Gazpacho

This past weekend I hosted the September dinner for my dinner group.  As the years go on it's harder and harder to come up with new themes without repeating some.  I am still going to keep trying to find something unique each time!  My theme was "California Cuisine".  I know it really seems vague but what I found through my research is that "California Cuisine" is basically fresh local ingredients that are cooked simply.  Some of the foods that are commonly found in this type of cuisine are avocados, artichokes, almonds, citrus fruits, figs, seafood, etc.

Since it's the end of summer and there are still quite a bit of heirloom tomatoes I thought a great dish that would embody fresh and simple cuisine would be gazpacho.  I haven't had a ton of cold soups and I never had gazpacho before deciding to make it for this dinner.  I wasn't sure what to expect so I tried this out a week before the dinner.  I found from following the recipe that 1) only 1 clove of garlic is needed.  As this soup sits (as suggested) the garlic can really overpower the other flavors and be quite unpleasant.  2) As great as this is I can't imagine 4 people consuming that much cold soup.  2 pounds of tomatoes is way too much.  3) I can understand why this often served in shot sized glasses.  A little goes a long way.

All that being said I really did enjoy this and so did my guests.  I cut down the tomatoes to 1 pound, used only 2 slices of bread, 1 clove of garlic, half of an onion., used 2/3 of a yellow pepper.  I served diced avocado, yellow pepper and cucumber for toppings.  The ladies enjoyed the crunch it added to the soup.

Gazpacho

Anne Burrell

Total Time:    1 hr 30 min Prep    30 min Inactive  1 hr 0 min

Yield:    4 servings

Ingredients:

    8 slices white bread, crusts removed, bread broken into big chunks

    2 pounds tomatoes, seeded

    1 English cucumber, peeled

    1 large white onion

    1 green bell pepper, seeds and pith removed

    2 garlic cloves, smashed

    Kosher salt

    High quality extra-virgin olive oil

    2 to 3 tablespoons sherry vinegar

    1/2 cup to 1 cup tomato juice, if needed

Directions:

For the soup:

Soak the bread, in a medium bowl of water to soften, about 15 to 20 minutes. Squeeze out the excess water and place in a large bowl. Coarsely chop the tomatoes, 2/3 of the cucumber, 1/2 the onion, and 1/2 the pepper and add to the bread. Add the garlic, season with salt, and drizzle with olive oil. Mix to combine and let sit for about 20 to 30 minutes to allow the flavors to marry and to let the salt pull some moisture out of the tomatoes.

Meanwhile, for the garnish, dice the remaining cucumber, onion and green pepper into perfect 1/4-inch dice and reserve.

Working in batches, puree the tomato/bread mixture in a blender with the vinegar. Blend in tomato juice to loosen the mixture, if needed. Remove soup to a large bowl and stir in about 1/2 cup of high quality olive oil. Taste for salt and add more, if needed.

Chill. Serve cold garnished with the diced cucumber, pepper and onion. Drizzle with a little more olive oil, if desired.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe.

Gazpacho

This past weekend I hosted the September dinner for my dinner group.  As the years go on it's harder and harder to come up with new themes without repeating some.  I am still going to keep trying to find something unique each time!  My theme was "California Cuisine".  I know it really seems vague but what I found through my research is that "California Cuisine" is basically fresh local ingredients that are cooked simply.  Some of the foods that are commonly found in this type of cuisine are avocados, artichokes, almonds, citrus fruits, figs, seafood, etc.

Since it's the end of summer and there are still quite a bit of heirloom tomatoes I thought a great dish that would embody fresh and simple cuisine would be gazpacho.  I haven't had a ton of cold soups and I never had gazpacho before deciding to make it for this dinner.  I wasn't sure what to expect so I tried this out a week before the dinner.  I found from following the recipe that 1) only 1 clove of garlic is needed.  As this soup sits (as suggested) the garlic can really overpower the other flavors and be quite unpleasant.  2) As great as this is I can't imagine 4 people consuming that much cold soup.  2 pounds of tomatoes is way too much.  3) I can understand why this often served in shot sized glasses.  A little goes a long way.

All that being said I really did enjoy this and so did my guests.  I cut down the tomatoes to 1 pound, used only 2 slices of bread, 1 clove of garlic, half of an onion., used 2/3 of a yellow pepper.  I served diced avocado, yellow pepper and cucumber for toppings.  The ladies enjoyed the crunch it added to the soup.

