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup sugar, the cornstarch, and 4 tsp. cocoa. Pour in a few tbsp. of the milk and whisk into a smooth paste; whisk in remaining milk. Transfer to a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until thickened and large bubbles appear, about 3 minutes.
5. Put reserved yolk and remaining egg into a medium bowl. Whisk in about 1/2 cup hot milk mixture. Scrape egg-milk mixture into milk mixture in pan and cook, whisking, until just starting to boil, about 30 seconds. Whisk in melted chocolate and butter.
6. Spoon hot filling into chocolate shells. Press plastic wrap over surface of mini pies to prevent a skin from forming. Chill until set, at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.
7. Remove pies from trays. Whisk cream with remaining 2 tbsp. sugar into soft peaks. Spoon a dollop of cream onto each mini pie. Dust pies with remaining cocoa.



This second dessert is a chocolate cupcake with Nutella frosting. I used the recipes from my previous post. Hope you enjoy!

Chicken Tacos

In our attempt to go sugarless this month, I have found that I am trying to also get away from many other processed things. One thing I have made this month and highly recommend is a taco seasoning for chicken taco filling. Hope you enjoy!

Chicken Tacos
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1/2 cup minced onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 jalapeno pepper or 1 serrano chili, minced
1/2 cup tomoato sauce
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
3 1/2 cups shredded, cooked chicken
12 whole wheat tortillas
toppings of choice

Heat the oil in a large skilled over med. heat. Add onion, garlic and pepper or chili. Saute' for about 6 minutes, until the onion has softened. Add tomato sauce, cumin and salt and continue to cook for one more minute. Add the chicken and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Taste, and adust seasoning as necessary. Serve in tortillas and top with choice of toppings (we like tomatoes, avocado, mexican cheese and sour cream). Makes about 3 1/2 cups.

Would love to hear if you have any recipes for pasta sauces, pizza sauces, salad dressings, etc. I will be sharing some of theses that I have made up soon but am still in the tweaking phases.

It's that time of year!

We have been busy, busy around our house and enjoying the holiday season. This past weekend we went with David's family to see the lights at the Opryland Hotel. The lights were beautiful but the hunting for a parking spot for 20 minutes was not the most fun we had....note to anyone wanting to go to Opryland--stay clear on the weekends! Here was our first attempt for a 2009 family Christmas card picture. Maybe next year we can get one with the kids looking in the right direction.

Asher has been enjoying rearranging the Nativity scene. Here he has decided to form a congo line.

While living with David's parents last year at Christmas time, Asher enjoyed making cookies with Nana. We were hoping to recreate the memory and start a tradition. Asher refused to roll any cookies and agreed to decorate about two cookies...can you consider it a tradition, if you force the kid to participate? ha! We didn't force but Pops was in the other room and he is much more fun to play chase with than ice cookies with your mom or nana.

I've been busy making cookies, exchanging cookies and finding who might want to recieve the cookies. Asher and I packed up a few cookies to give to our garbage men. Asher loves to watch for our garbage men every week and the men know that we are always at our back window watching for them so they wave and acknowlege us every week. So kind! Below are new cookies that I tried this year and have been well received. These Chocolate Decadence Cookies are from the December issue of Sunset magazine. What I love about them is it is one dough with four variations. Find the recipes here.

Hope you have been enjoying your Christmas preparations as much as we have!

Cheese Tortellini Soup

Looking for an easy and hearty soup for dinner tonight or on a cool fall evening? Try my cheese tortellini soup! This is not a picture of my soup but from MyRecipes. You can try their recipe or mine (they are very similar).

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 (15oz) can crushed tomatoes or 2 cups fresh tomatoes, diced
32 ouces chicken stock (I usually add a little more)
1 family size pkg of cheese tortellini
1 (10 oz) pkg of frozen spinach, thawed and drained
Shredded mozzarella cheese (for topping, if desired)

Directions:
-Heat olive oil in Dutch oven on medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic and sautee until tender. Add tomatoes(if usuing fresh tomatoes, lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes until softened)and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add cheese tortellini and boil acording to package directions. Add spinach at end and stir until mixed in soup. Add more chicken stock for thinner soup. Top with mozzarella cheese.

Easy Summer Salad

I don't have a name for this bean salad but I am sharing this healthy and easy recipe below. The last time we met at my friend Alma's house for playgroup she made this salad. It was so good that I made it for myself the next day and ate it all week for lunch! Enjoy!

