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Easy Homemade Salsas for Taco Tuesday!

Jun 14 by Chef Hollie Greene 1 Comment

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Taco top shot close up

Beautiful photography in this post by Nina Menconi. Huge thanks to Ariel and Debbie Sultan at Food Guru for their amazing video on how to make my salsas.

What I love most about Taco Tuesday is that the whole family can get involved in making dinner delicious. Creating easy to assemble fixings for a build your own taco bar is the way to go when you are tight on time but still want the whole family to eat well. I’ve found the key to keeping this theme night fresh and fun is to mix it up each week with a homemade salsa topper.

My friends Debbie and Ariel Sultan, co-founders of Food Guru, captured just how fun and easy it can be to whip up fresh salsas. After watching our minute-long tutorial, you can become a salsa master, too!

Pineapple radish salsa 1

When it comes to cooking for my family, I love using seasonal fruit like pineapples for my weekly salsa fix. They are so naturally juicy with just the right balance of acidity and sweetness. Just add a little lime juice, cilantro, spring radishes and green onions to your diced pineapple and you’re ready to take your taco to a whole new level. Oh, how I can eat this salsa with a spoon!

Taco Stuffing Ingredients Laid Out

My other tip for making taco night stress free is to keep the stuffing simple. My loco good pinto bean stuffing is ready in just 15 minutes, using canned organic beans and a quick saute of onions and bright yellow bell pepper with spices and fresh lime juice.

Pineapple Salsa Ingredients Placing cilantro on top

Be sure to have some fun this summer trying out your own version of salsa after you’ve mastered my three favorite easy recipes, perfect for any family’s Taco Tuesday.

About Food Guru:

Mother/ daughter team, Debbie and Ariel Sultan, use their baby boomer-millennial perspectives to form Food Guru, a marketing and video production company. They work as an agency and marketing department for food and beverage businesses to create, connect, and convert audiences to loyal customers and influencers. Check out their sizzle reel here.

 

Loco Good Pinto Bean Tacos with 3 Easy Homemade Salsas
2016-06-13 21:16:41
Serves 4
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Taco Filling
  1. Pinto beans, (30 oz.)
  2. Garlic, 2 cloves
  3. Red onion, 1
  4. Yellow bell pepper, 1
  5. Jalapeno, 1
  6. Salt, 1 teaspoon
  7. Olive oil, 2 tablespoons
  8. Cumin, 1 ½ teaspoons
  9. Cayenne, ¼ teaspoon
  10. Chili powder, 2 teaspoons
  11. Lime, 1 (juice and zest)
  12. Corn or Flour tortillas, small, 1 package
Pineapple Radish Salsa
  1. Pineapple (1/2 fresh, medium sized)
  2. Red radish, 1 bunch
  3. Green onion, 1 bunch
  4. Lime, 1
  5. Cilantro, ½ cup
Sun Kissed Tomato Salsa
  1. Tomatoes, 4 large
  2. Salt, 1 tsp.
  3. Onion (red), medium sized, 1/4
  4. Jalapeño pepper, medium sized, 1
  5. Cilantro (fresh), 1 cup (packed)
  6. Garlic, 2 cloves
  7. Lime, 1
  8. Olive oil, about ¼ cup
Tomatillo and Avocado Salsa
  1. Tomatillos, 6, medium sized
  2. Garlic, 2 cloves
  3. Cilantro (fresh), 1 cup (packed)
  4. Onion (white), small to medium, ¼
  5. Jalapeño pepper, small, 1
  6. Salt, 2 tsp.
  7. Lime, 1
  8. Avocados, 2
Prep
  1. Take 5 minutes to get out all your ingredients, measuring and cooking equipment needed, and place them on a cookie sheet within easy reach.
  2. Drain beans, rinse, and hold.
  3. Cut onion and bell pepper into dice.
Cook
  1. In a preheated skillet, add olive oil and salt and sauté onion, bell pepper and jalapeno on medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes.
  2. Add spices and continue to cook for another minute to warm up spices.
  3. Add beans and heat through for another few minutes.
  4. Squeeze lime over mixture and stir well.
  5. Build tacos with bean mixture on the bottom and some of your fresh salsa on top!
Pineapple Salsa
  1. Put diced green onion and chopped cilantro (stems and leaves) into a medium sized bowl.
  2. Add the zest and juice of your lime.
  3. To prepare the pineapple: twist off the top. Cut off the rind with a knife. Then cut the pineapple into quarters. Remove the core with your knife. Chop pineapple into dice.
  4. Slice radish into thin rounds or half-moon shapes and add to the salsa.
Sun Kissed Salsa
  1. Cut tomatoes into small dice: first slice into rounds, then into slices and then into dice. We like cutting tomatoes with a serrated knife (bread knife), as it cuts easily through the tomato’s skin.
  2. Put the diced tomatoes in a bowl and add salt to allow the tomatoes to release their natural juices while you are cutting up the remaining ingredients.
  3. Dice ¼ of the red onion.
  4. Deseed the jalapeño, and cut into small dice. The easiest way to do this is to cut down one side, like you would an apple, trying to avoid the core. Then, you can cut down the other three sides. You should be left with a stem attached to the spicy seeds. Discard the stem and seeds. Don't forget to wash your hands after handling the jalapeño! The oils from the pepper get on your skin and can sting your eyes or anywhere else you touch. Many people wear gloves when handling jalapeños.
  5. Roughly chop 1-cup cilantro leaves.
  6. Cut garlic into a fine mince.
  7. Zest and juice the lime.
  8. Drain the salted tomatoes. They should have released a good bit of juice.
  9. In a large bowl, mix the drained tomatoes with olive oil, the chopped cilantro, minced garlic, zest and juice of the lime, diced jalapeño, and red onion. Stir together well. The longer the salsa sits, the more flavor will develop.
Tomatillo Salsa
  1. Turn on your oven’s broiler to high.
  2. Wash the cilantro, lime, jalapeño pepper, and avocados.
  3. Remove the husks from the tomatillos.
  4. Rinse the tomatillos under water to remove the sticky coating. Cut them into halves, and place on a parchment or tinfoil lined cookie sheet with raised sides, and broil for 10 minutes.
  5. Peel the garlic and set aside.
  6. Measure out 1-cup cilantro, packed. Don’t fuss with picking leaves. Just rip off the tops of the cilantro. They will go in a blender, so it does not need to be perfect.
  7. Peel and cut the onion into quarters. You will add ¼ of the onion to the blender for this salsa.
  8. Deseed the jalapeño. The easiest way to do this is to cut down one side, like you would an apple, trying to avoid the core. Then, you can cut down the other three sides. You should be left with a stem attached to the spicy seeds. Discard the stem and seeds. The remaining pieces will go into the blender. Don't forget to wash your hands after handling the jalapeño! The oils from the pepper get on your skin and can sting your eyes or anywhere else you touch. Many people wear gloves when handling jalapeños.
  9. Juice and zest the lime.
  10. Put all the ingredients in a blender, except the avocado, and blend until chunky. Add diced avocado and gently mix. Enjoy!
JoyFoodly http://www.joyfoodly.com/

