Speaking of Tomatoes...

(Originally posted on Tuesday, October 26, 2010)

So speaking of tomatoes....I have been trying to use up my little garden babies before they all go bad. Two great solutions: roasting them and freezing them! Then you can preserve the delicious flavor, save a little money, and utilize your homegrown produce. I have one recipe for each! For the first recipe I used roasted tomatoes, which are one of the most wonderfully flavorful and delicious things on the planet. To roast tomatoes, cut lengthwise and place in a bowl. Add a few tablespoons olive oil, some salt, pepper, sugar, and oregano and give a good toss. Then on a cookie sheet lined with foil place tomatoes cut side up. For this batch, I slow roasted them, which really intensifies the flavor. I roasted them at 200 degrees for about 6 hours. You can store these in an airtight container in the refrigerator and serve them on salads, or use them in recipes.
If you don't have time to slow roast them you can broil them like in the roasted tomato soup recipe.
Now on to the featured recipe.... When I was blog surfing the other day I found this recipe on one of my favorite blogs, Design Sponge. I knew it was right up my alley and that I could use my garden babies to make a tasty meal. The recipe calls for taleggio cheese, which I have never tried, but it sounded expensive! ha ha. So I used mozzarella instead. The creme fraiche was really what sold me on making this recipe. If you have never tried it, try it! It is so decadent! (but also a bit of a splurge in more ways than one I am sure) I modified this recipe also by adding less cheese. I generally do that just to make things a bit healthier.
You could use this recipe as a base to make all kinds of culinary delights. Think of switching up the cheeses and adding different ingredients in the stuffing. Goat cheese with mushroom would be nice. Or maybe you could try brie and apple. Or prosciutto and smoked mozzarella, or good old fashion ham and cheddar. Oh so many choices. The crust was really flaky and tasty. If you are really pressed for time and want to make this a week day meal perhaps you could use pre-made bread dough, but that takes all the fun out of it!!!
Taleggio and Spinach Roulade (serves 6)
Dough Ingredients

• 160 ml (2/3 cup) full-fat milk
• 2 tsp dried active yeast
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 3½ tbsp sunflower oil
• 1 whole medium egg
• 1 egg yolk
• ½ tsp salt
• 350 g (3 cups minus one tablespoon) strong white flour (bread flour)

Filling Ingredients

• 80 g (3 ounces) crème fraiche
• ½ tsp salt
• 100 g (3.5 ounces) baby spinach leaves
• 20 g (1 ounce) basil leaves
• 100 g (3.5 ounces) Pecorino cheese, grated
• 250 g (9 ounces) Taleggio cheese, sliced (or substitute with a mixture of cheddar and mozzarella)
• 100 g (3.5 ounces) semi-dried marinated tomatoes

To Finish

• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 handful of poppy seeds

Instructions
1. In a small saucepan, warm up the milk very slightly, just to about 30°C/85°F. Add the yeast and stir to dissolve. Set aside for about 10 minutes to activate the yeast.
2. Place the rest of the dough ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add the yeast and milk and work with a dough hook on slow speed for about 2 minutes. Increase to high speed and knead for another 7 minutes, by which point the dough should become a smooth, shiny ball (this process could also be done by hand; you will probably need to knead the dough for an extra 5–10 minutes).
3. Transfer the dough to a large bowl brushed with a little oil. Cover the bowl with a wet cloth and put it somewhere warm. After about 45 minutes, once the dough has doubled in size, line a 30 cm x 40 cm (roughly 12 in. x 16 in.) oven tray with greaseproof paper.
4. Transfer the dough to a work surface dusted very lightly with flour and roll it out thinly so it reaches the size of the tray. Line the tray with the dough, pulling it right out into the corners. Cover with the tea towel again and leave for 30 minutes.
5. Once the rolled-out dough has risen significantly, cover it with the filling. Use a palette knife to spread the crème fraiche all over the surface, sprinkle salt and then scatter the spinach, basil, Pecorino, Taleggio and tomatoes.
6. Carefully pick up one of the longer sides of the dough and roll and push it all up into a neat spiral log shape. Stand the log on the seam so it doesn’t unravel when baked. Cover the tray in the tea towel again and leave for another 30 minutes.
7. Preheat the oven to 200°C/390°F .
8. Brush the roulade’s surface gently with the beaten egg and then scatter on the poppy seeds. Make sure the oven has reached 200°C/390°F and then put the tray inside. After 10 minutes, reduce the temperature to 160°C/320°F.
9. Continue baking for roughly 25 minutes. Don’t worry if the roulade breaks or cracks a little. When ready, it should have taken on a nice dark brown color. Stick a sharp knife inside to check. It should come out with some melted cheese but no dough.
10. Remove the roulade from the oven, allow it to cool down a little (or completely) and cut into thick slices. Serve immediately with a salad.
This recipe originally appeared on Waitrose.com in May 2008.

