tomato

Posts Tagged ‘tomato’

Roasted Acorn Squash & Black Bean Tandoori Enchiladas

This weekend was ordinary and I say that with an excited smile in my voice, because running a graphic design and handmade business with your husband is not exactly high up on the ordinary list. Between packing up your car so full with product you can’t see out the back window, then driving hundreds of miles for craft shows several times a year; to meeting with clients on skype to discuss color and font choices for their logo, I never thought this would be a way of life for me. Don’t get me wrong, I love it. I just mean, I don’t really think many in my generation grew up saying they wanted to be a business owner or freelancer and blogger wasn’t even a term thought of yet.

We were in LA on a very hot July weekend this year and during one of the shows (maybe I was wary from the heat) I had this moment in my mind that drifted to looking at the two of us sitting there from another prospective. I turned to Scott and said “We live such a weird life. It’s kinda like we’re modern day gypsies that have iphone’s, mac computers, and tweet. I wonder what everyone here thinks when they see this (amazing) group of people all spread out selling their products?” It’s not that I really care what other’s think, but I think there are a few who don’t realize this is how we make a living, it’s not just a hobby for us. And it’s really true, we’ve made friends with artists from OR, to CA, to TX and NY doing the same thing. We all travel to these shows and each time we get the same questions, “You actually made this?” Our response, “Yes, we did.” Some people really get it and it’s such an amazing experience to see somthing you’ve made go from your hands into another’s. And then there’s those that don’t. We take it with a grain of salt.

We’re trying to get into the habit of no work on the weekends, unless we have major deadlines. So, when I woke up on Saturday, to the sound of rain on the roof, I took it in. The house was cold and made me linger under the covers just a little longer. We haven’t needed to turn on our heat yet, we’re trying to see if we can make it to November and I keep counting the days off in my head. Luckily, the temperature hasn’t dropped down below 60 degrees, but still, I’m dressed in layers and keep my hands wrapped around endless mugs of tea.

We spent the day doing odd chores around the house. I pulled up the last of the tomato plants and admired the progress of the brussels sprouts. I made applesauce from a large box my mom dropped off for us the week before. Scott discovered a new treasure buried in our yard. It was an old Ford model T wheel with wooden spokes. I think we may give it to my dad. Sunday, Scott left around 6am to go fly fishing with a friend. I was out of bed not to long after and enjoyed the morning and afternoon reading, sewing, making enchiladas, and filling the silence with a little of this, this, and this.

A couple weeks ago I made Sarah’s (from My New Roots) Tandoori Cauliflower. It was a pretty fantastic way to serve cauliflower and it left me with a little jar of the tandoori spice mix leftover. Considering I really like my winter squash cooked with lots of spice, rather then the sweet side, I thought it’d make a good fit. Keeping with the warm comfort food theme, I decided to roast some acorn squash, mix it with black beans and the tandoori, wrap it all up in corn tortillas, smother it with fresh tomato (last ones from the garden) enchilada sauce, and top it all off with cheese. It was the perfect ordinary weekend if you ask me.

Roasted Acorn Squash & Black Bean Tandoori Enchiladas / serves 6
I think any Winter squash would work great in the recipe, besides spaghetti squash. And to make this quicker feel free to use your favorite enchilada sauce from a can, I just couldn’t bare to let my last tomatoes go to waste.

1 acorn squash, sliced in half, seeds removed then sliced into 6 wedges
olive oil for brushing
2 cups (or one 14oz. can drained) black beans
2 heaping teaspoons Sarah’s Tandoori spice mix
1 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese, divided (more or less depending on preference)
about 2 cups enchilada sauce (recipe below) or from your favorite enchilada sauce
10-12 5-inch corn tortillas
cilantro, for garnish (optional)
avocado, for garnish (optional)

Preheat the oven to 400F.

Place the squash on a baking sheet and brush generously with olive oil. Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until tender when pierced with a fork. Turn the oven down to 350F.

