When life gives you tomatoes... make sauce.

Does this look like summer in a bucket or what? 

My tomato plants have not been looking to spiffy. I do not have a green thumb. Honestly, I just assume that since they are outside my dad will water them. No so much... So I went picking today. The pickings were slim but I got a small bucket filled. But what to do with a bucket of tomatoes? I don't preserve them. I'm not that talented. But I do make some pretty tasty sauce and my mother requested spaghetti and meatballs for dinner. Since it was my parents anniversary how could I deny her?

Homemade sauce is simple. Really, you should never have to buy store bought sauce. Store bought is convenient, and yes, it's delicious but there's something rustic and cozy about a homemade sauce. It's comforting, it soothes your soul. You probably already have everything you need to make it in your pantry.

Here's what you'll need:
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 shallot, minced
3 cups pureed tomatoes, strained to remove seeds
1 heaping tablespoon each: dried parsley, basil and oregano (or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flake (more or less if you like)
salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Clean the tomatoes, quarter them and put them in a food processor. Pulse until desired smoothness. Strain through a mesh sieve to remove as many seeds as possible. 

Heat the olive oil in a sauce pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and shallot and saute until the shallot is just translucent. Add the tomatoes, the herbs, red pepper flake and salt and pepper to taste. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes covered and 15 minutes uncovered. 

Toss with your favorite pasta and enjoy! 

Beatty's Chocolate Cake

I loooove chocolate and this cake is what dreams are made of. And I've been dreaming of chocolate. Mostly I dream of dark chocolate but semi-sweet made due for me today. Ina Garten's Beatty's Chocolate Cake is moist, über chocolaty. You're gonna want two slices.

(Adapted from: Ina Garten's, "Beatty's Chocolate Cake")

Ingredients

• Butter, for greasing the pans
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
• 2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cups good cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup buttermilk, shaken
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee
• Chocolate Buttercream, recipe follows

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 8-inch x 2-inch round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans.

Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.

Place 1 layer, flat side up, on a flat plate or cake pedestal. With a knife or offset spatula, spread the top with frosting. Place the second layer on top, rounded side up, and spread the frosting evenly on the top and sides of the cake.

Chocolate Frosting:

• 6 ounces good semisweet chocolate
• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
• 1 tablespoon instant coffee powder

Chop the chocolate and place it in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir until just melted and set aside until cooled to room temperature.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until light yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the vanilla and continue beating for 3 minutes. Turn the mixer to low, gradually add the confectioners' sugar, then beat at medium speed, scraping down the bowl as necessary, until smooth and creamy. Dissolve the coffee powder in 2 teaspoons of the hottest tap water. On low speed, add the chocolate and coffee to the butter mixture and mix until blended. Don't whip! Spread immediately on the cooled cake.

This should come with a warning.

Here's the original recipe: Beatty's Chocolate Cake

Seconds? Yes please! Bacon & Tomato Risotto

This is just ridiculously mouth watering. Super simple to make, super simple to eat. Why wouldn't you make this? I'm not sure there's a logical answer to that question. I looove risotto and I can't get enough of the fresh out of my back yard tomatoes. They've been sitting on my counter for a few days and well, I just have to eat them. But I needed something extra special for dinner today and I was in the mood to stir so I decided risotto needed to be on the menu. I had bacon so I threw that in the mix too.

Here's what you'll need:
1 onion, finely chopped
1/2 lb bacon, diced
1 cup chopped tomatoes, take out the seeds
1 1/2 cups uncooked arborio rice
3 tablespoons of butter
2 cans low sodium chicken stock
1 can low sodium beef stock
2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley
1 cup parmesan and romano cheese

In a sauce pan add the stocks and heat just to warm thru. In a large skillet over medium heat cook the bacon until it's crispy then set aside on a paper towel to drain off any excess grease. Take out some of the grease if there is a lot and add the butter. When that is melted add the onion. Cook until just translucent. Add the rice. Stir it around a bit and let it toast just a few minutes.  Begin adding the broth one ladle at a time, stirring constantly. Let each addition absorb before adding the next. This should take about 20 minutes.
You want a creamy risotto, not firm and dry. It should also be al dente, like pasta. Give it a taste-test to make sure. When it's done take it off the heat and stir in the cheese, tomatoes, bacon and parsley.

Give yourself an extra spoonful and dive into it. It's so creamy and nutty from the cheese. You get the brightness from the tomatoes and some crunch from the bacon. It's the perfect bite.

Shrimp & Avocado Pizza

YUMMMM!!! This was just what my pizza craving called for. It was so good, healthy and inexpensive. Who says you have to get take out to get a great pizza? The best thing about pizza is you can add what you like! Whatever puffs your crust! It's so versatile and doesn't have to be a cheese covered greasy mess that you blot with a paper towel before every bite. So here's mine and it's my new favorite food. I want it everyday!

Here's what you'll need:
1 avocado, diced
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 pound pre-cooked shrimp, tails off
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
1 cup finely shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup crumbled feta
juice of 1 lemon
1 store bought (pre-cooked) pizza crust of your choice
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley

Preheat your oven per the directions of your pizza crust package. Add the minced garlic to the olive oil and let that hang out for a bit while you prepare the rest of the veggies. Toss the diced avocado with the lemon juice. When everything is prepared brush the pizza crust with the olive oil. If some garlic bits happen to jump on board that won't hurt. Evenly distribute the mozzarella cheese over the oil glazed crust. Add the rest of the toppings finishing with the feta, sans parsley. Pop it in the oven long enough for the pizza to heat thru and the cheese to get melty, about 10 minutes.
Remember! your shrimp is already cooked so be careful not to over heat it. It will become rubbery and that is not yummy. Garnish with the parsley and slice it up!

Comfy Food

 I have been sick. Yuck! I want some comfort food. But instead of chicken noodle soup or mom's pot roast this is what I was craving. It did hit the spot!

Bruschetta w/ tomatoes & shallots

Chicken saltimbocco with artichokes and capers in a lemon butter sauce.