Friday, August 21, 2020

Fresh Tomato Salsa (Pico de Gallo)

 

Fresh Tomato Salsa (Pico de Gallo)

Ingredients:
3-4 medium-large fresh tomatoes, diced
1/4-1/2 red onion, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
juice of one lime
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
salt and pepper to taste
pinch dried oregano
pinch cumin

Directions:
Put everything in a bowl and stir to combine.  Adjust seasonings as needed.  Store covered in fridge for up to 5 days.


Cheesy Bacon-Tomato Pie

 

WOW!  This was soooo good!  I was flipping through cookbooks looking for recipes that used tomatoes and decided to try out this one.  So glad I did.  It was like deep dish pizza but better because the ingredients were fresh.   I was able to use green onions and basil from my garden.  Luckily, I had a spare homemade pie dough round in the freezer that I thawed and leftover bacon from earlier in the week so that saved me some time.   Of course, you could just buy a pie crust, but I think the homemade buttery crust made it taste extra delicious.  I didn't have any mayonnaise on hand (because I'm a Miracle Whip person), so I made my own easy mayo recipe to use for the pie.

Cheesy Bacon-Tomato Pie
From Taste of Home Test Kitchen

Ingredients:
1 single-crust pie pastry  (see recipe below)
1&3/4 lbs tomatoes, sliced and seeded
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/2 cup mayonnaise (see recipe below)
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I used both cheddar and mozzarella to use up fridge supply)
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Roll dough to an 1/8"-thick circle.  Transfer to a pie plate and trim to 1/2 inch beyond rim.

In a small bowl, combine the mayo, shredded cheese, basil, salt, and pepper.

Place half the tomatoes and half the onions in the crust.   Spread the cheese mixture over the top.  Top with remaining tomatoes and onions. Sprinkle the bacon and Parmesan cheese over the tomatoes.  Fold crust edge over filling, pleating as you go.

Bake at 400º for 30-40 minutes until crust is golden.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool for at least 5 minutes.  Sprinkle with additional basil if desired.


*****

Homemade Mayonnaise (Immersion Blender)
Makes ~1 cup

Ingredients:
1 egg, room temperature
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 cup vegetable oil or grapeseed oil
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a tall slender container.  Use an immersion blender that reaches the egg until the bottom thickens. Slowly pull the blender up to thicken the rest of the mixture.  Season with salt and pepper and store in refrigerator for up to 1 week.



*****

Buttery Pie Crust Recipe 

(Makes 2 Crusts-- you can freeze half the dough for another time if not needed)

Ingredients:
2&1/2 cups flour
1&1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold butter, cubed
3/4 cup vegetable shortening, chilled
1/2 cup ice water

Directions:
Stir the flour and salt in a large bowl.  Using a pastry cutter, cut in the butter and shortening until it resembles coarse crumbs.   Add ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring between each addition.  Only add enough water until the dough begins to form large clumps (usually about 1/2 cup total).

Transfer dough to a floured work surface and fold the dough unto itself several times until flour is fully incorporated into the fats.  Form the dough into a ball and divide into 2 equal pieces.  Using your hands, flatten each piece into a 1-inch thick circular disc.  Wrap each disc in plastic wrap.   Refrigerate at least 2 hours (up to 5 days).  [If saving for the future, freeze disc for up to 3 months and thaw in fridge.]

Roll out dough starting from center and roll outward in all directions until it's about 12-inches in diameter.  Follow baking instructions per pie recipe.


Thursday, August 20, 2020

Grilled Steak with Balsamic-Basil Tomatoes


I decided to treat ourselves to grilled steaks last night.  And since we have a bounty of tomatoes, I made a grilled tomato salsa for it.  The warm balsamic tomatoes were super delicious.  They are very versatile and would work with chicken or fish as well.   We had leftover salsa so I saved it in the fridge for breakfast and put it over an egg and everything bagel. Yummers.

Grilled Steak with Balsamic-Basil Tomato Salsa


Ingredients:
Steaks (whatever kind you want)
3 tomatoes, halved
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
1 green onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt and pepper

Directions:
Preheat grill to medium-high heat.

Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil over tomatoes and season with salt and pepper.   Grill about 3-4 minutes per side. 

Grill steaks about 4-5 minutes per side until done (Internal temp of 140º for medium steaks).  Time will depend on thickness.

Chop the grilled tomatoes and place in a medium bowl.  Add 2 tablespoons oil, vinegar, basil, parsley, and garlic; toss to combine.   Serve over the grilled steaks or anything you want.



Tuesday, August 18, 2020

Parmesan Baked Tomatoes and Herbed Salmon in Foil

 

Our garden currently has a lot of ripe tomatoes, so I decided to make an easy baked side dish to go with our salmon.  I liked this recipe because I was also able to use my fresh herbs.  I was never a fan of tomatoes as a kid, but I'm slowly learning to enjoy them.  I like them better cooked than raw.  The Parmesan breadcrumbs gave it a tasty little crunch on top.  The salmon was also very good.


Parmesan Baked Tomatoes

Ingredients:
2-3 large ripe tomatoes, halved
salt and pepper
3 tablespoons cup bread crumbs (I used Panko)
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
1 clove garlic, minced
1-2 tablespoons fresh herbs, chopped (I used parsley, basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme)
1-2 teaspoons olive oil or melted butter


Directions:
In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan, garlic, herbs, and oil.

Place tomatoes on a baking sheet and season with salt and pepper.  Top with breadcrumb mixture.  Bake at 400º F for 10 minutes until crumbs are lightly browned.

***

Herbed Salmon in Foil

Ingredients:
2 Salmon filets
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 cloves garlic, minced
~1 tablespoon fresh herbs, chopped (I used parsley, basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme)
2 teaspoons lemon juice

Directions:
Place salmon in the center of a large sheet of aluminum foil on a baking sheet.

In a bowl, combine the melted butter, garlic, and herbs.   Season the salmon with salt and pepper and pour the herb mixture evenly all over the salmon.  Sprinkle lemon juice over the top.

Wrap the salmon in the foil and bake at 400º for about 12-15 minutes until salmon is cooked to an internal temperature of 145º (time depends on size of salmon).  Unwrap salmon and then broil for a couple minutes until the top is slightly browned.