tomatoes Archives - Page 3 of 4 -

November 24, 2014

Chicken Rosemary Parmesan Meatballs

A few weeks ago when I had wanted to make these Olive and Rosemary Breadstick Twists, I went for buying an entire rosemary plant, rather than a small bunch of rosemary that cost almost as much as a whole plant. The lady at the store promised that as long as I was careful to soak the roots with water everyday, the plant would last for at least several months. It did not. (sad face) There are now only a couple branches that are still alive and green and I am getting ready to toss it and move on. This is why I am not a gardener.

In my determination to get one last use out of my quickly fading rosemary plant, I decided to make these Chicken Rosemary Parmesan Meatballs. So perfect for dinner on a snowy day! I used this recipe from Annie’s Eats, except I swapped out the dried basil for fresh rosemary. It made a delicious substitute and I am so glad that I could find one last use for my rosemary plant. We enjoyed this served over polenta along with a crusty baguette, but it would also go well with pasta. Now that the snowy weather is here, it’s time for comfort recipes like this!

Baked Chicken Rosemary Meatballs

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

For the sauce:

1 (28 ounce) can whole tomatoes, liquid reserved
1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ cup finely chopped onion
1½ tablespoons tomato paste
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼-1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
⅓ cup heavy cream

For the Meatballs:

1½ pounds ground chicken
½ cup whole wheat panko crumbs
⅓ cup finely minced onion
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large egg lightly beaten
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil

To Finish:

4 ounces shredded mozzarella, about 1 cup
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
2-3 tablespoons minced fresh basil or parsley, for garnish

Instructions

For the sauce:

Place the whole tomatoes in a blender or food processor, reserving most of the liquid. Puree tomatoes until smooth, adding some of the reserved liquid if necessary.
In a cast iron skillet or large sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and sauté until onions are softened and begin to become translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add the tomato paste, garlic, and red pepper flakes and mix together until garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the pureed tomatoes and cook over low heat until sauce is slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and stir in the cream.

For the meatballs:

In a large mixing bowl, combine the chicken, panko, onion, parsley, rosemary, parmesan, garlic, eggs, salt, and pepper. Use hands to mix ingredients together until well combined. Form meatballs about 1½-inches in diameter.
In a large skillet or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Cook meatballs in one or two batches, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides. Add meatballs to tomato mixture.

To finish:

Preheat oven to 400. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese and parmesan on top and bake until heated through and cheese is melted and bubbly, about 15 minutes. Garnish with parsley or basil. Serve warm.

Notes

To make this ahead of time, I assembled the meatballs and sauce together and left off the cheese. About 30 minutes before I was ready to serve, I reheated the meatballs and sauce over the stove before adding the cheese and baking.

slightly adapted from Annie's Eats, originally from Dinner, a Love Story

November 17, 2014

Tomato Saffron Mixed Grains Soup

With the cold weather officially here to stay, we’ve transitioned into full-time soup and stew eating mode over here. This comes as a relief to me since soups and stews have such flexible cooking times and can be so easily prepared in advance. Now that it’s November, I feel that I should have our after-school routine running smoothly each day, but instead I find myself continuing to struggle with helping the kids with their instrument practice and homework, taking them to various activities, and cooking dinner all within the 4:00-6:00 time frame. I always feel so good on the days when dinner is done before they even arrive home because it’s one less thing I need to worry about.

I made a double batch of this Tomato Saffron Mixed Grains Soup last week so I could have some to freeze and have a healthy meal easily available when I need to balance out all of the upcoming holiday treats. I find grain soups so hearty, cozy, and nourishing. The pleasant hint of saffron in this soup reminds me of the warm flavors of a Spanish paella, but this soup is a lot less time consuming to make. This recipe is extremely versatile and the spelt, millet, and quinoa can be easily substituted for other whole grains such as farro, wheatberries, or rice. To keep it gluten-free, use any combination of rice, millet, and quinoa. Or for simplicity, choose one single grain to work with. Pre-soaking whole grains such as spelt or wheat berries is recommended to aid with digestion and improve texture. Soaking for a few hours is optimal, but soaking for even an hour makes a difference. The soup thickens considerably after it sits for a while, but it can thinned it out with a bit of additional water if desired.

