Thursday, May 31, 2012

Roasted Heirloom Tomato Soup

This is definitely worth a repost, especially since we're coming into tomato season! Heirloom tomatoes. The different colored tomatoes gives the soup a really deep color and a great taste. You can use any tomatoes you like. Plain supermarket tomatoes are delicious in this soup as well. The roasting really brings out the flavor. I'm lucky that some of the markets around here carries heirlooms. I used a mix of those and vine tomatoes from the supermarket. Would have had home grown eventually but the big kid brought home a mutt from a shelter last year that we all fell in love with and assumed he was part rottweiler and part lab like his papers said. Not a great assumption because he looks part Great Dane with real long legs and a big head. And everything is within reach of his humongous appetite. So much for home grown. There's always next year!


Frankie





Roasted Tomato Soup topped with Greek yogurt instead of cream, croutons and chopped chives. A drizzle of oil and it's good to go.




Roasted Tomato Soup  
Source: Tyler Florence, Food Network
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/roasted-tomato-soup-recipe/index.html

Printable Recipe

3
pounds fresh tomatoes (mix of any kind you like, heirlooms are great)
6 cloves garlic, peeled
1 large onion, sliced
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 quarts chicken stock
2 bay leaves
4 tablespoons butter
plain fat-free Greek yogurt (optional)
chopped chives or basil (optional)
olive oil (optional)
croutons (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Wash, core and cut the tomatoes into halves. Spread the tomatoes, garlic cloves and onions onto a baking tray. If using vine cherry tomatoes for garnish, add them as well, leaving them whole and on the vine. Drizzle with 1/2 cup of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 45 - 60 minutes, or until caramelized.

Remove roasted tomatoes, garlic and onion from the oven and transfer to a large stock pot (set aside the roasted vine tomatoes for later). Add 3/4 of the chicken stock, bay leaves, and butter. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until liquid has reduced by a third.

Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth. Return soup to low heat and adjust consistency with remaining chicken stock, if necessary. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.Top with a dollop of Greek yogurt and a sprinkle of chopped chives. Top with croutons, drizzle with a bit of olive and serve.


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Thursday, May 24, 2012

Korean-Style Steak Taco's

It was a gorgeous day, perfect time to grill. The June magazines have tons of grilling recipes so I started to flip through the piles of magazines I have just waiting to be read and found plenty of recipes I put on the list to try. Tonight grilled steak taco's won out. They always do.
 
Flipping through Cooking Light I saw Korean Steak Taco's. The recipe was extremely similar to the Korean Steak Taco's I made a few months ago. The taco's had looked fantastic when I saw them on the blog, For the Love of Cooking. So I made Pam's version, which was excellent. This time we tried the Cooking Light version, very similar. Also a winner, this one had a bit more heat!

Made it with a flat iron steak, like a London broil. We love this cut of meat, and it worked well with the taco's. The Griller has finally gotten the hang of it, perfectly grilled, perfectly cooked. Rare in the middle for us, and overcooked at the ends for Miss Picky.
 
Everyone's happy! Even Grandma, she didn't bother to use extra chili sauce. But she's finally getting used to the heat!





  

1/4 cup sugar
6 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
2-3 tablespoons Sriracha, or any Asian chili sauce or paste
juice of 1 fresh lime
2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 flat iron steak, sliced against the grain into thin strips
salt and pepper, to taste
8 (6-inch) whole wheat tortillas
Quick Pickled Cabbage
3 tablespoons sliced green onions
avocado, sliced
lime wedges, for garnish

Combine first 6 ingredients in a shallow dish. Add steak to dish; cover. Marinate in refrigerator for about an hour, turning after 30 minutes.

Preheat grill to medium-high heat.

Remove steak from marinade, and discard marinade. Grill steak until desired degree of doneness. Remove from grill and let stand for a minute or so. Slice thinly, against the grain. 
Grill tortillas 30 seconds on each side or until lightly charred; keep warm. Place 2 tortillas on each of 4 plates, and divide steak evenly among tortillas. Divide the Quick Pickled Cabbage evenly among tacos; add some sliced avocado's, sprinkle with onions. Serve with a squeeze of lime and top with some Sriracha sauce.

Quick Pickled Cabbage
 
adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook   
Source: Cooking Light, June 2012
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/korean-style-beef-tacos-50400000121408/


2 cups broccoli slaw
2 cups green cabbage, shredded
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons simple syrup (or 1 tablespoon sugar mixed with one tablespoon of water)
2-3 teaspoons Sriracha Chili Sauce
lime wedges, to squeeze a little over the slaw when you serve

Place cabbage and broccoli in a medium bowl. In a microwave safe bowl, mix together the vinegar, soy sauce, simple syrup, garlic and chile sauce. Microwave for 1 minute, stir again and microwave for another 30 seconds. Pour warm vinegar mixture over the slaw mix; toss. Let stand at least 30 minutes.