While the squash is roasting I like to lightly char my tortillas by heating a cast iron pan over high heat and letting them get all toasty and browned/gently blackened on each side. This is totally optional, but an easy step if you want to add some visual appeal and a little smoky flavor.

Cool the squash enough to handle, then either peel the skin and chop into pieces or scoop it out and combine with the black beans, tandoori, and 3/4 cup of the cheese. Fill the bottom of a baking dish with enough enchilada sauce to coat the bottom. Grab a tortilla and fill it with about 1/3 cup of the black bean mixture, carefully roll in the sides and lay it seem side down in the sauce. Repeat until you’ve used up all the filling. Top with the rest of the enchilada sauce and cheese and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until cheese has melted and the filling is warmed through. Cool slightly and serve with cilantro and avocado.

fresh tomato enchilada sauce
2 1/2 pounds tomatoes
olive oil
1 small onion, roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon chile powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt

Roast the tomatoes at 425F for about 20-25 minutes or until the skins begin to split open.

Meanwhile, heat a sauce pot over medium heat. Add enough olive oil to coat the bottom, then stir in the onion and garlic. Cook until the onion softens and starts to turn golden. Stir in the chile powder and cumin and cook another minute.

Toss in the roasted tomatoes and gently smash with the back of a wooden spoon. Using an immersion blender, puree the mixture until smooth. Stir in salt to taste. Gently simmer uncovered for another 10 minutes. Use immediately or let cool and store covered in the fridge for several days.

Fall, Gluten-Free, Proteins, Vegetables, Winter

Curried Tomato Sauce with Sauteed Greens & Egg Over Socca

There are moments in life when you really just need to laugh at yourself. I was in my early 20′s when I adopted this mentality because I realized embarrassing moments will and do happen and they really are funny and making light of the situation is probably the best way to go. This was put to the test around the same time and brings me to a story about eggs. Soft-boiled eggs in particular.

About 4-5 years ago, when I was still working for someone else, I had the chance to go to England and Germany to set up for a huge trade show that our company was attending. The trip was covered completely by the company and we stayed in a couple of extremely nice hotels, at least for me they were. Another girl (hi Alison!) and I shared a room with an Italian girl who was to be like our translator (although her English was only slightly better than our Italian) because we were going to be working with an entire team of Italians that the company worked with.

The morning after arriving we were supposed to meet down in the breakfast room and be introduce to one of the head coordinator men that we’d be meeting every morning. So the 3 of us shuttled downstairs and into the dining room. The buffet was incredible. Think of everything you’d ever want to eat in the morning and it was there, hot and ready for your grumbling tummy. I was kind of excited about this happening every morning.

We each grabbed a plate of food and headed over to the table where they were already sitting. We introduced ourselves to this extremely kind man, who spoke zero English and was only drinking espresso; we soon found out that none of the Italians ate breakfast, but instead preferred espresso by the gallon and maybe the occasional pastry. I looked down at my plate of croissants, fruit, and whatever else I managed to grab and thought how funny this small cultural difference was. Then I remembered seeing that they had hard boiled eggs and walked over to get one so I could get a little protein in my system since I new it was going to be a very long day. There were 3 sections, soft, medium, and hard cooked eggs. I grabbed one from what I thought was the hard-boiled bowl and placed it in one of those super cute little egg cups.

All 4 of us were sitting at the table, Alison and I talking with each other and the Italian’s to each other, when I decided to crack into my egg. As I struck the egg, I was immediately covered in runny yellow yolk! Luckily nobody else got sprayed, and as I was dabbing napkins into water and scraping the egg off my sweater I was trying very hard not to make eye contact with the Italians who, you could tell, were trying to help, but had no idea what to do either. Later I laughed about it, but seriously, I’ve never picked up another “hard-boiled” egg in a public place since.

I’ve always enjoyed eating the occasional egg, but always hard cooked; nothing could be runny or under-cooked otherwise it just grossed me out. Jump forward to around a year ago and something changed. I started to leave some of the yolk slightly under-cooked and gradually it became runnier. I enjoy eating them this way now and sometimes I wonder if I waited so long because of the slightly dramatic egg moment in my life. My husband on the other hand still will only eat them cooked all the way through, you can see his plate in the upper part of the image.