Read more at Design*Sponge http://www.designspongeonline.com/2010/10/in-the-kitchen-with-yotam-ottolenghis-taleggio-roulade.html#ixzz13VOr34un

Techniques: Freezing Tomatoes
I got the idea for freezing tomatoes from my Everyday Food magazine.

The information below came from the National Center for Home Food Preservation. Check out the website here. They have all kinds of good ideas for preserving food.

Preparation--Select firm, ripe tomatoes with deep red color.

Raw--Wash and dip in boiling water for 30 seconds to loosen skins. Core and peel. Freeze whole or in pieces. Pack into containers, leaving 1-inch headspace. Seal and freeze. Use only for cooking or seasoning as tomatoes will not be solid when thawed.

Juice--Wash, sort, and trim firm, vine-ripened tomatoes. Cut in quarters or eigths. Simmer 5-10 minutes. Press through a sieve. If desired, season with 1 teaspoon salt to each quart of juice. Pour into containers, leaving headspace. Seal and freeze.

Stewed--Remove stem ends, peel and quarter ripe tomatoes. Cover and cook until tender (10-20 minutes). Place pan containing tomatoes in cold water to cool. Pack into containers, leaving headspace. Seal and freeze.

Now on to the featured recipe. I know I have a tendency for posting complex recipes. That is just what I enjoy making the most! But this recipe is easy peasy and super cheap. It comes from Everyday Food, one of my favorite sources for delicious and easy recipes. The only thing I modified was that I added mushrooms just because they are delicious. We served it over rice.

Chicken in Tomatoes

This recipe for chicken in tomatoes was created with frozen summer produce, but if you just can't wait, fresh will work just as well.

Read more at marthastewart.com: Chicken in Tomatoes - Martha Stewart Recipes

Ingredients:

2 pounds frozen tomatoes (4 cups), thawed
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (1 1/2 pounds total)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced (1 cup)
3 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
3 sprigs oregano

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a food processor, pulse tomatoes until coarsely chopped. In a large ovenproof skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Season chicken with salt and pepper and cook, skin side down, until golden and crisp, about 7 minutes. Flip and cook 1 minute. Transfer chicken to a plate and drain all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet. Reduce heat to medium. Add onion to skillet and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Add tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, and bring to a boil.

Add chicken, skin side up, and oregano, then transfer skillet to oven. Cook until chicken is cooked through, 25-30 minutes.

Side Dishes--Tomatoes!

(Originally posted on Sunday, October 2, 2010)

Isn't is always so sad when tomato season ends? There's nothing better than that first ripe tomato on the vine. Then, of course, it's so great when your tomato plants have so many tomatoes that you simply have to share them because you can't eat them all by yourself. And when it comes to simple, yet satisfying meals, is anything better than a tomato sandwich or a BLT?

If you've never had a tomato sandwich, it's so easy. Here's what you do:

1.) Toast two pieces of whole wheat bread (trust me, there's something superior about the taste of whole wheat over white bread when it comes to these sandwiches).

2.) Slice 1-2 home-grown tomatoes.

3.) Butter the insides of the toasted bread and sprinkle the bread with salt and pepper to your taste.

4.) Top the bread with the sliced tomatoes and sprinkle the tomatoes with salt and pepper to your taste. Top with the other slice of bread.

You're all done! Eat and enjoy!

As for BLT's, if you don't know what to do, here's how it goes: toast two slices of white bread. Spread the bread with a little mayonnaise and mustard, if you like. Top the bread with lettuce, tomato slices, and 1-2 slices of bacon. Yum!

But this post isn't about tomato sandwiches...it's about tomato side dishes. Which leads us to one of my all-time favorite tomato side dishes...caprese salad. Caprese salad is a little taste of summer--Italian-style. Could anything be better than the combination of tomatoes, basil, fresh mozzarella, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and salt and pepper? Besides, it even celebrates the colors of Italy's flag! It is pictured above without the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and salt and pepper (I wanted you to see the vibrant colors of the salad). It is pictured right above the recipe with all of the ingredients present. I have also included an easy way to turn caprese salad into an appetizer.

But that's not all! I'm also sharing a super easy and satisfying cherry tomato salad that can be made with grape or cherry tomatoes (thus making it available all year long). If you call this number within the next half hour, I'll double the offer and add two more tomato side dishes at no additional cost! Oh wait, sorry. They show way too many infomercial-style commercials on the Sprout kids channel that my son watches Sesame Street on from time to time! I'll include the last two tomato side dishes without you even having to lift a finger. The third side dish is a Creole-style side dish and it is very flavorful. The final side dish packs a nice vinegary punch!

I hope you like them!


