Dishing the Divine » roasted

roasted broccoli

Paula — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 22:14:59 +0000

If ever there was a broccoli hater, it was I. No offense to my mom, but she makes some terrible broccoli. Growing up, my mom would boil the broccoli until it was mushy and then cover it in lemon juice. Sounds gross, right? And that explains why I have always been an avid broccoli avoider…. until one day I decided to take a chance on this recipe from Cook’s Illustrated. For dinner one night, I served steak, mashed potatoes, and a side of this broccoli. This broccoli was so good that my both hubby and I pushed the so-precious-you-only-get-them-on-special-occasion steak and potatoes off our plates and ate just the broccoli. I know you think I’m kidding. I’m not. In fact, after making this recipe to go with our dinner tonight, I ate some, and then ha some more, and then nibbled a bit more, and before I knew it, I had consumed a half pound of broccoli. It’s like candy, and I just couldn’t help myself, especially knowing that instead of indulging in the gooey chocolate covered caramel apple that was sitting next to me, I was making a nutritious choice. And thus begins what Brant and I have begun to call the “broccoli overdose.” I suppose there are worse ways to OD.

roasted broccoli

1 head broccoli (about 1 3/4 pounds)
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp sugar

Place a cooking tray in the oven and preheat you oven to 500 degrees.

While oven is preheating, cut broccoli into bite sized florets. Add olive oil and mix well.

Sprinkle salt and sugar evenly and mix thoroughly to combine.

Working quickly, remove tray from the oven, add broccoli, shake it a bit to spread the broccoli out so that it’s in a single layer, and return it to the oven.

Cook 9-11 minutes, or until broccoli is browned where it touches the pan. Serve immediately!

roasted tomato soup

Paula — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 20:04:32 +0000

When tomatoes went on sale for $.40 a pound at my local produce market, I went a little crazy. Like, 60 pounds crazy. Let me tell you – I got some strange looks that day as I was checking out! To be fair, 30 pounds of that was for my mom, who was planning on skinning and freezing the whole tomatoes to use later in the year for sauces and soups. The question is, what was I going to do with my 30 pounds of tomatoes?

There are a lot of things you can make with tomatoes, and while tomato soup is not usually my favorite, this recipe looked interesting and I opted to try it. It used lots of tomatoes (definitely a plus given my current situation) and didn’t involve skinning the tomatoes first (a HUGE plus since skinning tomatoes can be a pain). AND it can be canned, which is great, because it meant that I could quadruple the recipe and have some this winter when the taste of fresh tomatoes is far, far away.

This soup will not disappoint. It is great as is, or you can add a little cream and sugar. Sugar? Yes. It cuts down on the acidity a bit. I added a teaspoon or two of brown sugar to my bowl, along with some salt and cream, and voila! A wonderful soup that I quickly wished I had hidden from my roomie. She scarfed the whole jar *and* ate my garlic bread. Hmph.

roasted tomato soup

2.5 pounds fresh tomatoes
6 cloves garlic, peeled
2 small yellow onions, sliced
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper
4 cups chicken stock
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup brown sugar, or to taste (see note)
3/4 cup heavy cream, optional
cooked, sliced bacon to top (optional)

Preheat oven to 450F.

Wash, core, and cut the tomatoes into halves. Spread the tomatoes, garlic cloves, and onions into a baking try. Drizzle with half a cup of olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Roast for 20 to 30 minutes, or until caramelized.

Remove roasted tomatoes, garlic and onion from oven and transfer to a large stock pot. Add 3 cups of chicken broth and the bay leaves. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until liquid has reduced by a third. Remove bay leaves.

Add basil leaves to the pot. Using a blender, puree the soup until smooth.

Add cream, if desired, and adjust consistency with remaining chicken stock, if necessary. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add brown sugar to taste. Garnish with a splash of cream and diced cooked bacon, if desired.

roasted tomato pasta sauce

Paula — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 22:23:32 +0000

I stumbled upon this recipe last summer when I had pounds and pounds of cherry tomatoes coming out of my garden that I needed to eat NOW. I made it, tasted it, and nearly wept with joy. I love this recipe so much that I planted 5 extra cherry tomato plants this year just so that I could have an excuse to make it.

I leave town tomorrow for 4 days, meaning hubby is going to be living on fast food and leftovers. I wanted to treat him to something special before I left so that he would still want me to come back home. When I told him this was for dinner, his response was more than enthusiastic. Mission possibly accomplished.

By the way, no need to just use cherry tomatoes. I used mostly red slicing tomatoes tonight and it turned out just fine. And if you want to be a little crazy, throw in tomatoes of different colors! I’m tweaking the original recipe a bit, only because I’m a pansy when it comes to spice. You can decide if you want to add more spice after you’ve served it. Like salt, it’s something that you can always add more of but cannot ever remove.

You’ll think this serves lots by the amount of tomatoes that goes into it. It doesn’t. Four people tops, so if you’re looking to serve it to more people, double it. I’d roast the tomatoes in separate pans if you’re going that route so that they have plenty of room.

roasted tomato pasta sauce
www.foodnetwork.com

2.5 pounds tomatoes, cut into large dice (or halved cherry tomatoes)
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons chopped garlic
1.5 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3/4 teaspoon salt
sprinkle of teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste
1/4 cup minced fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano leaves
1 pound spaghetti
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 425.

Chop your tomatoes into bite-sized chunks. Layer the tomatoes on a sheet pan that has sides. Add olive oil, garlic, and balsamic vinegar. Mix well.

Cook for 25 minutes or until tomatoes are bubbly and browning in spot, stirring once or twice.

While tomatoes are cooking, chop your herbs. No need to have exact amounts. If you want a little more basil or a little less of something else, go for it! I personally love LOTS of basil!

Remove tomatoes from oven and add fresh herbs, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.

Serve over pasta and top with Parmesan cheese.