You say tomato, I say roasted with garlic and basil…

Besides the smell of a new born baby, there is nothing better than the smell of tomatoes and garlic roasting in the oven. In the spring and winter months , tomatoes are for sure not at their peak, so it's the perfect time to roast them and achieve maximum flavor. We use them in everything and they can stay in your fridge covered in oil for a couple weeks. We started grilling pizza last summer because it's so easy and gives it the brick oven flavor we all adore. Unfortunately we ate the pizza before I remembered to take a picture. I promise it was beautiful J

 

Crispy Grilled White Bean & Roasted Tomato Pizza

 Fresh or premade pizza dough

1 15oz. can Cannellini beans drained and rinsed

2 cloves garlic unpeeled

Juice of one lemon

4 ripe Roma Tomatoes quartered

Olive oil

Kosher salt and pepper

Handful of fresh basil

 

Preheat oven to 325. Place tomatoes on a lined baking sheet with the unpeeled garlic. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in oven for about 2 1/2 hours until they turn a deep red and crisp around edges. Take out of oven and let cool.

    Preheat grill to medium high. Unpeel roasted garlic and place in blender or food processor with can of drained beans and about ¼ cup olive oil and half of lemon juice. Puree until smooth adding olive oil if needed. Season the puree with salt, pepper and additional lemon juice if needed. Brush the pizza crust with olive oil on both sides. Place on preheated grill for about 2 minutes on each side, or until toasted. Take off the grill and spread crust with bean puree, then place the roasted tomatoes on top and sprinkle with fresh basil. Drizzle with a little bit of olive oil and season with some kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper. It's a lighter version of pizza that is great for summer and also as an appetizer!

 

Easter Brunch Perfection

We love Easter. It's spring, no more snow, fingers crossed, and fresh veggies starting to appear everywhere. This is a dish that I have made for a few family Easter brunches. About nine years ago I found the recipe in an old Southern Living cookbook and I changed it slightly to make it my own and a little tastier. It is a huge hit every time and looks beautiful when you cut into it. It screams SPRINGTIME. You can substitute any of the ingredients for what you like. I have also used asparagus, chopped broccoli, and tried different cheeses. It is so much easier to cheat and make with store bought puff pastry.

Herb Omelet Torte


9 eggs
1 lb. fresh spinach
2 sheets of puff pastry or your own favorite pastry crust
1 cup roasted red peppers sliced
2 cloves garlic chopped
Fresh chopped basil
Fresh chopped parsley
Fresh chopped chives
½ pound sliced provolone cheese ½ pound deli ham sliced thin
Butter
1 egg beaten
Olive oil
Salt and pepper



Preheat oven to 400.
Butter an 8 or 9-inch spring-form pan. Roll out one sheet of puff pastry one-quarter inch thick. Line the bottom and sides of pan with the pastry. Refrigerate lined pan and second sheet for top.


Prepare spinach: Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add garlic and spinach, saute together until wilted. Continue cooking until water is evaporated. Season with salt and pepper. Remove to a plate and refrigerate.

OMELET: Beat together the eggs, herbs, salt, and pepper. Heat butter in an 8 or 10-inch skillet (so omelet will fit nicely into the pan) over medium heat. Pour one-half of the egg mixture into skillet. Be sure to loosen edges while omelet is cooking. When set, remove omelet to a platter. Cook a second omelet with remaining butter and egg mixture

Assemble torte: Remove spring-form pan from refrigerator. Layer in pan 1 omelet, next cooked spinach, then cheese, and a layer of ham. Next add all of the roasted red pepper. Repeat layering in reverse order (ham, cheese, spinach, and omelet) using remaining ingredients. Cover omelet with reserved pastry sheet and seal to side pastry by pinching dough together with fingers. Brush top with beaten egg. Set pan on a cookie sheet. Bake 20 minutes at 400, then reduce to 350 and cook 40 more minutes. Cool slightly before removing from pan and slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature.

My crazy life

In January of 2000, one month after getting married, I decided to finally do something I knew I was passionate about and would love to do forever. I decided to completely change careers and head to culinary school. At the time my husband was in the military, so we pushed through three LONG years to get me through part-time school, with a small income. I would literally be searching for change around the house to just get gas and bridge money to get to school, and sometimes in tears because I had to miss a class.

 While in school, I worked for a major corporate catering company, and for a brief time cooked for The Philadelphia Eagles. I was exhausted, but stuck through the tough times, and being the only woman in the kitchen full of men is enough to make anyone run.  The last few months before graduation, me and my husband found out we were expecting our first baby. One semester before I was finished school, I went into early labor and was put onto bed rest in the hospital. After my beautiful boy was born I knew after all we went through I couldn’t leave him. So I decided to stay at home, but never got my degree. For a few years when the boys were babies I was a personal chef. I loved being able cook and still be able to be at home with my boys. 

A few years ago, when my oldest was four, he was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. We were devastated. I found myself living in the hospital with my husband, my four and two year old. I had almost zero sanity left in me, I needed something to help me get through the long stressful days and weekends. So, I decided to just cook. The unit he was on had a mini "kitchen", with a full size fridge, microwave, and electric pots. I cooked my heart out. The doctor would come to talk to us and he had to come into the kitchen to find us making Wine-Braised Chicken with shallots and pancetta in an electric skillet. I hardly ate, but it just felt good to feed everyone else. I decided to come up with recipes that would bring home to the hospital, while using what I had. Cooking got me through some very very difficult times. It was nice to smell the good smells of home cooking in the hospital, rather than the smell of sick. If anyone has lived in a hospital for longer than six months you know what that smell is and never forget it. 

They are now seven and five, and always try to cook the healthiest meals I can for them.  It doesn't have to be extreme, just good homemade food that will be nourishing, but still fun. Life is too short... eat well, love always and never regret......

My hero's