Gnocchi Pomodoro

Twice I have made this and twice we've ooohhhhd and aaaahhhd over it so I thought it was time to throw it up here.  The funny thing about gnocchi is it was probably my least favorite food while living in Uruguay as an LDS missionary. When I came home, I was glad to never eat it again. So when I told my husband, the first time I made this, what we were eating, he responded that gnocchi was the least likely thing he thought I'd ever make!

Well, thanks to Pinterest and all the other lovely food bloggers I kept seeing these amazing pictures and recipes for gnocchi. I figured it was time to try it again.  I'm so happy this was the first thing I made. The sauce is pretty much everything because the gnocchi doesn't have much flavor, and it's so incredibly flavorful while being super simple at the same time. Although the gnocchi itself doesn't have much flavor, it lends great texture; it's soft and smooth, almost like biting into a marshmallow. The cheese melted over the top, with those little bits of crispy brown parts just puts it over the top!


Gnocchi Pomodoro
for the sauce:
2-3 Tbsp. Olive oil
1 shallot, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 large tomatoes, preferably garden ripened, roughly chopped
Pinch of sugar
Generous handful of fresh basil, chiffonde
Salt and pepper, to taste

8oz. Package gnocchi
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium high heat. Add shallot and cook 2-3 minutes, then garlic for another minute. Add tomatoes and half the basil and reduce to a simmer. Depending on how juicy your tomatoes are, simmer 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Mash the tomatoes as you stir, either by using a potato masher the back of a spatula.  Add a pinch of sugar, salt and pepper and check for seasoning. Add salt as necessary. Remove from heat and stir in the remaining basil.

Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil. Boil gnocchi as directed. Drain and add to the pan of sauce.  Stir to coat then top with mozzarella. Place under the broiler until it starts to brown, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from oven, serve immediately.



SOURCE: Sauce adapted from Iowa Girl Eats

Roasted Tomato and Chipotle Salsa

It's that time of year.  Summer is winding down and the garden is bounteous. Most years I have a good tomato crop but this year seems to be a difficult year.  I have lots of plants but my tomatoes aren't turning green!! Fresh tomatoes are my favorite part of summer and having a garden.  I hope they start turning quickly before the weather does.  Typically around here, they're done the first week of October so that doesn't give us very long.  Lucky for me, there are several produce stands around here that sell local tomatoes by the box.  I usually hit them up once or twice a season so I have enough to put up for the winter and through next year. We love to can spaghetti sauce and tomatoes for soup and, of course salsa!!

It's been a few years since I canned salsa and we are sorely missing it!!  I found this Restaurant Style Salsa to hold us over in the mean time, but there's nothing like the taste of salsa made from home grown tomatoes. This roasted variety will blow your socks off (especially if you use a lot of chipotles!!). I love the smokiness of the roasted tomatoes and chipotles, it's seriously the best-tasting salsa that's come out of this kitchen in a LONG time!


Roasted Tomato and Chipotle Salsa
1 quart roasted Roma tomatoes
3/4 cup diced tomatoes
1/3 cup onion, diced
1/4 cup Anaheim pepper, diced
1/3 cup jalapeño peppers, diced
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 1/2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
1 Tbsp. salt
1/2 Tbsp. sugar
chipotles in adobo, seeded
1/2 cup lime juice
1/2 cup vinegar


Rinse tomatoes, slice off top and cut in half.  Place cut side down on a baking sheet and place under broiler.  Broil until tomatoes start to blacken.  Remove from oven and slightly cool.

Add all ingredients into a blender and enough chipotles to suit your taste. Blend to desired consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.

Store in airtight container in the fridge or process in boiling water bath canner for 15 minutes.

**If you are not planning on canning the salsa you can omit the vinegar and reduce the lime juice to 1-2 tablespoons.

Jambalaya

I had no idea what Jambalaya was until my parents moved to Georgia when I went to college.  It's a southern dish that's typically a mash-up of rice, meat (chicken, andouille sausage and shrimp), veggies, spices and chicken stock.  It's kind of like a Spanish paella, only southern-style.

While living in Georgia my mom got this recipe from a friend for Quick Chicken Jambalaya.  It was my first and pretty much only experience with jambalaya and we made it and loved it for years.  It's super easy and yummy and not too spicy.  After getting into cooking more and wanting to branch out I started looking for jambalaya recipes that were a little more authentic.  My sister pointed me in the direction of this recipe and we have really loved it.  It's so full of flavor and just the right level of heat for my taste (although may be a little spicy for the kiddos). It's also great because once everything is chopped and ready to go, you can throw it together in a jiffy!

