I've found tons of late harvest tomatoes this fall and can't resist bringing them home. I found some Mexican orange tomatoes @ Adrian's Orchard while shopping for cider and our toddler loved eating them out of hand.
Since I had an abundance of tomatoes of various sizes and colors (red and orange, grape tomatoes and cherry tomatoes), I decided to roast them all together to make a fresh tomato sauce.
I have to admit that I didn't come up with this concept. Ina Garten roasts veggies all of the time on her Barefoot Contessa show. It's also her favorite way to cook shrimp, a technique that I haven't yet tried, but it does appeal to me and the results looked delish on her show.
Here's the technique. Keep in mind that this really isn't a "recipe" per say in that it can be used on nearly any amount of tomatoes you have on hand. If you have larger tomatoes - like Romas - simply cut them in half before putting them on the baking sheet. Also, the end product of the roasting is very different from a sundried tomato, much more juicy and much more versatile!
How to Oven Roast Tomatoes
Preheat your oven to 350.
Wash tomatoes and blot dry with a paper towel or kitchen towel. If you have larger size tomatoes - such as Roma or small slicing tomatoes - cut them in half after drying.
Place tomatoes on a baking sheet. You want one that has a lip or rim around the edge. A baking dish would work too. The only criteria is that you don't want to crowd the sheet so that plenty of heat can surround each tomato. If you have too many tomatoes, place half on a second sheet. You can roast up to two pans at the same time on separate racks in your oven.
Drizzle good extra virgin olive oil over the tomatoes, sprinkle with salt and pepper. I use Meijer's organic EVOO as it's a pretty good quality for a good price, along with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. The salt and pepper should be to taste. You only need enough olive oil to make sure each tomato has a little oil to draw the heat while they're in the oven.
Place tomatoes in the oven. If you have two sheets, place them on separate racks. Allow to cook for approximately 15 to 20 minutes or until tomatoes being to pop and look a bit wilted or wrinkled.
My Oven Roasted Tomato Sauce
Place roasted tomatoes in the blender - if you have a large batch of tomatoes, you may have to process it in batches - along with juices that have collected on the sheet. Add a large handful of freshly torn basil - you can do this to taste, but we LOVE basil so I use a lot. Puree tomatoes and basil in the blender on the highest speed until sauce forms and there are no large chunks of tomatoes or basil left. If you need a little liquid to make the mixture move in the blender, you can add more EVOO, a little water or even some good white wine or stock.
Serve over freshly cooked pasta or allow to cool in the blender and store in the fridge for up to a week.
Enjoy!
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Beans, Greens & Barley Soup
I bought some kale earlier this week while on my post vacation farmer's market / local farm stand shopping spree. My family is REALLY bad about eating greens, mostly because I'm REALLY bad about buying and cooking them. It's not that we don't like them, it's just that I kind of forget and that I don't have many recipes for them in my repertoire.
However, I've decided to turn over a new leaf - pun intended! - and work them into our diet more often. This is my first attempt. Beans and greens is a traditional Italian side dish or soup - it's one of those dishes that can take many forms. Since I have also been looking for new ways to include new grains in our diet as well, I've added barley to the mix.
The recipe as written is vegetarian, but you can use chicken stock if you prefer and even render some bacon before you saute the veggies. You can even use a different green if you have them on hand or don't happen to like kale; spinach would work well here too, but you'll have to adjust the cooking time to the green you choose. It's up to you! This approach is rather forgiving and pretty flexible.
Lisa's Beans, Greens & Barley Soup
In a large heavy bottom soup pot set over medium heat, saute onion, carrot and celery in the olive oil. When onion is translucent add the garlic and continue cooking until fragrant being careful not to let the garlic burn. Add the kale and stir to incorporate them into the onion/carrot/celery mixture. Once the kale has begun to wilt add the tomatoes, beans, barley and stock and stir to incorporate. Allow soup to cook for 30 minutes over medium heat being careful not to let the pot boil over.