Caprese Salad

Ingredients:

6 medium to large tomatoes (preferably home-grown), sliced
12 oz fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
1/2 cup basil leaves (can be whole or thinly sliced)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/8 cup balsamic vinegar (or balsamic glaze)
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Alternately layer tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil in a serving dish of your choice. Drizzle olive oil and balsamic vinegar over all. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, to taste.

Source: Gosh, this recipe has been around for at least a couple hundred years. There are probably so many versions of this that it would be hard to pin down one source of origin.

Notes: We usually make this for quite a crowd, so I usually double or triple the recipe above. Once you have made this enough times, you can eyeball the amounts. Use less or more olive oil or balsamic vinegar to suit your tastes.

Caprese Appetizer: If you would like to make this recipe appetizer-friendly, try the following:

Use grape tomatoes instead of sliced tomatoes and bocconcini (marinated mozzarella balls) or cubed mozzarella instead of the sliced mozzarella. Slice the grape tomatoes in half. Then, using toothpicks, spear the bottom of the tomato, followed by the bocconcini or cubed mozzarella, then a small basil leaf, and finally finish with the top of the tomato. Repeat to make as many appetizers as you would like. Place the appetizers on a serving plate and drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Cherry Tomato Salad

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

In a medium bowl, whisk together vinegar, olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper until combined and thickened. Add tomatoes, red onion, and parsley; toss to combine all ingredients.

Source: This is a recipe I found on the Martha Stewart website.

Notes: I like to double or triple this recipe for a large crowd, but that's the only change I make. Seriously, this is a perfect recipe. Easy and yummy!

Creole Tomato Salad

4 Servings

Ingredients:

Salad:

3 ripe tomatoes, sliced into 1/4 inch slices
1 Vidalia or other sweet onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh mint
2 teaspoons chopped fresh chives

Vinaigrette:

4 teaspoons olive oil
4 teaspoons red-wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh garlic

Directions:

To prepare salad, alternate tomato and onion slices on a platter. Sprinkle with salt. Top with mint and chives.

To prepare vinaigrette, combine oil, vinegar, mustard, and garlic in a jar. Cover tightly; shake vigorously. Drizzle vinaigrette over salad and serve at room temperature.

Nutrition information: 73 calories, 4.8 g fat, 1.4 g protein, 7.5 g carbohydrates, 1.5 g fiber, 0.0 mg cholesterol, 0.6 mg iron, 185 mg sodium, 13 mg calcium.

Source: MyRecipes.com

Notes: This side pairs very nicely with my mom's Cajun lasagna (I'll have to get her to post that one soon).

Tomato, Cucumber, and Onion Salad

Ingredients:

2-3 tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 cucumber, thinly sliced
1 white onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup white wine vinegar or distilled white vinegar
Salt, to taste

Directions:

Alternately layer tomatoes, cucumber, and onion into a shallow serving dish (preferably with a lid). Sprinkle with salt and pour vinegar over all. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Source: I don't remember where we got this recipe from. It's a pretty basic recipe with a lot of variations and sources.

Notes: If you like salt and vinegar potato chips, you're going to love this side dish. This side dish has a definite kick and it might make your lips pucker, but it sure is good!

Salads with Fruit!

(Originally posted on Friday, October 15, 2010)

Now, I'm not talking about fruit salads...I'm talking about savory salads that happen to have fruit in them.

I like my salads to have a lot of "junk" in them (by "junk," I don't mean unhealthy ingredients...I mean a LOT of ingredients--like fruits, vegetables, and nuts). A salad with simply lettuce and maybe a few tomatoes and some dressing gets a little boring for me. Now, don't get me wrong, I love a nice garden salad...but a garden salad to me is a salad that has lettuce, tomato, cucumbers, croutons, bell peppers, shredded carrots, peas, beets, and then dressing.

The first salad is a relatively new discovery and it is perfect for fall because it features some lovely fall fruits--such as apples and pears. The next salad has a yummy combination of strawberries, kiwifruits, and macadamia nuts (an old family favorite). The final salad is a spinach salad with strawberries and dill. Because of the strawberries, the last two salads are more summer friendly (unless you want to shell out the big bucks for strawberries and kiwifruits when they aren't in season!).

I must apologize that I currently only have a picture of the first salad...but as soon as I get a chance to make the other two salads again, I'll photograph them and add them to this post as well. (Which I am also doing for all of our past posts, by the way. If I didn't have a picture originally, I am adding pictures to our blog when I make the recipes again. So go back and take a look!)


