Month: August 2015

Now that autumn is just around the corner, I wanted to share a great tip about storing tomatoes. One year I planted 3 San Marzano tomato plants and I had so many tomatoes, it was impossible to cook them all. I was still getting baskets of tomatoes in late September, so I had to find a solution.

After picking another basket of beautiful San Marzanos, I just took them and put them into a gallon freezer bag and put them into the freezer. No washing, no fuss and they were still warm from the garden.

About two weeks later I remembered them and was expecting the worse, but when I took them out to make a sauce, they were perfect. I put a little bit of lukewarm water on them and the skins came right off and I then chopped them and made a wonderful sauce. They had lost none of their flavor.

The only important thing to remember, is that this will only work for tomatoes you plan on using for cooking, as the texture will not be suitable for slicing.

I picked my last batch in early October and then used them up until March of the following year. They had been frozen for almost 6 months and they were lovely and had lost none of their freshness.

I love chili, and I am very committed to making it in an authentic manner. I really enjoy vegetarian chili. I like the bold tastes, but sometimes appreciate the lower fat and the no meat aspect.

I have a couple of versions of this, depending on what I have in the pantry. This is the basic recipe and then feel free to add whatever you like. I’ll include some optional items at the end to spur your creativity.

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
1 large Onion, chopped
3 tsp of Salt
1 tsp freshly ground Black Pepper
1 large Yellow Pepper, chopped into 1 inch pieces
1 large Red Pepper, chopped into 1 inch pieces
1 Large Orange Pepper, chopped into 1 inch pieces
4 cloves of Garlic, whole
4 Tbsp Chili Powder
1 Tbsp Ground Chipotle Peppers, optional
1 Tbsp Hot Smoked Paprika
1 Tbsp Ground Cumin
1 4 oz can of fire roasted Green Chilies
1 15 oz can of Black Beans, including juice
1 15 oz can of Pinto Beans, including juice
1 cup of fresh or frozen Corn
2 32oz cans of crushed Tomatoes
1 bottle of Dark Beer

Preparation:

Get out your large stock pot or cast iron pot, as you want this to cook slowly. Add the oil to the pan and heat it up and then add the onions, salt and pepper and sauté until the onions start to slightly caramelize.

Then add the peppers and do the same. When they are really soft, add the garlic cloves and sauté for one minute of so and then add the dry spices. Carefully cook and keep stirring until the rawness of the spices are gone.

Now add each of the remaining ingredients, stirring as you add each one. When they have all been added, bring it up to a simmer and then reduce the heat down and let it simmer gently for 2-3 hours. Serve with grated cheese or sour cream and some finely chopped green onions. Add hot sauce as desired.

Optional Ingredients:

Sweet Potatoes, cut into 1 inch cubes
Carrots, cut into 1 inch pieces
Lima Beans, 1 cup
Garbanzo Beans, 15oz can
Red Beans, 15 oz can

Allow to cool thoroughly before serving.

This is a fun dish to prepare and it’s great for kids. It’s more Tex Mex, than true Mexican, but it’s tasty, hearty, healthy. I have made a vegetarian’s version here, but you can certainly add ground meat if you want.

This can easily be prepared ahead of time and then popped into the oven when you are ready to eat. If it’s coming right out of the refrigerator, give it an extra 5 – 10 minutes in the oven.

Ingredients:

2 cups of Boca Crumbles or meat if you choose. Ground chicken, turkey or beef would be fine.
3 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
1 medium Onion, chopped
2 cloves of Garlic, chopped
1 tsp Salt, omit if Taco Spice has salt.
3/4 cup Corn, frozen is fine.
2 Tbsp Taco Spice, or Chili Powder
1 15 oz can of diced Tomatoes
1 15 oz can of Pinto or Black Beans
Corn Tortillas
Cheddar shreds

Preparation:

Preheat your oven to 375 and then add oil to a sauté pan. Add in onion, garlic, salt and sauté until translucent, then add corn. Sauté for 3-5 min.

Add Boca Crumbles or meat and taco spice. Sauté until heated through. Add in tomatoes and beans and cook until slightly thickened. Remove from heat.

Add a layer of the mix to the bottom of an oven proof baking dish, and then layer on the fresh corn tortillas, a bit of the cheese and continue layering until you reach the top.

Finish with additional cheese, cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Allow to rest for 10 minutes and serve.

Note: If you can not find fresh corn tortillas, you can substitute tortilla chips, but use unsalted chips.

This is so simple, and is a standard quick meal in most homes in Italy. It’s a late night, “come home and throw it together after drinking” pasta  When I need a quick meal that satisfies and gives me a great garlic fix, this is it.

Normally I start the water, and by the time it’s boiling, the rest of the dish is already cooking and almost ready to go.

Ingredients:

1 lb. of pasta, this is a perfect dish for linguine, spaghetti or even fettuccine. Avoid the tube pasta, as they tend to take on a bit to much oil.

6 Tbsp. of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

3 Tbsp. of freshly chopped Garlic

3 Tbsp. fresh Parsley, chopped

Fresh ground Black Pepper

Parmesan Reggiano

Preparation:

Start the water and add salt to the water. Use more salt than usual, because salt does not dissolve well in olive oil, so we will not be adding any to the olive oil mixture.

Add all of the other ingredients into a small sauté pan and gently cook them while the pasta is cooking. Do not overheat, or the garlic will brown and get bitter. Chop the parsley and set aside.

This is a wonderful dressing for grilled vegetables, salads and is great on pasta salad, for a robust but not overpowering tomato touch. It is easy to prepare and takes literally a minute to throw together. 

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 Tbsp Champagne or White Wine Vinegar, or more to taste.
1-2 tsp Salt, to taste
3-4 fresh Basil Leaves, rolled and cut chiffonade
Few grindings of fresh Black Pepper
2 Tbsp of Tomato Concentrate. I prefer the concentrate in the tubes, as it does not have that metallic taste like many pastes in a can.

Preparation:

Just combine all ingredients and whisk vigorously until it emulsifies  You can also put all ingredients into a small jar and shake it vigorously to emulsify. This is an easier method if you plan on storing it afterwards. It stores well in the refrigerator.

Note: I have a little 8 oz jar that I use for vinaigrette. It is very handy and the shaking action emulsifies it perfectly.