Jambalaya
olive oil
1 rib of celery, small-diced
1/2 onion, small-diced
1/2 orange pepper, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1/2 yellow pepper, chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 lb. andouille sausage, sliced
1 1/4 cups chicken stock
1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes
3/4 cup uncooked rice
1 Tbsp. Creole or Cajun seasoning (Zeus or Tony Cachere's are good or a homemade blend)
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
pinch of cayenne pepper
1/2 lb. raw shrimp, peeled and deveined (I omitted this and just added an extra chicken breast)

garnishes: chopped green onion, parsley or cilantro


Heat a drizzle of oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add celery, onion and peppers and sauté about 4 minutes.  Add garlic and sauté another minute.  Add another drizzle of olive oil, of necessary, and add chicken to the pan.  Sauté a couple minutes until about half-cooked.  Add the sausage, tomatoes, rice, stock, Creole seasoning, bay leaf, thyme and cayenne.  Stir together and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and, cover, and simmer for 20-25 minutes, or until rice is cooked.

Once rice is tender stir in the shrimp to combine. Continue to simmer until shrimp is fully cooked.  Remove from heat. Remove bay leaf and check for seasoning.  Add more Creole seasoning, salt and pepper, as desired.

Serve warm with choice of garnish.


**Note: I halved the original recipe because I didn't think my kids would eat it and I didn't want to have tons of leftovers. To make original recipe, double everything except the chicken stock and tomatoes.  Still use 1 can of tomatoes and use 3 cups chicken stock.


SOURCE: Gimme Some Oven

Cherry Tomato Pasta with Spinach and Lemon Pesto

So, this is one of those pasta dishes that is so easy and takes just minutes more than the time it takes to boil the pasta to make.  There's almost no prep either, unless you make your own pesto (which can be done ahead of time anyway).  No chopping, slicing or dicing, just pretty much dumping.  Just the kind of thing I'm loving lately.  I got the idea for this dish from The Simpler, The Better, a pasta cookbook I have and love.  And because tomatoes and spinach were just about the only veggies I had left lying around.

I seriously made this dish on the fly.  I was running out of time to get dinner on the table in a timely manner and I needed something  FAST! The result is a fabulous, colorful, healthy and tasty meal, perfect for a busy weeknight. 

I used to think I didn't like cooked tomatoes very much but I've been putting these little cherry tomatoes on pizza and pasta lately and I have to say they're tasty.  They're very lightly cooked, so they still lend that fresh garden tomato flavor that I love. Of course if you have different veggies lying around, you could easily substitute them.  Asparagus, red peppers, even eggplant would be delicious.

Cherry Tomato Pasta with Spinach and Lemon Pesto
1 lb. pasta (I used penne)
olive oil
2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes
4 cups baby spinach, loosely packed
1/4 cup basil pesto (homemade or store bought)
juice of 1 lemon
fresh shaved parmesan cheese
salt and pepper

Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain pasta, reserving about 1/2 cup of the pasta water.  Set pasta aside.

Return pot to the stove over medium-high heat and add about a tablespoon of olive oil.  Add tomatoes and cook just until they start to split; about 3 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Add pesto, lemon juice, spinach and pasta.  Toss to coat well. Add enough reserved pasta water to loosen the pesto and make a light sauce.  Check for seasoning and add salt and pepper, to taste. Allow pasta to sit a few minutes until the spinach is slightly wilted. 

Serve warm with freshly shaved cheese.

Tomato, Basil and Goat Cheese Scones

When it comes to scones, I'm pretty much a hoarder.  I've tried all sorts of flavor combinations and I love them all!  When my friend posted a picture the other day of her tomato-basil-goat cheese biscuit, I knew these would be the next scones I would make.  After all this is about the time every year when I pull my tomato plants out for the fall and I have a bajillion cherry tomatoes to use up.

I love, love loved the outcome of these scones.  They were every bit as delicious as I had imagined.  Since the cook time is relatively short the tomato and basil still had that fresh picked flavor and the soft, tangy goat cheese just melts in your mouth.


Tomato, Basil and Goat Cheese Scones
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
5 Tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into chunks
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved (about half a pint)
2-3 Tbsp. fresh basil, chiffonade
1/4 cup goat cheese, crumbled

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

In a food processor fitted with a blade attachment, add the flours, baking powder and salt.  Pulse a couple times to blend.  Add butter and whiz until mixture becomes a coarse meal.  Alternately you could use a pastry blender or two knives to cut butter in.

Pour mixture into a mixing bowl and toss in tomatoes, basil and goat cheese. Gently mix in buttermilk until just combined.  Do not over mix!

Turn dough out onto flour dusted counter and knead about 4 times (again, resist the urge to knead much more than that).  Pat into a rectangle and cut into 12 squares.  Place each scone onto a baking sheet.  Place baking sheet into oven and bake 12- 15 minutes, until lightly golden. Cool completely on wire rack.  

Scones are best eaten fresh, the same day.  You can also freeze uncooked scones to bake fresh as needed.  After you cut them out, place them on a large plate and place in freezer for about an hour.  Then transfer them to a freezer safe zip loc bag.  Do not thaw to bake, just add about 3-4 extra minutes onto bake time.

