Caramelized Onion-Grape Tomato Tart

This is my version of a recipe from The Pioneer Woman. Cooked crumbled bacon would be a terrific addition! (I omitted it only because we had this tart with grilled rib-eyes topped with lemon-blue cheese butter. Seemed a little over the top!)
1 round pie dough (homemade or purchased)
4 Tbsp. butter
1 red onion, cut in half and thinly sliced
Salt and pepper
4 oz. shredded Italian cheese blend
4 oz. shredded Swiss cheese
1 pint grape tomatoes, cut in half

1. Roll out pie dough, and shape to fit a half-sheet pan.
2. Meanwhile, melt butter over low heat in a large skillet; stir in sliced onion and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes or until onions are very soft.
3. Sprinkle cheeses over top of pie dough; top with caramelized onions and grape tomato halves. Use a pastry brush to spread remaining butter in onion pan around edges of crust.
4. Bake at 425° for 15 minutes or until crust is golden and cheese melts. Serve immediately or at room temperature.

Fresh Tomato Marinara Sauce

This recipe started with an experiment. One day this summer, I had a ton of tomatoes that had ripened at the same time and needed to do something with them fast. Canning wasn’t a timely option, so I decided to chop them up (no peeling) and freeze them. This morning, I sautéed onions and garlic and then added the frozen tomatoes to make a quick marinara sauce. A friend had given me a few green tomatoes this weekend, and I decided to chop and stir them in—they brighten the flavors of the frozen tomatoes. A quick puree with the immersion blender got rid of the pesky peels.

Fresh Tomato Marinara Sauce
2 onions, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp. olive oil
Salt
Black pepper
Basil
Oregana
Crushed red pepper
Fennel seeds
1 gal. chopped tomatoes
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1. Sauté onions and garlic in hot oil for 10 minutes or until onions are tender. Stir in salt and next 5 ingredients, and cook 1 minute. Add in the tomatoes, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. Use immersion blender to puree until smooth.  Stir in balsamic vinegar. Taste and add more seasonings, if necessary.

Pumpkin Stuffed Shells

Definitely try this recipe—even if you think it sounds weird! The pumpkin puree adds heft to the ricotta mixture, and you won’t miss the meat! This recipe has more pumpkin than the original. I served this at our church potluck today to rave reviews.
1 (12-oz.) box jumbo pasta shells
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 1/2 (15-oz.) cans pure pumpkin (about 1 1/2 cups pumpkin)
2 cups (16-oz.) ricotta cheese
1 egg
1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
3 large garlic cloves, minced
2 to 3 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh sage
Salt and pepper
1 (25-oz.) jar marinara sauce
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Cook shells according to package directions. Drain and allow to cool.
2. Combine olive oil, pumpkin, and next 7 ingredients. 

3. Pour marinara sauce into bottom of a 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Stuff shells with pumpkin mixture, and arrange on top of sauce in dish. Sprinkle stuffed shells with 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese. Cover with aluminum foil.
4. Bake, covered, at 350° for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

Spinach-and-Feta Pie

This is a variation on the Greek spanakopita from Cook’s Illustrated The Best International Recipe. It is labor intensive, but the taste is worth it!
1 lb. feta, crumbled
1 1/2 cups ricotta
4 eggs
2 Tbsp. dried dill
8 green onions, minced
Juice from 1 lemon
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
3/4 tsp. salt
Pinch of pepper
30 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
Olive oil
1/2 lb. (14- x 9-inch) phyllo, thawed in fridge 24 hours
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. Combine feta and next 9 ingredients in a bowl. Stir in spinach until thoroughly combined.
2. Lightly brush a 13- x 9-inch baking dish with olive oil; place 1 phyllo sheet in dish. Brush thoroughly with oil, and repeat procedure with 7 sheets of phyllo. Spread half of spinach mixture evenly over phyllo. Cover with 4 additional sheets of phyllo, brushing each with oil.
3. Spoon remaining spinach mixture evenly over phyllo. Cover with 7 more sheets of phyllo, brushing each with oil and sprinkling Parmesan cheese over each (do not sprinkle cheese on top layer). Press phyllo down with hands to release any air pockets. Lightly score top in squares for serving with a sharp knife.
4. Bake at 400° for 30 to 35 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Cut into squares, and serve.