Lori Cannon's Cashew Salad

Ingredients:

Salad:

3 romaine lettuce hearts, chopped
4 cups cashews
1 6-oz. bag dried cranberries
2 apples, chopped
2 pears, chopped
4 oz. Swiss cheese, cubed

Dressing:

3/4 cup canola oil (see notes)
2/3 cup sugar (see notes)
1 Tbsp red onion, finely grated
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp poppy seeds
1 tsp ground mustard
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

Directions:

Prepare dressing the day before by combining all dressing ingredients. Combine all salad ingredients and toss with dressing immediately before serving.

Makes 12 servings.

Source: From the Worldwide Ward Cookbook by Deanna Buxton, recipe submitted by Jerrie Madison of the Winchester Hills 2nd Ward in St. George, Utah.

Notes: This makes a massive salad. But in my opinion, it makes waaaaaay more salad dressing than you will ever need. I mean, who needs 2 cups of salad dressing! I would suggest slightly decreasing the oil and sugar. I would use 1/3-1/2 cup of canola oil and 1/3 cup sugar instead. Also, I would suggest tossing the salad in batches as needed. So, for instance, if you're only going to eat 1/3 of the salad that day, reserve the other 2/3 of the salad and toss what you plan to eat with enough dressing to coat the salad nicely. Then, the rest of the salad will still be fresh enough the next day and you can just toss it with some more dressing. Seriously, this salad doesn't keep for longer than one day once the dressing is added.

Macadamia, Strawberry, and Kiwi Salad

Ingredients:

1/4 cup white grape juice concentrate
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar or cider vinegar
2 teaspoons canola oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
10 cups torn mixed salad greens
8 large fresh strawberries, quartered
1 kiwifruit, peeled and sliced
2 tablespoons sliced green onion
2 tablespoons chopped macadamia nuts, toasted

Directions:

In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the first five ingredients; shake well. Refrigerate until serving. Set aside 2 tablespoons of dressing. Place the greens in a salad bowl and drizzle with remaining dressing. Top with strawberries, kiwi and onion; drizzle with reserved dressing. Sprinkle with nuts.

Yield: 8 servings

Nutrition information: One serving ( 1 1/4 cups) equals 67 calories, 3 g fat, 0 cholesterol, 165 mg sodium, 10 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 2 g protein.

Source: Taste of Home's Light and Tasty Annual Recipes 2002 cookbook (the recipe is called "Colorful Tossed Salad" in the book...which is why I always have a hard time finding it when I look for it!). Submitted by Lee Bremson, Kansas City, Missouri.

Notes: If you like more strawberries, kiwifruit, or macadamia nuts, by all means, add some more! I usually do! Also, add your own desired amount of dressing. Don't feel like you need to add it all. Or if you love a ton of dressing, double it!

Strawberry Spinach Salad
Ingredients:
8 cups torn fresh spinach or whole fresh baby spinach
2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon sunflower kernels
1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar or cider vinegar
4 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons snipped fresh dill or 1/2 teaspoon dill weed
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon ground mustard
Directions:
In a salad bowl, combine the spinach, strawberries, onion, sunflower kernels, and sesame seeds. In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the remaining ingredients; shake well. Pour over salad and gently toss to coat.
Serve immediately.
Yield: 8 servings
Nutrition information: one serving (1 cup) equals 68 calories, 4 g fat, 0 cholesterol, 61 mg sodium, 7 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 1 g protein.
Source: Taste of Home's Light and Tasty Annual Recipes 2002 cookbook. Submitted by Cathy Linzbach, East Grand Forks, Minnesota.
Notes: Again, add your own desired amount of dressing.

It's Greek to Me!

(Originally posted on Wednesday, October 13, 2010)

I love Greek food (surprised?). One of the fun things about Utah is the Greek Festival. It happens the first weekend of September every year. I haven't been able to go for about two years now (it's not really a baby friendly venue). The Greek Festival features music, dancing, fun things you can buy, and most of all...food.

I would be hard pressed to find a kind of Greek food that I don't like. Souvlaki, dolmathes, avgolemono soup, gyros, etc. Then, of course, there are the desserts: baklava and galaktoboureko stand out in my mind.

One of the main things that keeps me coming back to the Greek festival (at least food-wise) is the keftedes (also spelled keftethes) a.k.a. meatballs. They are to die for. They are so savory and flavorful and I can't get over the yummy combination of ground beef, garlic, and mint!

I have tried for years to find a recipe that even comes close to the meatballs they serve at the Greek Festival. And finally...I think this recipe comes pretty darn close! I used a recipe I found in a cookbook, but I altered it a little. I am including both versions (the recipe as is and my alterations). I still need to work on the red sauce (it's good, but it's not quite the same as the festival's recipe). You don't need to serve the meatballs with the sauce (they are great on their own), but I wanted it to come as close as possible to the Greek Festival version. I think you'll like it!

The potato side dish is one that my family discovered a couple of years ago when we had our own Greek Theme Night. Don't skimp on the lemon! It is the standout flavor of this dish.