This recipe was certainly inspired by The Food Matters Cookbook, but also inspired by a pizza sauce I enjoy making and two of my favorite things, greens and socca. I love how they all came together and worked out perfectly. Joanne of Eats Well With Others chose this recipe and you can see everyone’s version here.

Curried Tomato Sauce with Sauteed Greens & Egg Over Socca / serves 4

This recipe has many steps and a long list of ingredients, but really they’re all pretty simple when broken down. You can prepare the sauce and hard-cooked eggs a day before too. I make something similar to this sauce for pizza, but instead of using Indian spices I use basil and oregano and puree the sauce at the end.

1 recipe for socca

for the sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
2 medium carrots, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
pinch red chili flakes
pinch of salt
14oz. tomatoes with their juices or 3 cup chopped fresh

for the greens
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 big handfuls of mixed greens (kale, chard, collards, spinach), washed and cut into bite sized pieces
1 clove garlic, sliced
pinch of salt

4 medium to hard cooked eggs
cilantro, for serving

Prepare the socca as directed and cook while making the tomato sauce below. Also cook the eggs at this point too if you haven’t already pre-cooked them.

For the sauce
Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, and garlic and cook until tender, about 8-10 minutes. Stir in all the spices and salt, then pour in the tomatoes along with all their juices. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally for 30-45 minutes or until the sauce has thickened.

For the greens
Heat the oil in a heavy pan, once hot toss in the greens, garlic, and salt. Cook until the greens begin to turn a brighter green and wilt down. Remove from heat.

To assemble, place each socca on a plate, divide the tomato sauce equally and spoon over the socca. Then top with greens and an egg sliced in half and sprinkle with cilantro. Serve immediately.

Bread, Gluten-Free, Proteins, Vegetables

Spicy Smoky Veggie Bean Chili

My boot clad feet leave the unnatural solidness of the parking lot and grab hold of the snow covered trail. Slowly and clumsily I slide each boot into my snow shoes, strap them tightly in place, and soon we’re off. In the beginning my steps are slow and heavy, my legs trying to find their rhythm while I navigate the fresh powdery snow. My mind is still and focused on what’s ahead.

After the first uphill stretch, I can feel myself growing stronger, anticipating where each step takes me. I feel my hearts rapid, steady beating and the flow of air filling my lungs and I start to find my rhythm. I feel light and whole and my heart is soaring with so much emotion at the beauty before me that I can hardly share words to express this feeling. I am quiet. I don’t think about the worries and tasks of everyday life. I’m filled with complete happiness and I want to feel this way forever.

The wind blows hard and cold, but the sun is shining bright and I try to think of how I can make it possible for this to happen every day. Mt. Rainier, if you’ve never been, is as much a grand place as you’ve probably heard. I’ve grown up and spent my whole life in it’s shadow and yet, I’m still in awe every time I go back. I have this same feeling in any place where I am completely surrounded by nature, it’s addictive. Every time we leave I feel my time there was too short and the next adventure can not come soon enough.

The trail wound itself around a steep cliff where the wind gust were so strong you had to stop for a moment before resuming to maintain balance. The trail took us to two frozen lakes that sat just below the peak of the mountain. From every angle, and time of day or season, it looks different and I image the fiery red and brilliant blues of the wild flowers that will soon blaze across the meadows this June and July.

As the sun began it’s decent we made our way back to the cabin. By this time we were spent and ready for a hot meal. I made a batch of my favorite chili the day before heading up. It was the exact meal we needed. We ate in the dimly lit cozy cabin, in our long underwear and thick wooly socks. If I was to think of a perfect day this might just be it.