Zucchini-Feta Fritters

This recipe is from Cook’s Illustrated The Best International Recipe. The key to crispy fritters is squeezing all the liquid from the zucchini. These are terrific served hot or at room temperature.
1 lb. zucchini, trimmed
1 tsp. salt
8 oz. feta, crumbled
2 green onions, minced
2 tsp. dried dill
2 eggs
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Canola oil
1 lemon, cut into wedges

1. Shred zucchini with a box grater or with the shredding disk of a food processor. Toss zucchini with salt. Let stand in a colander for 10 minutes. Place zucchini in a kitchen towel, and squeeze thoroughly to remove as much liquid as possible.
2. Combine zucchini, feta, and next 6 ingredients. Heat oil to depth of 1 inch in Dutch oven. Scoop  batter into hot oil, and press lightly with spoon. Cook, in batches, 3 minutes per side or until golden and crisp. Drain on paper towels. Squeeze with lemon juice before serving.

Fried Ravioli With Simple Tomato Sauce

Serve with Caprese salad and bread.

1 onion, chopped
Olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh oregano
Salt and pepper
1 package frozen cheese ravioli
Canola oil

1. Sauté onion in hot oil, stirring often, 10 minutes or until onion is tender. Stir in garlic, and cook 1 more minute. Stir in balsamic vinegar and next 3 ingredients. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes. Use immersion blender to puree mixture until smooth. Simmer for 5 more minutes.

2. Meanwhile, pour 1 inch canola oil into bottom of Dutch oven. Heat oil, and fry ravioli, in batches, until they begin to turn golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Serve with tomato sauce.

Roasted Tomato Soup

This is probably the easiest soup in the world. Andy and I are both a little under the weather, and soup was very appealing for dinner. I had four fresh tomatoes (the last ones from this year’s farmers market basket season) and decided to turn them into soup. To keep standing at the stove to a minimum, I roughly chopped the tomatoes and an onion and roasted them with a little olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, basil, and oregano. Once the onion was soft, I puree the whole thing with one of my favorite tools, the immersion blender. Some homemade croutons and freshly grated Parmesan cheese were all this delicious soup needed. Enjoy!

Roasted Tomato Soup
4 tomatoes, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 to 3 garlic cloves, depending on size
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Basil
Oregano
1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

1. Place tomatoes and next 2 ingredients on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt, pepper, basil, and oregano. Drizzle with vinegar. Toss mixture to coat.
2. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until onion is softened. Pour mixture into a heat-proof bowl, and puree with an immersion blender till smooth. Serve immediately.

Chicken Parmesan and Eggplant Parmesan

Tonight two friends from church came for dinner, and I decided to serve chicken Parmesan and eggplant Parmesan. But it was time to update my original recipe, posted in 2008. The simple tomato sauce that tops the main dish has a new twist as well. On the side, we had risotto and roasted broccoli (omit the nuts and cheese), which were a nice complement. Enjoy!

Chicken Parmesan
All-purpose flour
Salt and pepper

Buttermilk

1 lb. chicken tenders, pounded flat

Canola oil
Simple Tomato Sauce (see below)
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. Combine flour, salt, and pepper in a shallow dish. Pour buttermilk into another dish. Dredge chicken in flour mixture and then buttermilk; repeat procedure.
2. Cook chicken in hot oil 5 minutes on each side or until crispy and done. Drain on paper towels, and keep warm in a 200° oven. To serve, top each piece of chicken with tomato sauce, and sprinkle with cheese.

Eggplant Parmesan
Salting the eggplant and letting it stand removes the bitter taste sometimes associated with the vegetable.

1 eggplant, sliced

Salt

All-purpose flour

Homemade breadcrumbs

Pepper

Buttermilk

Canola oil

Simple Tomato Sauce (see below)

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. Place eggplant on a layer of paper towels; sprinkle with salt. Let stand 30 minutes; rinse eggplant. Place, opposite side up, on another layer of paper towels, and sprinkle with salt. Let stand 30 minutes; rinse and pat dry. 