Tomato Vegetable Soup

'Tis the season for fresh garden tomatoes.  It's the time I look forward to every year! You can do so much with them.  I usually home can tomatoes in one way or another each fall (salsa, a variety of spaghetti sauces, etc.), but the past few years I've been doing more and more just plain or stewed tomatoes.  I do this mostly because I LOVE to turn them into soup.  My kids and I absolutely adore this fresh tomato soup, but sometimes I like to make something a little more calorie friendly.  Enter this soup.

I don't tend to like soups that are really thin, they just don't fill me up.  I like my soups thick and tasty. That's what this soup delivers.  It still has that fresh tomato taste but the flavor is punched up with some extra veggies.  I love to serve it up with some fresh artisan bread or even a heaping spoonful of this Southwest Cabbage Slaw (which really needs it's own post by now).

Tomato Vegetable Soup
6-8 cups tomatoes, blanched, peeled and cored
3 carrots, chopped
1 green pepper, cut into 1-inch dice
1 small onion, cut into 1-inch dice
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. smoked paprika
 2 cup chicken or vegetable stock
handful of fresh basil (about 1/2 cup or so loosely packed), roughly chopped
salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

To blanch and peel tomatoes, bring a pot of water to a boil and fill a sink with ice water.  Score the tomatoes by making an "x" on them with a serrated knife. Drop about 4-5 tomatoes at a time in the boiling water for 60 seconds.  Remove from boiling water and immediately submerge in ice water.  Continue with remaining tomatoes.  Once tomatoes are cooled skins will slip off easily. remove core with knife or coring utensil.  Set tomatoes aside.

In a  large pot, heat a drizzle of olive oil.  Add chopped onion, carrot and peppers and saute over medium-high heat about 5-6 minutes.   Add garlic and paprika and saute another 60 seconds, making sure the garlic doesn't burn.  Next add tomatoes by crushing them in your fist over the pot as you put them in.  Add chicken stock and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer until veggies are tender; about 10-15 minutes.

Remove soup from heat, add fresh basil and puree to desired consistency.  You can either do this with an immersion blender or in a upright blender, blending by batches.  Check for seasoning and add salt and pepper, to taste. Feel free to add a splash of whole milk or heavy cream, although it's delicious without it.



SOURCE:  Adapted from Season with Spice

Caprese Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

Silly camera is broken so today I bring you these peppers via iPad photo. That's just how we're rolling today.  Remember these peppers from last summer?  Well I had the same problem a few weeks ago....more peppers than I knew what to do with. I still love red peppers, although a couple of my children have fallen out of fondness with them (hopefully only for the time being).  So, it was up to my hubby and me to finish them off.

I don't have a "real" garden this year, but I managed to plant a couple tomato plants and some basil in our flower beds.  Tomatoes and basil are two of my most favorite things to eat in the summer, when produce is at it's finest. I try to eat it as much of it as I can, WHILE I can.  So these peppers, and anything else I can get my hands on, are stuffed with tomato-y basil-y goodness!  You'll love 'em.


*A note on the mozzarella and pesto: I like to use fresh buffalo mozzarella, or just whole milk mozzarella.  It can be pretty soft and hard to shred, so I just break it up with my fingers.  I also love making my own pesto, especially when I have my own basil plant, but sometimes I don't have a need for all of it at once.  If you need to store it longer than a week or two, you can freeze it in smaller containers (4-5 oz), or even in ice cube trays; just pop it out of the tray once it's frozen and put the cubes into a ziploc freezer bag.

Caprese Quinoa Stuffed Peppers
1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 cups chicken (or veggie) stock
4 sweet peppers (red, yellow or orange)
3/4-1 pint cherry (or grape) tomatoes, halved
2 Tbsp. basil pesto (use this recipe or use store bought)
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, plus more for topping
fresh basil leaves, shredded, for garnish (optional)

Add quinoa and chicken stock to a medium-sized sauce pan.  I you have a fine sieve, rinse the quinoa first.  Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to a simmer.  Cook 15-20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. 

Slice peppers in half, lengthwise, and remove seeds. Place, cut side up, in a baking dish and cover with foil.  Bake, unfilled, for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and remove foil.

Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, stir together the cooked quinoa and the pesto.  Add in tomatoes and 1/2 cup of the mozzarella and toss.  Divide mixture evenly between each of the pepper halves and top with about a tablespoon more of the mozzarella.  Cover again with the foil and stick it back in the oven to bake for another 10-15 minutes. I like my peppers more crisp-tender so I tend to bake for less time, but if you like your peppers soft bake longer and check for doneness.  Remove the foil the last 5 minutes or so for the cheese to brown a little bit.  Serve warm.

Easy No-Cook Pizza Sauce

I am eternally grateful to my friend Carrie for introducing me to this pizza sauce.  We have regular pizza nights around here so I want something that tastes GOOD if I'm going to be eating it over and over! I have used this easy sauce a TON and still do on occasion, but I just love this one a little more.  Plus it has fresh basil, need I say more?  I think not.  I love that this sauce has the ease of opening up a couple cans and tossing in some herbs but still has that fresh taste to it.  This is my favorite, it'll be yours too.


