Showing posts with label Tomatoes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tomatoes. Show all posts

Friday, July 15, 2016

Black Bean Nachos


Easy meal preparation is where I am at with summer school in full swing and running in a variety of directions with kids and their never ending list of activities.

Nacho's are quickly becoming a staple on my menu of easy recipes.  The key for me is finding new and creative ways to reinvent an oldie but goodie.  I know I sound like a broken record but we have slowly been cutting back on our meat consumption and replacing our decision with more beans, rice and vegetables. Insert Charlie Brown and his wha wha wha blah blah blah voice.



I had a helper for this shoot. Can you guess who?  Finnley loves being my assistant.  Especially when I put the food on the floor and she can easily sample the dishes.  I can say that most of my recipes are kid tested and approved.  She has a healthy appetite and her palate is quite extensive for only being two.  She tries everything and I appreciate that.  Unlike my nine year old who only likes three things. Ramen, candy, and cereal.  I will save that battle story for another post.  Just know it keeps me up at night trying to figure out new and creative ways of sneaking healthy food into her diet.


Cabbage on nacho's might sound crazy, and well, maybe it is.  I think it's refreshing and adds so much color to an already bright dish.

Try it--you may just like it!



Black Bean Nachos

1/2 bag of your favorite tortilla chips
1 fresh tomato, diced small
1 ripe avocado, diced small
2-4 tiny bell peppers, orange and red, sliced in rings
2-3 cups of shredded purple cabbage
2 cups of shredded white cheddar (use Vegan cheese if this is your eating style)
Salsa Verde--RECIPE HERE
Black Beans--RECIPE HERE (Use can if that is all you have)

1.  Spread chips all over a cookie sheet.  Sprinkle cheese.  Broil until melted.

2.  Add the remaining ingredients. NOTE:  You can warm the black beans up in the microwave so they are not cold from the can or fridge.



Recipe by Sherron Watson

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Baked Tomatoes with Gruyere, Garlic and Onion

 

I just got back from a wonderful vacation spent with friends.  We ate our hearts out and chatted up a storm.  I feel amazing.  My time in New York City refuels my inner fountain.  Each time I go visit I leave a small part of my soul.  The draw to move there grows stronger and stronger with every visit.   Our time in Maryland is numbered.  I know this.  We have set a timeline of two years to make it possible for us to experience life living in a large city.


As our plans become more solid and time grows closer, I will share our journey here on the blog.  In the meantime I will continue to explore as much of the DelMarVa area as possible.  I have learned that when the call to move sets into our bones our time here becomes precious.  

I found this recipe in a cookbook by Elizabeth David.  I knew that my family would fall in love with these little morsels of cheesy goodness.  Elizabeth's recipe is simple.  I decided to add a few more ingredients to enhance the flavor profile to that of my families preferences.  The addition of garlic and onion was just the right touch.

Next time I will make a double batch.  I roasted some tiny potatoes and steamed carrots to make a beautiful platter of easy to eat foods.  

Enjoy!

Baked Tomatoes with Gruyere, Garlic and Onion 
Makes 6 small tomatoes

6 Campari Tomatoes
1 teaspoon melted butter
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons red onion, diced very small
1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
1 cup of Gruyere Cheese (I have used a combination of Jack and Gruyere with great success)
1-2 teaspoons of Dijon Mustard
a splash of White Wine, optional

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2.  Core tomatoes and arrange in a small baking dish.

3.  In a small sauce pan add butter and heat on medium.  Add red onion and garlic.  Saute for a few minutes.  Add remaining ingredients and stir until cheese is melted and well combined.

4.  Spoon the cheese mixture into the hollow tomatoes.  I filled my cheese to the top.

5.  Bake for 15 or until cheese starts to turn golden brown (see photo).  Remove from oven and serve immediately.  If you have problems with the tomatoes tipping over in the baking dish, slice some carrots and use them to hold up the tomatoes while baking.

Written by Sherron Watson


Friday, June 20, 2014

Tortellini and Sausage Soup




I love making homemade pasta for my family.  I made these little tortellini's in March for a magazine shoot.  We were sharing ideas for taking our lunches to school or work.  

