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Browsing Tag: tomatoes
From the Kitchn comes this delicious Stuffed Pepper Soup, based on what else – that ever popular dish the stuffed bell pepper. I like this dish for its robust flavor and even more for the fact that it brings all the flavors of stuffed peppers into a soup so easy to make it should be a crime. This version is stove-top, but I wonder if it could be adapted to an Insta-Pot. I bet it could and then it would be even easier and quicker to prepare. So until I work out the Insta-Pot recipe, enjoy this one. It is perfect for those chilly winter evenings here in the Pacific Northwest – or wherever you may be. Save Print Stuffed Pepper Soup Prep time: …
Here is a dish you won’t easily find, but is it ever worth trying. My good friend visited the Dominican Republic and came back raving about this dish. So much so, that when he was married there several years later, having this dish at the reception was his only ‘demand’ on the wedding planning. I attended that wedding and tasted ‘chivo’… and all I could say is “Wow!” The flavor was amazing – earthy and intense, spicy but not overly so, and just plain old lip-smacking delicious. Now, three years later, I find myself married to a wonderful Dominican woman and she has taught me a few dishes – staples – in the Dominican cooking repertoire. But chivo…
OK, calm down… I haven’t jumped the shark just yet! But I am exploring several vegetarian recipe ideas to support a family and friends that ‘eat clean’ by choice or for medical reasons. The idea for this recipe actually came to me in a dream several weeks ago and sort of stuck in my mind, percolating and brewing into the results below. Yes, I know that sounds weird dreaming about recipes, but it is what it is. I tested this recipe on myself first and was quite impressed with the depth of flavor. If you did not share that it was vegetarian, I bet many people would not realize it lacked meat. And isn’t that the desired result when you try…
Tonight’s pasta dish is another one of those staples found in most Italian restaurants and has about as many differing recipes. I based my recipe on the America’s Test Kitchen version which uses three types of pepper to give this sauce its signature kick. According to my research, ‘arrabbiata’ is used to describe the spiciness of this dish, claiming it to be ‘angry’. Now I did not want the dish to be so hot and intense that all the other aspects of the dish are lost. I desired a notable spiciness with a subtle sweetness and fulfilling umami undertones to deliver a robust, flavor packed meal. The heat in this version sneaks up nicely on you and you know it…
Here is another Italian restaurant staple – pasta puttanseca. This dish’s claim to fame is its pungency and how that relates to its origin – i.e. puttanesca meaning ‘from the prostitutes’ or ‘in the style of the prostitutes’. It is rumored that the dish was favored by Italian prostitutes to keep their clients from trying to kiss them. A girl’s got to have some boundaries right? Well upon further research, it seems there is little written documentation about this dish prior to the middle of the 20th century. Which means pasta puttanesca may have been a simple dish made only at home and not seen as restaurant fare (or fare an upstanding diner would want to be seen eating…
Last night I decided to try something new with Caprese salad. Instead of just layering the tomato, mozzarella, and basil and dressing with olive oil and balsamic glaze, I wanted to incorporate the basil into the dressing. My thoughts were to put basil into every bite easily and I needed a tasty medium to hold the basil. I could use olive oil (which would have worked just fine), but I wanted to punch it up a little. So, out came the blender and a bottle of champagne. Yes, that’s right… I chose to use champagne as the medium to carry the basil in this experiment. And the results, delicious. Of course, feel free to play with the ratios to get the results you desire. I…
Tonight’s dinner is a simple and delicious pasta dish – pasta all’amatriciana. Basically this centruries old dish is a peasant meal of guanciale (cured pork jowl), tomatoes, chile, pasta and pecorino cheese from the Italian village of Amatrice. I researched numerous recipes for this dish and interestingly enough settled on the simplest and most authentic version according to the Food52 blog. The smoky flavor of the cured pork jowl, combined with the spiciness from the hint of chile, the sweetness from tomato and the nutty saltiness of Romano intermingle so well that this pasta dish is perfection. No onions, no garlic, no basil, oregano or fennel is needed, that is just how good this dish is. Traditionally made with bucatini, I opted for thin…
Tonight I decided to use my new quick pizza dough recipe in a skillet pizza. Think deep dish (sort of Chicago style) pizza. I am really liking this new pizza dough recipe – it is fairly simple and the results are fantastic. I tweaked my pizza sauce recipe as well and think it is a winner too. Just remember to allow it to cool sufficiently or else the pizza will fall apart (I couldn’t wait and experienced this issue first hand!) Save Print Skillet Pizza Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 20 mins Total time: 30 mins Serves: 1 Ingredients Pizza dough Pizza sauce Toppings 5 oz Canadian bacon 8 oz can pineapple chunks, drained 2 – 3 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded…
When you feel like really enjoying a pizza, nothing beats making it yourself. Take out, take and bake, and delivery are all OK, but there is something about making it yourself – especially when paired with my pizza dough recipes – Pizza Dough and Proscuitto, Ricotta and Basil Pizza. So, here’s a very simple, yet extremely tasty pizza sauce you can make at home. Save Print Pizza Sauce Prep time: 5 mins Total time: 5 mins Serves: 1 Ingredients 1 14.5 oz can fire roasted tomatoes, drained 3 oz fire roasted red peppers ½ tsp minced onion ¼ tsp minced garlic ½ tsp Italian Herb Seasoning (or dried oregano) ¾ tsp basil ½ tsp balsamic vinegar 1 tbsp tomato paste ⅛…