Tomato Bread Salad

runchy toasted bread cubes snuggle into a bright, sunshiny salad and emerge dripping with flavor while retaining their inner crisp. Jamie introduced me to today's recipe on this blog, and while it did require some chopping, overall it was a cinch to make. I chose baguette, which I don't think is the most flavorful choice for this salad. I had my tongue set on focaccia, but my grocery superstore only offered baguette and Chewbacca bread. I chose wrong, good friends :(



However, I must say that the concept is exactly like bruschetta, which I've been making for years. The big difference is that the bread goes inside the topping, rather than under it, in this variation. The only thing missing was garlic on the toasted bread. The flavors were amazing; as I've said before, basil really makes an enormous impact in salads. Finally, fresh mozzarella delivers a creamy goodness to the dish.



Preheat oven to 400F. Cube bread and toss with 1T olive oil. Bake bread for 10 minutes total, stirring once. Meanwhile, combine 4 medium tomatoes, cored and chopped; 1 chopped yellow pepper; 1/2 sliced red onion; and 16 oz. fresh mozzarella, cubed, in a large bowl. In a container with a tight-fitting lid combine 1/4 C olive oil, 1/4 C red wine vinegar, 1/2 t ground oregano, 1/2 t salt and 1/2 t ground black pepper. Shake well and pour over vegetables, chill for several hours. Just before serving, combine with toasted bread cubes and basil.

Gazpacho

asil is far and away my favorite herb. Its fresh, bright, and happy - the perfect addition to any dish. This was my first attempt at this chilled soup, and while I loved the fresh flavors, the texture was a lot like chunky salsa.



3 cups tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 yellow pepper, diced
1 orange pepper, diced
1/2 medium red onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
1/2 cup chopped basil
3 T red wine vinegar
2 C tomato juice
juice of 1 lime
1 t kosher salt

Combine all ingredients and chill several hours prior to serving.

Home Sew: Tailoring Short Sleeves

ust because a shirt is the exact style I love, with deliciously soft fabric in a print that sparkles, with pearly snaps and a birthdate before my own, doesn't guarantee it will fit correctly. Or, more accurately, fit modernly. I love this blue and yellow cowboy number from the 70s, complete with a shiny silver stripe. I don't love the too-long short sleeves. So, inspired by my fashion redux hero Marisa...



...I decided to use this as my very first tailoring job. I started with my seam ripper and took out the hem of both sleeves.



Wearing the shirt inside out, I pinned them at the updated length. Before, left and after, right.



I them pressed and stitched a 1/4" edge, then folded over a new 1" hem. Here's the new look:



The shirt is still too big. At this weight, I'm hesitant to take it in, as I'd love to lose 80 lbs, but I've got no expectation this will happen. Ever. But, this was a really fun exercise in tailoring which has always been scary. Shortening some short sleeves? Not so bad.

Breakfast Toast Cups

fter discovering this recipe in the September 2010 issue of Everyday Food, I knew I could make some improvements right away. Once I'd verified that the 10 eggs I had in the fridge weren't part of the recall, I separated the whites; the yolks in the original recipe were left whole like a fried egg, which I frankly don't enjoy. I also wanted to experiment with sausage and cheese options, mostly for the fat and salt reduction. Mostly. All the steps were super easy, but rolling and cutting the bread was a tad on the laborish side.

4 slices bacon
3 ounces sausage, cooked and crumbled
8 slices wheat sandwich bread
10 egg whites
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 C shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 C sliced pickled jalapeno peppers


Preheat oven to 375. Cook bacon in paper towel-lined plate in microwave until almost crisp. As bacon cools, use paper towel to grease a 12 cups in a muffin tray. Flatten bread slices with rolling pin and, using a 2" round cutter, cut out 3-4 rounds from each slice.


Arrange rounds in bottom of muffin cups so that one edge of each round is exposed at the top of the cup. Overlap rounds and fill in gaps with bread scraps as needed. With a squeeze bottle, load approx. 3 T of egg whites into each cup, seasoning lightly with salt and pepper.