Filed Under: Meatless Monday, Seasonal Recipes Tagged With: dinner, Homemade Salsa, lunch, Pineapple, radish, Taco Tuesday, tomatillo, tomato

My 5 Favorite Pantry Meals for the Busy Family

Sep 10 by Chef Hollie Greene 2 Comments

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8-10 veggie pizza cover photo

With the right pantry staples, you can make weeknight dinners a breeze. In my home, it’s not about fancy chef meals during a busy work week, but it’s about creating dishes that are packed with flavor and require very little time. These are my five favorite pantry meals and my chef tips for how to stock your pantry with the staples and fresh organic ingredients needed to make cooking easier.

download JoyFoodly pantry essentials

MONDAY (go meatless!): Late Summer Eggplant and Tomato Pizza

Make Monday your meat free meal with a family favorite, pizza night. It’s late summer, and in our family we’re eating lots of Chinese and fairytale eggplant (hint: these varieties cook fast!) and tomatoes. The key with this pizza recipe is that with our ricotta base, you can really add any sauteed vegetable you love to the topping, more cheese and some fresh herbs. It literally takes 20 minutes to make!

8-10 veggie pizza in body of post

  • Organic vegetables and fresh herbs: eggplant (fairytale or Chinese variety), tomatoes, basil
  • Pantry staples: frozen pizza crust, ricotta cheese, onions
  • Chef tip: saute the eggplant with onion and finish with a glug of balsamic vinegar
  • Variation: on another night, try cumin roasted sweet potato and some fresh arugula on top of your ricotta base and throw in some goat cheese on top!

To make our sweet-n-spicy eggplant and tomato pizza, see the recipe below, and for more inspiration on how to build a pantry pizza, don’t miss our recent post for loads of ideas.

TUESDAY: The Perfect 15 Minute Orange Curry Chicken and Spiced Roasted Veggies

If you talk to my husband, he’ll tell you that we always build our fastest meals around which veggies can we roast and which organic lean protein can we cook quickly! If you’re like me, I’ve eaten one too many sad dried chicken breasts to last me a lifetime. This method, inspired by Jacques Pepin, is sure fire and works every time. Watch my video to see just how easy moist chicken breasts can be!

8-10 Curry chicken and roasted veggies

  • Organic vegetables and fresh herbs: sweet potatoes, broccolini, thyme
  • Pantry staples: curry powder, cumin, aleppo pepper, olive oil, sriracha, mayo
  • Chef tip: roast the veggies on the same pan for faster clean-up and be sure to let your chicken rest for 5 minutes before you slice into it to maintain that moisture!
  • Variation: use the same method to cook the chicken but use lemon, rosemary, and garlic as your seasoning and throw in some canned artichokes while the chicken is cooking. This makes an amazing sauce and complete dish when served over quick cooking polenta.

To make this meal, check out our detailed recipe below.

SM 8-10 quesadilla in progress

WEDNESDAY: Roasted Fall Squash and Mozzarella Quesadillas

It’s hump day, and let’s face it, some weeks it’s all we can do to get through the day! But with my roasted fall squash quesadillas, you’ll be smiling in no time, and for the parents it may just be the excuse you need for a mid-week Margarita. Cheers!

SM 8-10 Quesadilla plated

  • Organic vegetables and fresh herbs: acorn squash, green onions, cilantro
  • Pantry staples: salsa, quesadilla wraps, mozzarella cheese
  • Chef tip: the minute you walk in the door, preheat the oven. It will take 5 minutes to cut open an acorn squash and scoop out the seeds. Get it roasting while you do other things. That will make the assembly so much faster when you’re ready to eat!
  • Variation: use pre-cut butternut squash and boil it for 10-12 minutes, drain, and smash. Add some canned organic black beans for a little extra protein in this veggie quesadilla!

To make our fall squash and mozzarella quesadilla and my amazing avocado sauce, check out our post.

SM 8-10 quiche ingredients 2014-08-12 10.33.44

THURSDAY: Best of Fall Potato and Leek Quiche

This quiche is the ultimate no-brainer. We use our favorite GF frozen pie crust from Whole Foods Market, and each season we change the veggies that go in but keep the egg, cheese, and spice ratios the same. Crack those eggs, crumble that cheese, and do a quick saute and you’re ready to pop this quiche in the oven and forget about having to make dinner for the next 45 minutes. It’s so easy, you could technically put your kiddos in charge of making it (with a little adult supervision of course)!

SM 8-10 quiche slices 2014-08-12 12.30.14

  • Organic vegetables and fresh herbs: leeks, potatoes, and spinach
  • Pantry staples: eggs, garlic salt, cheddar cheese, and frozen pie crust
  • Chef tip: if you don’t have leeks, use onions! This quiche is a great day two morning breakfast or lunch with a quick reheat in the microwave. We like to serve a simple green salad on the side.
  • Variation: substitute bok choy for the spinach and mix it up by adding half cheddar/half feta to the mix and a dash of worcestershire sauce to your veggie saute!

To make our Best of Fall Leek and Potato quiche recipe, check out our detailed recipe below.

SM 8-10 turkey meatball option 1 2013-05-26 12.51.10

FRIDAY: Baked Turkey Meatballs Over Penne with my 15-minute Tomato Sauce

My moist and meaty florentine turkey meatballs are beyond delicious. I created these little gems for a teen class I was teaching in New York years ago. Trust me, the teenaged boys liked them and so does everyone I serve them to! Over the weekend, my husband and I love to take leftovers and make them into day two pita burgers with all kinds of Greek fixings. Make this your Friday night family treat!