Gazpacho

Anne Burrell

Total Time:    1 hr 30 min Prep    30 min Inactive  1 hr 0 min

Yield:    4 servings

Ingredients:

    8 slices white bread, crusts removed, bread broken into big chunks

    2 pounds tomatoes, seeded

    1 English cucumber, peeled

    1 large white onion

    1 green bell pepper, seeds and pith removed

    2 garlic cloves, smashed

    Kosher salt

    High quality extra-virgin olive oil

    2 to 3 tablespoons sherry vinegar

    1/2 cup to 1 cup tomato juice, if needed

Directions:

For the soup:

Soak the bread, in a medium bowl of water to soften, about 15 to 20 minutes. Squeeze out the excess water and place in a large bowl. Coarsely chop the tomatoes, 2/3 of the cucumber, 1/2 the onion, and 1/2 the pepper and add to the bread. Add the garlic, season with salt, and drizzle with olive oil. Mix to combine and let sit for about 20 to 30 minutes to allow the flavors to marry and to let the salt pull some moisture out of the tomatoes.

Meanwhile, for the garnish, dice the remaining cucumber, onion and green pepper into perfect 1/4-inch dice and reserve.

Working in batches, puree the tomato/bread mixture in a blender with the vinegar. Blend in tomato juice to loosen the mixture, if needed. Remove soup to a large bowl and stir in about 1/2 cup of high quality olive oil. Taste for salt and add more, if needed.

Chill. Serve cold garnished with the diced cucumber, pepper and onion. Drizzle with a little more olive oil, if desired.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe.

Fried Green Tomatoes

My mom had about 30 green tomatoes that weren't ripening this week and she had no idea what to do with them. I told her I would take them and look up a recipe and figure out how to use them. I decided to make Fried Green Tomatoes although I never tasted a green tomato before. I found a recipe online and then posted it on facebook for all my southern friends to take a look at before I went ahead and used the recipe. I got some yeses and deicded to give it a try. I found this recipe on all recipes and in the commnets section someone suggested a dipping sauce. So I made that with a little smoked paprika added for an extra kick. The recipe calls for a quart of oil, I certainly did not use that much.  Just enough to cover the bottom of the pan by about an inch.  The tomatoes and the sauce were both a big hit with Steve's family. I'm so glad I tried them! Thanks Mom next time I'll make them for you!



Fried Green Tomatoes

Ingredients:

4 large green tomatoes

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup cornmeal

1/2 cup bread crumbs

2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 quart vegetable oil for frying

Directions:

	Slice tomatoes 1/2 inch thick. Discard the ends.
	Whisk eggs and milk together in a medium-size bowl. Scoop flour onto a plate. Mix cornmeal, bread crumbs and salt and pepper on another plate. Dip tomatoes into flour to coat. Then dip the tomatoes into milk and egg mixture. Dredge in breadcrumbs to completely coat.
	In a large skillet, pour vegetable oil (enough so that there is 1/2 inch of oil in the pan) and heat over a medium heat. Place tomatoes into the frying pan in batches of 4 or 5, depending on the size of your skillet. Do not crowd the tomatoes, they should not touch each other. When the tomatoes are browned, flip and fry them on the other side. Drain them on paper towels

Dipping Sauce

1/2 cup mayo
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
1 tablespoon horseradish
1 tsp smoked paprika
dash of salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients and refrigerate. Serve with fried green tomatoes.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe. 

Fried Green Tomatoes

My mom had about 30 green tomatoes that weren't ripening this week and she had no idea what to do with them. I told her I would take them and look up a recipe and figure out how to use them. I decided to make Fried Green Tomatoes although I never tasted a green tomato before. I found a recipe online and then posted it on facebook for all my southern friends to take a look at before I went ahead and used the recipe. I got some yeses and deicded to give it a try. I found this recipe on all recipes and in the commnets section someone suggested a dipping sauce. So I made that with a little smoked paprika added for an extra kick. The recipe calls for a quart of oil, I certainly did not use that much.  Just enough to cover the bottom of the pan by about an inch.  The tomatoes and the sauce were both a big hit with Steve's family. I'm so glad I tried them! Thanks Mom next time I'll make them for you!



Fried Green Tomatoes

Ingredients:

4 large green tomatoes

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup cornmeal

1/2 cup bread crumbs

2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 quart vegetable oil for frying

Directions:

	Slice tomatoes 1/2 inch thick. Discard the ends.
	Whisk eggs and milk together in a medium-size bowl. Scoop flour onto a plate. Mix cornmeal, bread crumbs and salt and pepper on another plate. Dip tomatoes into flour to coat. Then dip the tomatoes into milk and egg mixture. Dredge in breadcrumbs to completely coat.
	In a large skillet, pour vegetable oil (enough so that there is 1/2 inch of oil in the pan) and heat over a medium heat. Place tomatoes into the frying pan in batches of 4 or 5, depending on the size of your skillet. Do not crowd the tomatoes, they should not touch each other. When the tomatoes are browned, flip and fry them on the other side. Drain them on paper towels

Dipping Sauce

1/2 cup mayo
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
1 tablespoon horseradish
1 tsp smoked paprika
dash of salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients and refrigerate. Serve with fried green tomatoes.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe. 

