Tag Archives: tomatoes

Fresh Tomato Pasta with Chicken

Chicken, Healthy, Main, Pasta, Recipes, , ,

fresh tomato pastaThis is one of my top 3 favorite pasta dishes.  Very simple and sooooooo good!!!  I call it fresh tomato pasta because you are cooking the tomatoes very briefly, 10 minutes so they still have that fresh taste.  They cook long enough to break down some of the juices and the fresh tomato juices make the sauce.  Adding a little pasta water at the end holds the sauce together.

You can skip the chicken, or substitute shrimp instead.   This is also really good with grape or cherry tomatoes.  Enjoy! Continue reading Fresh Tomato Pasta with Chicken →

Braised Pork Roast

Main, Make Ahead, Pork, Recipes, , , , ,

braised pork

I went to a cooking class at Rialto on Sunday.  It was great.  Jody Adams is the chef and she is a very interesting woman, besides being an amazing chef.  The topic was braising and she prepared 3 dishes, then you sit down and enjoy all the dishes with a wine pairing.  Not a bad way to spend a Sunday!

So, she made a braised pork belly on a citrus salad that was so amazing, I have been dreaming about it.  No sheeps for me falling asleep this week, pork belly ….pork belly….It will be on the menu for my Fall Dinner party next year.

Yesterday I had a 3 pound pork loin roast (Under $6) and I decided I would braise it.  Braising is such a great way to add flavor to any cut of meat or some veggies (think leeks).  It is a moist cooking method that creates a luscious sauce (ok, now you know why I love braising!).

This the basic method:  Sear the braising subject.  Remove and carmelize braising veg in same pot.  Add liquid (beer, wine, stock, combo), return braising subject to pot.  Add water if needed so liquid comes a third of the way up, cover and finish in oven for hours.  Take out and enjoy the luscious sauce with braising liquid.  You can also finish braise in a crock pot but you must sear the subject and veg first, that is the main flavoring. Continue reading Braised Pork Roast →

Winter Caprese Salad

Appetizers, Healthy, Recipes, Salads, , , ,

Winter Capresse Salad

I am a tomato fanatic.  I stalk the farms in the summer just waiting for the first round of local fresh tomatoes and once they arrive, I eat them every day, sometimes at every meal.  There is nothing so wonderful as a warm tomato with a little salt on it……..heaven.  Once September ends and the only tomatoes I can get are at the grocery store, it’s a little depressing.  Even if they are ripe and red they don’t taste anywhere near like the summer tomatoes.

This salad has you roast the tomatoes slowly and the roasting process makes those ho hum store bought winter tomatoes taste….wait for it………Good!  They may not rank with the summer ones, but they are close.  This is a great starter or side dish for a comforting winter meal. Continue reading Winter Caprese Salad →

Chicken Stew with Tomatoes & White Beans

Chicken, Healthy, Main, Make Ahead, Recipes, Soups, , , , ,

chicken stew Yesterday I was feeling the effects of 5 days in a row of eating rich food that I don’t normally eat and really wanted to make something healthy and comforting for dinner.  We had friends coming over too and it was just going to be casual, so something make ahead was needed to.  I turned to this delicous Chicken Stew with Tomatoes and White beans.  It is comforting and served with a salad makes a light meal.  You could make it even lighter by skipping the bacon, but the bacon has only 30 calories a slice cooked, so I think it is worth it.  🙂 Continue reading Chicken Stew with Tomatoes & White Beans →

Pasta Pesto with Chicken & Grape Tomatoes

Chicken, Main, Pasta, Recipes, , , ,

Pasta Pesto with Chicken & Grape Tomatoes

I love pesto!  We have an herb garden in the summer and I use the basil all summer long for caprese salads but when the summer is over, I pick all the basil and make huge batches of pesto.  It stores great in the freezer.  I like to freeze it in an ice tray and then put the pesto cubes in a zip lock bag in the freezer.  Then you can easily grab as much pesto as you need.  Continue reading Pasta Pesto with Chicken & Grape Tomatoes →