Spicy Smoky Veggie Bean Chili / serves 4-6
Adapted from Dana Treat

I’ve been making this chili every winter since spying it on Dana’s blog a couple year’s ago (in fact I just realized she posted it right around this time too, funny). It’s the perfect bowl of comfort with just the right amount of smokiness and spice to it. I’ve made it countless ways since then and for this version added in a few carrots and sweet potatoes for a little extra vegetable action. This chili begs for toppings too. We ate it unadorned this time around because of our location, but top it with cilantro, avocado, crushed chips, cheese, plain yogurt, green onions; the options are really endless, just go for it. Dana notes the importance of dicing everything the same size and I couldn’t agree with her more, so try chopping the veggies roughly no larger than the beans.

1-2 tablespoon olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
1 medium carrot, diced
1 small sweet potato, peeled and diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 red bell pepper diced
1 28oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 cup water
1 chipotle pepper in adobo, minced, plus 1 teaspoon sauce
2 cups cooked black beans or 1 15oz. can, drained
2 cups cooked chickpeas or 1 15oz. can, drained
1 4oz. can diced green chiles, drained
1/2 cup frozen corn

Heat a large pot over medium heat, once hot add the oil. Sauté the onion until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, carrots, and sweet potato and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add all the spices and salt, stirring to coat. Stir in the bell pepper, cook another couple minutes, then pour in the tomatoes and water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the chipotle pepper and sauce and reduce heat to a simmer.

Stir in the beans, green chiles, and corn and cook at a gentle simmer, partially covered, for 20-30 minutes. Serve warm. If making ahead let cool completely, then store in the fridge and re-heat when ready to use. The best part about making this ahead of time is how much the flavors develop and deepen. It also gets a tad spicier, so take that into account based on your preference.

Fall, Gluten-Free, Proteins, Soups + Stews, Vegan, Vegetables, Winter

Meatless Monday with Martha Stewart: Smoky Spicy Black Bean & Quinoa Soup

I’ve been keeping a secret for a couple of weeks now and it’s been so hard not to share! But today I finely can. The lovely people at Martha Stewart have asked me to contribute to their Whole Livingblog for a Meatless Monday column that started this month. I grew up surrounded by Martha Stewart magazines that my mom had lying around. They always provided me with afternoons of crafting and tons of baking inspiration, but never would I have thought I’d someday be contributing.

Speaking of meatless Mondays, I think it’s so awesome that there even is a day recognized as meatless. I sure could have used that day ten years ago when I was navigating the halls of high school as one of the very few vegetarians. It gets me all excited about food even more because it opens the doors for vegetarians and vegans and shows many that you can have a filling and delicious meal without meat. But now back to the actual recipe. My first post is for a Smoky Spicy Black Bean and Quinoa Soup. I don’t know about you, but this bowl full of red and all kinds of smoky, spicy is pure love. Perfect for a Valentine’s dinner for two, but easily feeds the crowd of people you love too. I recommend either option.

Gluten-Free, Grains, Proteins, Soups + Stews, Vegan, Vegetables

Home + Fried Egg Sandwiches

I am home. Our vacation that took us over 3500 miles and to five different states ended earlier in the week and I’m just now starting to settle back into daily routine. Our trip was nothing short of amazing. We both have always wanted to visit all the National Parks and I think we are now off to a good start; checking off Crater Lake, Yosemite, Zion, and the Grand Canyon.

We enjoyed long hikes on most days and lots of time away from computers and fast-paced life. It was good just to sit and ponder life’s questions and have nature surround us. The only obstacle we encountered seemed to be the food situation. Early in the trip meals were easy. I had packed homemade granola bars, lots of beans, dried grains, oatmeal, pancake mix, even a fresh batch of graham crackers for late night s’mores with local Theochocolate in vanilla, hazelnut and cocao nib. We ate stew, chili and grilled corn on the cob. It was easy to buy produce and other perishable items along the way. Towards the end is when things became difficult.

It was hot. Too hot to keep ice frozen in our cooler for even a day. Too hot to think about food, except for maybe cold watermelon or smoothies. Even the water we carried was hardly ever cold. I was craving vegetables like mad by the time we got home and the first thing I made was a large raw kale salad with avocado, cherry tomatoes, cabbage and a lemon oil dressing. I ate it all over the coarse of 3 days. But other than vegetables, the other item I seemed to crave was eggs. I remember one morning, towards the end of our trip, saying to Scott, “I could really go for a fried egg sandwich right now. You know, the kind with melted cheese on a toasted English muffin with tomato.” He agreed.

