Roasted Tomato Soup

Roasted Tomato Soup (from Woman’s Day, Servings: 4-5, Total Time: 45 minutes)

Ingredients

·         2 ½ pound(s) plum tomatoes, halved

·         3 Tbsp. olive oil

·         Kosher salt

·         Pepper

·         1 large red onion, chopped

·         4 cloves (large) garlic, chopped

·         2 jalapeños, seeded (if desired) and chopped

·         4 cups vegetable broth

Directions

1.       Heat oven to 400 degrees F. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss tomatoes with 1 Tbsp. oil and ¼ tsp. each salt and pepper. Roast until very tender and lightly browned, 20 to 25 minutes.

2.       Meanwhile, heat remaining 2 Tbsp. oil in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Add onion, season with ½ tsp. each salt and pepper, and cook, covered, stirring occasionally until very tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in garlic and jalapeños and cook for 2 minutes.

3.       Transfer tomatoes and any pan juices to the pot. Add broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Using an immersion blender (or a standard blender, working in batches), purée soup.

This recipe is pretty simple to make.  I decided to make it when some of my generous neighbors dropped off a ton of their homegrown tomatoes.  Overall, the taste was pretty good, very tomatoey (as expected), but not spicy at all, even with jalapeños that were not seeded!  I added some red pepper flakes to kick up the spiciness to my level.  My husband enjoyed it as is.  A very creamy soup without the added fat from actually using cream – perfect!

Tomato Zucchini Casserole

Tomato Zucchini Casserole (from AllRecipes, Servings: 4, Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes)

Ingredients

·         1 ½ cups grated Cheddar cheese

·         1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

·         ½ tsp. dried oregano

·         ½ tsp. dried basil

·         2 cloves garlic, minced

·         salt and pepper to taste

·         2 medium zucchinis, thinly sliced

·         5 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced

·         ¼ cup margarine

·         2 Tbsp. finely chopped onion

·         ¾ cup fine bread crumbs

Directions

1.      Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly butter a 9x9-inch pan.

2.      In a large bowl, combine Cheddar, Parmesan, oregano, basil, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper, and set aside.

3.      Arrange half of the zucchini slices in the pan. Sprinkle ¼ of the cheese and herb mixture on top. Arrange half of the tomatoes, and top with another ¼ of the cheese mixture. Repeat layers.

4.      Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in onions, and cook until soft and translucent. Stir in breadcrumbs; cook until they have absorbed the butter. Sprinkle on top of casserole.

5.      Cover loosely with foil, and bake in a preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and bake until the top is crusty and the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.

This is not something that I would normally make because of the amount of cheese in it; however, I am glad that I tried it.  I made it for Easter lunch at my mother’s – I chose it because my stepfather is picky about the vegetables that he will eat.  Tomato and zucchini are both on the list.  Although it is not healthy, I made it according to the directions (for the most part, I did use margarine instead of butter) instead of trying to “health” it up.  I found that I needed 6-7 plum tomatoes, but I was using medium-sized ones.  If I was making it for myself, I would probably add another layer of veggies to the dish.   I also used triple cheddar instead of regular cheddar cheese.

Health aside, this dish was mmm-mmm, good.  It was very cheesy in the middle and the top had a nice crunchy, breading texture.  It was a tad runny because of the water from the tomatoes, so I recommend drying them or sprinkling with a little garlic salt before layering in the casserole.  My family loved it and wanted the recipe – they ate almost the whole dish, which has never happened before!  The zucchini also stayed a little crispy, which was a nice component with the tomatoes.  A winner in the taste department!  Just watch the portion control… 

Tomato Zucchini Casserole

Tomato Zucchini Casserole (slightly adapted from AllRecipes, Servings: 6, Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes)

Ingredients

·         1 cup shredded Italian cheese mix

·         1/3 cup grated Romano cheese

·         ½ tsp. dried oregano

·         ½ tsp. dried basil

·         2 cloves garlic, minced

·         salt and pepper to taste

·         2 medium zucchinis, thinly sliced

·         3 large plum tomatoes, thinly sliced

·         ¼ cup margarine

·         2 Tbsp. finely chopped onion

·         ¾ cup fine bread crumbs

Directions

1.      Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 9x9-inch pan with Pam.

2.      In a large bowl, combine cheeses, oregano, basil, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper, and set aside.

3.      Arrange half of the zucchini slices in the pan. Sprinkle ¼ of the cheese and herb mixture on top. Arrange half of the tomatoes, and top with another ¼ of the cheese mixture. Repeat layers.

