The Dying Tomato Fix: Sweet Balsamic Stewed Tomatoes

Hi All,
      I apologize for the temporary silence here on the blog! However- in the silence- we have reached 700 VIEWS!!! Holy Moly guys! Thank you so much. I love that some of you are sharing and using what I have here.

     Now, if I haven't mentioned it before, my mother and I have a standing date. We have a great little Produce Junction near us. So every Monday we go and buy mounds of produce. There are several fantastic things about this. 1: You have someone to split the huge quantities with. 2: MONEY SAVINGS. Quite honestly, reason number 2 should have sold you on its own.

     A bit ago, we split a bag of about 15 tomatoes. Here is where my mistake played into the equation. I put them in a beautiful bowl and promptly forgot about them for just a little too long. Well hello Problem, I have a Solution for you. In past meals, Hubby has finished off entire cans of stewed tomatoes. That got my lil head thinking. How hard can it really be? The answer- not too difficult! I've even got a fun trick for you to make it even easier.

What You'll Need:
*8 Tomatoes
*Half of a Red Onion diced
*2 cloves of Garlic minced
*1 tsp. Thyme
*1 tsp. Oregano
*1 tsp. Basil
*1 tsp. Garlic Powder
*1 tsp. Onion Powder
*2-3 tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar (you can skip this if you don't have it on hand)
*1-2 tablespoons Olive Oil

   If you can picture the stewed tomatoes you've had in the past, you'll (hopefully) remember that they do not have skin. I'm sure this can seem to be quite the dilemma. However- it really truly is not. Let me introduce you to a simple method thanks to my Momma (of course)!

   Place all of your tomatoes in a pot that has enough water to keep the tomatoes floating. Bring this pot to a boil. What you will notice as it boils, is that the skin of the tomatoes will split. As each tomato splits you can pull it out of the boiling water and drop it into a bowl of very cold water to the side. Continue this until all of your tomatoes have split their skin and are in the cold water bath.

      Here is the awesome part about this trick! When you pick up a tomato and start to pull the skin: the whole skin peels off easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy. Thank you to my Momma for the memory of watching that trick as a child.

     Once you have completed peeling each tomato, you are going to want to chop the tomatoes into slices and then quarter each slice. (Or however you'd like to.) Another note at this point, some other recipes will instruct you to take out the "core" of the tomato. If that is your preference, go for it. From my point of view after trying both ways, I couldn't tell the difference.

     At this point, you're going to want to get a pot on the stove with your Olive Oil, diced red onion, and minced (or pressed) garlic browning. The goal is to get your onions to a point of translucence.

    As you can see in this picture, I put my onions in first for a bit. Adding the garlic later kept it from burning. Once this is done, you can add in your chopped tomatoes and their juice. From here on out, this is ridiculously easy. Add in the rest of your spices. (Garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, oregano, basil)

      Lastly, add in the Balsamic Vinegar. I sometimes will also add about 1/2 a cup of water if the tomatoes were not very juicy.

     You're going to now put a lid on this pot and let it cook for about 15 minutes on medium-low heat. After the 15 minutes with the lid on, take it off. Cook the tomatoes for another 15 minutes with the lid off to cook off some of the liquid. (Not all of it!!) Voila! You're done!

      These were a huge hit here for dinner and disappeared quickly. My recipe is a bit of some research as well as some experimentation. So we're calling them Sweet Balsamic Stewed Tomatoes. I love the sweetness that the Red Onion and the Balsamic create. They would be great on chicken, or even tossed in pasta! However you're craving it at the minute.

     That's it for today. I'm currently typing and cooking my next blog post! So keep your eyes peeled. And a big THANK YOU again for 700 views! You all are awesome.

      <3

BBQ Dinner

     Well folks, after a wonderful week at the beach I am back and ready with recipes! 

     With summer heat coming on strong, here are some perfect recipes for a BBQ. They are part of the smorgasbord of foods that were served yesterday to about ten hungry friends! Both of these recipes have been recent repeats for me and the family. 

     The first recipe I'd like to introduce you to is a fantastic marinade that cost me less than $3. This is NO JOKE! As long as you have oil and water in your kitchen, you need only purchase 2 items. So, run to the grocery store and pick up one packet of Old El Paso Original Taco Seasoning and a lemon. I found this recipe thanks to my niece, who was only eating taco meat. I was looking to fix the sister-in-law a meal and thought this might be a nice change that my sweet pea would enjoy too! 

Now, to save on clean up, I prepare everything in the plastic bag that I marinade my chicken in.          

Step 1: Put the packet of seasoning in the bag. 

Step 2: Add to this 1/4 cup of olive oil and 1/4 cup of water. 

Step 3: Add in two tablespoons of lemon juice from your lemon. 

Step 4: Before adding in chicken breast, make sure the ingredients are mixed together.

Step 5: Add in approximately 4 chicken breasts to marinade. 

You can leave them in the fridge overnight, but I've had success with only a few hours in the fridge too. 

Step 6: Now, I've cooked my chicken two ways after this step. Both in a frying pan and on the grill. 

I am partial to grilling because I think it gives the marinade the chance to caramelize and form a nice crispy outside.

Recipe #2 was the perfect pairing for grilled chicken on a hot day! I give you, Summer Pasta Salad! 

This delicious dish is something I stumbled on when I was looking to use up some random foods left in the fridge! 

You will need the following ingredients:

* 1 Box uncooked pasta

*3 cups grape tomatoes cut in half

*2 cups zucchini sliced and quartered (I have also used cucumber to substitute and it's just as good!) 

*1/2 red onion, finely chopped

*7 tbsp light mayo

* 2 and 1/2 tbsp red wine vinegar

*2 tbsp fat free Greek yogurt

*2 tsp mustard (yellow or Dijon) 

*1/4 tsp oregano

*1/4 tsp garlic powder

*salt and pepper to taste 

Directions: First cook your pasta according to the side of the box. Rinse with cold water and put to the side. In a large bowl, combine the onion, mayo, vinegar, Greek yogurt, mustard, and spices and mix well. Add tomatoes, zucchini (or cucumber) and pasta and toss well. 

Lucky for me, there was some left over after last night's BBQ!! Let me tell you, it might be even better a day later! Pasta salad is one of those foods that tastes fantastic a day later because it gives the flavors added time to develop and meld together. 

Alright ladies and gents, that's it for today! Look forward to some crafting posts later thanks to a lovely trip to bead mecca! As always- I hope you enjoy and please let me know if you try any recipes out! I'd love to know how it goes for you! Stay cool! 

                <3