 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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Thursday, May 17, 2012

Crispy Potatoes

Crispy Potatoes. These were so good, the top was like potato chips while the inside was like a mashed potato. Distraction worked for me in this instance, forgetting about them in the oven the top got really crispy. They are sort of like the Muffin Tin Potato Gratins I made a while back that were also a big hit and everyone loved those as well. Both recipes by Martha Stewart Everyday Food.


 



Crispy Potatoes
adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
5 large russet potatoes, peeled and sliced very thinly with a mandoline or a knife
2 large shallots, thickly sliced
salt and pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, more or less (optional)
1 teaspoon dried thyme

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

In a small bowl, combine the butter and oil. Brush bottom of a 9-inch round or oval baking dish with some of the butter mixture.

Arrange the potato slices together vertically in the dish. Wedge shallots in between some of the slices. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, thyme and the red-pepper flakes (if using); brush with the rest of the butter mixture. Bake 1 1/2-2 hours, until potatoes are cooked through with a crisp, browned top.

Note:
The thinner you slice the potatoes, the crispier they'll become in the oven. 


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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Thursday, May 10, 2012

Baked Fish with Fresh Herbs and Bread Crumbs

We were watching America's Test Kitchen over the weekend, even my husband likes this show. They were making fish, which is slowly creeping into our diet more often. Looked so good, he went out to find some sole so I could make it for dinner that night. No sole, so he came home with Tilapia. A little thick, but I managed to make rolls that didn't look too bad, except it took a little longer to cook. A lot longer. But it was good. My family has become fish converts. Except for Miss Picky. She won't touch it. Can't win em all.






Baked Fish with Fresh Herbs and Bread Crumbs
adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook
Source: http://www.americastestkitchen.com
Printable Recipe

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
2 tablespoons minced fresh chives
2 tablespoons minced fresh tarragon leaves
finely grated zest from 1 lemon
juice of the zested lemon
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
6 sole or flounder fillets (boneless and skinless, use fresh, not frozen) or tilapia
kosher salt and ground black pepper
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2/3 cup panko bread crumbs
lemon wedges, for serving

toothpicks, to hold the fish roll closed if you use tilapia

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine parsley, chives, and tarragon in small bowl. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the herb mixture and set aside for bread crumbs. Stir lemon zest into remaining herbs.

Heat 4 tablespoons butter in a small skillet over medium heat until just melted. Add 2 teaspoons minced garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Set skillet aside off heat.

Pat fillets dry with paper towels. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Turn fillets skinned side up with tail end pointing away from you. Spread 1/2 teaspoon mustard on each fillet, sprinkle each with about 1 tablespoon herb–lemon zest mixture, and drizzle each with fillet with about 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic butter. Tightly roll fillets from the thick end to form rolls. Set fillets seam side down in 13 by 9-inch baking dish. Squeeze the lemon juice over each fillet. If using a thicker fish like Tilapia, use toothpicks to skewer them closed. Drizzle remaining garlic butter over fillets, cover baking dish with aluminum foil, and bake 30 minutes.

Add remaining tablespoon of butter to the skillet and melt over medium heat. Add panko and cook, stirring frequently, until crumbs are deep golden brown, 5 to 8 minutes. Reduce heat to low, add remaining teaspoon minced garlic, and cook, stirring constantly, until garlic is fragrant and evenly distributed in crumbs, about 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to small bowl, stir in salt and pepper to taste. Let it cool. When it's cooled, stir in the reserved herb mixture.

After fillets have baked about 30 minutes, remove the baking dish from the oven. Baste fillets with the garlic butter from baking dish, sprinkle with all but 3 tablespoons bread crumbs, and continue to bake, uncovered, until internal temperature registers about 135 degrees on instant-read thermometer, about 10 minutes longer. Using a thin spatula, transfer fillets to individual plates, squeeze a little lemon juice over the fish, drizzle with any melted butter left in the dish, sprinkle with remaining bread crumbs, and serve with lemon wedges. Make sure you remember to TAKE THE TOOTHPICKS OUT, if using!


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Friday, May 4, 2012

Some Favorites for Cinco De Mayo

 

Just some of my all-time favorites to celebrate Cinco De Mayo. I love a good celebration, maybe not authentic but delicious!  

Wishing everyone a great weekend.




Chevy's Fire-Roasted Salsa
from Top Secret Restaurant Recipes 2 by Todd Wilbur
Source: Perrys' Plate 

6 medium tomatoes
6-8 jalapenos (I use 2-3)
1/4 medium Spanish or Yellow onion
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 teaspoons salt

Preheat grill on high. Remove stems from tomatoes, then rub some oil over each. Leave stems on jalapenos and rub oil on them, too.

Place tomatoes on grill. After about 10 minutes, add the jalapenos. In about 10 minutes, turn the tomatoes and peppers. When almost all of the surface of the peppers are black, remove them from the grill. The tomatoes will turn partially black, but when the skin begins to come off they are done. Remove from grill to a bowl.