Use for 8-10 Greek burger image IMG_2533

  • Organic vegetables and fresh herbs: spinach, parsley, thyme
  • Pantry staples: pureed boxed Italian tomatoes, onion, garlic, dried pasta, ketchup, bread crumbs, eggs
  • Chef tip: add a simple green salad with my homemade vinaigrette to the meal
  • Variation: instead of putting spinach and parsley in your turkey meatballs, go with a spicy Mediterranean vibe and add harissa paste and mint. Grill them like burgers, and serve them on pita bread with cucumbers and feta cheese!

To make my moist and meaty florentine baked turkey meatballs with my simple 15 minute tomato sauce and to see how we love to play with this recipe for a variation of a Greek themed pita burger meal, check out our posts on the joyful blog!

Sweet and Spicy Eggplant Tomato Pizza
2015-08-04 19:11:25
Serves 4
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Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
20 min
Total Time
35 min
Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
20 min
Total Time
35 min
Ingredients
  1. Eggplant, Chinese variety, 2 medium
  2. Onion (yellow), 1
  3. Ricotta cheese, 1 cup
  4. Olive oil, 3 TBS (divided)
  5. Salt, 1 1/4 tsp (divided)
  6. Black pepper, ¼ tsp
  7. Garlic powder, 1 tsp
  8. Balsamic vinegar, 2 TBS
  9. Tomatoes, 1-2
  10. Hot chili flakes, 1/2 tsp
  11. Pizza crust (We use Udi’s frozen gluten free crust), 2 crusts in 1 package
  12. Basil (fresh), 1 small bunch
  13. Goat cheese, plain, about ½ cup
Prep
  1. Take 5 minutes to get out all your ingredients, measuring and cooking equipment needed, and place them on a cookie sheet within easy reach. Wash all fresh ingredients.
  2. Preheat an oven to 500F. This will ensure a nice crispy crust on your pizza dough.
  3. Cut off the tips of the eggplant. Then cut them into halves and then into a small dice. Note: for Chinese or Japanese varieties of eggplant, you do not need to peel them or salt them before cooking.
  4. Dice the onion.
  5. Season the ricotta with ¼ teaspoon salt and black pepper.
Cook
  1. Sauté diced onion in 2 tablespoons olive oil on medium-high heat for about three minutes.
  2. Add the diced eggplant, plus 1 additional tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and the garlic powder. Continue sautéing on medium-high heat for another two minutes.
  3. Add 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar to the mixture. Scrape up any brown bits that have formed on the bottom of the pan with your spoon as the eggplant absorbs the vinegar. This technique is called “deglazing” the pan. Cook another few minutes on low heat.
  4. Spread ricotta onto the pizza crusts.
  5. Top with crumbled goat cheese, then the sautéed eggplant and onion, and lastly slices of tomato and torn basil leaves on top. Sprinkle hot pepper flakes as desired.
  6. Bake at 500F for 10 minutes. You can rotate the pizza midway through cooking. Enjoy served with more fresh basil on top.
Note on substitutions
  1. we recommend you use the smaller Japanese or Chinese eggplant in this dish, as they do not require pre-salting and have a milder, sweeter taste.
How to add protein
  1. this pizza is a perfect meal as is. The ricotta provides protein and it’s very filling. However, if you wanted to add some extra protein, ground turkey or ground pork sautéed with olive oil, salt and pepper, could be a nice extra along with the other toppings.
JoyFoodly http://www.joyfoodly.com/
The Perfect 15 Minute Orange Curry Chicken and Spiced Roasted Veggies
2015-08-04 19:14:16
Serves 4
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Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
15 min
Total Time
30 min
Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
15 min
Total Time
30 min
Ingredients
  1. Organic boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 4
  2. Sweet potatoes, 2
  3. Broccolini, 1 bunch (or 2-3 stalks/person)
  4. Olive oil, as needed
  5. Salt, as needed
  6. Curry Powder, ½ tsp
  7. Cumin, ½ tsp
  8. Orange, 1
  9. Fresh thyme, 1 bunch
  10. Aleppo pepper, ½ tsp
Prep
  1. Take 5 minutes to get out all your ingredients, measuring and cooking equipment needed, and place them on a cookie sheet within easy reach. Wash all fresh ingredients.
  2. Preheat oven to 425F.
  3. Take your chicken breasts out of the refrigerator and set aside while you get your other ingredients prepped.
  4. On both sides: dry off raw chicken breasts with paper towels, sprinkle with a pinch of salt (about ¼ teaspoon each) and curry powder and drizzle a small amount of olive oil onto both sides of chicken.
  5. Juice the orange.
  6. Cut sweet potatoes into french fry slices (with the skin on). Lightly drizzle with olive oil, salt and cumin powder and place on the cookie sheet you’ll use to roast them.
  7. If broccolini is bigger, you can cut each stalk in half. If it’s on the small and skinny side, just toss them with a good drizzle of olive oil in a bowl, sprinkle with salt and aleppo pepper and place on the cookie sheet you’ll use to roast them.
Cook
  1. Put the vegetables into the oven to roast at 425F for 15 minutes. You may want to cook the broccolini just a little short of 15 minutes (around 12 minutes), but the french fries will need the full 15 minutes. While the vegetables are roasting, we’ll sear our chicken breasts.
  2. Get out an aluminum sauté pan and turn your flame on medium high heat (no oil in pan).
  3. Place the chicken breasts down (rounded side down) in hot pan. If you wiggle them a little when you put them in the pan, they will keep it from sticking. Do NOT touch it for 3 minutes.
  4. Flip chicken over in pan; turn heat on low; add juice of the orange and place thyme branches on top of chicken; cover with lid and set timer for 12 minutes to cook on low.
  5. When the 12-minute timer buzzes, take off the lid, remove chicken and let rest for 5-10 minutes before cutting or serving.
  6. While the chicken is resting, don’t waste the delicious juices that have gathered in the pan into the orange juice. Turn the heat on high and let that sauce reduce down by about ½. Now you have the perfect pan sauce to drizzle on top of your chicken!
  7. Serve your perfectly moist chicken with your delicious roasted vegetables. We love to make a sriracha mayonnaise dipping sauce for our sweet potato fries!
JoyFoodly http://www.joyfoodly.com/
Best of Fall Leek and Potato Quiche
2015-09-08 20:36:21
Serves 4
Note on substitutions: If you don’t have cheddar, use swiss, jack, or gruyere cheese. If you don’t want to use a pie crust, you can also pour this into a pyrex dish and bake at the same rate and it will be delicious! This is a great dinner or breakfast. Next day, just reheat a piece in the microwave.
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Prep Time
25 min
Cook Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 25 min
Prep Time
25 min
Cook Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 25 min
Ingredients
  1. pie crust (gluten free), 1
  2. leeks, 2 medium
  3. olive oil, 3 TBS (divided)
  4. potato (Yukon Gold), 1 large
  5. spinach, 2 cups
  6. salt, 1 tsp
  7. cheddar cheese (white, sharp), 7-8 oz
  8. eggs, 6
  9. garlic powder, 1/4 tsp
  10. black pepper, 1/4 tsp
Prep
  1. Take 5 minutes to get out all your ingredients, measuring and cooking equipment needed, and place them on a cookie sheet within easy reach.
  2. Wash all produce. Be sure to clean leeks thoroughly to remove dirt. The best way to do this is to first cut and set aside the dark green tops, then cut from the root up through the length of the leek and under a stream of running water, peel back the layers with your fingers and let the water wash out the dirt.
  3. Preheat oven to 350F.
  4. Remove pie crust from freezer. Let come to room temperature.
  5. Cut leeks into thin half moon slices.
  6. Cut the potato into quarters, then slice into thin pieces.
  7. Grate the cheddar cheese. Set aside.
  8. In a mixing bowl, crack and beat eggs. Stir in salt, pepper, garlic powder, and grated cheese.
Cook
  1. In a preheated skillet, saute potatoes in 2 tablespoons olive oil for 7 minutes over medium high heat.
  2. Add the leeks and spinach, plus 1 more tablespoon olive oil, and cook another 2-3 minutes, or until spinach has wilted and leeks have softened.
  3. Let this mixture cool slightly.
  4. In a bowl, mix the egg and cheese mixture with the cooked veggies.
  5. Transfer to the pie crust.
  6. Bake uncovered for 40 minutes at 350F.
JoyFoodly http://www.joyfoodly.com/

