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.