Easy No-Cook Pizza Sauce
1 14-oz can diced tomatoes
1 6 oz- can tomato paste
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. fresh oregano (or 2 tsp. dried)
8 large basil leaves (or 2 tsp. dried)

Place all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth.

Store leftovers in the refrigerator.  I like to divide mine up into small containers and freeze it for the next time we make pizza.


SOURCE: Carrie's Creative Kitchen

Caprese Baked Egg Cups

Along with pancakes and oatmeal, eggs are another thing we make the most of for breakfast around here.  They are quick, easy and filling, especially along slide some nice crusty bread. While during the week I usually keep it to scrambled eggs, on the weekend I like to indulge a little. 

My first experience with baked eggs were these Fontina and Spinach Baked Eggs. Boy did they make my mouth water! I probably ate them every day for like a week.  Since then I have discovered and fallen in love with Trader Joe's smoked mozzarella and this new version of baked eggs.  Caprese anything and you have me drooling.  Although these eggs aren't quite as quick to make as scrambled, they don't take  more than a few minutes extra to prepare. And bonus, it'll make a party in your mouth with every bite!!

Caprese Baked Egg Cups
makes 4 small ramekins
 
4 eggs
1 pint grape tomatoes
3-4 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese (I like to use smoked mozzarella from Trader Joe's)
8-10 fresh basil leaves, chopped
2 tsp. cream or milk
softened butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter the insides of 4 ramekins.  Crack an egg in each and add half teaspoon of cream to.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add some tomatoes, cheese and basil. 

Set ramekins on a baking sheet and bake for about 5-8 minutes.  Turn on broiler and bake another 5 minutes or so for firmer yolks, less time for more runny yolks.

Serve warm with crusty bread.


SOURCE: How Sweet It Is

Tomato Cobbler with Gruyere Biscuits

When I think of cobbler I think of warm comfort food.  And, I'm sure like many others, I usually associate cobbler with sweet and berries rather than salt and savory.  Well, I was looking for ideas to use up a bunch of cherry tomatoes and this idea totally intrigued me!  While I don't usually like roasted tomatoes, roasted cherry tomatoes, on the other hand, are just delicious!

This is a beautiful cobbler with caramelized onions a splash of balsamic with the sweet warm tomatoes that burst in your mouth and a little hint of heat from some red pepper. The biscuits on top are light and fluffy marbled with creamy Gruyere cheese. This is a perfect dish for a cold night when you're needing some comfort!  It would also be beautiful in little ramekins, as individual portions, as well.

Tomato Cobbler

for the biscuits:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 Tbsp. baking powder
1 Tbsp.  sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
1/2 cup shredded Gruyere cheese (you could easily substitute Swiss, goat cheese or even blue cheese)
3/4 cup cold buttermilk

For the tomato filling:
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 large onions, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
2 pounds cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup coarsely chopped basil
3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
salt and coarsely ground black pepper


To make the Biscuits: In a mixing bowl, fitted with a metal blade, pulse together flours, baking powder, sugar, and salt.  Add cold butter and whiz until mixture forms a coarse meal.  Alternately you can cut the butter in with a pastry blender or two knives.  Pour mixture into a regular mixing bowl, toss in shredded cheese and stir to combine.

Create a small well in the center of the flour mixture.  Add buttermilk all at once.  With a fork, quickly bring together the wet and dry ingredients. The dough will be a bit shaggy.  Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface.  Knead  about 10 times, bringing it together into a disk. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate until the filling is assembled.

To make the tomato Filling:  Place rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Add olive oil and butter to a medium saute pan over medium heat.  Add sliced onions and season with salt and pepper.  Cook and brown onions, stirring occasionally, until caramelized, about 18 to 20 minutes.  Add garlic and cook for one minute more.  Remove pan from heat, add balsamic vinegar and set aside.

In a large bowl, toss together clean cherry tomatoes, chopped basil, flour, and red pepper flakes.  Add caramelized onions and toss together until everything is lightly and evenly coated in flour.  Season with salt and pepper.

Pour the tomato and onion filling into an 8-inch or similar baking dish. Place in the oven and bake filling for 25 minutes.

Near the end of the 25 minutes, remove the biscuit dough from the fridge. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out biscuit dough into a 3/4 or 1-inch thickness.  Cut into squares or use a biscuit cutter to make rounds.

Remove the partially cooked filling from the oven and carefully place 6-8 biscuits on top of the tomato filling in the pan.  Brush biscuit tops with buttermilk and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Reshape and re-roll excess biscuit dough to make extra biscuits at another time, or just cook them up on the side.  (The shaped biscuit dough freezes very well.)

Return warm filling and biscuit dough to oven and bake for 17-20 minutes, until the biscuits are golden brown and cooked through, and the tomato mixture is bubbling.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 15 minutes before serving.  Tomato Cobbler is best served warm.  Reheat leftovers under the broiler (watch carefully!)


