Archives for posts with tag: tomatoes

Grilled Shrimp with Greek Salad and Corn on the Cob

September 5, 2014 //

Grilled Shrimp with Greek Salad

On the hottest day of the year I wanted the stove on for as little time as possible. Shrimp are great because they cook in about 5 minutes and a greek salad is a perfect accompaniment.

Grilled Shrimp

1 ½ lb. medium or large shrimp, shelled and deveined
1 TB. olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl. Add shrimp to a hot grill pan, saute pan, or grill. Cook shrimp on both sides for 2-3 minutes until pink. Remove from heat.

Greek Salad

1 large cucumber – peeled and chopped
1 large tomato – chopped
1/2 red onion – thinly sliced
1/2 pepper – chopped
12 kalamata olives – pitted and halved
2 oz. feta
2 TB. olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
pinch of dried oregano
salt and pepper, to taste

Soak the red onion in 2 TB. of red wine vinegar while you prepare the other ingredients (5-10 minutes). Drain and rinse the red onion and toss with the rest of the ingredients. Let it sit while you prepare the rest of dinner so the flavors come together.

Corn on the cob

Boil water in a pot, put shucked corn in the water, turn off the heat and put a lid on your pot. Wait 10 minutes or so. Eat with lots of butter, salt and pepper.

Tags corn, cucumber, feta, kalamata olives, red onion, shrimp, tomatoes

Categories Meals

Italian Sausage, Panzanella and Corn on the Cob

September 2, 2014 //

Italian Sausage

You can use pork, chicken, turkey – whatever you prefer. If you have a grill, by all means use it! We don’t, so I broil the sausages for about 10 minutes, turning them over halfway through.

Panzanella (Tomato and Bread Salad)

3 tomatoes, chopped
1 cucumber, chopped
½ red onion, thinly sliced
2 cups of stale Italian bread, cubed
6-8 kalamata olives, halved
1 TB. capers
2 TB. red wine vinegar
4 TB. extra virgin olive oil
salt & pepper

Mix all of the ingredients together and let sit for about 20 minutes. Add more vinegar, oil, salt or pepper to taste.

Corn on the Cob

Boil water in a pot, put shucked corn in the water, turn off the heat and put a lid on your pot. Wait 10 minutes or so. Eat with lots of butter, salt and pepper.

Tags bread, capers, corn, cucumber, kalamata olives, red onion, Sausage, tomatoes

Categories Meals

Eggs with Ricotta and Heirloom Tomatoes

August 20, 2014 //

Eggs with Ricotta and Heirloom Tomatoes

This breakfast/brunch dish is perfect for guests. It is so beautiful, and yet so easy and quick to prepare. You can use any cheese (cheddar, goat, feta, mozzarella), but I think ricotta is lovely because it is light and fluffy. Serve this with some toast and bacon or sausage and you have a feast!

8 eggs
1-2 TB. butter
2 heirloom tomatoes (depending on size), sliced
1/2 cup (?) ricotta cheese
a few basil leaves, torn
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat broiler.

Crack eggs into a large bowl. In a large skillet heat butter until it bubbles. Carefully pour eggs into the pan and let the eggs cook just until the whites start to solidify. Place tomato slices and spoon ricotta on top of eggs.

Place skillet under the broiler and cook until desired doneness – 5 minutes or less for slightly runny yolks, closer to 10 minutes for fully cooked eggs. Either way, keep an eye on the eggs so they don’t overcook.

Remove from broiler and sprinkle basil on top, season with salt and pepper.

Tags eggs, ricotta, tomatoes

Categories Uncategorized

Summer’s Best Sides

July 31, 2014 //

We’re going to Martha’s Vineyard on Friday for a week and I can’t wait! My girlfriends from college and I are taking turns vacationing at a rental over three weeks, but this weekend we will all be there together. Between our upcoming trip, a recent day-trip to Jacob Riis Park to enjoy NYC’s surf and sand, and multiple trips to the farmers market I definitely feel like I am in the midst of summer. And, I love it.

