Oven Roasted (not Dried) Tomatoes

Ooh I made the Oven Dried Tomatoes. I did not cook them all the way to Dried, but they turned out so intense. they will be great added to Pasta & Salads.
I took yellow Cherry Tomatoes & Romas, cut the Romas in quarters & the Cherry Tomatoes in half. Squeezed out the pulp & seeds. Tossed them with quite a bit of Olive oil , Italian Seasoning, Thyme & Garlic Cloves. Cook them for several hours at 200degrees. When they are done they will be so sweet & intensely flavoured. I put them in a Jar and Covered with More Olive Oil. This was a wonderful way to use up tomatoes so they don't go bad. I can't wait to use them in a salad and the wonderful Olive oil in a dressing

Not really Roasted Garlic

This is a easy way to ensure your house smells delicious and will give you some wonderful enhancements for most recipes.

I like to use the Bags of Whole peeled Garlic cloves & Good Olive oil for this.

Pour all of the garlic into a small sauce pan. Pour in enough Olive oil to completely cover the Cloves. (The more you use the better it will be lately)

Bring it just to a boil and turn the heat down to simmer.  Leave it simmering for an hour. On my stove I kept it on level 1.

Leave it in the pan to cool.
Then you can take out the garlic and seal it in a jar or Tupperware.

The Oil I put into a picnic Ketchup Bottle and keep it in the fridge as well.

Now not only do you have wonderful garlic to cook with (or spread on good Bread), you also have a wonderfully flavoured Olive oil.

A great use of Cheese

We still have an overflowing cheese drawer so I decided that Mac & Cheese was the Solution.  This turned out so well.  Its great when the reality of a Dish meets your expectations.

3 cheese Baked Macaroni

1lb Macaroni Cooked (shells, bow-tie, penne)
2 Cups Shredded white Cheddar (goats Milk)
1 wedge Brie (remove rind & Cube it)
1 cup Mozzarella (Shredded)
1 pack Cherry tomatoes
1 Small Onion sliced very thin
Roasted Garlic  (optional)
4 Slices Bacon  (Cooked & Crumbled)
3 Eggs
1 Cup Milk
1/3 Cup Italian Bread Crumbs
Olive Oil


1 Toss Tomatoes & Onions with a bit of Olive oil & roast in a 400degree oven.

2 When the Veggies are Soft and the skins have turned a bit brown mix them in the Pot you cooked the Macaroni in. If you have it add the roasted garlic cloves Whole or cut in half (they make a yummy surprise ).  Add in all but 1/2 cup of the mixed cheeses and stir well.  Move the Macaroni & veggies to a large baking pan.

3 Beat the eggs & Milk together .

4 Pour the egg mixture over the Macaroni & stir. 

5 Sprinkle the left over cheese on the top of the Macaroni & then finish with a light layer of bread crumbs over the top.

6 Bake at 350 for 30 min.

Breakfast for Dinner

I was doing my Daily food reading and came across this Blog entry from
ohbiteit.com . I knew we had to have it Today.  Perfect Lazy day Comfort food. 

http://www.ohbiteit.com/2012/03/biscuit-waffles-with-sausage-gravy.html#comment-615

Give it a try. 

Time to Clean the Fridge

I wanted something Yummy & comforting for dinner, but have been trying to make sure we do not waste food.  So after scanning the fridge this is what I came up with. I can easily replicate it with Non Leftovers another time. It was good enough to have again on purpose.


Chicken veggie Stew

1-2 Cups cooks Chicken (shredded )
2 Cups Cooked Cannelini beans
1 Cup Sliced Carrots
2 Stalks Celery Sliced
1/2 Onion Chopped
4 Small Sweet Peppers
4 Cups Home made Chicken Stock
1 large Can Diced Tomatoes
1/2 bag Shredded Cabbage
Garlic
Paprika
 Thyme
Saute the Veggies & herbs add Chicken , beans, tomatoes & stock.

Let cook for about 1/2 hour.  add Shredded Cabbage Cook for 15 min.

I put buttered Sour dough Bread at the Bottom of the Bowl & served the Soup over it. A little bit of Shredded parmesan made it perfect .

Bonus ! There is now lots of room in the Fridge & I started a new pot of chicken stock.

Shrimp, Smoked Fontina & tomato Quiche with Shredded Potato Crust

This all Started Because we have WAY too many eggs & like 10 kinds of Cheese in our Fridge. I said I would make Quiche in the Morning , went to bed and dreamt Quiche recipes all night long.

I had pie crust but thought that a Crunchy Potato Crust would add more flavour & texture.  It worked really well . Took quite a bit more time so if you are in a hurry using a pie crust would be a better idea.This would have been amazing with the Shrimp left out and Spinach added as well.

IF you want a Basic mix your own ingredients/crust options check out the Moosewood cookbook.  Here is a version of that.
http://www.jewishfood-list.com/recipes/vegn/quiche/quicheformula01.html

Shrimp, Smoked Fontina, Tomato Quiche with Shredded Potato Crust

Crust
2 med Potatoes Shredded (scrub & leave peels on)
1 TableSpoon  Flour
1 Tablespoon Coconut Oil
Salt , Pepper to taste

Preheat Oven to 400. Place 9 inch cake pan with 1 Tablespoon of Coconut Oil in the oven while it heats up.

Shred the Potatoes and then use paper towels to pat them Dry.  toss potatoes with Flour , Salt & pepper.

Take the Pan out of the oven & lightly press the potatoes into the bottom of the pan. The Oil should sizzle when you put the potatoes in.
Bake at 400 for 30 min. 
When its done it should be a bit Crunchy like Good Hashbrowns.

Filling

6 eggs
4 slices of Smoked Fontina
1/2 C. Cottage Cheese
1/4 C Milk
16 shrimp
1 med Tomato sliced
1 Tablespoon Flour
Thyme
Salt & Pepper

Take Pan out of the Oven & set aside.

Place Cheese on top of the Crust.
Lay the Shrimp on top of the Cheese.

In a Bowl thoroughly mix eggs, milk , cottage Cheese, flour & seasoning.
Pour in the pan over the Shrimp.
Lay Tomatoes on egg Mixture.

Bake at 350 for 40 min.

Mommo's Coleslaw Salad

All I had to do for dinner tonight was make a salad. My Friend Theresa was coming over to make Home Fried Chicken.  I was wandering thru the veggie aisle at the grocery and Pre-shredded Coleslaw was on Sale for $.98 . I decided to make the Coleslaw Salad that my Mother used to make.  It is great the first day but Better the next when all the Veggies have wilted a bit. ( This was Coleslaw Salad in my family because it had tomatoes & Cucumbers in it )

Tonight I made a small batch. Double it to take to a Potluck.

Mommo's Coleslaw Salad

1/2 bag pre shredded Cabbage
3 Med tomatoes diced
1 Cucumbers Diced
3 green onions chopped including green parts
2 tablespoons sweet Relish
1/2 C Mayonnaise
Salt  & Pepper to taste

Mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl. Make sure to get all the Juices from the cutting board.   Let sit for a while before eating to let the flavours meld.