After 30 minutes begin to test the kale for doneness. The kale should be wilted and much softer to the chew. You don't want to cook the life out of it, but kale is rather hearty so you want it to be digestible and easy to chew. Cook for more time if needed to reach the correct consistency. Before serving taste and adjust the seasoning.
Ladle into soup bowls, drizzle with good olive oil and sprinkle with grated parmesan and a little extra fresh ground pepper. Serve with good crusty bread and a glass of red wine. Enjoy!
However, I've decided to turn over a new leaf - pun intended! - and work them into our diet more often. This is my first attempt. Beans and greens is a traditional Italian side dish or soup - it's one of those dishes that can take many forms. Since I have also been looking for new ways to include new grains in our diet as well, I've added barley to the mix.
The recipe as written is vegetarian, but you can use chicken stock if you prefer and even render some bacon before you saute the veggies. You can even use a different green if you have them on hand or don't happen to like kale; spinach would work well here too, but you'll have to adjust the cooking time to the green you choose. It's up to you! This approach is rather forgiving and pretty flexible.
Lisa's Beans, Greens & Barley Soup
- 1/2 16 oz bag of dried Great Northern or Cannellini beans, prepared according to package directions and drained*
- 1/2 cup of dried whole barley, prepared according to package directions
- 3 medium organic carrots, scrubbed and diced small
- 2 stalks of organic celery, scrubbed and diced small
- 1 large onion, small dice
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 box of organic vegetable stock
- 1 tsp chopped garlic
- 1 15/16 oz can Muir Glen Fire Roasted Tomatoes (organic) with juice
- 1 large bunch of kale, washed, stems removed and coarsely chopped
- 64 oz of water
- 1 tsp onion powder (not onion salt)
- 1 tsp garlic powder (not garlic salt)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 small bunch of fresh thyme, chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- grated parmesan
- good EVOO
In a large heavy bottom soup pot set over medium heat, saute onion, carrot and celery in the olive oil. When onion is translucent add the garlic and continue cooking until fragrant being careful not to let the garlic burn. Add the kale and stir to incorporate them into the onion/carrot/celery mixture. Once the kale has begun to wilt add the tomatoes, beans, barley and stock and stir to incorporate. Allow soup to cook for 30 minutes over medium heat being careful not to let the pot boil over.
After 30 minutes begin to test the kale for doneness. The kale should be wilted and much softer to the chew. You don't want to cook the life out of it, but kale is rather hearty so you want it to be digestible and easy to chew. Cook for more time if needed to reach the correct consistency. Before serving taste and adjust the seasoning.
Ladle into soup bowls, drizzle with good olive oil and sprinkle with grated parmesan and a little extra fresh ground pepper. Serve with good crusty bread and a glass of red wine. Enjoy!
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Simple Summer Pizza
We took a late summer vacation to Nashville, TN where we attended the wedding of a family friend and enjoyed some much needed down time. We had a great time, but are happy to be home.
Returning from a trip always finds me standing in front of the fridge and the freezer thinking, "what should I make?" since road trips nearly always equal too much fast food and travel in general typically means we're trying all of the local food fare which rarely includes mega doses of fresh organic produce and meat.
Since I am still on vacation, I decided to visit some of my local food sources today to see what I could pick up mid-week. First, was a much needed visit to "the tomato lady" on Southport road. The summer that I was on maternity leave I spent a lot of time driving around to all of the local farm stands trying tomatoes hoping for something like what my dad grew in WV. I finally found one source that far exceeds the taste of the rest and can tell you that no one else's tomatoes compare. Since it was later in the day, I was left to gather the few tomatoes that were left, all of them smaller in size, along with my regular intake of cherry tomatoes.
Next, I made my way to Copelands which is a small farm store near our house. I was able to procure a yummy looking red and yellow pepper. I had hoped for a zucchini or two, but alas due to the shortage of rain there was not a summer squash to be found.
