Absolutely Swimming in Homegrown Cherry Tomatoes? Try a Marinated Cherry Tomato Salad

Marinated Cherry Tomato Salad

Ice cream, ice cream, ice cream. My two-year-old has been chanting this phrase most of the day. It's definitely ice cream season in my household. Every member of my household has their favorite flavors: my kids love anything with chocolate, I prefer frozen yogurt, and my husband always loves weird mix-ins like potato chips. We can all agree that no matter how it's made ice cream spells summer. During the colder months ice cream rarely makes an appearance in my house. It can get very cold here in the middle of winter and when I'm freezing the last thing that I want is something to make me even colder. In the summer it's a different story. I roast in the humidity and ice cream is a great way to cool off. Another of my favorite summer foods is tomatoes. This year I am growing my own, they are growing like crazy and by next week they should be ready to pick. In the meantime I have been relying on store bought tomatoes. Last week I tried a new recipe for Marinated Cherry Tomato Salad from allrecipes.com.

This recipe has 8 ingredients. It takes 2 hours 10 minutes, 10 minutes of which is active and makes 6 to 8 servings. I did make a few modifications. First I only had two cups of cherry tomatoes, so I cut the recipe in half. Second, I substituted olive oil for vegetable oil. I prefer cooking with olive oil when possible. Finally, I allowed the salad to sit 4 hours to ensure that the tomatoes fully absorbed the flavors.

My oldest son thought these tomatoes were spicy. The vinegar taste is definitely adult orientated. As an adult I really like the taste of the apple cider vinegar. It blended very nicely with the tomatoes and the recipe made a nice light side for the pasta dish that we ate it with. Overall, a great way to use summer tomatoes.

For the recipe go to Marinated Cherry Tomato Salad.

30 Minute Roasted Tomato and Pancetta Pasta

Gluten Free Tomato, Red Onion, and Pancetta Pasta Topped with Goat Cheese

My oldest is in another food phase. Currently he has decided that he isn't eating cheese. It's somewhat amusing since cheese used to be one of his favorite foods, but now he will pick it out. My guess is that he has learned some of these habits from my husband and I . While we both love food we also have definite opinions on what we do and don't like. For example my husband eats a vegetable and beans at every meal as part of his diet. I am horrible about vegetables. I eat more than enough fruit, but I only eat vegetables at dinner (this will be one of my food habits that I will be working on in the next year). My husband is the opposite, he can eat more spinach than anyone I know, but hates any fruit. So I try to find foods that everyone in my family can compromise upon. Tomatoes and pasta are two foods that my family absolutely loves. Tonight I tried a new recipe for Roasted Tomato and Pancetta Pasta from the Everyday Food insert of the March 2013 issue of Martha Stewart Living.

This recipe has 7 ingredients. It takes 30 minutes of total time, 10 minutes of which is active and makes 4 servings. I did make a few changes to the original recipe. First since I eat gluten free I used gluten free pasta. Second my store doesn't carry cherry tomatoes during the winter so I substituted grape tomatoes. I also increased the cooking time by ten minutes, used canola oil instead of olive oil and pressed down on the tomatoes after they were roasted to ensure that they were fully burst. Finally, I topped the servings with goat cheese.

My oldest son loved this recipe. He ate his whole serving, which is the most he has eaten for dinner in weeks. My husband liked the flavors, but thought that the total amount of pancetta should be doubled or swapped for uncured chopped bacon. Then again the males in my family think that everything needs more bacon. I did not add the extra pasta water at the end, but instead poured the juices from the roasted tomatoes into the pasta, which created a nice flavor.

For the recipe go to Roasted Tomato and Pancetta Pasta.

Orecchiette with Sausage and Cherry Tomatoes

Growing up my mom raised tomatoes. Every other vegetable she tried growing failed miserably, but her tomatoes were always beautiful. I absolutely loved the taste of the fresh cherry tomatoes right off the vine. When I moved out and started buying tomatoes from the grocery store I quickly discovered that not all tomatoes are created equal. The grocery store tomatoes were often mealy or lacking flavor. When I met my husband he would take any fresh tomato off of whatever sandwich or burger he was eating. He is not a fan of fresh tomatoes. Since he wasn't a fan I pretty much stopped using fresh tomatoes until I had kids. My kids love tomatoes! When I buy cherry or grape tomatoes for a recipe I literally have to hide them or my two boys will eat the whole container before I can make dinner. Luckily my husband has come around to eating fresh tomatoes when they are in season and we eat them regularly. Given my kids love of cherry tomatoes I was pleased when the November issue of Food and Wine magazine had a recipe for Orecchiette with Sausage and Cherry Tomatoes.

