Roasted Tomatoes w/ Garlic and Oregano

• 4 cups St. Nick tomatoes


• 2 garlic cloves, sliced


• 2 tbls. fresh oregano leaves


• 3 tbls. balsamic vinegar


• 1/4 cup olive oil


• Salt, Pepper and garlic powder
  
  Preheat oven to 450F. Place the tomatoes and garlic in a baking dish large enough so they are not crowded. Drizzle oil over the tomatoes, then sprinkle with the salt, pepper and garlic powder and mix together using your hands to ensure all of the tomatoes are covered well in oil and seasonings. Add the oregano over the tomatoes and drizzle with the vinegar.
  
  *Note: the vinegar helps to cut through the natural sweetness of the tomatoes. If you are using a less sweet tomato, the vinegar is optional.
  
  Roast the tomatoes for 25-30 minutes. Once roasted, set aside to cool. Once cooled you can serve as a side dish, over pasta, or place in a blender and blend into a sauce to serve over pasta, meats, fish, etc. Choice is yours!

GoldenBrown's Chicken Coq au Vin

• 1-2 bone-in chicken breasts with skin
  
• Salt, pepper, garlic powder to taste
  
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
  
• 1 small onion, chopped
  
• 1 12 oz. bottle of dark beer (stout)
  
• 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
  
• 1 tsp. sugar
  
• 1 bay leaf
  
• 3 sprigs of fresh thyme
  
• 1 tbls. butter
  
• Chopped Italian parsley
  
  If most of you do not know...a coq au vin is basically chicken cooked in wine. However, I've seen many versions (seen not tasted) in which some call for beer. Since I had some stout in the fridge I decided to give it a try and the chicken turned out really tender and juicy.
  
  Pat the chicken dry using paper towel and season well with the salt, pepper and garlic powder. Brown on each side for about 5-7 minutes in a deep pot with a little bit of olive oil and butter. Remove the chicken and set side to finish cooking it later. Add in the garlic and onions to the pot and cook until translucent. Add in the rest of the ingredients and bring to a simmer. Add the chicken and its juices back into the pot and cover. Allow to cook for another 25 minutes over low heat. You can even place in the oven on 350F for the same amount of time.
  
  When finished I server over brown rice and garnish with parsley!
  
  Consider these optional ingredients as well:
  
  Pearl onions
  Potatoes
  Mushrooms
  Carrots
  
  Regardless this is an excellent meal and healthy too! Enjoy!

Meatballs with Garlic Rotini/Roasted Tomatoes

This dish I thought of while pulling some fresh cherry (St. Nick) tomatoes from the garden and pondering on what to make of 'em. What came out was what my husband said....totally restaurant quality (beaming smile). Everyone likes a good meatball too!

TOMATOES

1 cup cherry or St. Nick tomatoes

2 tbls olive oil

pinch of salt / ground pepper

PASTA

1/2lb Rotini pasta

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 tbls minced garlic OR 2 large cloves minced

Handful of chopped Italian parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350F. Place the tomatoes on a baking sheet or in a baking dish. Cover in oil, salt and paper and combine with hands until all of the tomatoes are seasoned. Bake for about 15 minutes until the skins are broken and smaller in size.

MEATBALLS

1/2 lb Ground Sirloin

1/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs

3 tbls light soy sauce

2 tsp Worcester sauce

2 tsp garlic powder

1 tbls Canola oil

pinch of salt / pepper

Using your hands or a fork mix all of the meatball ingredients together in a bowl until well combined. Form into medium meatballs...about the size of a golf ball. In a large skillet/fry pan over medium heat add just a little more Canola oil just so the meatball do not stick. Place the meatballs in the pan and let cook. I shake the pan or turn often so that they cook evenly on each side and don't brown. Cook for about 10-15 minutes until they are slightly firm. Remove from pan and set aside.

Cook the pasta and drain. Save some of the pasta water.

Cook the onions and garlic in the same pan used for the meatballs over low heat until onions are translucent. Add in some pasta water to break up the pieces from the bottom and to make a sauce. Add in the pasta to combine...salt and pepper to taste. Add in the meatballs and tomatoes and top with the parsley. All set!

Grilled Skirt Steak with Chili Dry Rub

This skirt steak recipe is so tasty and can be served several different ways. Can be served with tortillas, in a salad or on its own.

• 1.5-2 pounds of skirt steak
• Heavy aluminum foil
• 1/4 cup olive oil

DRY RUB:

• 1 tbls chili powder
• 1/2 tbls garlic powder
• 1 tbls kosher salt
• 1/2 tbls ground pepper
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper

LIME DIPPING SAUCE:

• Juice of one lime
• 2 tbls mayo
• 1 tsp chili powder

Preheat grill to medium-high. Allow the skirt steak to be around room temp. Pat skirt steak dry with paper towel, then rub liberally with olive oil. Mix together the ingredients for the dry rub and apply all over steak. Really get it in there! Allow to sit for about 15 minutes. Using a clean grill, place the steak on the grill for about a minute on each side. Remove from grill and wrap in foil and allow to sit for another 15 minutes.

Prepare the sauce by combining all of the ingredients in a small box and mix until well combined. Add more or less ingredients to your liking.

Cut the steak across the grain and serve.