Oh, and I hope I didn't tempt anyone too much, but the picture above features the meatballs, the lemon potatoes, and store-bought spanakopita (which I don't have a recipe for...sorry!). You can find spanakopita in the frozen section (if not at your grocery store, you can find it for sure at Costco or Sam's Club).

Also, though not pictured, I'm throwing in two Greek salad recipes. The first one is a basic Greek salad recipe of my own concoction with a South Beach salad dressing recipe. The second one is one that my dear friend, Krissy, served to me when I visited her on a trip to Florida many, many years ago!

Oh, and one final thing...I'm posting a recipe for Avgolemono Soup (Greek Lemon Soup) that my sister made long before we started our family food blog. That's right...I took it right off of her blog via cut and paste method (so that recipe is in her own words)! Bwa ha ha! Laurie, I hope that's okay with you!

At any rate...Opa!


Grecian Meatballs (recipe as originally printed)

Ingredients:

1 lb. lean, finely ground beef or lamb
1 medium onion
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 tbsp chopped fresh mint
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper
1 egg, beaten
olive oil, for brushing

Directions:

Put the ground beef or lamb in a bowl. Grate in the onion, then add the garlic, bread crumbs, mint, and parsley. Season well with salt and pepper. Mix the ingredients well, then add the beaten egg and mix to bind the mixture together.

With damp hands, form the mixture into 16 small balls and thread onto 4 flat metal skewers. Lightly oil a broiler pan and brush the meatballs with oil.

Preheat the broiler and cook the meatballs under medium heat for 10 minutes, turning frequently, and brushing with more oil if necessary, until browned.

Source: From the cookbook "Perfect Greek," published by Parragon in 2008. ISBN: 978-1-4054-8858-7

Grecian Meatballs (my version)

Ingredients:

4 lbs. ground beef
1 large onion, cut into quarters
4 large garlic cloves, peeled
2 cups Italian bread crumbs
4-6 Tbsp. chopped fresh mint
3 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
Salt and pepper, to taste
4 eggs

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Put the ground beef in a bowl. Place the onion, garlic cloves and 2 of the eggs into a blender. Blend until well combined. Pour the mixture into the bowl with the beef. Add the bread crumbs, mint, parsley, salt, and pepper. Beat the remaining eggs and add them to the bowl. Mix the ingredients together well (this works best using a kneading motion with your hands).

Form the mixture into balls (I ended up with 40 medium-sized meatballs). Place onto two jelly roll pans that have been covered with foil.

Cook the meatballs for 45-60 minutes (or until nicely browned and no longer pink in the middle). You can turn the meatballs once during cooking, if desired, but it is not necessary.

Serve with red sauce, if desired.

Notes: The Greek Festival meatballs are fairly bursting with flavor, so I made a few adjustments on the quantities. I also quadrupled the recipe (I have my reasons!). I didn't have any plain bread crumbs and rather than making my own, I simply used packaged Italian bread crumbs. I think this was serendipitous because it just boosted the flavor even more. It didn't make the meatballs taste Italian at all. It just deepened the flavor. Also, I started to grate the onion and I thought it was a pain, so I simply put it into the blender with the garlic. It infused the meatballs with flavor and was a whole lot easier for me! Oh, and meatballs are really freezer friendly. If you want to freeze some or all of the meatballs, place them on a foil-lined cookie sheet and put them in the freezer for a few hours (just until they are set and won't stick together if you place them in a bag). After the meatballs have frozen for a few hours, put them in a zip top freezer bag and label them (contents and date). Then, when you want to cook them, take out as many as you like, place them on a foil-lined cookie sheet and bake from frozen according to the recipe--only add 10-20 minutes to the cooking time. Watch carefully, so they don't get overdone. The red sauce is freeze-able too. Just freeze it separately in a plastic container.

Red Sauce for Meatballs

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon oregano
1 (8 oz) can tomato puree
1 (4 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (28 oz) can whole, peeled tomatoes

Directions:

In a pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic. Cook, stirring well, until fragrant (about 1 minute). Add oregano and cook for about 30 seconds to a minute. Add tomato puree, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and whole, peeled tomatoes. Break up whole, peeled tomatoes with the back of a spoon or cut up with kitchen sheers.

Simmer on low while meatballs cook (at least 30 minutes).

Source: My own mind.

Greek Lemon Potatoes

Ingredients:

2 lbs potatoes, unpeeled, washed, and cut into bite sized pieces
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 lemon, juiced and zest grated (see notes)
4 Tbsp. water
6 cloves garlic, peeled
4 bay leaved
2 rosemary sprigs (see notes)
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped (see notes)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 pinch sugar
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 Tbsp parsley, chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Line a 9x13 baking dish with tin foil. Place the cut potatoes into the baking dish.