SOURCE: Joy The Baker

Tomato-Basil Bread Pudding

So, about a year ago we took a family vacation to Vegas.  Well, it was more like, my husband went down there to run the Vegas Ragnar and the stipulation was that we could come and hang out while he was racing.  Since I had 3 young children to tote around all by myself most of the time, we didn't really venture out much.  But we had fun hanging in the hotel, in fact my girls still rave about what a blast they had down there.

Whenever I'm on vacation I LOVE to watch Food Network because we don't have cable.  One of the nights I was watching Giada and she made this mouth watering bread pudding.  I jotted down notes furiously (please tell me I'm not the only one who does this!!) and couldn't wait to make it when I got home.

Well, here we are almost exactly a YEAR later and I'm just now getting to it.  But better late than never because this is so delicious!!  I mean, anything with tomatoes and fresh basil and I'm a gonner, but it was pretty spectacular with that artisan bread too.  That's one thing I will suggest.  Don't skimp on the bread, it's one of the things that really make this dish.  If you make this artisan bread, you'll see it couldn't be easier, but if you can't or don't want to I suggest you buy a good quality crusty loaf from a bakery.


 Tomato-Basil Bread Pudding
1 recipe Artisan Bread, day old and cubed (or about 8 oz. of crusty bread)
1/4 cup diced onion
2 gloves garlic, minced
12 oz cherry or grape tomatoes, halved (I forgot to halve mine, oops!)
1 cup fresh basil
5 oz. freshly grated parmesan cheese (about 1 cup)
2 cups whole milk
6 eggs
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Butter a 9x13-inch baking pan.  Add bread cubes and set aside.

In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, add a couple drizzles of olive oil, then add the onions.  Saute 4-5 minutes, until tender.  Then add the garlic and saute for about 30 seconds.  Add in the tomatoes, season with a little salt and pepper and let cook about 2 minutes, until slightly softened.  Remove from heat.  Add tomatoes, basil and parmesan cheese to bread and toss to combine.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, salt and pepper.  Pour over bread mixture, folding it in gently, where needed.  Sprinkle with extra parmesan, if desired.  You can also let it sit for about a half hour to absorb some of the liquid, but it's not necessary.  Bake for about 40-45 minutes, until custard is set and top is slightly golden.

Cool slightly, cut and serve.

SOURCE: Giada de Laurentiis, via Food Network

Sweet Tomato Marinara

Raise your hand if you STILL have tomatoes from your garden you don't know what to do with?  Well, I don't...anymore.  I had to pick the last of them about 3 weeks ago and they were all green.  Then all of a sudden this last week they all ripened at the same time.

Lately we've gone a little over board on the Fresh Tomato Soup, although my girls devour it and would still probably eat it every day, so I wanted to see if I could make yet ANOTHER pasta sauce that I just couldn't live with out.  Score! 

All the sauces I make and have made I still like, but for different reasons.  This one is thick and rich, and slightly sweet with a hint of fennel.  I like LOTS of sauce on my pasta, but hate when it just puddles under the noodles as soon as it's poured on.  Not a problem here, this sauce ain't goin' nowhere!

Sweet Tomato Marinara
makes about 1 1/2 quarts

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 small sweet onion
6 cloves garlic, minced
about 3 lbs fresh roma tomatoes, peeled and pureed (about 6 cups pureed)
2/3 cup red cooking wine, or cranberry or pomegranate juice
1 6-oz can tomato paste
1 1/2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. fennel seed (I ground mine in my mortar and pestle a bit)
salt and pepper

In a large saucepan or pot, heat olive oil over medium high heat.  Add onions and saute about 5 minutes until tender and translucent.  Add garlic and saute another minute.  Add tomato puree, cooking wine (or juice), tomato paste, vinegar, brown sugar and fennel.  Add a pinch of salt and pepper and bring to a boil.  Simmer for about 20-25 minutes until sauce is thickened to your liking, stirring occasionally.  Check for seasonings and add salt and pepper as necessary.  Serve warm with your favorite pasta.

Store in airtight container for about a week in the fridge and about 3 months in the freezer.

Grilled Ratatouille Polenta Stack

Most of what you see here is either from my garden or was given to me from a friend's garden.  Gotta love it!  I wish my garden were bigger, I wish I could grow everything I wanted and I wish I could have my own tomatoes the whole year long.  But alas, 'tis not so.  So, for now I'll take what I can get.

Last summer I played around with ratatouille a bit and really enjoyed the flavor profile.  I also started liking eggplant a little more.  When my friend brought me three eggplants a while back I immediately knew I wanted to do something ratatouille-like but wasn't sure what.  Then I got inspired and pulled this dish off.

This totally hit the spot and was a great meatless meal.  I was a little nervous at the lack of seasoning (other than salt) on the veggies but I forget just how delicious grilled or roasted veggies are by themselves.  They were anything but flavorless.  Then the marinated fresh tomatoes and herbs up the anti even more.  All that sat on top of a creamy polenta cake, giving the dish both flavor and substance.