Sweet and Sour Chicken

I started going through my chicken recipes that I saved in my google reader when I realized that we've been eating a huge amount of pasta lately.  I found this recipe for sweet and sour chicken that I saved from Brown Eyed Baker.  I've said before that I think chinese food  has been he most difficult cuisine for me to try to recreate at home.  This recipe looked so easy so I thought why not give it a try.  As I was preparing it I was a little overwhelmed by the smell of the ketchup.  Did not seem or smell very asian to me.  Luckily it turned out great!  I have to be honest, it didn't really taste very asian to me but it was a great dinner.  I think that maybe by adding a different type of sauce (maybe even a orange marmalade) in place of half of the ketchup will give it more of an asian flavor.  Any ideas?  I definitely recommend this recipe though.  It was excellent!

Brown Eyed Baker's Sweet and Sour Chicken

Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 30 minutes | Bake Time: 1 hour

For the Chicken:

3-4 boneless,skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup cornstarch
2 eggs, slightly beaten
¼ cup canola or vegetable oil

For the Sauce:

¾ cup sugar
4 tablespoons ketchup
½ cup vinegar (preferably rice or white)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2. Season chicken with salt and pepper.

3. Working in two batches, toss the chicken pieces in egg and then coat with the cornstarch. Heat the oil over medium-high heat and again in two batches, brown the chicken, turning it so that all sides are browned.

4. Place the chicken in a single layer in a 9×13 baking dish.

5. Whisk together the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and pour evenly over the chicken. Turn the chicken to ensure each piece is coated.

6. Bake for 1 hour, turning the chicken every 15 minutes.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

I started going through my chicken recipes that I saved in my google reader when I realized that we've been eating a huge amount of pasta lately.  I found this recipe for sweet and sour chicken that I saved from Brown Eyed Baker.  I've said before that I think chinese food  has been he most difficult cuisine for me to try to recreate at home.  This recipe looked so easy so I thought why not give it a try.  As I was preparing it I was a little overwhelmed by the smell of the ketchup.  Did not seem or smell very asian to me.  Luckily it turned out great!  I have to be honest, it didn't really taste very asian to me but it was a great dinner.  I think that maybe by adding a different type of sauce (maybe even a orange marmalade) in place of half of the ketchup will give it more of an asian flavor.  Any ideas?  I definitely recommend this recipe though.  It was excellent!

Brown Eyed Baker's Sweet and Sour Chicken

Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 30 minutes | Bake Time: 1 hour

For the Chicken:

3-4 boneless,skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup cornstarch
2 eggs, slightly beaten
¼ cup canola or vegetable oil

For the Sauce:

¾ cup sugar
4 tablespoons ketchup
½ cup vinegar (preferably rice or white)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2. Season chicken with salt and pepper.

3. Working in two batches, toss the chicken pieces in egg and then coat with the cornstarch. Heat the oil over medium-high heat and again in two batches, brown the chicken, turning it so that all sides are browned.

4. Place the chicken in a single layer in a 9×13 baking dish.

5. Whisk together the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and pour evenly over the chicken. Turn the chicken to ensure each piece is coated.

6. Bake for 1 hour, turning the chicken every 15 minutes.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe.

Mom's Stovetop Meatloaf

I know I've told you all before that growing up my mom put a can of delmonte on or in every dish she made.  This is another one of those yummy dishes.  I like different varieties of meatloaf but for most of my life this is the only kind I knew.  It's made on the stovetop and is very soft just like a meatball. 

My mom doesn't use the onions but I love the flavor it gives.  I tend to add a little garlic powder and onion powder in it too...you know, just in case.

Mom's Stovetop Meatloaf

Ingredients:
1 pound of ground beef
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup of grated pecorino romano cheese
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 cup cooked white rice, plus more for serving if you wish
extra virgin olive oil
1 -14 ounce can delmonte tomato sauce
garlic powder and onion powder, just sprinkle it on
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Heat olive oil in a small saute pan.  Saute onions and garlic until softened.  Reserve and allow to cool.
In a large bowl mix ground beef, egg, romano cheese, parsley, white rice, cooled onions and garlic, garlic powder and onion powder, salt and pepper.  Pack together and add to a large pan that was drizzled with oil.  Form into a loaf.  Add can of delmonte sauce over the meatloaf.  Cover and let cook over medium- medium low heat for 1 hour.  Slice and serve with sauce, with white rice and peas.

Click here for a printable vesion of this recipe.

Mom's Stovetop Meatloaf

I know I've told you all before that growing up my mom put a can of delmonte on or in every dish she made.  This is another one of those yummy dishes.  I like different varieties of meatloaf but for most of my life this is the only kind I knew.  It's made on the stovetop and is very soft just like a meatball. 