So, I headed home thinking about what I should make to get us back on the veggie track. I remembered that I had a pizza crust stashed in the fridge (one of those handy items I keep for emergencies) and some organic Monteray Jack cheese. I put them all together and came up with a surprisingly good veggie pizza that we enjoyed tonight for dinner. Below is the recipe with a couple of updates that I think will improve the outcomes for you.
Simple Summer Tomato and Pepper Pizza
1 pizza crust of your choice (I used a ready made Pillsbury crust in a tube)
EVOO
salt and pepper to taste
5 or 6 small tomatoes sliced thin - 1/8" or less
2 small red/yellow/orange peppers sliced thin - same as the tomatoes
1/3 cup fresh basil, torn
3/4 cup shredded Monteray Jack cheese
Place oven racks as follows; the first on the lowest possible level and the second about 3/4 of the way to the top rack. Preheat oven based on pizza crust directions.
Coat the pan you are using with a thin film of EVOO. Spread the crust on the pan to cover surface and top crust with a little more EVOO. Sprinkle crust with salt and pepper to taste. Place crust in the oven and bake on the bottom rack for half of the recommended time. Remove crust from the oven and cover the edge of the crust with foil to keep it from burning during the next phase.
Top pizza crust with tomato slices until surface is completely covered. Do not overlap. You may have a few small areas between the edges of the slices where they come together, but basically you want as much surface area covered as possible with tomato slices. Follow with peppers using the same method. Top veggies with a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
Turn the oven to broil and place the pizza on the top rack. Allow tomatoes and peppers to cook under the broiler, checking often, until they begin to look cooked through and have gained some color - a few burnt edges on the veggies are to be expected.
Remove pizza from the oven and top with the basil and cheese taking care to be sure both are evenly distributed across the top of the pizza. Remove foil from pizza crust edges.
Place the pizza back in the oven and rotate so that the side of the pizza that was to the back of the oven is now in front. Allow pizza to finish baking for the recommended amount of time. Pizza is done when crust is golden on the bottom and cheese is melted.
Slice and serve.
Returning from a trip always finds me standing in front of the fridge and the freezer thinking, "what should I make?" since road trips nearly always equal too much fast food and travel in general typically means we're trying all of the local food fare which rarely includes mega doses of fresh organic produce and meat.
Since I am still on vacation, I decided to visit some of my local food sources today to see what I could pick up mid-week. First, was a much needed visit to "the tomato lady" on Southport road. The summer that I was on maternity leave I spent a lot of time driving around to all of the local farm stands trying tomatoes hoping for something like what my dad grew in WV. I finally found one source that far exceeds the taste of the rest and can tell you that no one else's tomatoes compare. Since it was later in the day, I was left to gather the few tomatoes that were left, all of them smaller in size, along with my regular intake of cherry tomatoes.
Next, I made my way to Copelands which is a small farm store near our house. I was able to procure a yummy looking red and yellow pepper. I had hoped for a zucchini or two, but alas due to the shortage of rain there was not a summer squash to be found.
So, I headed home thinking about what I should make to get us back on the veggie track. I remembered that I had a pizza crust stashed in the fridge (one of those handy items I keep for emergencies) and some organic Monteray Jack cheese. I put them all together and came up with a surprisingly good veggie pizza that we enjoyed tonight for dinner. Below is the recipe with a couple of updates that I think will improve the outcomes for you.
Simple Summer Tomato and Pepper Pizza
1 pizza crust of your choice (I used a ready made Pillsbury crust in a tube)
EVOO
salt and pepper to taste
5 or 6 small tomatoes sliced thin - 1/8" or less
2 small red/yellow/orange peppers sliced thin - same as the tomatoes
1/3 cup fresh basil, torn
3/4 cup shredded Monteray Jack cheese
Place oven racks as follows; the first on the lowest possible level and the second about 3/4 of the way to the top rack. Preheat oven based on pizza crust directions.