I shared several kid friendly recipes but I also wanted to have an easy adult recipe.  I make ravioli's all the time and decided to make these cute little "belly-button" filled pastas to add to a broth-based soup. I kind of get tired of eating creamy soups and this was nice to have a soup base that was slurp-able.  Although I don't recommend slurping your soup at work--just sayin'.

I know that filled pasta is tricky for those that eat gluten free.  I have found, at Whole Foods, they carry a gluten free filled pasta in the cheese section.  I have not tried it yet but my friends have and they think it is wonderful.  The texture and flavor are both good.  If you don't have a recipe that you use at home I would suggest this as an alternative for this recipe. 

If you want to make your own gluten free wrappers for the tortellini, here is a recipe you can try.  I am working on my own version of a gluten free pasta to make stuffed raviolis and tortellinis. That recipe will come out next week--so check back.


Making homemade pasta is fun and the filled versions are not hard to master.  Time consuming?  A little bit but if you plan the time then it won't be a problem.  The kids love to help make pasta so this is a fun family friendly activity to do together.

Make the homemade pasta only if you want and desire to experience that part of the soup.  Otherwise use your favorite store bought filled pasta.  Do what fits your schedule and family dynamics.



Tortellini and Sausage Soup

Makes 4-6 servings

2 large sausage links, I use the ones from Whole Foods--usually a spicy variety.
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup green bell pepper, diced small
4 cups chicken broth
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 cup fresh baby spinach 
2 cups uncooked tortellini (fresh or frozen/store bought or homemade)
Salt and pepper,to taste

1/4 cup fresh basil, optional
grated parmesan cheese, optional

1.  In a medium frying pan add olive oil. Turn heat to medium.

2.  Cut sausage links into 1 inch pieces.  Cook in oil until done.

3.  Remove sausage pieces to a paper towel and set aside. Add diced onion and bell pepper to oil (add more oil if needed).  Cook for 3 minutes, add garlic.  Continue cooking for 1 more minute. Be careful to not burn the garlic.

4.  In a medium stock pot, add broth, diced tomatoes and the vegetables from above.  Bring to a boil.

5.  Add tortellini and cook until pasta is cooked through.  Time will vary based on whether you are using fresh or frozen pasta.

6.  When tortellini is done, add sausage pieces and fresh spinach/kale.  Stir and let set for 5 minutes.  The spinach will wilt in the hot broth.  

7.  Serve immediately with grated parmesan cheese or store in air tight containers for up to one week.

This was an image for the lunch article I wrote.  This little cup held about 1 1/2 cups of soup.

Written by Sherron Watson


Monday, April 28, 2014

Opened-Faced Grilled Cheese Sandwiches and 26 Years of Wedded Bliss







Wedded bliss?

You bet!

Smooth Sailing?

Hardly!

Crazy days, long stretches, enduring years, sleepless nights, changing personalities, ups and downs in finances and the best roller coaster ride of a lifetime is what the last 26 years have been.

Through it all we have remained the best of friends, parents and lovers.  Friends can laugh and say things to each other that lovers cannot.   In the heat of the moment emotions and feelings come under attack and our walls of defense become stronger and more fortified when we fear that we may lose that friendship.  We communicate with our "friend voice" when issues arise.  We try to always keep things friendly.

This past year has been our rockiest to date; but also the most compelling.


WHY?

We have come of age.  The age when we just don't give a shit anymore and life is passing us by faster than we care to admit.  The age when we sit back and say, "I am too old for this" or "life is too short to keep beating a dead dog with the same stick".

That coming of age. We both arrived there at the same time last year while I was pregnant.  We had a sit down discussion that lasted into the night. Our talk was honest, real and raw.

We asked ourselves, and each other, some serious questions:

Is this going to last?

Do you want out?

Is our love strong enough to make it another 25 years?

To answer these questions we had to be painfully honest with each other.  It hurt.  There were a few tears (I was 5 months pregnant).  We laughed.  We promised.

At the end of the night we concluded that it will last, that neither of us wanted out and we hoped, with all  of our hearts, that we will get another 25 years together.