Remove skin from tomatoes and place in a food processor. Pinch the stem end from each pepper, remove any skin that has burned, and place into food processor with tomatoes.

Add remaining ingredients and puree on high for 5-10 seconds. Chill for several hours or overnight before serving. Makes about 2 cups.




 Fish Tacos
adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook
Source: Epicurious, May 2009 – recipe by Lourdes Castro, Simply Mexican
Printable Recipe

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
About 1 1/2 cups red wine vinegar (I used 1/2 cup rice wine vinegar, a little less than 1/4 cup simple syrup and some water)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons ancho chile powder
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano (I used Mexican oregano)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup lightly packed fresh cilantro leaves, chopped, plus more for garnish
1 jalapeño, stemmed and chopped
1 pound flaky white fish (such as mahi mahi or cod), cut into 4 pieces
salt and pepper
8 fresh corn tortillas (I used whole wheat)
Mexican crema, homemade or store-bought (I mixed 1 cup sour cream with the zest and juice of one lime, jalapeno, a little salt and pepper)
Fresh Tomato Salsa
2 limes, cut into quarters

Put the onion in a small bowl and pour in the vinegar to cover well. Set aside for at least 30 minutes or up to several weeks.

Pour the olive oil into a small bowl and add the ancho chile powder, oregano, cumin, chopped cilantro, salt, pepper and jalapeño. Mix well. Place the fish on a dish and pour the marinade over it, making sure to coat the fish well on both sides. Allow to marinate for 20 minutes. (I put it in a Ziploc bag to marinate)

Heat a nonstick sauté pan over medium-high heat. Place the fish in the pan, no need for more oil. Cook the fish for about 4 minutes, then turn over, and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and flake the fish into the pan with a fork, making sure to mix in all the marinade that has stuck to the bottom of the pan. Check if it needs more salt and pepper. I cooked it on the grill, in a disposable aluminum pan and left the pieces whole!

Place four of the tortillas on a plate and sandwich them between two slightly dampened sheets of paper towel. Microwave on high for about 45 seconds. Place the warm tortillas in a towel-lined basket or plate and cover. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.

To assemble the tacos, place a big spoonful of the fish onto the center of a tortilla. Top with the marinated onions. I also added a sort of cole slaw to the taco's. Serve with salsa.

Fish Taco Cole Slaw
1 bag shredded green cabbage
1 cup sour cream
juice and zest of one lime
minced fresh jalapeno (half of one jalapeno)
salt and pepper to taste

Combine the sour cream with the lime juice, zest, jalapeno, salt and pepper. Mix shredded green cabbage in with the crema and refrigerate for about 20 minutes.




Mexican Black Bean Salad
Source: StacyS (gardenweb)

1 cup frozen (thawed) whole kernel corn, drained, or fresh cut from the cob
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 - 2 whole fresh jalapenos, seeds and ribs removed, chopped in a very small dice or 1 4-oz can of chopped green chilies
1/2 pint or more grape tomatoes, sliced in half
chopped fresh cilantro, to taste
4 cups torn iceberg lettuce or romaine (or both)
2 avocado, diced
Shredded Monterrey Jack, Cheddar or Mexican Cheese blend

Tortilla chips for garnish

Dressing:
1 tablespoons honey (little bit more, I just poured about 2 tablespoons)
2 - 3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon lime juice (I used juice of one lime)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Whisk all the dressing ingredients in large bowl.

Add all salad ingredients except lettuce and cheese; stir until well coated. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour to blend flavors.

Toss the lettuce, avocado and cheese with the bean mixture a little while before you are ready to serve. Garnish with tortilla chips at the last minute.




 Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup
Source: Marilyn (DanaIN) - Gardenweb Cooking Forum
adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook
Printable Recipe

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 tablespoons minced garlic
4 corn tortillas (regular or fried)
1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes with chilies (I used 2 10-ounce cans of Rotel tomatoes with chilies)
4 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon turmeric (I omitted)
2 cups chopped, cooked chicken
1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup shredded Monterrey Jack cheese (optional)
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
juice from 1/2 fresh lime
1 cup diced, seeded Roma tomatoes or 1 cup salsa for garnish
Sour cream for garnish
Tortilla Chips for garnish

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat; sauté onions and garlic for 3 minutes. Slice or break tortillas into small pieces and add to onions and garlic; sauté until they are soft. Add tomatoes, broth and spices and bring to a boil. Remove from heat; allow to cool for 5 minutes. Puree soup base in batches in a blender or food processor until smooth, return soup to pot. (I used an immersion blender)

Add chicken, corn and cream and return to a boil then simmer for 5 minutes or until it starts to thicken. Reduce heat to medium-low and sprinkle in cheese and cilantro; stir to melt cheese. Add lime juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve topped with tomatoes and a dollop of sour cream.






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