Coat the pan you are using with a thin film of EVOO. Spread the crust on the pan to cover surface and top crust with a little more EVOO. Sprinkle crust with salt and pepper to taste. Place crust in the oven and bake on the bottom rack for half of the recommended time. Remove crust from the oven and cover the edge of the crust with foil to keep it from burning during the next phase.
Top pizza crust with tomato slices until surface is completely covered. Do not overlap. You may have a few small areas between the edges of the slices where they come together, but basically you want as much surface area covered as possible with tomato slices. Follow with peppers using the same method. Top veggies with a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
Turn the oven to broil and place the pizza on the top rack. Allow tomatoes and peppers to cook under the broiler, checking often, until they begin to look cooked through and have gained some color - a few burnt edges on the veggies are to be expected.
Remove pizza from the oven and top with the basil and cheese taking care to be sure both are evenly distributed across the top of the pizza. Remove foil from pizza crust edges.
Place the pizza back in the oven and rotate so that the side of the pizza that was to the back of the oven is now in front. Allow pizza to finish baking for the recommended amount of time. Pizza is done when crust is golden on the bottom and cheese is melted.
Slice and serve.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Ham, Egg and Cheese in a Pita Pocket
Like most houses with children, breakfast has become a staple, at least for our toddler. Eggs have become a favorite since she LOVES them and they work well for really any meal of the day as well as snacks. So, eggs and breakfast foods have taken on a new meaning in recent months.
Hubby and I both LOVE breakfast as well - could be that's where baby gets it? - and even had our wedding in the early morning (9:30) so that we could have a champagne brunch reception with the full monty of Belgium waffle station, carving station, omelet station and tons of fresh breakfast breads, salads, etc. It was fantastic!
Knowing the important role that breakfasts plays in our life, I'm always looking for new, fun and interesting breakfast dishes. I recently found some mini-pita pockets in the freezer that I'd purchased, stashed away and apparently forgotten about. So, I pulled them out and have been attempting to find new ways to use them.
I came across the packet of pitas on the counter this afternoon just before looking in the fridge for something to make for a quick lunch. I really wanted a ham and egg sandwich, so I thought why not see what happens when I use a pita instead of bread, toast or an English muffin.
The Recipe: Ham, Egg and Cheese in a Pita Pocket
Toast 1 mini pita pocket (I used our toaster oven, but I think a regular toaster will work for this as well, or you could do it in the oven) and then cut it in half down the middle to make two pockets of the same size. Use a teaspoon or your fingers (it may be warm) to open the pocket. this will ensure that as the bread cools the pocket stays open.
Add to each pocket one quarter of a slice of deli cheese. If you use a larger pita, you can probably adjust to 1/2 a slide per pocket. I used Provalone as that's what I had on hand, but really any cheese you like would work here, including cream cheese. Adding the cheese at this point will allow it to begin to melt in the warm pita pocket. If you use cream cheese you may want to let the pita cool a bit before spooning it into the pocket.
Meanwhile, heat a small skillet over medium heat. While skillet is heating up, in a small bowl or measuring cup, beat one egg with the following:
2 tbsp milk (I used 2%)
few dashes of hot sauce (to taste)
salt and pepper (to taste)
I use a fork for this, it seems to break down the organic egg yolks better sometimes. I whip the egg until it's light and frothy to ensure that the eggs are fluffy when cooked.
Add to the preheated skillet 1/2 tsp unsalted butter. Swirl skillet to melt the butter and then pour in your egg mixture. My hubby, and a few TV chefs, swear that the way to get fluffy scrambled eggs is to continually stir them around the pan as the eggs set. So, I use a heat resistant spatula and stir the eggs until they're set and no longer runny. Cook yours to the desired doneness.
Cool the eggs on a plate while you brown in the same skillet two slices of deli ham. I use the low sodium, very low in fat kind and it worked well in this preparation. You could probably easily sub bacon in this dish as well as canadian bacon, although with the thicker cuts you may have to chop it a bit to make it fit in the pita pocket so that the eggs fit on top and don't spill.