Our son, Drake, made an interesting observations this past year too.  He said to us, "Your relationship is different.  You act like friends most of the time.  My friends are amazed that you are still married after only dating for two weeks and marrying two months later.  They don't get it."

I looked at him and said, " You're right.  We have remained  the best of friends. I will always love your Dad but with any relationship you have to have a firm foundation. The love that we started with is not the same love that we have today but our friendship has remained the same."

Our foundation is friendship sprinkled with love, passion, responsibility, longevity, endurance, fun, adventure, kids, laughter and lots of "benefits"--insert smiley with a wink. 

I love Cory more today than any other time in my life.  When they say that a person's love only gets stronger with each passing year, it is true.  He is a fantastic father.   A hard worker.  A powerful influence for good in our family.  He is a very spiritual man.  His heart is pure with the best of intentions.   He is the strength in our family.  He carries a lot of weight on his shoulders to be a good provider for our kids.

Simply put--We love him. 

Cory makes me a better person.  He allows me to be the spice in his life; sweet like sugar and fiery as chili pepper powder.  He lets me be me.


Today I am sharing his favorite sandwich.  It just happens to be National Grilled Cheese Month and this worked out great because I also got a surprise box from Kerrygold Cheese.   (Not a paid post)  The stars just aligned perfectly and this all happened at the same time: anniversary, free cheese and another national food day.  BONUS!

When I first met Cory we were young and poor.  We ate these a lot along with bowls of tomato soup.   He believes this is the "meal of the Gods".   He is totally a keeper in my mind. 

In my mind this would best describe the title of my blog: simply gourmet.  A simple sandwich using the best ingredients to create a gourmet meal in a matter of minutes.

SIMPLY.

DELICIOUS.

In my opinion.

ENJOY!


Opened-Faced Grilled Cheese Sandwich

2 tomato slices per slice of bread
1 square slice of cheese per slice of bread
2 pieces of bread
salt/pepper

1.  Set your oven to broil.

2.  Prepare your ingredients.

3.  Use a cookie tray to set your slices of bread on.

4.  Place tray under broiler until edges are brown and cheese is melted.

5.  Add fresh slices of tomatoes to each slice.

6.  Season with salt and pepper.





Written by Sherron Watson

Monday, September 10, 2012

Homemade Marinara Sauce



2020 Update:  I am using our recipes during the quarantine and updating notes. This is a family favorite and easy to make with fresh ingredients too.


My family enjoys quick and easy meals on busy nights.  Sometimes we are running from school to home, to soccer, to home and then to band or girl scouts.  

There are days that our schedules feel more like a marathon than a busy family.  I try really hard to not over-commit myself or my kids but it just happens.


On these nights I am looking for fast, healthy meals.  I could open a jar of pre-made spaghetti sauce and call it good, but I would rather plan ahead and have this sauce in the refrigerator for just those moments.



I have several reasons why I don't do this.  Personally, I don't like super sweet marinara sauce and I feel like the pre sauces that you get in the store are overly sweet.  I also don't like paying the higher prices for a good marinara sauce.  Some jars are upwards of $10.00 a bottle.

I find it takes me about 10 minutes to put the ingredients together for a homemade batch of marinara vs. the few minutes to twist the lid of a jar and microwave.

When I have more time, I will let it simmer on the stove so that the flavors can develop into a thick marinara.  I will admit, with time, I sometimes warm it up knowing it will be better the next day but my family is hungry and they need to eat sooner than later.

As the Mom and cook in the family sometimes I have to overlook a few gourmet embellishments for the sake of a simple, healthy dish. 

In the summer, I enjoy julienned zucchini sticks in place of noodles.  I have always found that zucchini and tomatoes pair well together and in this case, the sauce and vegetable take center stage.  We add a bit of freshly grated parmesan too.



This sauce can easily be turned into a yummy and delicious meat variety by adding hamburger, veal or sausage or a combination of all three.  I have also used it in lasagna and with my eggplant parmesan recipe.   