My mom doesn't use the onions but I love the flavor it gives.  I tend to add a little garlic powder and onion powder in it too...you know, just in case.

Mom's Stovetop Meatloaf

Ingredients:
1 pound of ground beef
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup of grated pecorino romano cheese
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 cup cooked white rice, plus more for serving if you wish
extra virgin olive oil
1 -14 ounce can delmonte tomato sauce
garlic powder and onion powder, just sprinkle it on
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Heat olive oil in a small saute pan.  Saute onions and garlic until softened.  Reserve and allow to cool.
In a large bowl mix ground beef, egg, romano cheese, parsley, white rice, cooled onions and garlic, garlic powder and onion powder, salt and pepper.  Pack together and add to a large pan that was drizzled with oil.  Form into a loaf.  Add can of delmonte sauce over the meatloaf.  Cover and let cook over medium- medium low heat for 1 hour.  Slice and serve with sauce, with white rice and peas.

Click here for a printable vesion of this recipe.

Torta di Spaghetti

It's not very often that we have leftover spaghetti but when we do this is a great way to use it up and make it into a new dish.

I served this with a beautiful heirloom tomato bruschetta and swiss chard.  By serving a green veggie or a salad and you have a wonderfully light meal.





Torta di Spaghetti

Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients:

Leftover spaghetti at room temperature (I used leftover pasta with olives and breadcrumbs)
extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, sliced
5 large eggs
splash of milk
1/2 cup of sundried tomatoes packed in oil plus some of the oil
3/4 cup grated romano cheese
3/4 cup cubed or shredded mozzarella
6-8 leaves of basil, chiffonade, reserve some for garnish
salt and pepper, to taste
Prosciutto Crumbles - optional (see recipe below)

Directions:

Heat 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and 1 tablespoon of sundried tomato oil in a large non stick skillet.  Add onions and saute until softened.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add sundried tomatoes.

In a large bowl beat eggs, milk, romano cheese, basil, salt and pepper.  Add spaghetti and toss.  Add to skillet and shake pan to evenly distribute mixture.  Using a wooden spoon move the egg around in sections of the pan so more of the egg can cook.  When edges are set use the spoon or rubber spatula to move the egg away from the edge of pan and let more of the uncooked egg hit the pan.  Sprinkle the cheese throughout the eggs.

When eggs are set put a large plate over the frying pan and flip then slide the torta back into the pan so the other side cooks.  Cook for a couple of minutes until eggs are completely set.  (another option is to finish in the oven or under the broiler - be sure your pan is oven/broiler safe).

Sprinkle with basil and prosciutto. 

Prosciutto Crumbles 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees . Place the prosciutto slices on a  parchment lined baking sheet. Place in the oven and bake until firm, golden around the edges, and almost crisp, about 18 minutes. Set aside and let cool. Crumble in your hands and use for topping bruschetta, salads, pastas etc as you would do with bacon.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe.

Torta di Spaghetti

It's not very often that we have leftover spaghetti but when we do this is a great way to use it up and make it into a new dish.

I served this with a beautiful heirloom tomato bruschetta and swiss chard.  By serving a green veggie or a salad and you have a wonderfully light meal.





Torta di Spaghetti

Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients:

Leftover spaghetti at room temperature (I used leftover pasta with olives and breadcrumbs)
extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, sliced
5 large eggs
splash of milk
1/2 cup of sundried tomatoes packed in oil plus some of the oil
3/4 cup grated romano cheese
3/4 cup cubed or shredded mozzarella
6-8 leaves of basil, chiffonade, reserve some for garnish
salt and pepper, to taste
Prosciutto Crumbles - optional (see recipe below)

Directions:

Heat 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and 1 tablespoon of sundried tomato oil in a large non stick skillet.  Add onions and saute until softened.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add sundried tomatoes.

In a large bowl beat eggs, milk, romano cheese, basil, salt and pepper.  Add spaghetti and toss.  Add to skillet and shake pan to evenly distribute mixture.  Using a wooden spoon move the egg around in sections of the pan so more of the egg can cook.  When edges are set use the spoon or rubber spatula to move the egg away from the edge of pan and let more of the uncooked egg hit the pan.  Sprinkle the cheese throughout the eggs.

When eggs are set put a large plate over the frying pan and flip then slide the torta back into the pan so the other side cooks.  Cook for a couple of minutes until eggs are completely set.  (another option is to finish in the oven or under the broiler - be sure your pan is oven/broiler safe).

Sprinkle with basil and prosciutto. 

Prosciutto Crumbles 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees . Place the prosciutto slices on a  parchment lined baking sheet. Place in the oven and bake until firm, golden around the edges, and almost crisp, about 18 minutes. Set aside and let cool. Crumble in your hands and use for topping bruschetta, salads, pastas etc as you would do with bacon.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe.