Tag Archives: Tomatoes

Recipes - Entrees

Shrimp & Grits

This is one of my new favorites!  I tried this dish while on a “teacher trip” this summer; determined to re-create the dish, the first time I prepared it was at the Sharpes’ house in Florida in July.  Folks, if you are a shrimp lover, this dish rocks!

I will admit that this is a bit labor intensive so prepare it when you have plenty of time OR when you have someone to help you do the prep work.  Susie, prep help supreme, cut all the veggies for this and peeled the shrimp (YAY!).  When the prep work finishes, the cooking time is less than 30 minutes.

DO find and use the Andouille sausage when preparing the shrimp mixture as this spicy sausage from Louisiana’s Cajun cooking style provides the perfect punch to the dish. If you cannot find Andouille, use a highly seasoned bratwurst instead. Do also use the red pepper flakes for even more “hot”.  Not to worry, the creamy grits are a just-right complement for the spice of the shrimp and sausage mixture. All you possibly need to complete the meal is a leafy green salad or even a loaf of crusty French bread.

Get your shrimp and grits groove on today! You will not regret one minute of the kitchen time. This recipe easily serves 10-12 people. Four of us enjoyed two servings each in Florida with the bowl pictured above for the next day. Make a new pot of grits if having leftovers!  This is oh, so wonderful!

Shrimp & Grits

For the Grits

4 cups water
* 2 T. butter
* 6 small cloves garlic, minced (added from the shrimp pan)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 t. salt
1 cup uncooked grits (instant is fine)
2 cups Cheddar, shredded from the block

Directions: Keep the water warm on the stove in a pot with a heavy bottom so you can cook the grits quickly when the shrimp finishes cooking. When ready to serve, bring to a boil and add the cream. Stir in grits a little at a time; add the butter and sautéed garlic. Cook, 5 minutes, whisking constantly. Add the cheese. Turn off the heat and allow to thicken. Add cream if too thick.

For the Shrimp

1 T. Wesson oil
1 cup Andouille sausage, sliced thin
2 #’s medium fresh shrimp, peeled, de-veined, and tails snipped
2 more T. Wesson oil
1 T. butter
1 T. flour
1/2 cup white onion, chopped
1/4 cup green pepper, diced
1/4 cup celery, sliced thin
4 Roma tomatoes, chopped and seeded (or stewed tomatoes, 1 #10 can)
3 t. Cajun seasoning
1-1/2 cup chicken broth
1 T. butter
Sea Salt & Cracked Pepper to taste
Red Pepper Flakes, to taste
Green onion, sliced, for garnish

Directions: Sauté 2 T. butter & 6 garlic cloves. Set aside for grits. Add oil to skillet and sauté sausage. Remove and set aside. Add 1/2 the shrimp and cook until pink. Remove to paper-towels and add the rest of the shrimp and cook til pink. Wipe skillet and add 1 T. oil and 1 T. butter. Stir in the 1 T. flour and cook 3-4 minutes until you have a dark roux. Cook 3-4 minutes on low. Add onion, green pepper, and celery and cook 3 minutes on med-high heat. Add the tomatoes and the Cajun season and cook 3 minutes. Add chicken broth and simmer all in skillet 10 minutes.

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Recipes - Salads

Panzanella


This is the second of the salads we enjoyed  at the Sharpe’s house earlier this month when we did a salad bar evening.  Panzanella is a refreshing Italian bread salad best prepared when tomatoes are at their juiciest in the summer.  We were on a “salads-for-supper” kick one evening and this tasty salad was one of our stars of the show.

There’s very little cooking required here; prepare your croutons before beginning and you’ll be well on your way.  We used part of a loaf of crusty French bread for croutons and very ripe Roma tomatoes that were begging to be used. Don’t forget the basil and the Mozzarella as they add both flavor and creaminess here.

For best results, make this salad an hour or so before you sit down to the table and serve it at room temperature. Whether eaten as a main dish or a simple side with grilled meat, this one is sure to please everyone at your table.

Panzanella

Ingredients

1/2 loaf (8 oz.) rustic bread such as a French loaf
2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
4 ripe tomatoes, diced
2 small cucumbers, peeled, seeded, chopped
1 red or green pepper, seeded and chopped
1 small red onion, sliced
10 leaves fresh basil, snipped into small pieces
1-1/2 cups Mozzarella cheese, diced or shredded

Directions: Heat oven to 350. Cut or tear the bread into 1-inch pieces and spread on a baking sheet. Bake until it is dry and slightly crisp (think croutons), about 8 minutes; remove from oven and set aside. In medium bowl, whisk vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic; set aside. In large serving bowl, toss the bread, tomatoes, cucumbers, bell pepper, onion, basil and the mozzarella. Add dressing and mix well. Allow salad to sit before serving, room temperature is fine.

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Recipes - Salads

Garbanzo Bean Salad

As promised, per request, I am posting some “catch up” recipes from my summer vacation cooking marathon at the Sharpes’ house!  The Florida weather was a mix of oppressive humidity and bright sunshine and we quickly fell into a “salad bar” state of mind.  My next few blog posts are the result of one such evening.

I normally make this flavorful salad using canned garbanzo beans (also known as chick peas), but because Larry had a bag of dried garbanzos from a visit to the local health food store, this day I cooked and used dried garbanzos.  If you do use canned beans, rinse them well!

The simple dressing enhances the nutty flavor of the beans, and, when served well-chilled, this is the perfect summer salad. I sometimes also add pieces of thinly-sliced raw cucumber to the mix so feel free to substitute here.  The salad goes well with any tasty cracker or pita chips.  If you are feeling a little of that oppressive summer heat in your area today, do try this one!  It is refreshing and tasty and so enjoyable!

Garbanzo Bean Salad

Ingredients

3/4 cup olive oil
2 T. red wine vinegar
1-1/2 t. salt
1-1/2 t. pepper
2 cups Garbanzo beans, drained
1 medium red onion, chopped and small dice
2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and diced
1 bunch fresh basil, to taste, torn small pieces

Directions Combine oil, vinegar, salt and pepper and whisk well. Add remaining ingredients and stir gently to thoroughly blend. Chill well and serve cold.

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Recipes - Entrees

Spinach Stuffed Pasta Shells

My cousin prepared this pasta dish using the recipe in my “Missouri to Maui” cookbook and sent me a photo of the results and I wanted to make stuffed shells ever since. Today’s cloudy, cold day was perfect for preparing this rich hearty dish.  Pasta, tomato sauce, and cheese.  No way you can go wrong!

I wanted extra sauce for another use so today I made a homemade tomato sauce using crushed tomatoes, stewed tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic, onion, and spices.  You can also use only canned stewed tomatoes as listed in the cookbook’s recipe below.  The sauce I made today is simple  to prepare and doesn’t overwhelm the flavor of the pasta and the mild Ricotta cheese in the filling.  I had ground pork on hand so added meat to my sauce today.  Preparing the sauce and the pasta was the only prep required; i don’t count filling the pasta shells as prep because that is just way too much fun to do! Do thaw the frozen spinach before beginning, squeezing out the liquid, and by all means use blocks of Swiss and Parmesan cheeses, shredding and  grating them yourself for the best flavor.  Today I used manicotti shells and the recipe yielded 11 pieces as one of the shells tore beyond repair while boiling. Using large seashell pasta shells are also perfect for this recipe.

A simple green salad with early tender lettuce and garlic bread on the side complement this dish perfectly.  You’ll have supper ready in no time, a most satisfying and flavorful one, especially for a chilly spring evening.  Go Italian and enjoy these stuffed shells; I am sure that  your family will give you a big thumbs up!

Spinach Stuffed Pasta Shells

Ingredients

1-(10 oz.) box or pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 cup Ricotta cheese
1/2 cup Swiss cheese, shredded
1 T. onion, minced
3 cups canned stewed tomatoes
1-(6 oz.) box jumbo macaroni shells, uncooked
Parmesan cheese, freshly-grated for garnish

Directions Preheat oven to 375. Cook the pasta shells according to package directions; drain and set aside. In large bowl, combine the thawed spinach, Ricotta cheese, Swiss cheese, and the onion; stir until well blended. Pour 1 cup of the stewed tomatoes over bottom of a 9×13″ glass baking dish. Fill the cooked pasta shells by dividing the spinach-cheese mixture into equal parts and pushing into the tube of each the pasta shell. Pour remaining stewed tomatoes around and over the filled shells. Cover dish with foil and bake approximately 25-30 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Remove from oven and sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

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Recipes - Side Dishes

Country Cabbage

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A rainy day seemed a good day for preparing this dish; it is colorful, nutritious, and mama and I love it!  Reasons enough to get out the electric skillet and mix up this combination of cabbage, vegetables, and bacon!  Mashed potatoes on the side a must!

This simple dish has a quick prep. Shred the cabbage and prepare the vegetables and you’re ready to go. Saute the vegetables in the reserved bacon drippings, add the cabbage, the seasonings and the tomatoes (with juice) and let it cook covered. With 5 cups of cabbage in this dish, I find my high-sided electric skillet best for mixing the cabbage well with the other vegetables and the liquid from the stewed tomatoes.  Cook only until the cabbage is fork tender.  I allow this to sit, covered, a few minutes after cooking to allow the flavors to mingle and the cabbage to soften. This makes a perfect side dish for meatloaf or a pot of beans and any leftovers are fine microwaved for one more serving.

It really is country good, y’all!

Country Cabbage

Ingredients

3-4 slices bacon, cooked, drained, crumbled
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 small green pepper, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
5 cups cabbage, shredded
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1-(16 oz.) can stewed tomatoes, chopped small

Directions Fry bacon; drain, crumble, and set aside. Reserve drippings in pan. Add onion, green pepper and celery to bacon grease. Cook until tender but not browned, about 3 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and bring to simmer in skillet. Reduce heat to medium low; cover, and cook 8-10 minutes longer or until the cabbage is tender. Top with the crumbled bacon and serve immediately.

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