This recipe has 7 ingredients. It takes 30 minutes of total time, all of which is active and makes 4 servings. I had no problems finding any of the ingredients at my local grocery store and made no ingredient modifications. I allowed my tomatoes to cook until they were completely broken down since my husband isn't a fan of raw tomatoes. Additionally, I did not add the last tablespoon of olive oil when tossing the pasta. I found it unnecessary and the pasta already had sufficient olive oil in the tomato mixture. Honestly, I was in a hurry when making this dish and while I normally measure out exactly 2 ounces of cheese with my food scale when I made this recipe I just made an educated guess. I followed the remainder of the recipe as written.

I love easy recipes in the summer when my time seems to be limited and this recipe is beyond easy. The prep is minimal and my oldest son was able to help me put everything together. Both my husband and I felt that there needed to be more sausage for the amount of pasta. I suggest using a full pound of sausage and you could honestly even increase the amount of tomatoes. It seemed that there was far more pasta than tomatoes or sausage. The actual taste of the recipe though was delicious and the leftovers re-heated very well for lunch the next day. The recipe states it makes 4 servings, but with a pound of pasta I would say that is closer to 8 servings (at least for my family). Overall a very easy pasta recipe with great flavor from the cherry tomatoes.

For the recipe go to Oreccheitte with Sausage and Cherry Tomatoes.

Family Circle Chipotle Chicken Chili

We are big chili fans in our house. Growing up my mom never really made chili and I didn't really eat it frequently until I started scoring cookbooks and cooking any recipe I could get my hands on. In my teens I became a vegetarian for over eight years and invented a delicious vegetarian chili recipe. I stopped being a vegetarian, but I continued to make the vegetarian chili. When I moved to West Virginia and met my husband I was surprised by the level of competition that people possessed over their homemade chili recipes. Everyone has their own way of making both hot dog chili and regular chili. I never knew that there were so many ways to prepare chili until I went to my first chili fest. Now that I have lived in West Virginia over 9 years and had two kids (my husband still says I'm not a true West Virginian, I'm still working on it :); I have tried a large number of chili recipes. One of my favorite ways to make chili when I am short on time is to utilize my crockpot. The February issue of Family Circle Magazine had a recipe for Chipotle Chicken Chili which promised 17 grams of protein and lots of flavor from the chipotles.

This recipe has 12 ingredients. It takes 15 minutes of prep and 8 hours of cooking time and makes 8 servings. I had no problems finding any of the ingredients at my local grocery store and made no ingredient modifications. Make sure to cut off any excess chicken fat or the chili will become too fatty. I always cook my recipes on low in the crockpot, I prefer the flavor, so as usual I cooked this recipe on low for eight hours. I made my own chicken stock the night before, the flavor is significantly better and since I don't add salt to my stock it allows me to control the amount of sodium in my family's food. I followed the remainder of the recipe as written.

With only five grams of fat and 17 grams of protein, this chili is low in fat and high in nutrients The taste of the chipotles really shines through and gives the chili a great flavor. The beans and corn add a nice texture and give great color to the chili. This recipe makes a large amount of servings and would be great to take to a potluck or party. Overall, a very easy crockpot meal which is full of protein and great for a busy weeknight.


For the recipe go to Chipotle Chicken Chili. (registration required).

Martha Stewart Living Chickpea, Tomato, and Feta Salad

When my two boys were younger they absolutely loved tomatoes. I would catch them eating cherry tomatoes straight out of the fridge. As they have gotten a little over they have changed their love of tomatoes to a love of pickles and berries. I will hear them sneaking around stuffing fistfuls of blueberries in their mouths. My husband loves cooked tomatoes, but isn't a fan of raw tomatoes unless their heirlooms. I try to vary our diet as much as I can to include many types of fruits and vegetables, even the ones that not all of my family cares for. Recently, Martha Stewart Living Magazine had a recipe for Chickpea, Tomato, and Feta Salad, which looked like a nice blend of vegetables and protein and very easy to put together.

This recipe has 8 ingredients. It takes approximately 15 minutes to prepare and makes 4 servings. All the ingredients I either had or were easy to find at my local grocery store. I used cherry tomatoes since finding grape tomatoes can be hit or miss at my local stores, and I always prepare flat-leaf parsley since it chops finer. The cucumber I purchased was on the large side, so I cut it into eighths, instead of quarters like the recipe suggested. I followed the remainder of the recipe as written.

I love salads that take only minutes to prepare. This recipe is very easy to put together and the ingredients are basic. I found that this salad made more than the 4 servings suggested, we had more than enough for two meals for my family of four. The lemon juice makes a nice dressing and is light and doesn't overpower the other ingredients. I added more than the suggested 2 ounces of feta since my family loves this type of cheese. Overall, a nice blend of protein and vegetables that literally can be made in minutes.