Grilled Ratatouille Polenta Stack
for the ratatouille:
1 medium zucchini, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 medium eggplant, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 large yellow or orange bell pepper, sliced 1/2 inch thick
salt

for the polenta:
3/4 cup polenta/corn grits/cornmeal
3 cups chicken broth or water
3/4 cup freshly shredded parmesan cheese
1/3 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper, to taste

for the marinated tomatoes and herbs:
3-4 medium tomatoes, diced
2 Tbsp. fresh herbs, chopped (I used basil)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper, to taste


Slice eggplant and zucchini.  Place on a wire rack fitted over a cookie sheet.  Alternately you can place them on a paper towel-lined cookie sheet as well.  Sprinkle with salt and let sit about 10 minutes to draw the water out.  Flip, salt again and let sit another 10 minutes.

Dice tomatoes and place in a bowl with vinegar and olive oil.  Add chopped herbs. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside until ready to plate and serve.

Bring chicken broth or water to a boil. Gently whisk in polenta.  Reduce heat and simmer 7-15 minutes.  Cook time will depend on coarseness of the grain.  If you are using a fine cornmeal, it may only take 4-5 minutes.

While polenta is cooking, preheat outdoor grill or indoor grill pan and grill zucchini, eggplant and peppers on both sides until tender.

When polenta is finished cooking, remove from heat and whisk in cheese and cream.  Pour into an 8x8-inch pan, buttered or sprayed with cooking spray.  Allow to set until firm.  You can briefly refrigerate it if necessary.  Cut into 6 squares. 

To assemble, place polenta cake on a plate.  Layer with about 2-3 slices each eggplant, zucchini and bell pepper.  Top with marinated tomatoes and herbs and some of the liquid.

Serve warm.


SOURCE: Slightly adapted from Project Domestication

Pasta alla Norma

I think it's kind of hard to make cooked eggplant look good.  It's hard to improve on brown.  Thank goodness this dish has some colorful counterparts to help it live up to it's fantastic taste!

I don't usually buy eggplant but I found myself with not one but two a few weeks ago in my CSA basket.  My usual go-to dish for eggplant is this orzo, which is pretty phenomenal, but that only used up one of the eggplants.  So I went searching.  

I found a version of this pasta dish in a Cooking Light book of mine.  With a few tweaks, this turned out pretty amazing too.  Even if you don't think you like eggplant, when paired with it's flavorful friends, you might just change your mind. I even went out and bought another eggplant just to make it again!

Pasta alla Norma is a typical Sicilian dish and is served with ricotta salata, which is ricotta that has been aged, pressed, salted and dried.  Although it can be hard to come by, you can substitute a semi-firm, salty cheese, like feta or queso fresco.  In a pinch, you can also use fresh mozzarella as well, which is what I've done here.

 

Pasta alla Norma

3/4 lb. pasta (12 oz.)

olive oil

1 medium eggplant, peeled and diced (about 4 cups)

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

pinch of red pepper flakes

splash of white cooking wine

1 can diced tomatoes

large handful of fresh basil leaves, chiffonade

1/2-1 cup ricotta salata, grated or cubed 

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Drop pasta and cook until al dente.

While the pasta cooks, peel and chop eggplant.  In a large skillet, heat a couple drizzles of olive oil and add the eggplant.  Cook on medium heat until brown and tender.  Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook about 30 seconds, then add the splash of cooking wine and cook until almost evaporated.  Add tomatoes and simmer until pasta is finished cooking.  Add most of basil at the last minute.

Drain pasta and pour into a large serving dish.  Pour eggplant sauce over pasta and toss to combine.  Top with cheese and the rest of the fresh basil.  Serve warm.

SOURCE: Adapted from Better Recipes

Harvest Grains & Spinach Salad w/ Basil Balsamic Dressing

 

I reemember my frist trip to Trader Joe's when it opened here in Salt Lake. I was so excited and couldn't wait to use all cool stuff I brought home. I used most everything right away, but there sat my little bag of Harvest Grains, unused.  I wanted to find the perfect recipe to use them in but couldn't ever decide.  Finally this salad spoke to me and it WAS the perfect dish for those little grains.  Of course one of my favorite additions is the basil in the dressing, but the combination of everything together is unique and delicious!

Harvest Grains & Spinach Salad with Basil Balsamic Dressing
1/2 lb. harvest grains blend-about 1 1/4 cups (I got mine from Trader Joe's, has yellow lentils, red quinoa, orzo, baby garbanzo beans,  and Israeli couscous.)
1 Tbsp. butter or olive oil
1 3/4 cups organic chicken broth (or water)
1/4 cup Sun-dried Tomatoes
2 cups baby spinach leaves, chopped
1/4 cup raw cashews, lightly toasted
2 oz. goat cheese, crumbled
Basil Balsamic Dressing (below)


for the dressing:

1/4 cup finely diced onion

1 cup tightly packed basil leaves

1 clove garlic

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1/3 cup olive oil

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 tsp salt

 

Bring 1 3/4 cups  broth or water to a boil.  Add butter/oil and 1 1/4 cups of the grains blend.  Bring back to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered for 10 minutes.  Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature. 