The view from the porch of our Vineyard rental

To celebrate all of the amazing produce that is available this time of year I thought I would do something a little different this week. Instead of the usual meal plan I thought I’d post a bunch of my favorite summer side dishes. I love veggies and fruit all year long, but there is nothing like August when it all seems to be at its peak at the exact same time. These side dishes are great with grilled chicken, steak or fish and can be made for as few as one person to as many as a whole party’s worth.

Enjoy!

Panzanella (Tomato and Bread Salad)
Watermelon, Tomato and Feta Salad
Cucumber Salad
Zucchini Fritters

Tags apple cider vinegar, bread, capers, cucumber, feta cheese, olives, red onion, salad, tomato, tomatoes, watermelon, zucchini

Categories Meal Plans

Panzanella (Tomato and Bread Salad)

July 31, 2014 //

Panzanella (Tomato and Bread Salad)

I have wanted to try this salad for a long time and this summer I dove head first. I tried a few different recipes, but, as I usually do, I ended up tweaking them and turning them into my own. Here’s what I did:

Mix all of the ingredients together and let sit for about 20 minutes. Add more vinegar, oil, salt or pepper to taste.

Tags bread, capers, cucumber, olives, red onion, salad, tomatoes

Categories Meals

Summer Pasta with Fresh Tomato Sauce and Mozzarella

July 24, 2014 //

Summer Pasta with Fresh Tomato Sauce and Mozzarella

This is such a great dish for showcasing summer’s greatest gift to us – the tomato – and prep is so fast. You can’t eat this any other time of the year because tomatoes aren’t good enough to eat raw. I used to make this recipe without marinating the tomatoes (see below), but once I learned this trick from Jamie Oliver I never went back – it really makes them taste incredible.

¾ lb. pasta (I like penne or rigatoni)
3-4 tomatoes, chopped
salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
Handful of basil, torn up
olive oil, to taste
1/2 lb. fresh mozzarella – cubed

Boil water for pasta, when boiling add pasta and follow directions on the box.

Chop tomatoes, add them to a colander placed over a large bowl or in the sink, and toss them with a decent amount of salt (maybe 2 teaspoons?) and let sit at least 15 minutes while you prep the rest of the your ingredients. Mince garlic and cube mozzarella.

When the pasta is ready, toss tomatoes into your serving bowl and drain the pasta in the colander you used for the tomatoes (the juice that comes out of the tomatoes should be thrown out). Add garlic, mozzarella, basil, olive oil, salt and pepper to the tomatoes and mix. Add pasta and toss.

Tags basil, mozzarella, Pasta, tomatoes

Categories Meals

Grilled Sausages and Summer Beans with Herbs, Tomatoes and Caramelized Onions

July 23, 2014 //

Grilled Sausages and Summer Beans with Herbs, Tomatoes and Caramelized Onions

This New York Times recipe is so easy and delicious. Since I don’t have a grill I broil my sausages for about 5-7 minutes and they are great.

2 lb. your favorite sausages
3 TB. olive oil
1 large red onion, thinly sliced
4 fresh thyme sprigs
salt and pepper
pinch of sugar
1 cup of cherry tomatoes, halved
1 lb. green and/or wax beans, trimmed
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 cup chopped mixed fresh herbs, such as basil and parsley

Prepare grill or preheat broiler. Grill or broil sausages until browned and blistered and cooked all the way through, 5 to 7 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare beans. Heat oil in a large skillet with a cover until shimmering. Add onion, thyme sprigs and a pinch each of salt, pepper and sugar. Saute over medium-high heat until onions are golden in spots and browned around the edges, about 7 minutes.

Add tomatoes and saute until they start to release their juices, 2 minutes. Add beans and white wine and toss everything in pan. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook 3 minutes. Uncover pan, add herbs and continue to cook. Toss beans occasionally, until liquid evaporates and beans are done to taste, 5 to 15 minutes, adding water to the pan if it dries out. Garnish with coarse salt if you like and serve hot or at room temperature, with sausages.

Tags beans, onions, sausages, tomatoes, white wine

Categories Meals

Hello Summer!

July 22, 2014 //

This is the best time of the year to cook and I’ve left you all stranded – I’m sorry! The thing is that while it is the easiest time to throw something delicious together, for me it has also been the busiest. In the last four weeks, I’ve been to Ottawa, Omaha, Vermont, Boston and Baltimore! Consequently, I have not had a chance to cook as much as I would like. But in Vermont, which was vacation, I had a chance to make a bunch of great, summertime dishes, many of which will show up here throughout the next several weeks.