Loosely roll bacon strips and place one into four cups; evenly distribute crumbled bacon into four cups, and place cheese and jalapeno slices in remaining four. Bake 25-30 minutes or until eggs are cooked through.

Chipotle Turkey Chili

moky chipotle peppers bring heat and flavor to this light, tasty chili. Tomatoes, corn, and two types of beans lend their color and flavors while packing in tons of texture.




Chipotle Turkey Chili
2 T vegetable oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb 99% fat-free ground turkey breast
1 t kosher salt
1 T chili powder
1/2 t ground cumin
1/4 t cayenne powder
1 can pinto beans, rinsed
1 can dark red kidney beans, rinsed
1 28-oz can diced tomatoes
1 15-oz can tomato sauce
1 can chicken stock
4 chipotle peppers in adobo, chopped
1 C frozen corn

In a large stockpot, heat oil and cook onion and garlic until translucent. Add turkey, stirring frequently until cooked through. Add spices, simmer 2-3 minutes as moisture from turkey cooks off. Add remaining ingredients, cover and simmer additional 20 minutes. Serve with sour cream.

Broccoli Soup

arm and comforting, there's nothing wrong with my broccoli soup recipe. This is one of the very first things I taught myself how to cook, and its been winning over hungry guests for years. However, I think the time has come to upgrade this classic (more to come in a later post).


Broccoli Soup
2 T unsalted butter
1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
1 T flour
2 C half-and-half
1/2 lb farfalle (bowtie pasta)
1 lb frozen broccoli

Melt butter in a large pot and cook onions until tender. Whisk in flour brifely; continue whisking while adding half and half. Bring to a boil, reduce heat. Allow mixture to thicken, stirring frequently. Add chicken stock.

Meanwhile, boil pasta in salted water until half done. Add broccoli and boil until tender. Drain and add to cream sauce. Heat through.

Chunky Salsa

hen you have fresh tomatoes, I believe you must eat them fresh. Therefore, my chunky salsa certainly satisfies. By controlling the amount of jalapenos added, you decide whether this salsa will be mild or caliente. My version of salsa is cilantro-free (of course), but you can certainly add it if you like.

3 large tomatoes, cored and diced
1/4 C diced pickled jalapeno peppers
3 T juice from pickled jalapenos
1/2 t kosher salt
1/4 C diced red onion
1 large garlic clove, minced

Combine all ingredients in large mixing bowl. Adjust heat by decreasing (or increasing?) the amount of juice from the jalapenos. I left the seeds in when I chopped the tomatoes, which increased the total liquid in the salsa.

Makes 2-3 cups.

Chicken Burritos

veryone I talk to about Chipotle says the same thing: delicious, but way more food than they can eat all at once. I love their burritos, but given my deeply embedded desire to maintain good standing in the Clean Plate Club, I really need to be in charge of portion control. Also, their rice is dotted with cilantro, which I don't love. So, I opt to simply eat somewhere nicer: Home.

Chicken Burritos
4 chicken breasts, cooked (boiled, baked, grilled, braised, however you like)
1 t kosher salt
3 C cooked rice (from 1 cup dry)
1 C shredded Colby Jack cheese
1 14.5 oz can Pinto beans, drained and rinsed
10-inch Burrito size tortillas
Guacamole
Hot sauce (I like Sriracha)

Dice cooled chicken and combine in large bowl with salt. Stir in rice, cheese, and beans. Microwave tortillas until pliable (20 seconds), then spread 1 T guacamole on each. Add 1 C filling per burrito (if you're hungry. 3/4 C if you're less hungry. Yay portion control!) in center of tortilla. Top with hot sauce and roll tortilla, starting with the sides and then front to back.

Makes 6-8 burritos.