1 can black beans, drained
1 can pinto beans, drained
1 can sweet corn, drained OR 1 1/2 cups fresh corn
1 can pineapple tidbits, drained OR fresh pineapple, cut into bite-size pieces
1 tomato, diced
1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
lime juice from one lime
salt to taste

Cheesy Mexican Eggplant

I had several eggplants from our CSA that I needed to use, so I made this recipe tonight. It was super easy AND David and I both liked it!
INGREDIENTS
2 eggplants (2 1/2 lb), cut in 1/2-in. thick rounds
Nonstick spray
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 cups marinara sauce
1 bottle (8 oz) taco sauce
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 pkg (8 oz) shredded Mexican-blend cheese (2 cups)
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
1 1/2 cups white rice
INSTRUCTIONS
1. You’ll need a broiler pan with rack and a shallow 3-qt baking dish. Heat broiler.
2. Place half the eggplant on broiler rack, evenly coat with nonstick spray, then sprinkle with half the pepper. Broil 4 in. from heat 4 to 8 minutes per side until lightly browned and tender. Repeat with remaining eggplant and pepper.
3. Heat oven to 350°F. In medium bowl, stir marinara and taco sauce with cumin.
4. Spread 1/2 cup sauce in baking dish. Line with half the eggplant. Spoon on 1 1/4 cups sauce; top with 1 cup cheese and 1/4 cup cilantro. Repeat layering with remaining eggplant, sauce and cheese; cover with foil.
5. Bake 40 minutes or until bubbly. Meanwhile, make rice as package directs. Let eggplant rest 10 minutes. Sprinkle top with remaining cilantro. Serve with rice.

Recipe and picture from Woman's Day.

Summer Recipes

Picture from Treat a Week Recipes blog.

We have been receiving a variety of fresh veggies and fruits from our CSA, including zucchini this week in both the typical green variety and the not so common yellow. On a side note, did you know that zucchini is actually a fruit? My favorite thing to use zucchini for is making zucchini bread, although fried zucchini is a close runner up. Below is a recipe for the version I use (courtesy of my friend, Carrie and found in the Climb Nashville Cookbook---for those of you who have one!):
Ingredients
3 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
3 tsp ground cinnamon
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2 1/4 cup sugar
3 tsp vanilla extract
2 cup grated zucchini
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Directions
Grease and flour 2 (8x4-inch) pans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Sift flour, salt, baking powder, soda, and cinnamon together in bowl. Beat eggs, oil, vanilla and sugar together in a large bowl. Add sifted ingredients to the creamed mixture and beat well. Stir in zucchini and nuts until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pans. Sprinkle with a little bit of wheat germ. Bake for 40 to 60 minutes. Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Remove bread from pan and cool completely.

Another favorite recipe that I have used a couple of times this summer is Pesto Pasta Salad (also a recipe from the Climb Nashville Cookbook). Recipe below.
Ingredients
1 pkg. romaine lettuce
4 oz. chopped sun-dried tomatoes
10 oz. basil pesto
1/2 lb. bow time pasta
1/2 cup balsamic vinaigrette dressing
Directions
Boil pasta as directed. Drain and rinse with cool water. In a large bowl, combine pasta, lettuce, sun-dried tomatoes and pesto. Add dressing and mix. Add more to taste, if desired. Serves 4.

Sorry for the long absence in blog posts....Jonas has been sick all week with a fever for over 8 days! Think we are on the upswing now though. :)

Weekly Menus

picture from Kaboose.com

I feel that I am not alone in the "what's for dinner?" boat. When my friends from my playgroup get together, I find us constantly asking each other "what are you making for dinner tonight?" There are some great cooks in our group so I like to hear what they are making and discover new ways to put different foods together. Plus, they all like to cook healthy things, which is helpful for me to become more creative with my recipes. I would love to have up to a month's worth of recipes that are healthy, inexpensive, and not too difficult to make. When I can plan a weekly menu, I find that my groceries are cheaper and I don't have to make frequent revisits to the grocery store for things to make for dinner that night. What is most difficult for me is that the only meat we eat is chicken or turkey, which limits our menu options. So, here are a few websites that I have found that are helping me come up with new ideas.

Menu Planning Resources post on Simple Mom (gives examples of a weekly menu and resource links)
Menu Plan Monday by Organized Junkie (every Monday links for posts of weekly menus and many with recipe links)

Healthy Recipe sites
Whole Foods Recipes
Cooking Light recipes

My question to you is do you have ideas for a weekly menu or even a favorite menu for one night that you could share? Is there a website that you frequently visit for recipe ideas or do you have a favorite cookbook?

Summer Food

In the summer, I find myself being more creative with my cooking. We belong to a CSA (community supported agriculture) and enjoy the benefits of locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables so I have to figure out what to do with my 1/4 bushel every week. One of my favorite meals this week was turkey burgers with sweet potato fries and roasted kohlrabi and radishes. We also have enjoyed a variety of lettuces, which surprisingly Asher has eaten. With strawberry season upon us, I came across an easy recipe for strawberry shortcake as seen in the picture above. Picture and recipe are from the Joy of Baking.