For the recipe go to Chickpea, Tomato, and Feta Salad. (This recipe from the site doesn't have the cucumber, the magazine had 1/2 of a cucumber chopped)

Saveur Frito Pie

As I've stated numerous times before my husband loves meat. He will agree to one or two vegetarian meals a week, but also insists on beef or pork on at least one of the other days. One of my family's favorite types of meat dishes is chili. My husband and boys love chili and look forward to the annual chili fest in our region every year in September. Before I got married I had only made vegetarian chili, so after meeting my husband I had to teach myself to adequately make meat based chili. The most important part of any chili dish is the recipe, so I was excited when I saw a recipe for Frito Pie in a recent issue of Saveur magazine, which looked kid friendly and full of flavor.

This recipe has 15 ingredient, plus toppings. It takes an hour and twenty minutes of prep and cooking time and makes 6 servings. I already had all the spices in my cupboard and the remainder of the ingredients were easy to find locally. As with all recipes that call for ground meat, I ground my own. My kitchen aid attachment makes grinding meat very easy and the texture and taste is superior to store bought. Make sure to fully caramelize the onion for the full flavor to come out in the chili. I weighed out my meat to get the exact 2 1/2 pounds, which I highly recommend. Having the exact amount of an ingredient can make or break a recipe. I chose to serve the frito pie will all the toppings suggested which I placed in bowls and allowed my family to add to taste. I followed the remainder of the recipe as written.

The flavor on this frito pie was delicious. The spices worked well together and provided a full flavor to the dish. Make sure to place the fritos under the chili right before serving in order that they do not become soggy. My husband placed his fritos on top of the chili which kept them crunchy, which I think would work well if I made this dish again in the future. My favorite thing about this recipe is that it is a nice compromise between people that love meat and potatoes and those that want more involving meals. My whole family enjoyed this recipe and it was very family friendly.

For the recipe go to Frito Pie.

Everyday Food Slow-Cooker Beef and Tomato Stew

During the winter months my slow-cooker gets used at least once a week. I love the fact that I can place ingredients in it in the morning and not have to do anything until dinner is served. Since my youngest is now a very high needs three-year-old the time that my slow-cooker saves me is invaluable. Plus, my husband leaves for work at 6 in the morning, so my days start early and we eat dinner at four, which leaves me little time for dinner preparations many nights. To save my sanity I try to have at least one meal plan a week which takes less than a half an hour to prep and my slow-cooker definitely fits the bill. The January/February 2012 issue of Everyday Food Magazine had a recipe for Slow-Cooker Beef and Tomato Stew, which looked easy and promised only 20 minutes of prep.

This recipe has 13 ingredients. It takes 20 minutes of prep and 6 hours in the slow-cooker and makes 6 servings. There is only one butcher in my immediate area and getting the grocery store butcher to cut meat can be hit or miss, therefore I had to trim my own beef chuck. Additionally, I made my own chicken broth, since I prefer the taste to store bought. I did find that the stew still had a little too much liquid when it was done, it actually tasted better the next day after I skimmed off the fat from the top. My family normally doesn't care for brown rice, but I decided to try it with this recipe and it worked very well and none of us noticed the difference. I followed the remainder of the recipe as written.

On a busy weeknight it's great to have dinner already done in the slow cooker. This recipe was very easy to prep and made enough for multiple meals. There is something very comforting about beef stew and this recipe was no exception. My two boys particularly liked this recipe and ate all the beef out of their servings. Overall, an easy slow-cooker recipe, perfect for the colder winter months.

For the recipe go to Slow-Cooker Beef and Tomato Stew.

Saveur Pesto Focaccia

Bread is a popular stable in my house. Most weeks I make at least two loaves, sometimes more. Every couple of weeks I try to change up my normal bread routine and try something different such as scones or biscuits. A particular household favorite is focaccia. It takes longer than most breads to prepare and bake, but the end result is well worth the effort. Recently, Saveur magazine had a recipe for Pesto Focaccia using cherry tomatoes and kalamata olives, two foods my family loves.

This recipe has 8 ingredients for the pesto and 12 for the focaccia. It makes 12-14 servings and takes approximately 4 and a half hours to prepare and bake. There are a number of ingredients in this recipe, but I only had problems finding one, durum wheat flour. I looked at every store I could think of in my area to no avail, so I chose to leave it out. Instead of the durum wheat flour I used an additional cup of all-purpose flour, making 5 and a half cups of total flour. I noticed that the top of the focaccia cooked very quickly and I had to tent the top after approximately 10 minutes to prevent burning. I followed the remainder of the recipe as written.

Over the last five years I have made a number of focaccia recipes, about one every month. I was intrigued by this recipe since it used mashed potatoes and lager beer in the focaccia dough, a combination I hadn't tried in previous recipes. The combination of the kalamata olives and cherry tomatoes worked well together and went great with the sun dried tomato pesto. Overall, a recipe well worth the time involved and filling enough for a main dish or side.

For the recipe go to Pesto Focaccia.