Filed Under: Enthusiastic Eater, Joyful Updates Tagged With: broccoli, dinner, eggplant, fall, greens, leeks, onions, potatos, squash, summer, tomato

Summer Moroccan Salads

Jul 27 by Chef Hollie Greene Leave a Comment

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7-20 #1 cover shot

Tearing off a hot piece of the freshly baked Berber bread, we dove in with gusto. Green, red, orange, and purple colors danced on the plates put down before us. Mounds of airy grated carrots, heaps of perfectly diced tomatoes and fire grilled bell peppers, glistening chunks of earthy purple beets–all displayed at once–were the starters for our first lunch in Morocco.

7-20 #2 up close on salads

Wait. What just happened? Hadn’t we ordered “the Moroccan salad” appetizer? Yet, it felt like a parade of salads had just made its grand entrance into our meal. I love the way Paula Wolfert describes these sensory delights in my favorite of her many beautiful cookbooks, The Food of Morocco:

Moroccan salads are not like ours, mixtures of greens doused with dressings. They’re closer to Italian antipasti, served at the beginning of a meal to inspire the appetite and excite the palate: spiced or sweetened, cooked or raw, or pickled or stewed vegetables, as well as cubed and grilled meat or fish.

7-20 #3 raw ingredient shot 1

Our appetites were inspired…and excited. This was a side of Moroccan cooking I had never experienced stateside. We were all too familiar with tagine and couscous but had yet to relish in the glory of these heavenly treats at the beginning of every meal. You see, the area of Morocco we started our trip in, around Rabat, Meknes and Fez, is known for their agricultural delights–from grapes for wine to artichokes, beets, tomatoes, olives and a whole myriad of vegetables that make this part of Morocco the culinary capital.

7-20 #4 roasted bell peppers

And then I wondered. How do families really do this in their own homes? Was this a restaurant show or really a part of their food culture? As it turns out, most Moroccan families will have their three or four go-to salads, usually prepared a day in advance that can be pulled out of the refrigerator and served quickly at the start of a meal.

7-20 #5 ingredients with roasted peppers

Both simple and seasonal, the brilliance of the Moroccan salad spread is the reliance on a few seasoning combos that you see repeated in numerous variations of the same salad–from the basics of olive, salt and pepper, to spices like cumin, paprika, and coriander to fresh herbs like parsley and cilantro. So when I got back home and tested out my own version of this glorious buffet of salad bites, I kept to the same principles. And some salads were pre-made things I picked up, like an amazing artichoke hummus at our local farmers market and some harissa brined olives from Bi-Rite Market.

7-20 #6 prepped ingredients

Others, I made up as I went along, making a game of seeing what flavors would work together. Diving into Paula’s cookbook, I grabbed ideas from here and there. For example, she has a beautiful carrot and orange salad that’s as simple as mixing together grated or peeled carrots and tossing them with a tiny splash of orange blossom water (I use the Sadaf brand that’s about 2 bucks), a few tablespoons of fresh lemon juice, cinnamon, and a pinch of sugar. You just can’t imagine how refreshing grated cucumbers are with that same flavor combo!

7-20 #7 up close on main salad

But the one recipe I must share with you that’s pure summer Moroccan love is from my buddy, Chef Tarik Ait Yahya at Atelier De Cuisine. Recreating his “favorite” summer salad was so easy and delicious–even back on my home soil. The only thing that takes a little planning with this salad is roasting the bell peppers, which I chose to do in my oven since I don’t have a charcoal grill in my small city apartment. At 400F, flipping them after 20 minutes per side (40 total),it was an easy and foolproof way of roasting them enough to extract those rich flavors.

7-20 #8 tomatoes in bowl

Being rebellious, I chose not to peel my tomatoes as is suggested by any good Moroccan cook–I just couldn’t bring myself to do it with the juicy dry farmed Early Girls I’d bought that morning at the farmers market. I was afraid I’d lose too much juice and good bits…and it worked out just fine!

