First of all, let me start by saying that my 6+ week hiatus from the blog was for the best reason in the entire world. Here she is, my dearest Ava Madison Wong.
Ava was born in July on Friday the 13th and her daddy’s 35th birthday. If that isn’t good timing, I don’t know what is. We’ve had a pretty peaceful and gradual transition into parenthood given the circumstances. Friends have provided us meals three times a week for the past five weeks, meaning I haven’t really been in the kitchen much at all. Both friends and family have camped out on our couch around the clock to hold Ava and give her snuggles while I rest, clean, or simply get some adult time. My husband got three glorious weeks off from work, and since this is our first child and we have no other pressing issues to worry about, we sat around the house and napped all day. Like I said, this motherhood thing hasn’t been bad so far. 
I met someone today who had read my blog before meeting me. That’s always a bit intimidating but in this particular case it was what encouraged me to put the metaphorical pen to paper and share once again my love of food with the world. I am starting out with this particular recipe for a few reasons. First, I can’t be the only person who has harvested a gazillion cherry/campari sized tomatoes this summer. Second, last year I discovered a scrumptious recipe for oven roasted tomatoes but I did not blog about it immediately and now I cannot find it. I am kicking myself for not posting it at the time.
I have experimented with several oven roasted tomato recipes this year and my friends have taste tested them to ensure that the one I blog about is indeed the best. This particular recipe was almost a unanimous winner. The tomatoes are super flavorful and, best of all, they are super quick to pull together. I’ve taken the liberty to introduce a few short cuts into the methods because I’ve learned that life with an infant means shortcuts are sometimes a must.
I serve these on pizza, pasta and baguette slices smeared with goat cheese. I watched a few people eat them straight from the jar. You can store the tomatoes in the fridge for a couple of weeks or in the freezer for a couple of months. I recommend making a quintuple batch to ensure that some make it into the freezer so that you can relive the delicious taste of tomatoes when summer feels a million years away.
Ingredients
12 plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise, cores and seeds removed (I found it easiest to just scrape the seeds out using my thumb)
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.
- Combine all the ingredients except tomatoes in a large bowl. Mix well. Add tomatoes and stir well to coat. Pour onto prepared baking sheet.
- Arrange the tomatoes, cut sides up, in a single layer. Use a spoon or spatula to spread some of the sauce over the tomato halves.
- Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, until the tomatoes are concentrated and begin to caramelize.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
I quintupled this recipe and ended up with about 1.5 cups of roasted tomatoes. My philosophy is, "If the oven is on, make good use of it."
2.2
http://www.dishingthedivine.com/2012/08/20/oven-roasted-tomatoes/ Copyright 2012 Dishing the Divine
Tags: 60 min or less · easy · garden tale · vegetarian
My friend Maile asked me to make peach muffins like the ones she discovered at her local grocery store’s bakery years ago and hasn’t seen since. That’s all I had to go on. “Can you make me some peach muffins like those? They were sooooo good!” Um, okay? I’ll try?
I have no idea if these muffins are exactly what Maile wanted me to replicate, but I do know that these have passed the “everyone loves them” test. I took them to a party and they vanished. It was like a Harry Potter trick, but in real life and without wands. I made them again today to share the perfected version with Maile. I sent her the above picture and her response was “YES!” so I think maybe we’re onto something.
Here’s to you, Maile. May it be the peach muffin of your dreams!
Ingredients
for the muffins:
1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups peaches, unpeeled, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 cup sugar (you can use 1/2 to 3/4 cup if you prefer a healthier muffin)
8 tbsp butter, at room temperature
1 egg
3/4 cups milk
2 cups flour (I used 1 cup of cake flour and 1 cup of whole wheat pastry flour)
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tbsp ground flax seed (optional)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
for the topping:
scant 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease a standard muffin pan or line 12 standard muffin cups with paper liners.
- Place the peaches in a bowl and cover with 1/4 cup of the sugar. Mix thoroughly. Allow the peaches to sit for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.
- Using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and remaining 3/4 cup of sugar until smooth and pale in color, about three minutes. Add the egg and beat until fluffy, about two minutes.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, ground flax seed (if using), salt and cinnamon. Remove the bowl from the mixer and alternately fold in one-third of the milk and one-third of the flour mixture. Repeat until the milk and flour mixtures are both incorporated, being careful not to over mix. Fold in the peaches.
- Spoon ¼ cup of the filling into each prepared muffin cup. In a small bowl, make the topping. Combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, and salt. Mix well. Add the butter. Using your hands, mix until the mixture resembles coarse crumb like mixture. Divide the crumb mixture between the muffin tops. Place in the oven and bake for about 18 to 20 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with only a few crumbs attached. Serve warm with butter.
2.2
http://www.dishingthedivine.com/2012/07/10/peach-muffins/ Copyright 2012 Dishing the Divine
Tags: 60 min or less · breads · dessert · fruit
When Annie posted this recipe, I thought to myself, “What the heck? Annie suggests it. I’ll try it. But I don’t think I’ll like it!” Boy was I ever surprised! First of all, start to finish, this takes less than 20 minutes to make. If you burn the butter and the fire alarm goes off and you can’t figure out how to turn the fire alarm off and you have to stuff the alarm into the couch cushions to silence it, it may take 25 minutes. But if you don’t have fire alarm issues, I promise, it’s a super-fast meal. Weeknight dinner? I’d say so! And it’s healthy. And it’s delicious. It’s a new favorite in our house that I’ve served several times in the past few weeks! Try it with our summer tomatoes. You’re going to be delighted!
chicken with tomato herb pan sauce
Source: Annie's Eats
Dinner will be on the table in 20 minutes. Promise. But quick isn't everything. This is one of our new favorite meals for it's amazing flavor!
Ingredients
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, butterflied and halved (4 halves total)
Salt and pepper
¾ cup flour
For the sauce:
2 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
1 clove garlic, minced
1½ tsp. fresh oregano, minced
1/2 tsp. sweet paprika
Salt and pepper
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes (about 12 oz.)
1 tsp. sugar
1/3 cup chicken broth
1 tbsp corn starch
1 tbsp cold water
Instructions
- Season both sides of the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Lightly dredge both sides of the chicken in the flour, shaking off the excess. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine the butter, garlic, oregano, and paprika. Season with salt and pepper to taste. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the oregano butter with the olive oil. Place the chicken breast halves in the skillet and cook until golden brown on each side and cooked through, about 3-4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate, cover loosely with foil, and set aside.
- Increase the heat to medium-high and add the tomatoes to the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes begin to char and burst, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining butter mixture to the pan. Crush the tomatoes slightly to release their juices and continue stirring until the butter is melted. Add the sugar and broth to the pan, scraping the bottom to loosen the browned bits. Cook for a minute more until well blended. Combine the corn starch with the cold water in a small bowl. Add to the sauce and heat until boiling.
- Slice the chicken, transfer to serving plates, and top with the pan sauce.
2.2
http://www.dishingthedivine.com/2012/07/02/chicken-with-tomato-herb-pan-sauce/ Copyright 2012 Dishing the Divine
Tags: 60 min or less · chicken · easy · light