2. Combine flour, salt, and pepper in a shallow dish. Pour buttermilk into another dish. Dredge eggplant in flour mixture and then buttermilk; repeat procedure.

3. Cook eggplant in hot oil 3 minutes on each side or until crispy and done. Drain on paper towels, and keep warm in a 200° oven. To serve, top each piece of eggplant with tomato sauce, and sprinkle with cheese.

Simple Tomato Sauce

1 onion, chopped

Olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

2 cans diced tomatoes

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh oregano

1 Tbsp. sugar

Salt and pepper

1. Sauté onion in hot oil, stirring often, 10 minutes or until onion is tender. Stir in garlic, and cook 1 more minute. Stir in balsamic vinegar and next 4 ingredients. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes. Use immersion blender to puree mixture until smooth. Simmer for 5 more minutes. Serve with chicken and eggplant.

Corn-Tomato Sauté

This recipe is totally made up. I took inventory of the vegetables in the fridge and on the windowsill, and this was the result. It was a great complement to this dish. The fresh flavors worked perfectly together. Black beans would be a great addition. If you wanted to make it a main dish, add sliced grilled steak or chicken. Enjoy!

Corn-Tomato Sauté
1 onion, chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
Olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
3 ears corn, kernels cut off
Salt and pepper
2 to 3 tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. chile powder
Juice from 1 lime
1 avocado, cut into cubes
1/4 cup feta
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

1. Sauté onion and bell pepper in hot oil for 5 to 10 minutes or until vegetables begin to soften. Add in garlic, and cook 1 minute. Add in corn, and season with salt and pepper. Stir in tomatoes and next 3 ingredients. Cook for 5 more minutes or until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat, and stir in avocado and remaining ingredients.

Ratatouille Gratin

The Southern girl in me would like to say that this recipe is really a vegetable casserole with a fancy name! Ratatouille, according to Food Lover’s Companion, is a popular dish from Provence that combines eggplant, tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, zucchini, garlic, and herbs—all simmered in olive oil. We eat ratatouille a lot in the summer because it makes good use of the plethora of produce in my farmers market basket. Tonight as I prepared dinner, it occurred to me that adding homemade croutons to the top would make it even better (hence the “gratin”). I used homemade wheat bread cut into chunks, and the nutty-sweetness was a nice complement to the veggies. My next idea is to reinvent the leftovers by tossing them with cooked pasta. Bread and pasta in the same dish—how could you go wrong?

Ratatouille Gratin
This ratatouille deviates from the traditional because I omitted the eggplant (there was none in my basket this week).
1 onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, cut into chunks
2 garlic cloves, minced
Olive oil
1 to 2 zucchini, cut into chunks
1 to 2 yellow squash, cut into chunks
1 (14.5-oz.) can diced tomatoes (2 large tomatoes, cut into chunks, may be substituted)
2 tsp. herbs de Provence
1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 Tbsp. butter

Whole-wheat bread, cut into chunks
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. Sauté onion and bell pepper in hot oil for 10 minutes or until vegetables soften. Add in garlic, and cook 1 more minute. Stir in zucchini and next 4 ingredients. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes or until mixture begins to break down. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Meanwhile, melt butter in olive oil in an oven-proof skillet. Add bread chunks, and season with salt and pepper. Cook until all liquid is absorbed. Transfer pan to oven, and bake at 400° for 10 to 15 minutes or until bread is crusty.
3. Pour vegetable mixture into a baking dish. Top with croutons, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes.

Loaded-With-Veggies Salad

This recipe is the result of my need to clean out the fridge and the pantry. Don’t be grossed out—the combination is delicious! The salad features grilled eggplant, artichoke hearts, olives, tomatoes, chopped cucumbers, minced red onion, red bell pepper, and feta. The dressing is simply a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Fresh oregano rounded out the flavors. Enjoy!