4.      Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in onions, and cook until soft and translucent. Stir in breadcrumbs; cook until they have absorbed the butter. Sprinkle on top of casserole.

5.      Cover loosely with foil, and bake in a preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and bake until the top is crusty and the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.

I think that this dish has a nice flavor to it and the veggies cook through in the time that they are in the oven.  I do recommend patting the zucchini and tomato slices dry with a paper towel and coating them with a mixture of garlic powder, oregano, and basil because the cheese and herb mixture only sticks to some of the veggies – those left high and dry just taste like veggies.  My husband and I both enjoyed this dish and I do plan on making it again.  The shredded Italian mix gave it more of an Italian taste than Cheddar would have (as the original recipe calls for), but ultimately, it’s your call!

Spinach Tomato Linguine

Spinach Tomato Linguine (slightly adapted from Taste of Home, Total Time: 25 min., Servings: 4)

Ingredients

• ·         8 oz.  uncooked linguine
• ·         3 cups chopped seeded plum tomatoes
• ·         1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• ·         ½ cup chopped green onions (green and white parts)
• ·         1 tsp. olive oil
• ·         ¼ tsp. salt
• ·         ¼ tsp.  garlic salt
• ·         4 oz. crumbled feta cheese

Directions

1. Cook linguine according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, sauté the tomatoes, spinach and onions in oil until tomatoes are softened. Sprinkle with salt and garlic salt. Reduce heat. Stir in the cheese; until heated through.
3. Drain linguine; transfer to a serving bowl. Add tomato mixture; toss to coat.

I said at the beginning that I have had some not so good vegetarian meals - and unfortunately, this recipe was one of them - it did not taste as good as it looked or sounded.  It's pretty healthy, yes, but taste is much more important to me.  I thought that the garlic salt, feta, and green onions would be pretty tasty mixed with pasta, tomatoes, and spinach.  There was next to no flavor, though.  Maybe garlic powder instead of garlic salt - and a lot more than 1/4 tsp. - would help out the dish.  Or parmesan.  I do not plan on making this meal again - it's not worth it to me to figure out what can make it better when there are so many other good options out there!

Tomato Cream Sauce

Tomato Cream Sauce (slightly adapted from AllRecipes, 5-6 servings, Total Time: 20 minutes)

Ingredients

·         2 Tbsp. olive oil

·         ½ small onion, diced

·         1 clove garlic, minced

·         1 (14.5 oz.) can Italian-style diced tomatoes, undrained

·         1 Tbsp. dried basil leaves

·         ¾ tsp. white sugar

·         ¼  tsp. dried oregano

·         ¼ tsp. salt

·         1/8 tsp. ground black pepper

·         ½ cup heavy cream

·         1 Tbsp. margarine

Directions

1.      In a saucepan, sauté onion and garlic in olive oil over medium heat. Make sure it doesn't burn.

2.      Add tomatoes, basil, sugar, oregano, salt and pepper. Bring to boil and continue to boil 5 minutes or until most of the liquid evaporates.

3.      Remove from heat; stir in whipping cream and butter. Reduce heat and simmer 5 more minutes.

I served this over rotini cooked al dente and both my husband and I loved it.  It has a slightly sweet flavor.  The only thing that I had an issue with was that I tossed it with too much pasta, resulting it being slightly dry.  I will probably double the recipe next time.  It is quick, easy, and very tasty.  The next time I make it, I will substitute half-and-half for the heavy cream.  No other changes needed!  Enjoy!

Taco Pizza

Taco Pizza (adapted from KraftFoods, Servings: 6-8, Time: 30 minutes)

Ingredients

·         1 package Morning Star Farms Burger Crumbles

·         1 package taco seasoning

·         1 ready-to-use baked pizza crust (12 inch) OR 1 packet pizza dough (the kind that you just add water)

·         1 cup Mexican style shredded cheese

·         1 cup  shredded lettuce

·         1 large  tomato, chopped

·         Salsa

Directions

1.      Heat oven to 450°F (or according to pizza crust instructions).

2.      Mix dough according to package directions, if using pizza dough packet.

3.      Cook crumbles with taco seasoning as directed on package.

4.      Place crust on pizza stone and spread out into 10-12 inch circle.  Spread crumbles onto pizza crust; top with cheese.

