Tomatoes

Tomato Sofrito

November 5, 2015 By Julie 2 Comments

Today I thought that I would share a versatile and easy recipe for my take on sofrito. Now before all the experts out there tell me I’m doing it wrong, I will throw out the disclaimer that this is not traditional and yes I took some liberties to make it my own. Love it or leave it I say. I do hope you decide to love it though because this stuff is pretty darn good.

What is sofrito you ask? Look it up and you’ll see that it’s a Caribbean (particularly Puerto Rican) and Latin American sauce that is used to flavor anything from stews, to soups to beans and more. This stuff can take an ordinary dish and kick it up to a whole new level. I’ve spread it on sandwiches, added it to soup and mixed it into my chili base. It’s just that good. If you really want to have fun, I could see italian, indian and even cajun versions of this. Just sub the spices and voila.

You ready to get cooking? Here’s the scoop for how to whip up a tasty batch of your own.
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Sassy Sausage and Pepper Casserole

October 28, 2015 By Julie 3 Comments

If you’ve been reading any of the recent posts here at Mommie Cooks, then I’m sure you’ve heard it mentioned that our kitchen is without a working stove or oven. Not that I’m counting the days or anything, but we’ve now been without these important cooking appliances since the first week in June. It began as a renovation, but quickly changed to broken equipment when we discovered upon opening the box that a forklift had literally smashed through both the oven doors with it’s tines. Oh yes it did. Here’s a picture of the damage taken by my contractor….

Fried Green Tomatoes with Goat Cheese Basil Dipping Sauce

July 7, 2011 By Julie 34 Comments

A short while back I dropped a truly Southern dish of Stewed Tomatoes and Okra onto the blog. While chatting up a windstorm about my new fangled Southern self, I mentioned an upcoming Fried Green Tomato recipe. Well get ready, because Southern cooking has never tasted better than these charmers right here.

Ever since attending the Food Blog Forum Conference back in September where I was served a Fried Green Tomato Slider that officially knocked my Northern rooted socks off, I’ve been wanting to try my hand at the little buggers. The other day while perusing through the spoils of my local farm stand, I finally stumbled upon the fruit that eluded me up to that point in my paltry culinary life – Green Tomatoes. I promptly snatched up two of the juicy unripe beauties and brought them home.

I proceeded to post a few options for how to cook them up on my facebook page. I had planned to either emulate the slider I so adored or attempt a fried green tomato BLT. However, one post caught my eye from a reader who said that she liked her fried green tomatoes with a side of, well, fried green tomatoes. Plain and simple. And why not. These show stoppers really don’t need any dressing up. They’re perfect just as they are. Serve them with the suggested sauce, or, if you’re feeling a bit adventurous, slide them between two slices of bread and create your very own Southern sandwich masterpiece.

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Veggie Ricotta Pasta

March 30, 2011 By Julie 36 Comments

Whether the temperature outside registers it or not, it’s officially springtime across the country. Down here in the South the beginnings of foliage are starting to show and the first flowers of the season are in full bloom.

Spring is my favorite time of year. I love watching life blossom back into view and bring the promise of warmer days. Leaves make themselves visible, flowers open their petals to drink in the springtime sunshine and birds start to look for the perfect nesting area to expand their family. I feel as though we wake up a bit too. We shed our extra layers, spend more time outside enjoying the warming days, and begin to put away our hearty soups and stews in exchange for lighter fare.

This dish was inspired by my adoration of the changing season. With fresh basil, spinach, and tomatoes all present and swirled around the pleasurable taste of ricotta cheese, a bite of this meal makes me instantly blithe to say goodbye to winter and hello to the warmer months ahead.

There are only a few steps involved in making this pasta; another reason I find a smile creeping onto my face when I make it. Start off by dropping in a smattering of ingredients and spices. Think garlic, white wine, lemon juice, and chicken broth to name a few.

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Indian Butter Chicken

February 16, 2011 By Julie 35 Comments

I was first introduced to Indian butter chicken about six years ago after finishing up a marathon road journey to my dear friend Camilla’s, who was living in Kansas City at the time.

Call me crazy, but I love to drive long distances and am known to throw caution to the wind and just hop in the car at any given moment and go. On this occasion I had been chatting with Camilla over the phone and we decided a get together was long overdue so the following week I popped Nicholas in the toyota, then about 16 months old, and made the eight hour trek from Dallas to Missouri. The drive was probably about one hour longer than a 16 month old had patience for, but we arrived in one piece, none the less for wear, and ready for a hearty dinner.

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Tomato Chickpea Chicken

December 8, 2010 By Julie 19 Comments

Just as a quick update, the computer is in the process of having the hard drive reformatted and we’re reloading Windows from scratch. I should have some semblance of my computer back by Friday (I hope). In the meantime, I took the liberty of upgrading my photo software (a girl’s gotta get something good out of this mess right?) and popped it onto my husband’s computer as he has been gracious enough to share while I’m getting everything back up and running. I really appreciate all the kind words and offers of help from everyone! You all are truly the best!

Moving on to tomatoes. Who of us loves a ripe juicy tomato? I know I do. Tomato soup, spaghetti, pizza… if it has a tomato in the ingredient list, I’m ready to eat it.

That’s why when I read the recent press release from ConAgra Foods, the makers of Hunts tomatoes, on the health benefits of tomatoes, I knew I had jump on the bandwagon and share the good news!

Did you know…

Recent studies have suggested that the distinct combination of nutrients found in tomatoes may have a measurable impact on heart disease prevention

Tomatoes not only contain high levels of carotenoid antioxidants such as lycopene, but also serve as a significant source of vitamin C, fiber and potassium in the American diet

Eating tomatoes as a part of your diet twice a day can help to significantly lower your blood pressure

My grandfather passed away from a heart attack when I was only 11/2 years old. I never had the chance to get to know him and my grandmother lost her husband sooner than she should have. Scott and I both want to be around to know our grand kids and we know that maintaining a healthy relationship with food is one important way to accomplish that goal. Instilling healthy eating habits into our childrens everyday lives is an essential aspect of how we raise our family.

So, in light of all the new and wonderful research on tomato health, my recipe today will contain, you guessed it, tomatoes! Are you ready to cook up a little heart healthy yummy?
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