Loaded-With-Veggies Salad
This would be delicious paired with pasta.
Grilled eggplant chunks
1 jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained
2 small cucumbers, chopped
1 red bell pepper, cut into chunks
1/4 cup kalamata olives
2 to 3 tomatoes, chopped
2 Tbsp. diced red onion
1/2 cup feta
Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp. fresh oregano
Salt and pepper

1. Combine eggplant and next 7 ingredients. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar; sprinkle with oregano. Season with salt and pepper. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Grilled Eggplant Gratin

Okay, this is not a traditional gratin—it's more of a casserole, but Andy is opposed to that word. A gratin traditionally has a crispy, cheesy topping, and this does apply. I love eggplant and was so excited to have one in my farmers market basket last week. I was inspired by an eggplant lasagna my friend Cindy brought to church last month. The eggplant is paired with a simple and super-quick tomato sauce. Those ingredients are layered with ricotta and Parmesan cheese—delicious!

Grilled Eggplant Gratin
It is important to salt the sliced eggplant, and let it stand for about 30 minutes; then rinse it off, and pat dry. This removes any bitterness.
Olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced

3 (14.5-oz.) cans diced tomatoes

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh oregano
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp. fennel seeds
1 eggplant, sliced, salted, and rinsed
1 cup ricotta cheese
Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup Italian-blend shredded cheese

1. Sauté onion in hot oil 5 minutes or until onion begins to soften. Stir in garlic, and cook 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes and next 6 ingredients. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Use an immersion blender to puree mixture until smooth. Cook until thoroughly heated.
2. Meanwhile, place eggplant on a grill pan drizzled with a little olive oil. Sprinkle eggplant with salt and pepper. Grill for 2 to 3 minutes per side.
3. In a baking dish, ladle in enough tomato sauce to cover bottom of dish. Top with a layer of grilled eggplant. Spread half of ricotta over top. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers once. Then top with remaining tomato sauce, and sprinkle with additional Parmesan and shredded cheese.
4. Bake at 400° for 25 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Roasted Zucchini

Because of all the fabulous produce that came in my farmers market basket this week, I decided an updated veggie plate was in order for dinner tonight. We had potato galette, green beans with bacon, fried green tomatoes, and roasted zucchini and bell pepper. Enjoy!

Roasted Zucchini and Bell Pepper

3 zucchini, cut into strips

1 bell pepper, cut into strips
Olive oil
Salt

Pepper

Herbs de Provence

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. Place zucchini and bell pepper on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and next 2 ingredients.

2. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender and begin to caramelize. Toss with Parmesan cheese just before serving. 

Vegetable Mexican Lasagna

This delicious recipe is based on chef Marcela Valladolid's pastel Azteca, which I saw on the Food Network a couple of weeks ago. I varied the technique and ingredients a bit. The first time I served it was to our church group as part of a meatless meal. Tonight we had it as a side to fried chicken. I made my own corn tortillas, but you can use purchased ones. Also, vary the amounts to fit the size pan you plan to use. Enjoy!

Vegetable Mexican Lasagna
2 or 3 zucchini, cut into chunks
2 summer squash, cut into chunks
2 or 3 ears corn, kernels cut off the cobs
1 bell pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
Olive oil
2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. dried or 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and pepper
Salsa or pico de gallo
Corn tortillas
Sour cream
Shredded cheese

1. Sauté zucchini and next 4 ingredients in hot oil for 5 minutes or until vegetables start to soften. Season with cumin, cilantro, salt, and pepper. Cook 1 more minute.
2. In a baking dish, spoon salsa to cover bottom of dish. Layer with tortillas, and top with a thin layer of sour cream and cheese. Spoon half of zucchini mixture over cheese. Top with salsa, and repeat layers with remaining ingredients.
3. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Serve immediately.

Bruschetta Pizza

The inspiration came from a dish I saw on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives.  Bruschetta is a traditional tomato-based topping for toasted bread slices. Using pizza crust, rolled very thin in cornmeal, makes it even better. The combination of tomatoes, garlic, red onion, feta, and fresh herbs works beautifully. This makes a lovely appetizer or main dish when served with a salad. Enjoy!

Bruschetta Pizza
1 pizza dough round
Cornmeal
4 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
10 yellow cherry tomatoes, halved
2 Tbsp. finely minced red onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh oregano

1. Roll out dough on a surface dusted with cornmeal, and place on baking sheet. Evenly sprinkle crust with tomatoes and next 3 ingredients. Drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and fresh herbs.
2. Bake at 425° for 10 to 15 minutes or until done. Cut into triangles or squares.

