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Tomato and Prosciutto Salad
Thursday, October 11th, 2012A great recipe for using up the rest of those delicious tomatoes from your garden! I love fresh tomatoes, and am always looking for new ways to serve them. This easy recipe has a wonderful combination of flavors. I think it looks the prettiest if you use a combination of different color tomatoes.
Tomato and Prosciutto Salad Recipe
(Serves 6)
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 to 5 very thin slices prosciutto (around 2 ounces)
2 pints of grape (or cherry) tomatoes, preferably different colors, stemmed and cut in half
1/4 cup chopped green onion (or more to taste)
chopped fresh basil
In a small jar with tight fitting lid, whisk together the vinegar, garlic and olive oil. Cover and set aside.
Spray a medium frying pan with olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add 2 prosciutto slices and cook until crisp, around 3 to 4 minutes. Repeat with remaining prosciutto. Transfer to a paper towel to drain.
In a large mixing bowl, mix together the tomatoes, onions and basil. Break the prosciutto into pieces and sprinkle over the top. Shake dressing, pour over tomato mixture and toss gently. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Make ahead: dressing can be made several days ahead, covered and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before using. Prosciutto can be cooked earlier in the day and stored at room temperature.
Breakfast “Tacos”
Monday, July 23rd, 2012The other day while grocery shopping I found product from the Canadian bakery Ozery that I hadn’t seen before, called “Whole Wheat One Bun”. They looked pretty much like a soft taco made out of bread to me, and I love tacos, so I decided to give them a try. The other morning, Robert asked for something new for breakfast, so I decided to make breakfast tacos in our new One Buns. We both thought they were scrumptious, so I’m sharing the recipe. Enjoy!
Breakfast “Tacos” Recipe
(Serves 2)
2 slices bacon
2 tablespoons sour cream (regular or low fat)
2 tablespoons salsa (Pace picante recommended), or more to taste
2 Ozery Whole Wheat One Buns
4 egg whites
1 to 2 teaspoons Mexican (or taco) seasoning
1/4 cup seeded, chopped tomatoes
2 tablespoons chopped green onions
2 tablespoons shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
Cook bacon (I like to do it in the microwave oven). Crumble and set aside.
In a small bowl stir together the sour cream and salsa. Set aside.
Spray a small skillet with olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add egg whites and Mexican seasoning and cook until set. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then spoon into buns. Spoon sour cream mixture over eggs. Top with tomatoes, green onions, cheese and bacon. Serve immediately.
Great one bite appetizer – BLT in a cherry tomato!
Friday, July 13th, 2012What could be better – the ingredients in a BLT sandwich (minus the bread) in a bite size morsel! A wonderfully refreshing and delicious addition to any cocktail party menu.
BLT in a Cherry Tomato
(Serves 8 to 10)
8 slices bacon
20 cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup finely chopped green onions
1/2 cup finely chopped romaine lettuce
1/4 cup mayonnaise
Chopped parsley
Cook bacon until crisp; drain and crumble.
Take the green stem off of the top of each tomato, cut a slice off the bottom and carefully scoop out seeds and discard. Lightly salt inside of tomato shells and invert on paper towels for 15 minutes.
Mix together the onion, bacon crumbles, lettuce and mayonnaise. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Fill each tomato with bacon mixture. Cover and chill. Place on a platter and garnish with chopped parsley.
Variation: Substitute 10 plum tomatoes for 20 cherry tomatoes. Slice plum tomatoes, season with salt and pepper. Place heaping teaspoonful of bacon mixture onto each tomato slice.
Make ahead: Tomatoes can be assembled, covered and chilled earlier in the day.
Another delicious side dish – Corn and Bacon Salad Recipe
Tuesday, September 20th, 2011One of my favorite foods in August and September is fresh corn. Here in Colorado, we have wonderful corn that comes from the town of Olathe – sweet, juicy, tender. You can find more information on Olathe corn here. My new favorite way to fix fresh corn is this fast, delicious recipe from good friend Kathy Soter. Corn cut off the cob and sautéed with bacon and onion, then topped off with chopped fresh chives. So simple – and so scrumptious!
Olathe Corn and Bacon Salad
(Serves 4 to 6)
4 large ears fresh corn, preferably from Olathe
4 slices thick slab bacon, chopped
1/2 large yellow onion, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
Shuck the corn, cut the corn kernels off the cob and place in a medium bowl. Set aside.
In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until brown. Remove bacon from pan and pour off most of the grease, leaving the brown bits on the bottom of the pan.
In the same pan, sauté onion over medium heat until slightly softened. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water in with the onions to deglaze the pan and scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Continue cooking, and when onions are nicely softened, add the corn and browned bacon and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, until heated through and the corn is still crisp. Stir in chopped chives and season to taste with salt and pepper. Best if served hot or at room temperature.
Quick & easy March Madness snack – Bacon and Cashew Caramel Corn
Friday, March 25th, 2011
Getting ready for a weekend of watching college hoops and rooting for your favorite team? This quick and easy recipe, adapted from the Colt & Gray restaurant’s recipe featured in Bon Appétit magazine, is for you. Popcorn is the perfect snack while watching TV, and adding bacon, cashews and a tea-infused caramel sauce only makes it better. Starting with already cooked popcorn makes this recipe a snap to prepare.
6 ounces bacon, chopped
15 cups prepared popcorn
1 cup unsalted raw cashews
1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt or coarse sea salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or more to taste)
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 oolong tea bag
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil; coat with nonstick spray
Cook bacon in large skillet over medium heat until almost crisp. Using slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain; cool.
In a large mixing bowl, using your hands toss together the cooked bacon, popcorn and cashews. Sprinkle with coarse salt and cayenne; toss again to coat.
Bring cream and tea bag just to boil over medium heat. Remove from heat; let steep 15 minutes, occasionally pressing on tea bag with back of spoon to release flavor. Discard tea bag.
Coat 2 wooden spoons or heat-resistant spatulas with nonstick spray; set aside. In a large saucepan, stir sugar, 1/4 cup water and corn syrup over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high; boil without stirring until syrup turns deep amber, occasionally swirling pan and brushing down sides with wet pastry brush, about 7 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and immediately add cream/tea (mixture will bubble up). Stir until blended. Immediately drizzle sauce over popcorn mixture; toss with sprayed spoons until evenly coated. Transfer to prepared baking sheet.
Place caramel corn in oven and bake, tossing mixture occasionally, about 15 minutes or until popcorn is well coated. Cool completely on baking sheet on a rack, occasionally breaking it up into clumps with your hands.
Makes 15 cups.
Make ahead: popcorn can be made up to 2 days ahead. Store airtight in the refrigerator.
[Photo courtesy of Bon Appetit magazine]
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