 

In the meantime, put tomatoes in a small saucepot and add water until just covered.  Boil 5 minutes and cool.  Chop and set aside.

 

Prepare dressing by adding ingredients into a blender and whiz until smooth.

 

If desired, toast cashews in a small frying pan over medium heat about 3-4 minutes.

 

Once grains have cooled, add chopped spinach, sun-dried tomatoes and cashews.  Pour some dressing over the salad and toss.  Add more as necessary.  top with crumbled goat cheese.

 

 

SOURCE: Salad adapted from Cookin' Canuck, dressing from What's Gabby Cooking.

Tomato-Basil and Spinach Risotto

 

My oh my what a week we have had here!  I started the week of getting sick then the following days were met with each of my children getting sick as well my husband!  Needless to say, I  don't think I have been out of my pajamas more than one day this week.

Anyway, I did manage to get away for a quick trip to my favorite grocery store earlier in the week.  They sell the most beautiful fresh basil there and I just can't leave the store without some everytime I go! 

It turns out the fresh basil was the perfect thing to compliment this delicious risotto.  I loved having something quick and easy to throw together, dressing it up with fresh tomatoes, spinach and basil, making the flavor pop! 

Tomato-Basil and Spinach Risotto
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups water
1 Tbsp. butter
1/4 cup onion, finely minced
1 garlic clove, minced
3/4 cup arborio rice
1/4 cup white cooking wine
2 vine-ripened tomatoes, seeded & chopped
2 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
handful torn basil
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Bring chicken broth and water to a boil in a small saucepan.  Reduce heat to low to keep warm during cooking.

In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat, then add onion and saute until translucent; about 4-5 minutes.  Add garlic and saute for about 30 more seconds.

Add rice and stir to coat in the butter.  Let saute a minute or two until rice starts turning opaque, then add cooking wine and stir.  Continue to stir as the rice absorbs the wine. When most of it is absorbed, add in about 1/2 cup of the warm broth.

Continue adding broth, about 1/2 cup at a time, stirring frequently and waiting for it to be absorbed before adding more. When there is not much broth left, taste the risotto to see if it needs to continue cooking longer. It should take about 20-25 minutes to finish and you may or may not need all the stock. Don't worry about using it all if the risotto is done.
When risotto is finished cooking, remove from heat and add the cheese and spinach.  Stir to allow cheese to melt and spinch to wilt slightly.  Add the tomatoes and basil, gently stirring in.  Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as necessary.

Serve warm and garnish with grated parmesan cheese and fresh basil, if desired.


SOURCE: Iowa Girl Eats

Restaurant Style Salsa

If you are still looking for something else to add to your spread for the big game day, look no further.  You will definitely be on the winning team if this salsa is around.  And believe me, it won't last long!

Considering that it's the middle of winter and there is not a ripe garden tomato in sight,this salsa is about as good as it gets.  The key is using good quality canned tomatoes, like Cento or San Marzano, that have a nice, ripe tomato flavor, then adding the fresh ingredients that are available.

If you like your salsa on the smoky side, this is delicious dressed up with a pinch or two of some smoked paprika or chipotle chile powder. 


Restaurant Style Salsa 
1 can (28 Ounce) good quality whole tomatoes with juice (like San Marzano or Cento)
2 cans (10 Ounce) Rotel (diced Tomatoes And Green Chilies) 
1/4 cup chopped onion 
1 clove garlic, minced 
1 whole jalapeno, finely minced (or half if you don't like it too spicy)
1/4 tsp. sugar 
1/4 tsp.salt 
1/4 tsp. ground cumin 
1/2 cup cilantro
juice of 1 lime
pinch of smoked paprika or chipotle chile powder, if desired

Combine whole tomatoes, Rotel, onion, jalapeno, garlic, sugar, salt, cumin, lime juice, and cilantro in a blender or food processor.(Note: This makes a large batch so if you don't have a large food processor, blend in batches then combine everything in a large bowl.)  Pulse until you get the salsa to the consistency you'd like. Test seasonings with a tortilla chip and adjust as needed.


SOURCE: Pioneer Woman

Caprese Lasagna

Mmm, I was so excited to make this.  I haven't  made lasagna in FOREVER!!  This is just one of those comfort foods that you can't live without and have to make just once in a while.  I don't do a whole lot with dairy because of my hubby and kids and we just try not to eat much dairy in general.  But, I had whole milk (which I rarely buy) in the fridge needing to be used, so I made ricotta, and I had a whole 4 oz. package of fresh basil that had to be used as well and 4 little tomatoes sitting on my counter begging to be thrown in the mix. 

I made this super simple because, ya know, you just have those nights where you  need something quick and easy that doesn't taste like cardboard.  You can make both the ricotta and tomato sauce ahead of time, even a day or two before.  In fact, I just used my bottled Tomato-Basil Simmer Sauce, which I made at the end of summer.  Can't get any easier than popping off a lid and pouring it out.  And it's still homemade!

