tomatoes Archives - Page 4 of 4 -

June 9, 2014

Kale, Tomato, and Parmesan Pizza

We eats lots of kale around here. It’s such a versatile green; I can hardly imagine how I ever got along in the kitchen without it. Just in case you didn’t know, kale on pizza is marvelous. This Kale, Tomato, and Parmesan Pizza is one of my favorite vegetarian pizzas. Along with a garlicky crust, the kale gets nice and crispy, and the tomatoes add a bright pop of color and contrast in texture.

It is important to lay the kale on the pizza in a single layer otherwise the kale will not become crispy. Better to have a single layer of kale and not use up all of the kale, than to cram all of the kale onto the pizza just to use it up. If there happens to be a little extra kale leftover, roast it at 350 for 10-15 minutes to make kale chips. Also, slicing the tomatoes extra thin will ensure that they do not make the kale (and rest of the pizza) soggy. After all of the components are prepared, this pizza comes together fairly quickly. This recipe is enough for two medium pizzas and can easily be halved if you just want to make one. I hope you enjoy this kale pizza as much as we do!

Kale, Tomato, and Parmesan Pizza

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

20 ounces pizza dough
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
dash sea salt
6 ounces shredded mozzarella, about 1½ cups
2 ounces grated parmesan, about 1 cup
4 ounces coarsely torn kale pieces, about 4 cups lightly packed
2 roma tomatoes, very thinly sliced

Instructions

Preheat oven and pizza stone, if using, to 500.
In a saute pan, mix the garlic, red pepper, olive oil, and dash of salt. Warm over low heat for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally and do not allow the garlic to brown. Transfer the olive oil mixture to a separate dish.
Without washing, use the same saute pan to saute the kale over medium heat until kale is slightly wilted, about 3 minutes.
Using half of the dough, roll or press dough until crust become thin. Brush a layer of the garlic olive oil over the entire crust.
To assemble, layer half of the shredded mozzarella on the crust. Continue by adding a single layer of kale, half the tomatoes, and half of the parmesan.
Repeat steps 4- 5 with the remaining ingredients.
Bake at 500 for 8-10 minutes.

Notes

adapted from Annie's Eats

May 27, 2014

Greek-Marinated Pork Tenderloin with Tzatziki

If you ask my daughter where her favorite place to eat is, without hesitation she’ll answer Nordstrom. Random, huh? Not sure if it’s actually the food for her, or simply that we usually meet there with a fun group of friends, but she loves going there. If we eat lunch at the mall, Nordstrom is always her first choice and mine. They seriously have great food and cater so well to kids. This recipe comes from the Nordstrom Family Table Cookbook. Since I like the cafe so much, I figured I would give their cookbook a try and everything I’ve made out of this cookbook has been wonderfully delicious.

The original recipe for this Greek-Marinated Pork Tenderloin calls for slicing and skewering the meat before grilling, but I thought it was simpler to grill the pork tenderloins whole and slice afterwards. The pork is served in a pita and topped with a tomato and artichoke salad and a creamy tzatziki sauce. The combination of the lemon-scented pork along with these accompaniments is something to be relished. I tried taking a picture of the pork assembled in the pita, but didn’t get a good one because I was in a rush and dinner guests were waiting to be served. This is a great meal to make for company since all of the components can be made ahead of time and the meat can be put on the grill as the guests arrive. Everyone can assemble their own pitas to their own liking and there you go, an easy dinner party!

Greek-Marinated Pork Tenderloin with Tzatziki

Ingredients

For the Pork Tenderloin:
¼ cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
½ teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 pork tenderloins (about 1¼ pound each)
For the Tzatziki:
½ English cucumber, coursely chopped
1½ cups plain Greek-yogurt
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon minced fresh dill
kosher salt
ground black pepper
For the Tomato and Artichoke Salad:
5 roma tomatoes, diced into ¾-inch pieces
1 14.5 ounce can artichoke hearts, quartered
½ cup feta cheese, crumbled
½ cup pitted and sliced Kalamata olives
2 tablespoons minced red onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon minced fresh dill
kosher salt
ground black pepper
Whole wheat pita bread for serving

Instructions

For the pork marinade, place the vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper into a gallon sized ziploc bag. Close the bag and use hands to mix the marinade together in the bag. Add the pork and marinate for up to 4 hours. Allow pork to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before grilling.
For the tzatziki, place the diced cucumber in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. In a mixing bowl, mix together the cucumber, yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, and dill. Season with kosher salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a serving bowl and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.
For the tomato and artichoke salad, gently combine the tomatoes, artichokes, feta, olives, onion, garlic, oregano, and dill in a mixing bowl. Season with kosher salt and pepper to taste. Let stand at room temperature for at least an hour before serving.
Grill the pork on medium heat for 20-30 minutes, rotating the pork every ten minutes or so. Allow the pork to rest for 10 minutes before cutting into ½ inch-thick slices.
To serve, place a few slices of pork in the middle of the pita and add some of the tomato and artichoke salad and tzatziki sauce on top. Fold up pita and enjoy!

Notes

slightly adapted from the Nordstrom Family Table Cookbook

May 5, 2014

Creamy Guacamole and Hot Salsa

Our family likes avocado everything. On toast, in soups, in salads, in sandwiches… to us everything avocado is delightful and delicious. One thing that is NOT delightful for my kids is raw onion, so chunky guacamole does not go over well with them, even though they love avocado. Once I started making guacamole in the food processor to achieve a super smooth and creamy guacamole, my kids devoured it. Fine with me too, no chopping or dicing, throw everything into the food processor, and it’s done. What’s not to love about that?!

The salsa recipe is one that my father-in-law came up with. Yes, I have a father-in-law that can cook like no other. Having dinner at my in-laws is always a big treat. Since being married to my husband, I have developed my taste for hot and spicy foods. And this salsa is hot. If you prefer a more mild salsa, leave out the jalapeños, and reduce the amount of crushed red pepper and cayanne pepper. While I often enjoy using fresh herbs, this recipe actually works better with dried parsley and cilantro. The dried herbs soak up the crushed tomatoes and help to thicken up the salsa. I love this salsa because it doesn’t get watery, it’s not too sweet, and it has so much flavor. It’s possible to eat the salsa immediately after making it, but the texture and flavors really develop after sitting overnight. This keeps well for a couple weeks when stored in the refrigerator.

Creamy Guacamole

Ingredients

2 ripe avocados
¼ medium onion (about ⅓ cup)
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, lightly packed
2-3 teaspoons lime juice
1 garlic clove
½ teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

Scoop flesh out of the avocados and put into a food processor, along with remaining ingredients.
Process for one minute, or until guacamole reaches desired consistency.

Hot Salsa

Ingredients

1 large onion
3-4 jalapeños, seeds removed
1 32 ounce can crushed tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons dried parsley
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon dried cilantro
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
4 tablespoons lime juice

Instructions

Use a food processor to finely chop the onions. Transfer to a large bowl, and then use the food processor to finely chop the jalapeños. Add the jalapeños to the onions.
Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl and stir together thoroughly. Transfer to storage containers and allow to sit overnight in the refrigerator.