7-20 #9 pouring in bell peppers 7-20 #10 sprinkling salt 7-20 #11 squeezing lemon

Literally, 1, 2, 3–with the tossing of diced onion, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper, and the tomatoes and roasted green bell peppers–the MOST heavenly summer salad came together. Take your own family on a culinary adventure this summer, and start a new tradition of Moroccan Salads to start your meals that are sure to surprise and delight your appetites!

7-20 #12 action tossing

I hope you’ll also enjoy exploring my post on chicken tagine and my six favorite things I learned about Moroccan food and culture on our blog from July. And as I explore and continue to learn about Moroccan cooking, I can not begin to tell you how in love I am with Mourad Lahlou’s cookbook, Mourad: New Moroccan. From Marrakech to San Francisco, Mourad cooks from his childhood memories but in his own Northern California style–full of love, flavor, and the beauty of Moroccan flavors.

7-20 #13 final

Special thanks to Elle Wildhagen, our photographer and videographer, for this beautiful shoot.

Chef Tarik’s Roasted Green Pepper and Tomato Salad
2015-07-20 13:01:00
Serves 4
Adapted slightly (based on my memory) from the original recipe we learned from Chef Tarik Ait Yahya at Atelier de Cuisine outside Marrakech, Morocco
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Prep Time
40 min
Cook Time
15 min
Total Time
55 min
Prep Time
40 min
Cook Time
15 min
Total Time
55 min
Ingredients
  1. Tomatoes, 4 medium (Early Girl variety works great)
  2. Green bell peppers, 2 medium
  3. Red onion, ¼
  4. Lemons, 1
  5. Olive oil, 2 TBS.
  6. Salt, ½ tsp.
  7. Black pepper, ¼ tsp.
Prep
  1. Take 5 minutes to get out all your ingredients, measuring and cooking equipment needed, and place them on a cookie sheet within easy reach.
  2. Wash all produce.
  3. Chef Tarik recommends roasting the green peppers over charcoal. If this is not an option, what we did was to roast them for 40 minutes at 400F in our oven, flipping them mid-way through cooking time.
  4. As they are roasting, juice your lemon, dice the red onion, and measure out your spices and olive oil into a bowl.
  5. For fresh summer tomatoes, I do not recommend peeling them, even as this is the traditional Moroccan way. In Morocco, we used a tomato that appeared to be a paste tomato variety (Roma) and with a small pairing knife, starting at the bottom of the tomato, we worked our way around the skin, peeling slowly. Later, we made roses with our tomato skin!
  6. Dice peeled tomato and add to the bowl.
Assemble
  1. When the peppers have finished roasting, place them into a bowl and cover with saran wrap. Let them sit at least 5-10 minutes. This will help the skin to release. Peel the bell peppers, dice them, and add to the salad.
  2. Toss all of the ingredients together. Taste to make sure you have enough seasoning. Enjoy with fresh bread or your favorite Moroccan main dish.
JoyFoodly http://www.joyfoodly.com/

Filed Under: Meatless Monday Tagged With: meatless monday, onion, salad, summer, tomato, vegan, vegetarian

Baked Cod with Warm Tomato Salad and Green Beans

Jun 8 by Chef Hollie Greene 9 Comments

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BakedCod for JoyFoodly

Hello everyone. My name is Patty Anderson and I am the owner of the blog Cooking On A Budget. The blog focuses on families who work on a tight food budget showing them that they can provide good, wholesome meals to their families without having to rely on sodium or chemically laden canned or boxed products.

When I was approached to do a guest post using my Baked Cod with Warm Salad for Chef Hollie Greene of Joyfoodly I was honored and thrilled and eager to do it. Why? Because the focus is on eating healthy and passing onto our children the importance of a good balance of fruits and vegetables in our diets.

What is fabulous about this dish is that it is a French inspired preparation of a beautiful loin of cod that makes you feel like you are dining out in a fine restaurant but without the restaurant price! But that’s not all – cod is incredibly healthy for you too. A four ounce portion of cod is loaded with vitamin B12. You need vitamin B12 in your diet to keep homo-cysteine levels low. Lowering those levels reduces your risk for heart attack or stroke and reduces the likelihood of osteoporosis. Overall it’s low calorie and a great source of protein. It has blood thinning properties due to the omega-3 fatty acids.

WarmTomatoSalad for Guest Post

When planning your evening meals you need to know that a four ounce portion of a protein is sufficient in addition to your vegetables and/or fruit. With the cod I chose to do a warm tomato salad that contains fresh herbs. It’s not hot tomatoes – just slightly warm and it complemented the sauce for the fish and the acidity in the tomatoes as well as the lemon, was perfect to balance that out.

GreenBeansonPlatter

Rice goes well with fish so I made my basic rice recipe and for the vegetable, green beans. I’ve been on such a green bean kick lately and can’t seem to get enough of them. It just so happens that green beans are a featured summer vegetable here on Joyfoodly and personally I could not have been any happier to hear that. Many times in my blog I strongly suggest to my readers that whether it’s a small piece of land available to them or using containers on a balcony, that they utilize the space for summer gardening of vegetables. You can save so much money by planting your own vegetables and even more if you learn to can and how to freeze them.

Green beans – fresh green beans are just delicious and low in calories. Plus green beans are packed with Vitamins C and K and lots of nutrients your body needs. If I am not roasting a vegetable and using the stove top, here is what I do:

Using an appropriate sized sauce pot, fill with enough water to cover the green beans (or what ever vegetable you are having) which means you fill the pot about half to three quarters of the way with the water.

Let the water come up to a rapid boil and then add in salt.

Drop in your vegetable and cooked until crisp tender. Everyone’s version of crisp tender varies so I preferred my beans cooked at 5 minutes, but husband likes his gone a little further. In the case of varying likes you could have a strainer ready over another pot and using a spider or slotted spoon remove the beans at 5 minutes for yourself and cook a few minutes longer for other family members.

Let’s move on to the recipe:

Purchase two large cod loins and split them in half for four portions. I am using cherry tomatoes as that is what I have. However if you wish, purchase some other kind of tomato to use in the tomato salad. Heirloom if you love them and can afford them or regular larger tomatoes will work just as well.

