Tomato | feasting with friends

Mini Meatball Orzo Soup with Parmesan Crisps

October 24, 2013 by Nancy

I love days when I’m on a recipe hunt, I find the perfect dish of the day, and lo and behold… I have every ingredient on hand. It’s somewhat serendipitous! What was even better? It was a soup – and the day was gray and chilly. I wanted “just” soup for dinner. The orzo soup recipe didn’t seem quite hearty enough on it’s own, so I made the mini-meatballs using ground chicken to “beef” it up a bit. Topped with […]

Categories: Condiments, Miscellaneous Recipes, Sauteed Eats, Soups/Stews • Tags: hearty soup, homemade soup, homemade stock, Meatball, mini chicken meatballs, orzo, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Soups and Stews, spinach, Tomato, tomato and spinach orzo soup

Greek-Style Green Beans

October 1, 2013 by Nancy

My recent post for Braciola mentioned we served it with Greek style green beans. Here they are – finally. This is a great side dish to any Mediterranean based recipe. Typically, I really like a low-maintenance side dish when the entree I’m preparing takes a little more attention. If I can prep it and forget about it, I’m happy. So let’s just say, this side dish makes me happy! I even got to use some of my recently “stowed in […]

Categories: Sauteed Eats, Sides, Vegetables • Tags: Braised Beans, garlic, Greek style, Green bean, Olive oil, onion, Tomato, wine

Soup Duo: Tomato Soup with Spicy Zucchini Puree

September 27, 2013 by Nancy

Have you ever looked at a recipe and thought…”looks great, but no way, too much work”? That’s what I thought initially when looking at this one, recommended to me by my friend Karen and her daughter, Michelle. After all, Michelle has worked in a restaurant, she’s had training. I “sat” on the recipe almost two weeks before giving it a try. I kept looking at it, just thinking it was too difficult for me. But I was wrong! [These are […]

Categories: Sauteed Eats, Soups/Stews, Vegetables • Tags: carrot, Healthy soup, Italian, La Cucina Italiano, low calorie soup, onion, Tomato, tomato soup, Vegetarian Soup, Zucchini, Zucchini Puree

Foodie Friend’s Zucchini Lasagna

September 10, 2013 by Nancy

I don’t necessarily choose my friends based on their likes when it comes to food, but similar taste sure doesn’t hurt friendships either! I’ve mentioned in past posts the friends we socialize with, quite often through food. Karen is one of those friends. We can have a 30 minute phone conversation and 29 of those minutes we’ll talk about food. We’ll discuss what we have made lately, restaurants gone to or simply remembering “that” perfect meal we prepared together. This […]

Categories: Casseroles & Other Mixed Dishes, Entrees, Meat, Sauteed Eats, Vegetables • Tags: feasting with friends, lasagna, Mozzarella, no noodle lasagna, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Ricotta, roasted tomatoes, Tomato, veggie lasagna, Zucchini

Low & Slow Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

September 9, 2013 by Nancy

In late May, we planted our backyard garden. We ordered most of our plants from a local organic farm at the start of the new year. In January all fresh produce sounds fabulous, and I mean all. Of course, at that time of the year, our eyes are much bigger than our stomachs will be a mere 8-9 months later. So…hello over abundance of cherry tomatoes! In other words, we ordered at least one plant too many. These plants have […]

Categories: Appetizers, Condiments, Gardening, Sauteed Eats • Tags: cherry tomato, feasting with friends, garden tomatoes, garlic, Olive oil, oven roasted tomatoes, Roasting, Tomato

Sauteed Veggie Menagerie with Farro

August 26, 2013 by Nancy

Every Monday night I clean out my refrigerator. Reason? Tuesday is trash collection day! It gives me the opportunity to see what got pushed to the back or simply forgotten, especially after what is typically a busy weekend. Some things do get tossed. It seems inevitable. But this “clean out” also gives me the opportunity to use up remnants of still fresh, unused vegetables. I love to use up all these bits and pieces in a mixed vegetable dish. We […]

Categories: Meatless, Sauteed Eats, Sides • Tags: Bell pepper, Eggplant, Farro, Green bean, onion, Parmesan, Tomato, yellow squash, Zucchini

Turkey Sausage Stuffed Zucchini

August 21, 2013 by Nancy

Stuffed zucchini [eggplant, peppers or tomatoes for that matter] is a great weeknight dinner. I use it as an opportunity to use up odds and ends of veggies hanging around in the refrigerator. The gardening season is still in full swing here in Michigan. I still have an abundance of zucchini and the eggplant is just starting to produce. The peppers and tomatoes are a little slower in the production category though. We’re still in the “one at a time” […]

Categories: Casseroles & Other Mixed Dishes, Entrees, Meat, Sauteed Eats • Tags: Eggplant, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Tomato, turkey Italian sausage, Zucchini

No Soup For You! [the answer]

August 19, 2013 by Nancy

[The possible question]…What’s for dinner? [Answer]…No soup for you! Yes, we quote Seinfeld in our house, what can I say, we were fans! So this is a day of no soup, no salad, no steak, no pasta, etc. I know this is a cooking blog, but the “lack of cooking” can be about cooking too, right? 🙂 Dinner tonight will just be a simple meal of Bratwurst cooked on the grill, with an onion and bacon chutney [okay, there’s a wee […]

Categories: Non-food, Salads, Sauteed Eats • Tags: bratwurst, Cucumber, easy dinner, feasting with friends, Michael Symon, Michael Symon chutney recipe, salad, Tomato

Blend It Up Salsa

August 8, 2013 by Nancy

I have quirks! I’m far from being a hoarder. Yet, I am a “selective” hoarder. Meaning there are a few items in my cupboards, refrigerator or pantry that I won’t let run out. For instance, toilet paper…always need at least 4 rolls in reserve. Olive oil…at least 1 back-up bottle. Beer…an emergency 12-pack…cold. Munchies…a hunk of cheese, box of crackers, chips and salsa…just in case. I mean, you never know when friends may pop in, and they may be hungry! […]

Categories: Condiments, Miscellaneous Recipes • Tags: Blender, jalapeno, onion, Salsa, spicy, Tomato