How-to: Dried Beans

Confession: I’ve never cooked with dried beans; canned ones are my default. Recently I noticed how much cheaper the dried variety is than the canned ones and decided it was time to try. I bought a 2-pound bag for about $1. 50. After doing a little research, I chose to cook mine following the “quick soaking” method. In this case, “quick” means that you don’t have to soak the beans overnight, but you still have to plan ahead to make sure they are ready for dinner. With the soaked beans, we had this recipe for dinner (served with grits instead of rice), and then I was able to freeze two more meals of the mixture. Enjoy!

Dried Beans
1 lb. dried beans, rinsed and sorted (don’t skip this step—I found a pebble in mine)
Water
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper

1. Place beans in a Dutch oven. Add hot water to cover, plus 2 inches. Bring mixture to a boil; boil 2 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand for 1 hour. Drain and rinse beans. Use as you would canned beans. (Note: You may have to add more liquid to recipes than you normally would for canned beans.)

Menu 19: Calabacitas Quesadillas

Tonight I used calabacitas to make quesadillas. You don’t get any easier than layering tortillas with shredded cheese and sautéed veggies. Black Bean Salad was the perfect accompaniment. Enjoy!

Menu 8: Zucchini-Tomato Pie

In the summer when tomatoes are at their peak, we eat this pie a lot! As the weather has warmed up, we have been craving summer food, so I came up with this variation that uses plum tomatoes. Zucchini makes a delicious partner. Chopped cooked bacon would be a good addition to the zucchini-tomato mixture. Enjoy!


Zucchini-Tomato Pie
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 zucchini, chopped

2 tsp. olive oil

6 plum tomatoes, chopped
Salt and pepper
2 to 3 tsp. herbs de Provence
1/2 cup garlic-herb cream cheese (I used 6 Laughing Cow cheese wedges.)

1 deep-dish piecrust

Shredded Italian-cheese blend

1. Sauté onion and zucchini in hot oil for 5 minutes. Add in tomatoes, salt, pepper, and herbs de Provence. Cook for 10 minutes; stir in garlic-herb cream cheese. Pour mixture into piecrust.
2. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with shredded cheese, and bake for 5 more minutes or until cheese is golden.

Roasted Tomatoes with Risotto Cakes

My in-laws are in town to help us with our house project. After working on the roof all day, dinner needed to come together fast! My solution: Use leftover risotto cakes from supper club as the base for very easy Roasted Tomatoes. (I used grape tomatoes because it’s winter and other tomatoes are tasteless.) The combination was delicious and, best of all, was on the table in about 30 minutes. Enjoy!

Roasted Grape Tomatoes
2 pints grape tomatoes
3 garlic cloves, chopped
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

1. Place tomatoes in a baking dish; sprinkle with chopped garlic, salt, and pepper. Drizzle tomatoes evenly with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
2. Bake at 400° for 20 to 25 minutes or until tomatoes are softened.

Pappa al Pomodoro

This fancy-sounding soup recipe is from Barefoot Contessa: Back to Basics. Don’t be fooled—it’s basically tomato soup made thick and creamy with the addition of ciabatta bread; the mixture is pureed until smooth. Red wine, which I don’t use in my basic tomato soup recipe, adds a nice depth of flavor. Andy and I both really liked it, so this may be our new standby on a cold winter night. Enjoy!

Pappa al Pomodoro
2 onions, chopped
2 carrots, thinly sliced
1 fennel bulb, chopped

Olive oil

Salt and pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 (16-oz.) loaf ciabatta bread, cut into cubes
2 (28-oz.) cans crushed tomatoes
1 (32-oz.) carton chicken broth
1/2 cup red wine
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
Parmesan cheese

Toasted ciabatta slices

1. Sauté onions and next 2 ingredients in hot oil for 10 to 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add in garlic, and cook for 5 more minutes. Add in ciabatta cubes, and cook for 5 more minutes. Stir in tomatoes and next 3 ingredients. Reduce heat to low, and cook for 15 minutes.

2. Use immersion blender to puree soup until smooth. Ladle into bowls, and top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Serve with ciabatta slices.