Upon my return to New York I was greeted with all of summer’s best – green beans, peaches, blueberries, raspberries, corn and even the season’s first tomatoes! Total inspiration. This week’s recipes take advantage of the season’s bounty and none of them take too long to prepare so you have plenty of time to get out there and catch some fireflies!

I’ve been waiting all year for this!

Meal #1: Grilled Sausages and Summer Beans with Herbs, Tomatoes and Caramelized Onions
Meal #2: Fish Fillets with Tomatoes, Squash, and Basil + Corn on the Cob
Meal #3: Summer Pasta with Fresh Tomato Sauce and Mozzarella
Meal #4: Pork Tenderloin with Plums and Red Onion + Corn on the Cob

Note: For the next several weeks you will see a LOT of corn here. The season is so short so we tend to eat either corn on the cob or corn salad every night. You’ve been warned.

Your grocery list, excluding the usual pantry items:

summer squash (such as zucchini and yellow crookneck) – 2-4, depending on size
shallots – 2
red onion – 2 large
thyme – 1 bunch
parsley – 1 bunch
basil – 1 bunch
cherry tomatoes – 2 pints
green and/or wax beans – 1 lb.
tomatoes – 3-4
corn – 1 per person for two separate meals
plums – 4
pasta (penne or rigatoni work well) – 1 box
fresh mozzarella – 1/2 lb.
sausages – 2 lb.
pork tenderloin – 1 1/2 – 2 lb.
skinless white flaky fish fillets (such as Atlantic cod or halibut) – 4 6-ounce fillets
white wine

Tags basil, beans, corn, fish, mozzarella, onions, Pasta, plums, pork, red onion, sausages, shallots, squash, tomatoes, white wine

Categories Meal Plans

Fish Fillets with Tomatoes, Squash, and Basil and Corn on the Cob

July 22, 2014 //

Fish Fillets with Tomatoes, Squash, and Basil

I LOVE this recipe, especially in the summer. It is so healthy and fresh-tasting and lets the best of summer’s produce shine. Some variations:

I’ve made this with halibut, cod, salmon and arctic char. You can really use any fish, although I’d probably stick to something on the thicker side so that it holds up.
Cooking time varies depending on the fish, so check it after 10 minutes, and plan for it needing a few more minutes if the fish is thick.
As you know, I don’t have a grill so I always do this in the oven, but I still use foil and it is fine.
If you don’t have white wine on hand you can substitute some lemon juice.

Corn on the Cob

My Mom taught me this method and it is tried and true. Please, no microwaves…

Boil water in a pot, put shucked corn in the water, turn off the heat and put a lid on your pot. Wait 10 minutes or so. Eat with lots of butter, salt and pepper.

Tags basil, corn, fish, shallots, squash, tomatoes, white wine

Categories Meals

Nancy’s Chopped Salad and Bread

June 24, 2014 //

Nancy’s Chopped Salad via Smitten Kitchen

When I was pregnant with Eliza the one thing I wanted more than anything else after giving birth was an Italian hero from our neighborhood butcher shop, Los Paisanos. After 9 months of avoiding cold-cuts I couldn’t wait to chow down on a giant sandwich loaded with salami, proscuitto, ham, and provolone cheese. For reasons that I won’t get into here my wish did not come true, but fortunately I have been able to indulge occasionally these last two years. Deb Perelman of Smitten Kitchen is right when she says in her blog post about Nancy Silverton’s Chopped Salad that it is basically an Italian hero without the bread.

This is a great summertime dinner, because you never turn on the stove, I enjoyed preparing it because you still get to chop a bunch of stuff, which is great therapy after a long day of work. It may not be the healthiest, but I cut back on the cheese and salami so in the end it really wasn’t too bad for us and was really, really delicious.

I served this with toasted bread which you could easily skip.

Tags cheese, chickpeas, iceberg lettuce, provolone, radicchio, salad, salami, tomatoes

Categories Meals

Grilled Shrimp with Greek Salad and Corn on the Cob