  • 2 large cod loins – cut in half for 4 portions
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • 4 tbsp. butter
  • 1 – 2 tbsp. (gluten-free) bread crumbs
  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1 lemon – juiced
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes – halved
  • 1 1/2 tbsp. fresh parsley – rough chopped
  • 1 good squeeze lemon juice
  • salt and pepper to taste

This link will take you to my blog, Cooking On A Budget for the cooking instructions.

Filed Under: Guest Post, Seasonal Recipes Tagged With: cod, dinner, green beans, summer, tomato

Teach Your Kids To Make Camp Cauliflower’s Raviolis (so you don’t have to)!

Jun 1 by Elena Dennis 1 Comment

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10

Natalie scrunched her nose and shook her head in disgust; she had a serious dislike for tomatoes. I encouraged the students, “Everyone must try everything while we cook. You never know, you might like it!” This was my father’s mantra when my brother and I were growing up; nothing on our plate was left untasted. Throughout the week, I made sure Natalie didn’t avoid any part of the meal that had tomatoes. Slowly, I started to notice her opening up, however I still wasn’t convinced of any significant breakthrough.

2

A week after the camp, I was at the farmer’s market buying some fresh produce. I heard a high-pitched voice yell, “Mommy, we need these for the sauce!” Looking up, I saw Natalie at the same stand, smiling and holding three ruby red tomatoes. “Natalie! Are you buying tomatoes?” She looked up and nodded. “We’re making the tomato sauce that we made at Camp Cauliflower!”

6

Creating Camp Cauliflower, a nutritionally focused and nonprofit summer program, was the culmination of my love for healthy cooking, something I inherited from my father. I remember my first bite into my dad’s vegetarian taco; freshly made salsa and creamy guacamole tickled my taste buds with flavor, making me wonder how he made such a delicious meal from such basic ingredients. For as long as I can remember my father has prepared a wholesome and hearty meal every night for my family.

4

Our family has been labelled the “busiest bunch in Marin County;” however, we always make sure to sit down and eat dinner together every evening. Whether my brother is rushing to basketball practice or my mother is working with a client, we will always wait until everyone is home to start our meal. I remember watching my dad make pizza dough for the first time; seeing the bubbles rise to the top of the yeast, warm water and sugar mixture at the bottom of the bowl astounded me. With a little flour, this substance would eventually become a ball a dough, ready to go into the oven. The purity of these ingredients made me realize the importance of knowing what goes into our food.

3

My experimentation with flavors became second nature to me as I learned the secret behind altering a sauce’s sweetness, saltiness, or spiciness. I find that cooking lets me connect to my family through the conversation and activity that occurs in the kitchen; while my mom makes her famous kale salad, I’m helping my father assemble the homemade ravioli. My brother is known as the brave taster, making “sure that nothing is poisonous.” My most memorable moments are the ones spent in the kitchen with my whole family.

7

To make Camp Cauliflower a reality, I created an online fundraising campaign, connected with the head of the Food and Nutrition Program in Novato, organized my friends as volunteers in the kitchen, and asked local grocery stores for donations; I was determined to make this camp free to the children who wanted to attend and to give them the experience of cooking in a commercial kitchen. During the week, I led the five campers through hands-on cooking projects, making an organic and nutritious lunch every day. That very next week at the market, Natalie proved the camp’s mission successful.

8

Now it’s your turn to dive into one of our camp experiences! Try out this delicious recipe the Camp Cauliflower kids made last summer.

Whole-Wheat Ravioli with a Spinach-Ricotta Filling
2015-05-28 13:17:36
Serves 4
Culinary Note: Don’t be discouraged if the dough doesn’t come out perfect after the first mix. I’ve found that this recipe yields a pretty dry dough so make sure to have a cup of water next to you in case all the ingredients aren’t thoroughly incorporated.
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Prep Time
40 min
Cook Time
15 min
Total Time
55 min
Prep Time
40 min
Cook Time
15 min
Total Time
55 min
For the Dough
  1. All Purpose Flour, 1 ¼ cup
  2. Whole Wheat Flour, 1 ¼ cup
  3. Eggs, 3
  4. Olive Oil, 1 TBSP
  5. Salt, pinch
For the Spinach-Ricotta Filling
  1. Part skim ricotta cheese, 1 cup
  2. Grated parmesan cheese, ¾ cup
  3. Fresh Italian parsley, 2 TBSP
  4. Sage, 1 TBSP
  5. Freshly grated nutmeg, 1/2 TSP
  6. Ground pepper, 1/2 TSP
  7. Salt, 1 TSP
  8. Fresh Spinach, 3/4 pound
For the Tomato Sauce
  1. Ripe Roma Tomatoes, 2 lbs
  2. Olive Oil, 3 TBSP
  3. Yellow Onion, 2/3 cup
  4. Cloves of garlic, 4
  5. Rosemary leaves, 2 TSP
  6. Fresh Oregano, 2 TSP
  7. Balsamic vinegar, 2 TBSP
  8. Salt and Pepper to taste
Prep
  1. Take 5 minutes to get out all your ingredients, measuring and cooking equipment needed, and place them on a cookie sheet within easy reach. Wash all ingredients.
  2. Mound flour and salt in a pile and make a large well in the center. Crack the egg into the the well, add oil, and carefully beat with a fork. Incorporate flour into the egg by continuing to whisk with the with fork. Once flour and egg are fairly well mixed, use a board scraper to cut and mix dough further. Scrape and roll the dough into a ball.
  3. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface by hand for five minutes to yield a smooth, not too wet or too dry, firmer than bread dough. Let dough rest under inverted bowl for 15 minutes.
  4. Measure out all ingredients for the Spinach-Ricotta filling and place in a mixing bowl.
  5. Mince parsley and sage. Add to bowl.
  6. Wilt and stir fresh spinach. Cool, drain well and press out all remaining water. Chop very fine and add to ricotta mix. Refrigerate mix until you need it.
Prep the tomato sauce
  1. Blanch and seed Roma tomatoes. Set aside.
  2. Chop onion.
  3. Mince garlic, rosemary leaves, and oregano.
Assembly/Cook
  1. Roll dough with rolling pin and cut into squares with pizza or pasta cutter. Place a teaspoon of filling in each square. Brush edges of ravioli with egg wash, put top on ravioli and press edges to seal. Place ravioli on flour dusted tray and let dry. Drop raviolis in boiling water for 4 minutes and then remove.
  2. For sauce, heat a sauce pan and add oil. Add onions and sauté for a few minutes until translucent. Turn off heat and add garlic, rosemary, and dried seasonings if using. Sauté on residual heat until soft and fragrant. Do not burn garlic.
  3. Add tomatoes and simmer on medium-low for 10 minutes until tomatoes have broken down. Add fresh herbs, vinegar and seasonings and stir over heat to incorporate. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking!
Notes
  1. This recipe is not gluten-free
By Elena Dennis
JoyFoodly http://www.joyfoodly.com/