5.      Bake according to pizza crust instructions or until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted.

6.      Top with lettuce and tomatoes. Drizzle with Salsa.

It’s amazing sometimes how the simplest dishes can be so delicious.  This meal is a pretty healthy way to enjoy Mexican night.  I actually only had the opportunity to enjoy two slices (1 the night I made it and 1 for leftovers), my husband ate 6 slices in 2 days!  We both loved it.  I wanted to use homemade pizza dough, but didn’t have the time to make it.  I used a Betty Crocker mix that worked well.  I sprayed a pizza stone with Pam, which made it quite easy to roll out the dough.  The pizza was not soggy at all (I have had that problem in the past) and it held up well with the extra toppings of lettuce, tomato, and salsa.  A nice meal.

Tomato Pie

Tomato Pie (adapted from AllRecipes, Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes, 4 servings

Ingredients

7-8 plum tomatoes, sliced

½ cup chopped fresh basil

3 green onions (green and white parts), thinly sliced

1 package Yves vegetarian pepperoni

½ - 2 tsp. garlic powder

½ - 2 tsp. dried oregano

½ - 2 tsp. crushed red pepper

2 cups shredded Colby and Monterey Jack cheese

¼ cup reduced fat mayonnaise

Directions

1.      Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2.      Spray a pie pan with cooking spray.

3.      In alternating layers, fill pan with tomatoes, basil, scallions, pepperoni, garlic powder, oregano, and red pepper.

4.      In a small bowl, mix cheese with mayonnaise. Spread mixture over top of pie. Cover loosely with aluminum foil.

5.      Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove foil from top of pie and bake an additional 30 minutes. Serve warm or cold.

Oh my goodness!  Flavor explosion!  I didn’t measure the garlic, oregano, or red pepper – I just sprinkled some on top of each layer (I ended up with three) and this pie ended up so delicious!  Everything works so well together.  I was a little concerned that the mayo would overpower the cheese, but it didn’t at all.  I didn’t use a pastry shell with this dish because I made a Garlic Basil Bread (courtesy of Betty Crocker and my breadmaker) that served as a great side.  I sprinkled the tomatoes with salt before putting them in the dish, but I should have pressed them between paper towels to draw out the excess liquid.  I had a little on the bottom of the pie pan after cooking.  I couldn’t find one fault with this dish.  The original recipe calls for bacon – so I may try a mixture of Morningstar Farms Bacon Strips and the pepperoni next time.  And there definitely will be a next time.

P.S. – Hubby liked it too, even though he gets slightly overwhelmed by tomatoes.  Win!

Ricotta, Spinach, Tomato, & Mushroom Pizza

Ricotta, Spinach, & Mushroom Pizza (6 servings, total time approx. 45 minutes)

(adapted from Kraft Recipes and AllRecipes)

Yummy deliciousness!  Thick pizza crust (just the way I like it) and tasty toppings.  Cannot wait to make it again and again (while trying different toppings, too).

Ingredients

• Crust:

• 1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• Toppings:

o       1-1/2 cups shredded Part Skim Mozzarella Cheese, divided

o       ¾ cup Part Skim Ricotta Cheese

o       ¼ cup grated Parmesan Cheese

o       1 tsp. dried basil leaves, crushed

o       ½ tsp. dried oregano leaves, crushed

o       ¼ tsp. garlic salt

o       ¼ tsp. ground black pepper

o       1 cup fresh spinach leaves, torn and patted dry

o       ½ cup fresh mushrooms, chopped and patted dry

o       1-2 roma tomatoes, sliced and patted dry

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Stir water, sugar and yeast together until dissolved. Add the olive oil and the salt. Stir in the flour until well blended. Let dough rest for 10 minutes.
3. Pat dough onto a pizza stone.
4. Mix 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese, the ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese and seasonings; spread evenly onto pizza crust.
5. Top with spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes, and remaining ½ cup mozzarella cheese.
6. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until cheese is melted and edge of crust are slightly browned.

The center of my crust took a little long to bake, so I added “patted dry” to the vegetable ingredients. I also added some vegetarian pepperoni to the top of my pizza because I had some leftover.  If you’re looking to increase protein, you can add the pepperoni, burger crumbles, or crumbled sausage-less sausage (either Trader Joe’s or Morningstar Farms would be my preference).

I like that this is a cheesy pizza, but it also very filling.  The thick crust (which is very thick even though I rolled it out to almost the edge of the pizza stone) and vegetables on top help the filling of fullness – I only needed one slice!  The ricotta/mozzarella mixture is quite tasty and works well with the veggies that I used.  A healthy pizza which is also tasty = a winner in my book!