Remove the ham to the same plate as the eggs and begin to assemble your sandwich. fold the ham into a triangle and insert point down into the pita. Then use your fingers to open it so that it resembles a funnel. Using a teaspoon, scoop the eggs into the funnel. Top with a bit of parsley and enjoy!
The Results:
The results of my efforts were tasty and since I had mini pita pockets on hand, they were really cute as well. As our toddler gets a bit older and begins to eat her sandwiches together instead of deconstructed (she even licks the mustard off the bread before eating the bread sometimes), this is the kind of thing I think she will enjoy. For now, it made a yummy lunch for mommy. I added a bowl of fresh fruit to complete the meal and was happily satisfied.
Let me know if you try this recipe, or a variation of it, in your kitchen.
Enjoy!
Hubby and I both LOVE breakfast as well - could be that's where baby gets it? - and even had our wedding in the early morning (9:30) so that we could have a champagne brunch reception with the full monty of Belgium waffle station, carving station, omelet station and tons of fresh breakfast breads, salads, etc. It was fantastic!
Knowing the important role that breakfasts plays in our life, I'm always looking for new, fun and interesting breakfast dishes. I recently found some mini-pita pockets in the freezer that I'd purchased, stashed away and apparently forgotten about. So, I pulled them out and have been attempting to find new ways to use them.
I came across the packet of pitas on the counter this afternoon just before looking in the fridge for something to make for a quick lunch. I really wanted a ham and egg sandwich, so I thought why not see what happens when I use a pita instead of bread, toast or an English muffin.
The Recipe: Ham, Egg and Cheese in a Pita Pocket
Toast 1 mini pita pocket (I used our toaster oven, but I think a regular toaster will work for this as well, or you could do it in the oven) and then cut it in half down the middle to make two pockets of the same size. Use a teaspoon or your fingers (it may be warm) to open the pocket. this will ensure that as the bread cools the pocket stays open.
Add to each pocket one quarter of a slice of deli cheese. If you use a larger pita, you can probably adjust to 1/2 a slide per pocket. I used Provalone as that's what I had on hand, but really any cheese you like would work here, including cream cheese. Adding the cheese at this point will allow it to begin to melt in the warm pita pocket. If you use cream cheese you may want to let the pita cool a bit before spooning it into the pocket.
Meanwhile, heat a small skillet over medium heat. While skillet is heating up, in a small bowl or measuring cup, beat one egg with the following:
2 tbsp milk (I used 2%)
few dashes of hot sauce (to taste)
salt and pepper (to taste)
I use a fork for this, it seems to break down the organic egg yolks better sometimes. I whip the egg until it's light and frothy to ensure that the eggs are fluffy when cooked.
Add to the preheated skillet 1/2 tsp unsalted butter. Swirl skillet to melt the butter and then pour in your egg mixture. My hubby, and a few TV chefs, swear that the way to get fluffy scrambled eggs is to continually stir them around the pan as the eggs set. So, I use a heat resistant spatula and stir the eggs until they're set and no longer runny. Cook yours to the desired doneness.
Cool the eggs on a plate while you brown in the same skillet two slices of deli ham. I use the low sodium, very low in fat kind and it worked well in this preparation. You could probably easily sub bacon in this dish as well as canadian bacon, although with the thicker cuts you may have to chop it a bit to make it fit in the pita pocket so that the eggs fit on top and don't spill.
Remove the ham to the same plate as the eggs and begin to assemble your sandwich. fold the ham into a triangle and insert point down into the pita. Then use your fingers to open it so that it resembles a funnel. Using a teaspoon, scoop the eggs into the funnel. Top with a bit of parsley and enjoy!
The Results:
The results of my efforts were tasty and since I had mini pita pockets on hand, they were really cute as well. As our toddler gets a bit older and begins to eat her sandwiches together instead of deconstructed (she even licks the mustard off the bread before eating the bread sometimes), this is the kind of thing I think she will enjoy. For now, it made a yummy lunch for mommy. I added a bowl of fresh fruit to complete the meal and was happily satisfied.