Filed Under: Guest Post, Meatless Monday, Seasonal Recipes Tagged With: dinner, summer, tomato, vegetarian

Peach Bacon and Heirloom Tomato Toasts (PBT’s)

Aug 13 by Chef Hollie Greene Leave a Comment

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tomato-toasts

JoyFoodly is delighted to create recipes each month for Whole Foods Market’s ‘Now in Season’ program. Be sure to look for our recipe cards in your Northern California stores, and don’t forget to speak with your Whole Foods Market produce person when picking out your summer tomatoes. They always have the best tips and easy recipes—and often offer tasty samples.

There is nothing like a ripe summer tomato. Their sun kissed sweetness can not be replicated any other time of the year. Eating a tomato in season represents everything delightful about long hot summer days, when mealtime means reaching for something juicy, fast and easy. That’s what our PBT’s are all about.

When I was growing up in the South, everyone grew their own tomatoes. You could see wild vines reaching for the sky in every neighbor’s backyard. Who had the best was a matter never to be settled, but we could all agree upon one culinary truth. No matter how good your tomato was, it was always better tucked between two crunchy pieces of bread slathered with thick lemony delicious mayonnaise.

As a purist, I still relish those simple tomato sammies, but I also love to play with the amazing heirloom varieties you can find in your local Whole Foods Market and neighborhood farmer’s market, all with different colors, textures and flavors. Yes, it presents many more decisions to be made, but I love the adventure of it all. If you have ever felt overwhelmed with how to pick the perfect tomato, here’s an easy guide to help you make those tough decisions!

And in our Joyful 12 Learning Lab, I’m sharing all the ways you can prep tomatoes in your home kitchen.

In this recipe, I’m taking it one step further, combining sweet peaches and a tangy and herby fresh farmer’s cheese for our open faced bacon tomato sandwiches. If you’re like me, summer seems to go by way too fast. Make these heavenly toasts for your dinner or lunch today, and hold onto the taste of summer just a little longer!

tomato-toasts

tomato-toasts

tomato-toasts

tomato-toasts

tomato-toasts-6

Peach, Bacon, and Heirloom Tomato Toasts (PBT’s)
2014-08-12 23:56:20
Serves 4
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Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
15 min
Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
15 min
Ingredients
  1. heirloom tomatoes, 3-4 (a mix of colors)
  2. peaches, 2
  3. bacon, applewood smoked, 4 slices
  4. basil, fresh, approximately 3-4 tablespoons (when cut)
  5. fresh farmer cheese (fromage blanc or a soft feta), 2/3 cup
  6. ricotta cheese, 1/3 cup
  7. olive oil, 1 tablespoon
  8. salt, ¼ teaspoon
  9. pepper, ¼ teaspoon
  10. sandwich loaf bread, gluten free, 4 slices
Prep
  1. Take 5 minutes to get out all your ingredients, measuring and cooking equipment needed, and place them on a cookie sheet within easy reach.
  2. Wash all produce.
  3. Slice tomatoes into rounds.
  4. Cutting around the pit, cut peaches into two bigger halves. Then slice those halves into rounds.
  5. Cut basil into thin slices or tear with your fingers. In a bowl, combine the two cheeses, about two tablespoons of the cut basil, olive oil, and salt and pepper with a fork until smooth.
Cook
  1. Cook bacon until crisp. Set aside over paper towels to cool slightly and absorb any excess oil.
  2. Toast bread under a broiler for 3-4 minutes, or until browned and crunchy.
  3. To make your PBT, first slather the cheese mixture on the toast. Next, top with a piece of bacon, then slices of the peaches, then the tomatoes. You can top the toasts with extra cut basil to decorate and add an extra kick of freshness.
JoyFoodly http://www.joyfoodly.com/

Filed Under: Seasonal Recipes Tagged With: appetizer, gluten free, peach, snack, summer, tomato, vegetarian, video

Yellow Watermelon Feta Skewers with a Sweet Balsamic Drizzle

Jul 28 by Chef Hollie Greene Leave a Comment

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watermelon-skewers

Does cooking and eating well have to be hard? I’m a firm believer that we can all throw together simple snacks, meals, and sweet treats that are not just beautiful to look at but also seriously nourishing. That’s what this watermelon feta skewer recipe is all about.

Recently I taught a cooking class to twenty-eight of the most eager, engaged kids at Bay Leaf Kitchen Camp here in San Francisco. They built the most amazing summer veggie chicken curry, creating a dish that had layers of flavors. Their savory and creamy yogurt based curry started with blooming (or gently awakening) their spices in oil, then sweating the garlic, onion, and ginger to release these aromatics, and finally to simmering their rainbow of chopped veggies and seared chicken thighs in the creamy yogurt broth they had made. It was devoured not just because they liked the final plate, but because all along the way of cooking it, the sights, smells, and tastes of the raw ingredients convinced their senses it was going to be delicious!

What I love to teach kids is how chefs, just like artists, create food that’s as visually delicious as it is tasty. Colors, textures, and flavors are all tools I can play with. The key is to play, not strain, when you’re cooking, and remember that you’re smarter than the food! Watermelons can’t talk back.

watermelon

If I apply those same principles to simple summer cooking, here’s how I’d break it down:

  • Have an adventure the next time you’re in the supermarket. Yellow watermelon vs. red? Yes, why not! It has a slightly different taste than red and makes you smile.
  • Think about the five flavors when you cook: sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami (or meaty). In these skewers, I choose feta to give that salty flavor to offset the sweet watermelon, and cherry tomatoes to add a little touch of balanced acid.
  • Use different textures in your food! In these skewers, the watermelon is lush and juicy, the cherry tomatoes are crunchy, and the feta is creamy.