Recipe:  Homemade Marinara Sauce

2 cans of diced tomatoes (I often use fresh tomatoes too)
1 can of tomato sauce (15 oz or close to it)
2 teaspoons of minced garlic
1/4 cup of onion, diced small
2 tablespoons of olive oil, for sautéing + 2 tablespoons for sauce
1 tablespoon of fresh basil
1 teaspoon of dried oregano
1/2 -1 teaspoon of kosher salt ( start with less and add more as needed) 

BONUS FLAVORS TO ADD: I will add carrots, celery, or bell pepper to add small nuances to the flavor. We love this for pizza toast, lasagna, or zucchini roll-ups.

In a small saute pan add 2 T. of oil and saute onion and garlic together until onion is clear.

In a medium-size pot, on medium heat, add the remaining ingredients.  Add the sauteed onion and garlic.

Let simmer, with small bubbles popping on the surface of the sauce, for 15 minutes.  The sauce will get thicker the longer you simmer it.  I usually shoot for an hour if I have the time.

Taste your sauce to see if more salt is needed.  This is an important step because the right amount of salt makes this really shine.  


Thursday, June 7, 2012

Sauteed Squash, Leeks and Artichokes


My first memory of having squash was when we lived at the "lake".  This is what we called our small community of Woffard Heights in the mountains of California.  The "lake" was actually named Lake Isabella and we spent every summer fishing, swimming, rock climbing and bridge jumping.

When we were not at the lake we were riding horses, hiking, playing with our cousins or working.  Our grandparents had a rock bed for a yard and we spent several summers making these huge rock walls.

This was a lot of work!  It was also my introduction to physical labor.  My grandfather, who we called, "pop" was a military man.  He was a caring man but very stern and felt that the only way for anyone to learn discipline was to rise early, work through out the day and then work some more.  LOL


I gained a lot from these hours spent with him.  I admired him.  I wanted his approval.  I would often spend extra time loading and unloading boulders so that he would think I was a hard worker.  I wanted his approval.  I was a girl and felt as though I had a lot to prove.  (Those were the days)

He passed away while I was a teenager and I do believe he felt I was a hard worker.  I wasn't mature enough at the time to have "that" conversation with him and really share my feelings of how much I admired and looked up to his example of work.

I wish that I could go back for one day and really have a good chat.

So what does squash have to do with this? My grandfather was from Texas.  I grew up on chicken fried steak,  gravy, meat and potatoes and a lot of fried food.

My grandmother would make summer squash for us a lot.  It was the "alien ship" squash.  That is what we called it, because they looked like little UFO's.

She would dredge it in flour, salt and pepper and milk.  Fry them in a pan and serve them with ranch.

Oh it was so good!

This was the start of my love affair with squash and zucchini. I try not to eat my squash fried anymore and that is how this dish came about.  I threw this dish together the first few times with leeks, yellow squash and artichokes.  The second time I made it with zucchini, red onion and artichokes.

It is one of the best side dishes I have made in a long, long time.  The flavors just explode in your mouth.  Adding the red tomatoes at the end add that bit of sweet flavor that only a good tomato can do.

Recipe:  Sauteed Squash, Leeks and Artichokes

Olive oil, add to pan as needed
3 yellow squash (or zucchini), sliced
1 cup of leeks, sliced in rings.  Use the white part.  You can use red onion too.
2 teaspoons of minced garlic
1 cup of un-marinated artichokes, halved
handful of fresh herbs:  cilantro, Oregano and Basil (do not use dried herbs, it's not the same in this dish)
7 Campari tomatoes, quartered
salt and pepper to taste

In a large saute pan, add enough olive oil to saute your first batch of ingredients.  I sauteed the leeks, garlic and artichokes together first.  5 minutes or until the leeks are clear and cooked.


Remove this mixture to a large bowl.  You can steam your squash in the microwave by adding a small amount of water to a microwave safe bowl along with the sliced squash and cook until just tender.  I prefer to cook the squash in my pan so that I get the added flavor of the olive oil and the flavor of sauteing them this way.  It took me 3 batches.


When each batch is finished add it to the large bowl with your artichoke and leeks.  Chop your herbs and toss them into the last batch of squash.  Cook for 2 minutes.


Throw in the tomatoes and cook for another 2 minutes.


 Add the contents of the large bowl back into your saute pan and combine.  Season with salt and pepper.


 This is an excellent main dish, side or left over.



Donut Breakfast Casserole

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