Tomato Saffron Mixed Grains Soup

Serves: 4

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
⅛-1/4 teaspoon saffron
4 cups chicken broth
½ cup spelt, soaked for at least 1 hour and drained
¼ cup millet
3 tablespoons quinoa
1 can (14.5 ounces) crushed tomatoes
1 can (15 ouches) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1½ teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
chopped parsley for garnish

Instructions

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. Add bay leaves, paprika, cumin, saffron, spelt, broth, and 1 cup of water. Bring mixture to a boil. Lower heat and simmer until spelt is tender, about 30 minutes.
Add millet, quinoa, tomatoes, chickpeas, salt, and pepper and continue to simmer until millet and quinoa are cooked and flavors have blended, about 15-20 additional minutes. Discard bay leaves. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper. Sprinkle with a garnish of parsley to serve.

Notes

adapted from Martha Stewart

August 28, 2014

Chipotle Chicken with Mango-Tomato Salsa

Let’s try to squeeze in just a few more summer meals before the season nearly ends. This chipotle chicken with mango-tomato salsa is a little spicy, a little sweet, and very refreshing. Sur la Table was featuring half-off some of their cooking classes and Ryan and I took advantage of it by going on a double date with some friends. We took the Fresh & Healthy Mexican Cooking class. To be honest, I really don’t feel like I learn a whole lot about cooking from the cooking classes, but I do feel that the classes are a fun way to gain exposure to new types of dishes and flavors that I don’t usually cook. Take this chipotle chicken dish for example. Usually Ryan and I steer clear of dishes that mix savory and sweet, but we loved the combination of flavors in this particular dish. The sweetness of the mango is a nice contrast to the subtly smoky and spicy chicken and it helps to bring brightness to the whole meal. Just shows how our tastes evolve and change over time.

The chicken is marinated in a pureed sauce of fire-roasted tomatoes, onions, chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, and a variety of spices. We did not puree the ingredients into smooth sauce when we made the marinade in class, but I feel that the pureeing step is helpful in getting the marinade to adhere to the meat. It is important to allow time for the marinade to cool before pouring it over the chicken in order to avoid heating the chicken. This is a great marinade with or without the mango-tomato salsa, but the salsa really does add an element of complexity to the chicken. The mango-tomato salsa is also a great summer salsa to enjoy with some tortilla or pita chips. Serve the chicken with a fresh salad on the side for a vibrant and healthy meal.

Chipotle Chicken with Mango-Tomato Salsa

Serves: 8

Ingredients

Chicken Marinade

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 15-ounce can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
½ cup cider vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 chipotle chile in adobo, diced
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
3-4 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs

Mango-Tomato Salsa

1 ripe mango, peeled and diced into ¼-inch cubes
½ medium red onion, peeled and minced
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
2 roma tomatoes, diced
¼ cup minced cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

Chipotle Chicken

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until onions are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and stir for another minute. Add the canned tomatoes and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce reduces slightly, about 8-10 minutes.
Add the vinegar, honey, cumin, oregano, chipotle pepper, and salt and stir to combine. Continue to simmer over low heat until sauce slightly thickens and reduces by about ⅓, about 15 minutes. Add lime juice and additional salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and cool completely.
Transfer to a blender or use an immersion blender to puree marinade until smooth.
In a gallon sized ziploc bag, add the chicken and the marinade. Seal the bag tightly and squeeze the bag to evenly coat the chicken with the marinade. Marinate the chicken at room temperature for 30 minutes or in the refrigerator for 2-4 hours. While meat is marinating, prepare the Mango-Tomato Salsa.
Remove the chicken from the marinade and place on a grill over medium heat. Grill chicken until meat reaches 165 at the thickest part, about 3-4 minutes per side. Allow meat to rest for 5 minutes.
Serve with Mango-Tomato Salsa.

Mango-Tomato Salsa

In a medium mixing bowl, use a rubber spatula to gently combine the mango, onion, jalapeño, tomato, cilantro, and lime juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Notes

adapted from Sur la Table