Pasta Sauce with Fresh Tomatoes

 I inherited a love of gardening from my dad and my grandma.  It occupies all of my spare time spring, summer and fall.  Every summer I wind up with an over-abundance of tomatoes and I think I've finally found the best possible way to make good use of them.  This pasta sauce is delicious served over spaghetti noodles or used in your best lasagna recipe.

1/4 cup olive oil
1 onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, smashed

4 lbs fresh tomatoes, quartered

8 oz baby bella mushrooms, sliced

1 Tbsp dried oregano

1 Tbsp dried parsley

1 Tbsp white sugar

1 tsp salt

Prep all of the ingredients.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion, garlic and mushrooms.  Cook and stir until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. 

Add the tomatoes, sugar, oregano, parsley and salt.  Stir well and bring to a boil.  

Cover and reduce heat to a simmer.  Stir occasionally until the sauce thickens, 30 - 40 minutes.  

Let the sauce cool and then pour into a mixing bowl.  Use an immersion blender to break down the chunks of vegetables and tomato skin.

Serve with your favorite pasta recipe.

Note:  This can be stored in freezer safe containers to be frozen for future use. 

Four-Ingredient Slow-Cooker Pot Roast

Pot roast is something that can be used in so many recipes.  It's easy, budget friendly, and tender.  When you use the slow cooker recipe it's a go-to dinner recipe.

1 ( 3 - 4 lb) chuck roast, trimmed
1 Tbsp canola oil
1 (12 oz) can of beer
1 envelope Italian dressing mix

Brown the roast in hot oil in a skillet over medium-high heat 3 - 5 minutes on each side.  

Transfer to a slow cooker.  

Whisk together beer and dressing mix.  Pour over roast.  

Cover and cook on low for  8 - 10 hours. 

Remove from slow cooker and shred. 

Skim fat from sauce; serve with roast.

 

Grilled Corn, Avocado and Tomato Salad

1 pint cherry tomatoes

1 ripe avocado

2 ears of fresh sweet corn

2 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

Remove husks from corn and grill over medium heat for 10 minutes.  The corn should have some brown spots and be tender and not mushy.  Cut the corn off the cob and then scrape the cob with the back of your knife to get the juices.  Set aside and let cool.  

Slice the tomatoes in half.  

Dice the avocado and chop the cilantro.

Dressing

Juice of 1 lime

3 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 Tbsp honey

Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

1 garlic clove, minced

Dash of cayenne pepper

Add all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and whisk to combine.  Set aside.  

Combine the sliced tomatoes, avocado, cilantro and grilled corn.  Mix gently so everything is evenly mixed.  Be careful not to mash the avocados.  Top with the dressing and let it sit 10 - 15 minutes to let the flavors mingle.  

Drunken Chicken

The name may be misleading, but this chicken is delicious!  I'm a lover of garlic, without a doubt and this recipe delivers in that department.  The drunken part points only to marinating it in a bottle of beer.  

8 chicken thighs, bone-in and skin-on

1 (12 oz) bottle beer

1 bulb garlic, whole and peeled (cloves separated)

2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp pepper

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

Place the chicken thighs in a plastic resealable bag.

In a small bowl, combine beer, garlic cloves, salt, garlic powder, paprika, and the pepper, stirring until the salt is dissolved.  

Pour the beer mixture into the bag over the chicken.  

Seal the bag and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Drain the chicken, reserving the garlic cloves.

Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat.  

Add the vegetable oil to the skillet; it should be just enough to coat the bottom.  

Add the chicken and brown on both sides, about 2 -3 minutes per side.

Position the chicken thighs in the skillet skin side up and place the garlic cloves around the chicken.  

Place the cast iron skillet in the oven and bake until the chicken is a deep golden bown and reaches an internal temp of 165, about 45 minutes.

Remove the chicken from the oven and allow it to rest for 15 minutes.  

Angel Shrimp

 Looking for a quick dinner idea that looks great and tastes delicious?  This is one of my go-to meals when I have unexpected company.

1 lb angel hair pasta

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 lb large shrimp (peeled and deveined)

4 cloves garlic (minced)

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1 lemon (zested and juiced)

1/2 cup dry white wine

5 Tbsp butter

1/4 cup parsley (chopped)

salt (to taste)

pepper (to taste)

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta according to package directions.  Drain and reserve one cup of the pasta water.  

Heat a 12" skillet over medium-high heat.

Add the oil and shrimp and saute until just cooked through (about 4 - 6 minutes).  Shrimp should be light pink.  

Transfer shrimp to a plate and set aside.  

Add the garlic and red pepper flakes to the same skillet, sauteing until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute.  

Add the lemon juice and the white wine to the garlic and raise the heat to high.  Let the wine mixture reduce for 2 - 3 minutes.  

Whisk the butter into the wine mixture and add the reserved pasta water and the cooked shrimp.

Transfer the skillet away from the heat.  Add the cooked pasta and the parsley into the skillet.  Toss to combine.  

Add the lemon zest to the pasta mixture.  Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.  

Serve immediately.

Herbed Yorkshire Puddings

Yorkshire Pudding -- the name is misleading.  It's not pudding at all.  It's more like a hollow biscuit.  I love it, and this is a good one!