Drizzle the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, and water over the potatoes. Place the garlic, bay leaves, rosemary, thyme, oregano, sugar, salt, and pepper on top of the potatoes.

Stir well to coat.

Bake the potatoes for 1-1 1/2 hours or until they are cooked through, tender, and slightly crispy.

Stir every now and then during cooking to coat with the herby oil.

Sprinkle with chopped parsley prior to serving.

Source: Darn it, I found this online at least four years ago and now I can't remember what recipe site I found it on. Sorry!

Notes: I didn't have fresh lemons on hand, so I used a liberal amount of bottled lemon juice (to make up for not having lemon zest). The dish was still yummy, but honestly, lemon is the star flavor of this dish. Don't substitute the fresh lemon for bottled juice! If you really love the flavor of lemon, I would recommend using the juice of two lemons and the zest of one. Also, in addition to peeling the garlic, I halved it as well.

As for the herbs, substituting dried herbs works just fine in this dish. I didn't have fresh rosemary, so I used 1 teaspoon dried and crushed it between my fingers as I sprinkled it over the potatoes. I also didn't have fresh thyme, so I used 1/4 teaspoon of dried thyme.



Basic Greek Salad

Ingredients:

1 large bunch Romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
1 cucumber (you can either peel, thickly slice, and quarter this, or simply slice it into rounds with the peel on)
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion, optional
1/2-1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup pitted, sliced kalamata olives
Whole or sliced banana peppers, optional
Favorite bottled or homemade Greek salad dressing (see notes)

Directions:

Combine and toss all ingredients together in a large bowl.

Note: If you would like to make your own Greek salad dressing, here's a simple recipe found in the South Beach Diet cookbook:

South Beach Greek Salad Dressing:

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Whisk all ingredients together. Makes enough dressing for 1 serving.

Mediterranean Greek Salad

Yields: 8 servings

Ingredients:

3 cucumbers, seeded and sliced
1 1/2 cups crumbled feta cheese
1 cup black olives, pitted and sliced
3 cups diced Roma tomatoes
1/3 cup diced oil packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained, oil reserved
1/2 red onion, sliced

Directions:

In a large salad bowl, toss together the cucumbers, feta cheese, olives, Roma tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, 2 tablespoons reserved sun-dried tomato oil, and red onion. Chill until serving.

Source: Allrecipes.com, submitted by Heather Shevlin

Avgolemono Soup

Before:
After: Yum!

Perhaps my favorite thing, second only to making art is making good food. I am constantly trying new recipes and creating some too. This is probably because my mom was always such a great cook, we rarely had the same meal twice (with the exception of some family favorites!) So I have decided to blog once a month about a recipe I have found or created that I think you should all try. This month the recipe is Avegolemono Soup also known as Greek Lemon Soup (Well that is what I call it :) ) I also wanted to use my hand made pottery that I made last summer in my ceramics class. For some reason, its always more fun to eat out of homemade dishes :) So you kind of get a double dose of art and food in this one. Lucky dogs.

This soup is SOOOOO fast easy (seriously 10 minutes) not to mention RIDICULOUSLY Cheap. You probably have all of the ingredients on hand . Plus I really think it would please even the pickiest of eaters. Yum yum yum. If you feel like spending more time in the kitchen serve them with some homemade pitas. I made these pitas a few weeks ago (from Cooking Light mag, one of my very favorite things, you can find the recipe online at myrecipes.com) and they were so delicious. This time I served the soup with a tossed salad and pomegranate tea.

Avgolemono Soup (Greek Lemon Soup)

Here is the recipe. I got it from a book Clint gave me, but I have modified it...

Ingredients:

3 pints chicken broth ( 3 16 oz cans)
2 eggs
2 Tbs lemon juice (or more depending on taste, I like things extra lemony)
about a cup of cooked rice or orzo pasta
one cooked chicken breast, shredded
parsley, chopped about 1/4 cup
salt, pepper to taste

Directions:

Bring broth to a boil, reduce to a simmer. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, lemon juice and salt and pepper. Add a small ladle of the soup to the egg mixture and whisk until well combined, then slowly add this mixture to the pot of the cooking broth. Whisk constantly until texture is smooth and egg is well integrated. Add chicken and rice cook on low for a few minutes, then add some fresh parsley. Yummmmmy!

Happy cooking!

Note: It is important to add a small ladle of soup to the egg mixture before adding the egg mixture directly to the soup. It tempers the egg mixture so that it doesn't cook immediately once it is added to the soup. If you add the egg mixture directly to the soup, it will end up more like Chinese egg noodle soup with string of egg throughout the soup rather than a silky, creamy texture as intended in this recipe.