I LOVED the flavors of this lasagna.  It's light and fresh and tastes like it just came out of the garden. No heavy meat sauce needed here, you will be completely satisfied and I guarantee you'll be begging for more.

Easy Caprese Lasagna
8 no-boil lasagna noodles (I used Barilla brand)
1 cup Homemade Ricotta Cheese
10 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded, divided (about 2 1/2 cups)
1 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
1 egg
4 tomatoes, sliced (roma or vine-ripened)
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil, plus more for garnish
2 cups Tomato-Basil Simmer Sauce
2 oz. mozzarella chees

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta,  2 cups of mozzarella, Parmesan cheese and egg. 

In an 8 1/2 x 11-inch baking pan ( just smaller than a cake pan) spread about 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce on the bottom.  Layer with 2 1/2 sheets of lasagna noodles, half of the ricotta mixture and about 9 slices of tomato.  Top with about another half cup of tomato sauce and a few ribbons of basil. Repeat with another layer.  Top with 2 1/2 sheets of noodles, another 1/2 cup of sauce and about 1/2 cup mozzarella.

Bake, covered with foil, until bubbly; about 50 minutes.  Let stand 15 minutes before cutting. Garnish with ribbons of fresh basil.

Fresh Tomato Soup

This soup is a staple at our house during the fall and winter months. At the end of summer when tomatoes are at their ripest, I buy boxes and boxes of them (when I don't have a garden) to preserve. A lot of the tomatoes I turn into salsa and spaghetti sauce. The rest I just peel and puree, then freeze in about 2 quart quantities. It makes preparing this soup a cinch, since most of the work is already done!! Even in the middle of winter, we can have this soup and it still tastes like it just came out of the garden. Simple, fresh ingredients are key to making this soup taste "soup"er.

Fresh Tomato-Basil Soup

8 cups (2 quarts) fresh tomato puree (about 10-12 vine-ripened tomatoes)

chicken soup base 

1 cup heavy cream (can substitute full-fat coconut milk for non-dairy)

Coarse salt and black pepper
20 leaves fresh basil, cut into chiffonade, for garnish

To blanch and peel tomatoes, bring a large stockpot of water to a boil. Fill a sink full of ice water. Working in batches, score the bottom of the tomatoes. Place in boiling water for 60 seconds. Remove immediately and place in ice bath. Repeat with remaining tomatoes.

Once tomatoes are cooled, drain water from sink. Core tomatoes and slip skins off. Puree tomatoes either with a food processor or working in batches in a blender. Don't worry If you have a little more or less than 8 cups.

Add tomato puree to a large stock pot. Add enough chicken soup base for 2 cups and bring to a boil. Once chicken base is completely dissolved, taste for seasoning and add more, to taste.

Gently simmer for about 5 minutes, add cream and simmer another 2-3 minutes. Taste again for seasoning and adjust as necessary. Remove from heat and add most of the basil, leaving some for garnish.

Serve warm.


*If you don't have access to fresh tomatoes, you can use 2 28-oz can of good quality crushed tomatoes (Cento, San Marzano).

Lentil and Kale Pasta

It's so good to get back to healthy!  After spending the better part of a week in Las Vegas indulging and splurging, my body started craving warm, earthy and hearty flavors and food.  This totally fit the bill.  I was pleasantly surprised how much I liked the lentils.  They are a lot more flavorful than I remember them being.  It's been a while, but like I said,  I'm trying to clean out my pantry so I really wanted to use them up. 

The kale is amazing here too, adding not only color and texture but a ton of nutrition too.  I used my own sun-dried tomatoes that I dehydrated then reconstituted but you could also use oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes from the store.

Lentil and Kale Pasta
1/2 lb. whole wheat pasta (I used shells)
1 1/2 cups cooked lentils
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, reconstitued and chopped
4 cups kale, rinsed and chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
pinch red pepper flakes
12-15 oz jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and choped
1/2 cup crumbled feta
olive oil
juice of half a lemon (about 1-2 Tbsp.)
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
garnish: finely grated parmesan cheese (to your liking)

Start cooking the lentils first or even ahead of time, they will take the longest; about 15-20 minutes.  Follow package directions.  Cook, drain and set aside.

In the meantime, cover sun-dried tomatoes in about 1-inch of water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and chop.

Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain and rinse with cold water for about 10 seconds to cool it off a bit.  Put pasta and lentils and chopped tomatoes in a large salad bowl.

Using the same pot as you cooked the pasta in, drizzle a good amount of olive oil on the bottom. Drop the kale and sprinkle with a pinch or two of red pepper flakes.  Saute 2-3 minutes, adding the garlic in the last 20 seconds or so, to avoid burning.  Add the kale to the salad bowl.  Wait for it to cool slightly before stirring it in. 

Add chopped artichokes, feta, 1-2 tablespoons olive oil, lemon juice, basil and salt and pepper to the lentils and pasta, stirring to incorporate.  Taste for seasoning and adjust as necessary. 

Serve at room temperature, topped with finely grated parmesan cheese.