1 1/2 cups milk

3 large eggs

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

2 Tbsp butter, melted and cooled slightly

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley

1 Tbsp finely chopped chives

1 1/2 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary

Vegetable oil for brushing

Put a 12 cup muffin pan in the oven and preheat to 400 degrees.  

Whisk the milk, eggs, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper in a large bowl.  Whisk in the melted butter, then whisk in the flour until smooth.  Stir in the parsley, chives and rosemary.  Let the batter sit at room temp for at least 10 minutes. 

Remove the hot muffin pan from the oven and generously brush each cup with vegetable oil.  Divide the batter among the cups, filling each about halfway (about 1/3 cup batter per cup).  Bake until the puddings rise and are deep golden brown, about 35 minutes.  Do not open the oven during baking.  

Let them cool 5 minutes in the pan and then remove them with a small spatula.  

Serve warm or at room temperature. 

BLT Salad Bites

Who hasn't figured out that I'm a Food Network fan?  

I get so many great ideas and recipes watching Food Network.  It's hard to find enough time to try all of the recipes I stash away and say I'll give this a try one day.  

Well, here's one that is perfect for your next summer picnic or potluck.

Chive Mayo

 1/4 cup mayo
2 Tbsp plain yogurt
1 tsp chopped fresh chives

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

BLT Salad Bites

3 oz pancetta, cut into small dice (you could use bacon)

1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp chopped fresh chives

1 tsp red wine vinegar

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

16 Little Gem lettuce leaves

For the chive may:  Mix together the mayo, yogurt, chives, lemon juice, mustard, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper in a small bowl; set aside.  (The may can be made a day ahead and refrigerated.)

For the BLT salad bites:  Saute the pancetta in a skillet over medium-high heat until crispy, 5 - 7 minutes.  Transfer to a plate.  

Combine the tomatoes, olive oil, chives, vinegar, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper in a medium bowl.  Let sit for 5 minutes. 

Arrange the lettuce leaves on a serving platter.  Spoon about 1 1/2 tsp of chive mayo onto the center of each leaf.  Top with about 1 Tbsp of the tomato mixture and some crispy pancetta.  Sprinkle with Parmesan. 

Brown Sugar & Spice Candied Bacon

I am a lover of all things bacon, and this Boar's Head recipe takes bacon to a whole different level!  This is absolutely delicious!!  And . . . it's super simple.

8 slices of thick-sliced bacon

2 Tbsp Boar's Head Brown Sugar & Spice Ham Glaze

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  

Lay bacon slices on a parchment lined baking sheet.  Bake for 20 - 25 minutes until the bacon starts to crisp.  

Drain the excess fat from the bacon and place a new sheet of parchment paper on the baking sheet.  

Place the bacon back onto the baking sheet.  Using a brush, lightly coat each piece of bacon with the ham glaze.  Flip the bacon and repeat on the second side.  

For best results, microwave the ham glaze for 10 seconds before brushing onto the bacon.

Bake for an additional 2 - 3 minutes until the glaze is bubbly.  

Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes.  

Enjoy!

 

Crostini with Thyme Roasted Tomatoes

4 plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise

Olive oil for drizzling

Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground pepper

1 - 2 tsp dried thyme

(8) 1/2" thick slices baguette, cut on the bias

1 clove garlic, minced

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees.  

Place the tomatoes cut side up in a shallow baking dish.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper and the thyme.  Mince the garlic and spread evenly across the tomatoes.  Roast for 1 1/2 hours or until the tomatoes are very soft and slightly shrunken.

Increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees.  Place the baguette slices on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and bake until golden brown -- about 10 minutes.  

Top each crostini with a roasted tomato and serve.

Lemon-Thyme Pork with Roasted Zucchini and Garlic Herb Rice

It's no secret that I love Hello Fresh and their recipes.  This is another favorite for two.

1 small zucchini

1 lemon

2 sprigs thyme

1/2 cup Jasmine rice

12 oz pork cutlets (2 - 6 oz ea)

2 Tbsp garlic herb butter (the recipe is on the blog)

1/4 cup chicken stock

2 Tbsp sour cream

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

Trim and halve zucchini lengthwise; cut crosswise into 1/2" thick half moons.  Place in a bowl and coat with a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper.  Place on a baking sheet covered with foil.  Roast for 15 minutes or until browned and tender.  Remove from oven and cover to keep warm.  

Quarter lemon

Strip 1 tsp thyme leaves from stems and finely chop

Place rice, 3/4 cup water, and a large pinch of salt in a small pot.  Bring to a boil and then cover and reduce to a simmer.  Cook until rice is tender (about 15 minutes).  Turn off heat and keep covered until ready to serve.  

Pat the pork dry with paper towels and season all over with salt and pepper.  Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat.  Add pork and cook until browned and cooked through (2 - 3 minutes per side).  Transfer to a plate and wipe out pan.

Melt half the garlic herb butter in the same pan over medium heat.  Add chopped thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Stir in chicken stock and bring to a simmer.  Once simmering, turn off heat.  Stir in sour cream and a squeeze of lemon juice.  Season with pepper.

Fluff rice with a fork.  Stir in remaining garlic herb butter, taste and season with salt and pepper.  Divide rice, pork and zucchini between plates.  Spoon sauce over pork.  Serve with remaining lemon wedges on the side.