Theme Nights--French Edition

(Originally posted on Wednesday, March 24, 2010)

My side of the family has been doing a Sunday theme night once a month where we choose a cuisine from around the world to focus on. For March, our theme was Irish cooking in honor of St. Patrick's Day. In February, our theme was French cooking in honor of Valentine's Day (because, as you know, French is "the international language...you know...LOVE, the language of love"--Better off Dead).

We discovered a number of fun recipes. We had some savory crepes for dinner, with some lovely French side dishes and some melt-in-your-mouth cream puffs for dessert.

I must note, however, that home-made crepes (while heavenly) take FOREVER to make. So, we opted for the pre-made crepes that can be bought in the refrigerated section of the grocery store. They aren't quite as good, but they're still good enough and they save a ton of time!

I hope you like our French night recipes!

Chicken, Mushroom, and Olive Crepes

Ingredients:

Crepes:

Note: If you don't have time to make your own crepes, you can find pre-made crepes in the refrigerated section of the supermarket.

1 1/4 cups flour
3 eggs
1 cup milk
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter

Filling:

1 cup cream of mushroom soup
1 can (4 oz) sliced mushrooms
1 tablespoon minced onion
2 cups chicken, cooked and chopped
1/4 cup stuffed green olives, chopped, optional

Topping:

1 cup cream of mushroom soup
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup Cheddar cheese, grated

Directions:

For crepes, blend batter and chill for one hour. Brush skillet with butter and cook crepes, 2 tablespoons of batter for each. Reserve cooked crepes.

Combine all ingredients for filling. Use 1 tablespoon filling for each crepe, fold in thirds and place in pan, seam side down.

For topping, combine all ingredients; cover crepes. Bake at 375 degrees F for 20 minutes or until heated through.

Makes 10-12 servings.

Nutrition information: 275 calories, 16 g fat, 788 mg sodium, 107 mg cholesterol.

Source: Deseret News recipe, submitted by Patty Howells.

Sausage-Filled Crepes

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

1 pound ground pork sausage
1 small onion, diced
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Sliced tomato

Crepes:

3 large eggs
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Filling:

Cook sausage and onion in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring until sausage crumbles and is no longer pink; drain well. Return sausage to skillet; add 1 cup Cheddar cheese, cream cheese, and marjoram, stirring until cheeses melt.

Spoon 3 tablespoons filling down center of each crepe.

Roll up, and place, seam side down, in a lightly greased 13x9 inch baking dish.

Bake, covered, at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes. Stir together sour cream and butter; spoon over crepes. Bake 5 more minutes. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup Cheddar cheese and parsley. Serve with sliced tomato.

Note: Crepes may be assembled and frozen. To reheat, let stand for 30 minutes at room temperature. Bake, covered, at 350 for 40 minutes. Proceed as direction.

Makes 6-8 servings.

Crepes:

Beat first 3 ingredients (eggs, milk, and vegegtable oil) at medium speed with an electric mixer until blended. Gradually add flour and salt, beating until smooth. Cover and chill 1 hour.

Coat bottom of a 7-inch nonstick skillet with melted butter; place skillet over medium heat until hot.

Pour 3 tablespoons batter into skillet; quickly tilt in all directions so batter covers bottom of skillet.

Cook 1 minute or until crepe can be shaken loose from skillet. Turn crepe over, and cook about 30 seconds. Place on a dish towel to cool. Repeat procedure with remaining batter. Stack crepes between sheets of wax paper.

Makes 12 (7 inch) crepes.

Source: MyRecipes.com website. It is a Southern Living recipe from their November 1998 magazine issue.

Cauliflower Gratin

Prep time: 5 minutes.
Cook time: 50 minutes.

Notes by the author (Rebecca Franklin): This recipe makes extra Bechamel sauce, which is perfect for drizzling on steamed vegetables.

Creamy and comforting, this cauliflower gratin recipe features a classic Bechamel sauce punched up by just a little bit of fresh thyme. This gratin is a classic at Provencal tables, and is often served for the traditional meatless Christmas Eve dinner, gros souper.

Ingredients:

1 large (3 pound) head of fresh cauliflower, cut into florets
5 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups milk
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 1/3 cups grated Gruyere cheese
1/3 cup dry, seasoned breadcrumbs
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish and set it aside. Steam the cauliflower in a large pot of boiling water fitted with a steamer basket for 5-7 minutes, until the florets are just tender. Rinse them in cold water, drain, and arrange them in a single layer in the buttered dish.

in a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and whisk in the flour until it forms a smooth paste. Continue whisking, cook for about 2 minutes, and then gradually - 1/3 cup at a time - add the milk. Continue whisking an dcook until the sauce is completely heated through, smooth, and thickened. Remove from the heat and season with salt, thyme, and nutmet.