Let me know if you try this recipe, or a variation of it, in your kitchen.
Enjoy!
Sunrise Smoothie
I made the smoothie below to go along with the Ham, Egg and Cheese Pita Pocket. Make it according to the directions below for two servings, or cut the recipe in half for one 10 oz serving.
The Recipe: Sunrise Smoothie
1 cup good OJ (We use Simply Orange)
1 large banana
1/2 cup yogurt (preferably organic)
1/2 Orange Smoothie mix packet (you can generally find these in the produce section of your supermarket, there's one for strawberry and another for banana too)
2 cups crushed ice
Place all ingredients in blender in order given and process until thick and frothy and there are no large chunks of ice. Serve in a tall glass.
The Results:
The end product was even better than I expected. It was cold, thick, creamy and not too sweet or too much of any one flavor. I've been looking for a way to cut the sweetness of OJ - which our toddler LOVES - without giving it that watered down taste that comes from cutting it with just water alone. I also like the idea that it has some protein from the yogurt and vitamin C from the OJ - extra vitamin C is always needed at our house! Finally, the banana adds some much needed potassium, which is good for your BP and heart muscle.
And, for the REALLY important part, it paired well with the egg pita pockets by cutting the richness of the cheese without detracting from the flavor of the sandwich. It was also a nice compliment to the fruit salad.
Enjoy!
The Recipe: Sunrise Smoothie
1 cup good OJ (We use Simply Orange)
1 large banana
1/2 cup yogurt (preferably organic)
1/2 Orange Smoothie mix packet (you can generally find these in the produce section of your supermarket, there's one for strawberry and another for banana too)
2 cups crushed ice
Place all ingredients in blender in order given and process until thick and frothy and there are no large chunks of ice. Serve in a tall glass.
The Results:
The end product was even better than I expected. It was cold, thick, creamy and not too sweet or too much of any one flavor. I've been looking for a way to cut the sweetness of OJ - which our toddler LOVES - without giving it that watered down taste that comes from cutting it with just water alone. I also like the idea that it has some protein from the yogurt and vitamin C from the OJ - extra vitamin C is always needed at our house! Finally, the banana adds some much needed potassium, which is good for your BP and heart muscle.
And, for the REALLY important part, it paired well with the egg pita pockets by cutting the richness of the cheese without detracting from the flavor of the sandwich. It was also a nice compliment to the fruit salad.
Enjoy!
Postings will resume....
I am happy to say that though the comments feature was not enabled, multiple individuals have let me know that they read this blog on a regular basis. I've adjusted the settings to allow comments by both followers and those who have not registered as a follower.
Therefore, the postings will resume immediately!
~Hugs
Therefore, the postings will resume immediately!
~Hugs
Friday, July 2, 2010
Hello..... is there anybody out there?
Alright my foodie friends, I'm calling each of you out!
I started this blog because some of you, who will remain nameless, encouraged me to do so. To date, I've posted quite a few recipes and have a couple of posts in wait, but have had only 1 comment from a brave soul who visits this blog!
So I have a request.... If you follow this blog or just stop by on occasion to see what's new, please leave a little note to let me know you've been here. It's very lonely when you feel as though you're writing to yourself. Besides, I already know what's cookin' in my kitchen, what worked and what didn't by the time I tell you all about it :p
Hugs!
I started this blog because some of you, who will remain nameless, encouraged me to do so. To date, I've posted quite a few recipes and have a couple of posts in wait, but have had only 1 comment from a brave soul who visits this blog!
So I have a request.... If you follow this blog or just stop by on occasion to see what's new, please leave a little note to let me know you've been here. It's very lonely when you feel as though you're writing to yourself. Besides, I already know what's cookin' in my kitchen, what worked and what didn't by the time I tell you all about it :p
Hugs!
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