Guacamole

he supermarket near where I live has started placing stickers denoting which avocados are ripe. While this is awesome service (no more handling every single fruit in the produce section to find a ripe avocado!), its sad to me that the green lovelies have to arrive in my town all hard and prematurely plucked from their homes. Someday I'll live someplace warm enough to have an avocado grove. In the meantime, I've got guacamole.

1 medium lime, halved
4 ripe avocados
1 large tomato, diced
1 large clove garlic, minced
1/2 small red onion, diced
3 T canned diced jalapenos and their juice
1 t kosher salt

Ream or squeeze lime halves into large bowl; the juice will keep the avocados from oxidizing. Spoon avocados into bowl, adding tomato, garlic, onion, jalapenos and salt. Mash together with fork until avocados form a smooth paste. Serve with absolutely anything.

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

hat do you do with an incredibly overgrown zucchini? Why, bake it, of course. Each summer we have at least one of these monstrous zucchini awaiting us in the garden, having stealthily and relentlessly continued expanding. Now too large and mealy for the sautee pan, this swollen squash is perfect for my chocolate chip zucchini bread.



3 C flour
1 t salt
1 t baking soda
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t ground cinnamon
1/2 t ground nutmeg
3 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups grated zucchini
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 T orange zest

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour two 9x5 pans. Stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder and spices. In a large bowl, beat eggs until frothy. Add sugar, beat 30 additional seconds. Beat in oil, vanilla, and zucchini. Add half of the flour mixture, stir until moist, add remaining mixture and stir just until combined. Fold in chocolate chips. Makes just over 6 cups batter; divide between prepared pans. Bake for 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Farmers Market

uring the summer months (July - Sept.), we are spoiled by a farmers market set up right on the campus where I work. It couldn't be more convenient to snatch up all the loveliest products of the season. All I have to do is remember to bring cash and my market bag. Here's what I found this week:








A lady at the office was kind enough to share her flowers with the rest of our suite.

Blueberry Muffins

ince childhood, I've wondered why fruit-flavored foods taste so different than their namesakes. Admittedly, recreating a freshly picked fruit's true taste, texture, and aroma in chemical form is impossible, but why have we as consumers meekly accepted the fruit flavorings food manufacturers have been feeding us for years?



That said, I think blueberries (the real things, mind you) could easily brighten even my dullest, darkest day. I love them. I love their unique color, their plump shape, their slightly tart taste. I like them in salads, on Cheerios, and particularly in baked goods. Today's project features my attempt to make them into muffins.

I followed this recipe, which I'd like to point out contains 16 grams of fat per muffin. I will therefore begin working on a lower fat version for a later post.



And in case you needed any further reminder of why real fruits are always better than artificial flavorings...

Pillowcase Dress

y wish for every new-to-sewing crafter who reads this is for your first garment-type project to go as smoothly as this pillowcase dress went for me. Kara, my one niece close enough to spoil on a regular basis, was baptised per her family tradition. Her mom, Jamie, approached me about making the dress, specifically something white with a bold pattern. Find a free tutorial at Prudent Baby. Here's what I did:


Since this dress pattern is symmetrical, I cut two identical fields of white jersey knit fabric, folded both in half, laid one atop the other, measured arm holes, and cut all four layers together.



The use of a self-healing cutting mat and rotary cutter has literally changed my life. These aren't cheap tools, but SO worth adding to your wish list! I measured and cut the patterned fabric that became the bottom hem, attaching right sides facing.



After hemming the top (head hole), I attached one side using a french hem - the term for double-hemming a garment to hide raw edges and provide a finished seam.



Before I attached the other side, I hemmed the bottom of the dress to one even length all around. The last step was to simply run a ribbon through the pocket at the neck as a way to tie the dress closed.



Unfortunately, not everything can go as smoothly. I attempted to make a headband. Simple, one 16" stitched hem, no problem, right? Well, given that I couldn't get the long, narrow band turned right side out after stitching, and given that I attempted three different bands before giving up, no, this was certainly a problem. Aye.