Pour 2 cups of the Bechamel sauce over the steamed cauliflower and gently toss the florets to make sure they are thoroughly coated with the sauce. Bake the gratin, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Stir together the grated Gruyere cheese and breadcrumbs and sprinkle them over the gratin. Bake it for an additional 10-15 minutes, until the gratin is hot and bubbly and the cheese is melted and browned. Sprinkle the surface of the baked gratin with the ground pepper and serve hot.

Makes 8-10 servings.

Source: About.com, French Food webpage, Author: Rebecca Franklin.

Lemon Parsley Risoni

Prep time: 2 minutes
Cook time: 8 minutes

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked risoni (substitute orzo pasta, if you can't find risoni)
3 tablespoons mustard vinaigrette (recipe follows)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Ingredients:

Toss all of the ingredients together and chill for at least 1 hour before serving.

Variation: Add 6 ounces of canned tuna, drained, a 1 additional tablespoon of mustard vinaigrette to the salad.

Makes 4 servings.

Lemon Mustard Vinaigrette

Prep time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon zest
1 1/4 teaspoons fresh tarragon, chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 small garlic clove, crushed and finely chopped
1/3 cup olive oil

Directions:

Put all ingredients in a glass jar, seal with a lid, and shake until ingredients are well incorporated. Refrigerate leftover.

Makes 4 servings.

Source: About.com, French Food webpage, Author: Rebecca Franklin.

Cream Puffs (Pate a Choux)

Ingredients:

1 cup hot water
1/2 cup butter
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sifted flour
4 eggs
Pastry cream (recipe follows)

Directions:

bring water, butter, sugar, and salt to a rolling boil. Add 1 cup sifted flour all at once.

Beat vigorously with a wooden spoon until mixture leaves sides of pan and forms a smooth ball. Remove from heat. Quickly beat in eggs, one at a time, beating until smooth after each addition.

Continue beating until mixture is thick and smooth. Dough may be shaped and baked at once, or wrapped in waxed paper and stored in refrigerator overnight.

Force dough through a pastry bag or drop by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto a lightly greased baking sheet.

Bake large puffs at 450 degrees F for 15 minutes. Lower heat to 350 degrees and bake 20-25 minutes longer or until golden in color.

Bake small puffs at 450 degrees F 10 minutes. Lower heat to 350 degrees F and bake 5 minutes longer, or until golden in color.

Remove to rack and cool.

Cut off tops and fill shells with pastry cream. Replace tops and sprinkle with sifted confectioners' sugar.

French Pastry Cream

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup sifted flour
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cold milk
4 egg yolks, slightly beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

Scald 1 1/2 cups milk and set aside.

Sift together flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Add 1/2 cup cold milk, stirring well.

Gradually stir in scalded milk. Wash double boiler top to remove scum. Return mixture to double boiler top and place over direct heat. Stirring gently and constantly, bring milk mixture rapidly to boiling over direct heat and cook for 2 minutes.

Place over simmering water. Cover and cook about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Vigorously stir about 3 tablespoons of this hot mixture into the slightly beaten egg yolks.

Immediately blend into mixture in double boiler. Cook over simmering water for 3-5 minutes. Stir slowly to keep mixture cooking evenly. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla. Cover and cool. Chill in refrigerator.

Makes about 2 cups of pastry cream.

Variation: Follow the recipe above and...

Saint-Honore Cream

Follow recipe. Soften 1 tablespoon (1 envelope) unflavored gelatin in 1/4 cup cold water. Dissolve in completed, hot French Pastry Cream, stirring constantly. Cool completely. Beat 6 egg whites until frothy and gradually add 3 tablespoons sugar, beating well after each addition; beat until rounded peaks are formed. Fold beaten egg whites into cooled cream. Use to fill cream Puffs.

Makes about 5 cups Saint-Honore Cream.


Whoa...Did those cream puff fillings seem a little overwhelming? If so, try this much simpler cream puff filling...

Chantilly Cream (Basically Whipped Cream)

Ingredients:

1 cup chilled whipping cream
3 tablespoons sifted confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

Beat whipping cream in a chilled bowl with chilled beaters. Beat until cream stands in peaks when beater is slowly lifted upright.

Fold or beat confectioners' sugar and vanilla extract into whipped cream with final few strokes until blended.


Still too complicated?

You can simply use prepared vanilla pudding or vanilla ice cream as the filling for your cream puffs.

Source for cream puffs, French pastry cream, Saint-Honore cream, and Chantilly cream: These recipes were found in a very old cookbook that my mother had. It is called "The French Cookbook" compiled by Staff Home Economists Culinary Arts Institute, directed by Melanie de Proft. It is copyrighted 1955 by Book Production Industries, Inc.

I know! You're asking "What is her mother, who was born in 1958, doing with a cookbook that is older than she is?" The answer: "I have no idea, but I'm glad because those cream puffs were awesome!"