There were very few towns nearby most of the parks for us to go and get a meal. We were lucky if there was even a grocery store or a gas station. Honestly though, I knew that even if we did find a place to eat, there would be a slim chance of anything on the menu that was vegetarian. All that said, we made it out alive and my craving for that exact egg sandwich never went away.

Fried egg sandwiches were one of the first things I learned to make as a kid. Right after pb&j’s and grilled cheese. I remember making them for my sister and I on weekend mornings and we’d sit around the table in our pajamas happily eating. Now I wonder if I was really craving the eggs or if I was craving the comforts of home.

Fried Egg Sandwich / serves 2

This was my first attempt at making English muffins. They turned out better than I had expected. Soft on the inside and a perfect crisp cornmeal outside. Toasted, they are perfect with homemade blackberry jam or warm honey butter. What makes these sandwiches special and gives them a little zing, is the chili oil. Make it a day or two ahead if possible, that way the flavors have time to release.

chili oil, recipe below
2 eggs
cheddar cheese
tomato slices
2 English muffins, recipe below

Heat the chili oil in a skillet over low to medium low heat. Once the oil has warmed but is not smoking add an egg (if your pan as large enough, you can do both eggs at the same time). Keeping the heat at a lower setting helps to heat the egg gently, so it doesn’t become rubbery). When one side of the egg has cooked enough for the whites to be set, flip and gently cook the other side.

While the eggs are cooking toast the English muffins. Slice a few pieces of cheddar cheese and arrange on top of the toasted English muffins, the cheese will start to melt slightly from the warmth of the muffin. Place an egg on top of each, drizzle with more chili oil if desired and top with fresh tomato slices. Serve immediately.

chili oil
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Heat the oil in a small saucepan until its hot but not smoking. Turn off the heat and stir in the crushed red pepper flakes. Set aside until cool. Place in a sealed jar or container until ready to use.

Whole Wheat English Muffins / makes 18
Adapted from Golden Door

2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast or 1 package
1 teaspoon sugar
1/3 cup warm water
1-2/3 cups almond milk (or cows milk), at room temperature
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon kosher salt
4 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup cornmeal, or as needed
Olive oil spray

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, combine the yeast, sugar, and water. Stir to combine and let stand until the yeast has dissolved and is foamy, about 5 minutes.

Add the milk, olive oil, vinegar, and egg to the yeast mixture and mix on low speed until well blended. With the mixer running, add the salt along with 2-1/2 cups of the whole wheat flour. Increase the speed to medium and mix for 4 minutes. Turn the mixer to low and add the remaining 1-1/2 cups whole wheat flour and the all-purpose flour. Increase the speed to medium and mix until well blended, about 2 minutes. The mixture will be sticky. Cover and let stand in a warm area for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Pour the cornmeal onto a small plate. With a 1/4-cup measuring cup, scoop out 1/4 cup of the dough. This is gonna get messy. Using your hands, form the dough into a ball and flatten it into a 3-inch round. Press each side into the cornmeal and place it on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Heat a griddle or large cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat for 5 minutes. If needed, spray the pan with olive oil, my cast iron skillet worked great without needing to be sprayed. Place the muffins about 1/2 inch apart on the hot griddle or skillet. Cook until browned on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Turn the muffins over and brown on the other side, about 5 minutes. Repeat with all of the muffins; between batches wipe the griddle with a paper towel and spray again with oil.

Return the muffins to the baking sheets and bake for 15 minutes. Transfer the muffins to a cooling rack to cool completely. To serve, use a fork or knofe to split a muffin in half through the middle to make two rounds, and toast.

Store in a resealable plastic bag at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. For longer storage, freeze for up to 2 months. When ready to use, thaw at room temperature, then split and toast as directed above.

Bread, Breakfast, Proteins

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