Tomato & Basil Quiche and EZ Drop Biscuits

Tomato & Basil Quiche (slightly adapted from AllRecipes, Total time: 45 minutes, 4 servings)

I found a quiche recipe a few years ago that I got stuck on because it tasted so good.  I finally decided to pull myself out of my rut this past weekend when my mom and stepfather came to visit.  This recipe looked tasty and fairly healthy (if you cut out the pastry crust and cut back on the cheese).  I thought the end product worked out quite well, and I received compliments from my mother on a dish well done.

Ingredients

·         1 Tbsp. olive oil

·         ½ onion, diced

·         2 plum tomatoes, sliced

·         2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

·         2 tsp. dried basil

·         3 eggs

·         ½  cup milk

·         salt and pepper to taste

·         1  cup shredded Italian cheese, divided

Directions

1.      Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2.      Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté onion until soft; remove from skillet.

3.      Sprinkle tomato slices with flour and basil on each side.  Sauté 1 minute on each side.

4.      In a small bowl, whisk together eggs and milk. Season with salt and pepper.

5.      Spread ½ cup shredded cheese on the bottom of a pie pan. Layer onions over cheese.  Sprinkle ¼ cup cheese on top of onions, then top with tomatoes. Cover with egg mixture and top with remaining ¼ cup shredded cheese.

6.      Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes or until top is golden brown. Serve warm.

This egg dish has a delicious, but not overpowering, taste.  The spices do not overwhelm the other ingredients and the Italian cheese adds just a bit more flavor than a regular mozzarella.  The only drawback is that the quiche is about half the thickness of what I am used to.  Next time, I will double the ingredients to make it a more filling meal.  Well, not the onions.  Although I love the onions and do not think that they detract from the dish in anyway, my husband is not a fan and could not finish his slice.  Luckily,  this is an easy dish to make your own!

Since I didn’t use the pie crust, I served the quiche with biscuits.  I found the following recipe on AllRecipes and chose it because of good ratings and a minimal amount of ingredients and instructions.  Unfortunately, they did not turn out as well as I had hoped.  They were flat and pretty dry.  The only way to make them tasty is douse them in either butter or gravy.

E-Z Drop Biscuits (slightly adapted from AllRecipes, Total Time: 30 min., 16 biscuits)

Ingredients

·         2 cups all-purpose flour

·         1 Tbsp. baking powder

·         2 tsp. white sugar

·         ¼  tsp. cream of tartar

·         ¼  tsp. salt

·         ½ cup melted butter

·         1 cup milk

Directions

1.      Preheat oven to 450 degrees F and lightly grease one large cookie sheet.

2.      In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, sugar, cream of tartar and salt.

3.      Stir in butter and milk just until moistened.

4.      Drop batter onto cookie sheet by the tablespoon.

5.      Bake in preheated oven until golden on the edges, about 8 to 12 minutes. Serve warm.

Summerly Squash

We were give a huge zucchini and summer squash from an avid gardener, so I needed to make a dish based on these two ingredients.  The Summerly Squash dish is good, but I think could have more flavor (possibly because I didn't use the Bay Leaf).

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/summerly-squash/detail.aspx


I used Pam instead of vegetable oil and still got the vegetables to a nice crisp-tender state.  I drained one can of diced tomatoes with oregano and basil and used it instead of medium tomatoes to hopefully enhance the Italian flavors - it also resulted in more of a "sauce".  I skipped the bay leaf because we didn't have any - this was probably my downfall.  The dish was still good - and I added some Trader Joe's Italian Sausageless Sausage for a kick of protein.  Overall, tasty, but possibly more flavor needed with additional herbs (or a Bay Leaf!).

Trader Joe’s Arugula & Parmigiano Reggiano Ravioli w/ Tomato-Cream Sauce

Yum, yum!  

I saw the ravioli at Trader Joe’s and liked the sound of it – something different, not your usual cheese ravioli.  I didn’t want to do a plain tomato sauce with it, so I tried out a new recipe (http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Tomato-Cream-Sauce-for-Pasta/Detail.aspx).  I had concerns that the Tomato-Cream sauce wouldn't taste good with the ravioli, so I kept them separate until they were on the plate together.  It tasted really good!  

I used less onion in the sauce (probably about 1/2) and used light cream instead of heavy.  I liked the flavor, but I will leave it on the burner for a shorter period of time or use more cream next go around – it wasn't as creamy as I like my cream-based sauces.  (That’s OK though!)  It made three servings – perfect for me, the fiancée, and the next day’s lunch!