Key Lime Pie

This is so easy to make and its soooo good. Even for those that are not fans of citrus flavor or limes…forget it….they love it too. It’s like a lime cheesecake!

Graham Cracker Crust:
• 1 package of graham crackers (package not box)
• 5 tbsp melted salted butter
• 1/3 cup sugar

Filling:
• 3 egg yolks
• 2 teaspoons lime zest
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 2/3 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

Topping:
• 1 cup heavy or whipping cream chilled
• 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Break up the graham crackers using a food processor or crush them using a plastic bag and rolling pin or as I like to use…a wine bottle. Add the melted butter and sugar and mix until well combined. Press the crust mixture into a pie or tart dish, forming a border around the edge. Bake the crust for 8 minutes, and then set aside….leave the oven on.

Beat the egg yolks and lime zest at high speed until very fluffy, about 5 minutes. Gradually add the milk and continue to beat until thick. Slowly add the lime juice while mixing on a low speed until it is just combined. Pour the mixture into the crust. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the filling has just set, then cool.

Whip the cream and the confectioners' sugar until nearly stiff. Add the topping …or you can use Cool Whip. I garnish with lime slices, and then freeze it for about 30 minutes before serving.

The best ever!

Zucchini Rice

The one, the only....Zucchini Rice. I'm so proud of this dish as it is easy to make, can be served hot or room temp and everyone seems to love it. It's perfect as a side or on its own. This dish also pairs well with almost anything from grilled chicken, ribs (see Asian Style Ribs) or burgers. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

This serves 2-4 people. Double the recipe for more, just remember to rinse the rice thoroughly before cooking or you'll end up with mushy rice.

• 1 large zucchini cut into large cubes with skin
• 1 small shallot minced (substitute with red onion)
• 1 cup of diced button mushrooms (optional)
• 1 clove of garlic minced
• 1 cup of white rice
• 2 cups low sodium chicken broth (substitute with water)
• ½ cup olive oil
• Salt and Pepper
• Handful of chopped Italian Parsley for garnish (optional)

Cook rice using the chicken broth, set aside. In a large skillet, at medium-low heat add about half of the oil and add the shallot, garlic and mushrooms to sauté...add some salt to allow the mushrooms to release their moisture. Once the shallots are translucent and mushrooms look about cooked, add the zucchini and lightly sauté leaving the zucchini slightly crunchy. Turn up to medium-high heat and add the rest of the oil. Add in the cooked rice and lightly fry the rice by patting it down then stir to combine all of the ingredients together. Season with salt and pepper. If the rice is sticking….check your heat or add more oil. Garnish with chopped parsley and.....SERVE!

Grilled Pizza

I've made pizza dough several times with both white and wheat flour and none of them turned out as good as this recipe. The crust was buttery and light and so good. I recommend letting the dough rise for the full 3 hours in order to get the right consistency. I've used quick rise yeasts they say the dough rises in 20 minutes and they never turn out that good.

• 1 cup warm water (105 - 115)
• 1 package active yeast
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 3 1/4 cups flour
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp kosher salt

Combine the water, yeast and sugar and let sit for about 5 minutes. The yeast will begin to puff up and foam.

*Note - be sure the water is the right temp. IF the water is too hot it may kill the yeast. Also if the yeast does not foam up then it may be dead. Start with another package. Use wheat or whole grain flour for a healthier choice!

Combine the flour and salt in a stand mixer fixed with a dough hook. You can also mead by hand if you do not have a mixer. Once the yeast mixture has started to foam, add the oil to the yeast, then add to the flour and mix on low for about 10 minutes. Once combined form the dough into a ball and place in a large greased ball. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or towel and place in a warm place for 2 hours to rise. After 2 hours, punch the dough down in the middle and divide into four sections. Form each section into a ball and pinch the bottom. Place each section in another greased bowl and let rise for another hour. When ready, you can roll the dough out onto a lightly floured surface or you can just use your hands to form into a small pizza round.

*Note - you can cover any left over dough in plastic wrap and freeze.

Preheat your grill on one side to Med-High, the other on low heat. Place the dough on the med-high side and close the lid and let it cook for 2-3 minutes. The dough will bubble up and get good grill marks. Then flip over to the low heat side and brush with olive oil and salt. Place your toppings on and cook until the cheese melts. See toppings and sauce suggestions below.

Pizza Sauce

• 1 can of low sodium diced tomatoes
• 1/4 cup of minced yellow onion
• 1 clove of garlic minced
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 tsp butter
• 1 tsp flour
• Pinch red pepper flake
• Salt and Pepper to taste

In a small sauce pan heat the oil and add the garlic and onions and saute over med-low heat. Add the seasons and tomatoes and simmer for about 25 minutes. In a separate dish combine the butter and flour and mash together then stir into the sauce. Let cook another 5 minutes. I use a potato masher to mash the tomatoes down...or you can blend them in a processor. You can also avoid the flour and butter all together and thicken with a tablespoon of tomato paste.

SUGGESTIONS:

(pictured)
Italian Sausage
Red Pepper
Shredded Mozzarella
Crimini Mushrooms
Fresh Basil

Roasted Veggies
Zucchini
Orange/red peppers
Mushrooms
Red Onion
Crumbled Goat cheese
Fresh Basil

Fresh Mozzarella
Fresh Basil