Sweet Potato Fries
-Peel and cut sweet potato into equal size sticks.
-Coat with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
-Spread evenly (and not touching) on a cookie sheet lined with foil.
-Roast for 20 minutes at 400 degrees, flipping over at 10 minutes. After 20 minutes, increase temp to 425 degrees, flipping every 5 minutes for a total of 10-20 minutes. Watch closely at end to prevent burning.

Roasted Kohlrabi and Radishes
-Peel kohlrabi and dice into cubes.
-Slice radishes evenly.
-Coat with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
-Roast in oven at 425 degrees for 25 minutes, turning occassionally.

Playgroup lunch

Our playgroup meets every Monday and we each take turns hosting. I hosted this past Monday and was having a hard time coming up with a lunch menu. Thanks to my dear friend, Melanie, I was able to serve these two great dishes below. (Oh, and thanks to Mel's friend, Naphtali, for the orzo recipe.)

Roasted Veggie Orzo Salad
1 lb. orzo pasta
vegetable or chicken stock
2 lemons, juiced
olive oil
fresh basil, chopped
1/2 cup pine nuts, roasted
1 pkg. feta cheese
1 bunch scallions, chopped
2 egglplants, chopped
2 yellow peppers, chopped
2 red peppers, chopped
2 red onions, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper
-Roast pince nuts at 400 degrees for 1 minute.
-Place the chopped eggplant, yellow/red peppers, red onion and garlic on two rimmed cookie sheets. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast at 450 degrees for 20 minutes, flipping periodicallly.
-Cook orzo pasta in vegetable or chicken stock according to box directions. Drain and stir to prevent sticking.
-Combine orzo and roasted veggies and let cool.
-For dressing, combine 1/3 cup olive oil, juice of 2 lemons, salt and pepper to taste. Pour over orzo and veggies.
-Top salad with scallions, roasted pine nuts, feta, and fresh basil. Serve.


Mini Fruit Pizzas
1 pkg(24 count)sugar cookies break and bake
cream cheese frosting
fruit of choice (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, kiwi)
Bake cookies according to package. Cool, then frost each cookie. Cut fruit into small pieces. Arrange several types of fruit on each cookie.

Fall recipe

After spending the weekend in South Bend, the cooler weather has me craving fall recipes. I discovered this one below from my good friend Mary. I made it a couple of times last fall and just made it this past week. Sooo goood!

Roasted Butternut Squash and Bacon Pasta

Ingredients:
3/4 tsp salt, divided
1/2 tsp rosemary
1/4 tsp pepper
3 cups (1-inch) cubed, peeled butternut squash
6 sweet hickory smoked bacon slices ( I used turkey bacon)
1 cup thinly sliced shallots
8 oz. uncooked mini penne
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups 2% reduced fat milk
3/4 cup shredded sharp provolone cheese (I never could find this so just bought slices of provolone and cut into small pieces)
1/3 cup (1 1/2 oz) grated fresh parmesan cheese

1. Combine 1/4 tsp salt, pepper and 1/2 tsp rosemary. Place squash on foil-lined baking sheet w/ cooking spray, sprinkle squah with spice mixture. Bake at 425 degrees for 45 min.
2. Cook bacon over med heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 1 1/2 tsp drippings in pan; crumble bacon. Increase heat to med-high. Add shallots to pan, saute for 8 min or until tender. Combine roasted squash, bacon, and shallots. Set aside.
3. Cook pasta. Drain well.
4. Combine flour and 1/2 tsp salt in Dutch oven over med-high heat. Gradually add milk stirring constantly with wish, bring to boil. Cook 1 min or until slightly thick, stir constantly. Reomove from heat. Add provolone, stir until melts. Add pasta to cheese mix, and toss well. Pour into sprayed 11 x 7 dish; top with squah mixture. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake at 450 degrees for 10 min.
Serves: 5

Cooking with fresh local food

These are two dishes that I have made this week from some of the fresh vegetables and fruits that we receive weekly from our CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). The above picture is eggplant parmesan stacks and you can find the recipe here. The bottom picture is a blackberry crumble and you can find the recipe here. This summer we have joined Avalon Acres and split a 1/2 bushel with another family every week. We have received quite a variety of food (summer squash, onions, cumcumbers, tomatoes, corn, strawberries and blackberries just to name a few things), and we are looking forward to the rest of the summer. I highly recommend joining one if you get a chance. It is helping me become more creative with recipes and helping us eat plenty of fruit and veggies. Plus, we are supporting our local farmers! (Photos from MarthaStewart.com)