Let the kid in you relish in just how fun and easy summer cooking can be!

skewers

Yellow Watermelon Feta Skewers with a Sweet Balsamic Drizzle
2014-07-28 12:14:15
Serves 4
Note on substitutions: we are using feta, but you could use your favorite salty cheese. For a vegan delight, use a firm avocado instead of cheese and just add a little salt on top. Pick out fun colors of cherry tomatoes at your local grocery store or farmers market to make the skewers even more colorful!
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Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
15 min
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
15 min
Ingredients
  1. yellow watermelon, small, 1
  2. cherry tomatoes, 1 pint
  3. feta cheese, 7 oz
  4. basil, 1 small bunch
  5. balsamic vinegar, ½ cup
Special equipment
  1. wooden skewers
Prep
  1. Take 5 minutes to get out all your ingredients, measuring and cooking equipment needed, and place them on a cookie sheet within easy reach.
  2. Wash all produce.
  3. Cut watermelon into medium sized cubes. You can also buy pre-cut watermelon, but I love getting a whole one. That way, I can blend up the leftovers with a lime for a refreshing drink.
  4. Cut feta into medium sized blocks. Note: if you cut feta too small, it will crumble when you try to put the skewer through it.
Cook
  1. In a small pot, reduce the balsamic vinegar by half, by letting it simmer and stirring every so often. Adjust the heat to maintain a steady simmer and allow the vinegar to reduce slowly. It should be the consistency of molasses, thick but still spreadable. If you accidently (like I often do) reduce it down too much to where it won’t drizzle, a quick fix is to stir in a few teaspoons of maple syrup or agave to loosen it up. Plus, it tastes great.
  2. Set up an assembly station with watermelon, feta, basil, and cherry tomatoes, and ask your kids to help you put these together!
  3. Vary the colors and texture as you build your skewer. Here’s an example: watermelon, feta, basil, then tomatoes, and repeat! Note: we leave our basil leaves whole and just fold them over as we put them on the skewer.
  4. Serve as a snack or appetizer with a little reduced balsamic drizzled on top!
JoyFoodly http://www.joyfoodly.com/

Filed Under: Seasonal Recipes Tagged With: appetizer, basil, dairy, gluten free, nut free, snack, summer, tomato, vegetarian, watermelon

All You Need to Pick a Great Tomato

Jul 23 by Michelle Venetucci Harvey 1 Comment

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how-to-pick

I used to be really underwhelmed by tomatoes. Being from Washington state, where backyard garden tomatoes don’t even begin to get ripe some years , it was sometimes hard to believe that any tomato could taste good. It wasn’t until I moved to California that I started learning more about why tomatoes are so often bland and tasteless, and how you can find a tomato that’s just the opposite. Believe me, it’s possible!

Here are some tips I’ve picked up over the last few years:

What Kind of Tomato Should I Pick?

There are so many different kinds of tomatoes, sometimes it’s hard to know what type to pick for any given meal. While there are specific varieties like the Early Girl or the large Brandywine tomato, it’s easier to break tomatoes down into categories based on group characteristics. Here’s a helpful guide to types of tomatoes and what the difference is between each one:

tomatoes-types

When trying to decide which tomatoes to pick for different culinary uses, there are a few guidelines:

  • large, round tomatoes are great for slicing, and are best for fresh tomato dishes like salsa, sandwiches, or salads.
  • Roma tomatoes are smaller and aren’t watery, so they tend to make good sauces since there’s less water to evaporate.
  • Cherry tomatoes are great for tomato skeptics, including kids! They can be eaten whole or sliced in half, and tend to be sweeter than other varieties with a pleasant texture. They’re great on their own, on skewers, or tossed in a salad.

Why Are Some Tomatoes Tasteless?

There’s a little secret that most of us don’t know: commercial tomatoes are often picked while green. But somehow they’re red when they end up in the store. Barry Estabrook wrote a fantastic book all about commercial tomato production in the United States called Tomatoland, and found that commercial tomato growers put these green tomatoes into a warehouse where they’re covered in ethylene gas, which turns the unripe tomatoes red. That means that even though the tomatoes weren’t on the vine long enough to produce sugars, they still appear ripe in the grocery store. Hence, tasteless tomatoes!

Location is also a great way to tell if a tomato might have a good flavor. Of the two largest tomato-producing states in the United States, California and Florida, California tends to produce better tasting tomatoes. It turns out that the humidity in Florida isn’t great for tomatoes, since tomatoes historically grew along coastal, desert areas in South America. So when you’re at the store, look for the California tomatoes.

Finally, seasonality matters! Since tomatoes tend to be summer crops, scientists have been trying to figure out how to produce better tomatoes in the winter months. However, these tomatoes are bred for qualities like a longer shelf life, thicker skin, and disease resistance. Producing a great flavor ends up really far down on the priority list. Until scientists can figure out how to achieve all of those qualities while also making a tomato taste good, summer tomatoes will always be the best tasting tomatoes!

So How Do I Pick a Good Tomato?

Since you can’t always trust the color of a tomato to be a good indicator of quality, how do you pick tasty tomatoes? Here are a couple of tips:

  • Make sure the tomato skin doesn’t have blemishes or tears. A dark spot could mean rot underneath the skin. Make sure the tomato doesn’t have soft spots and is consistently firm all over.
  • Farmers Markets are great places to find hand-picked, vine ripened tomatoes. If you can’t find a farmers market, look for terms like “vine ripened” in the grocery store.
  • Smell it! If you smell a ripe tomato near the stem, it should have a strong, earthy smell.

If you’re looking for tomato recipes to use with your new-found tomato skills, you could try our tomato lover’s pasta salad, a tomato basil quinoa salad, or even this veggie quesadilla with a lime lovin’ salsa. Enjoy!

heirlooms

Filed Under: Technique Timeout Tagged With: summer, tomato

Tomato Lover’s Pasta Salad

Jul 21 by Chef Hollie Greene 1 Comment

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tomato-lovers

I used to be perplexed by tomatillos. I loved eating them in restaurant dishes, but I’d never taken the plunge to explore them in my own kitchen. When it comes down to it, even chefs can get into a cooking rut. But that all changed this summer, when I decided to put tomatillos on my Joyful 12 lineup of nine veggies I’d be exploring with families in my kitchen learning lab. If I was going to teach families how to love cooking with tomatillos, then I’d learn alongside them.

tomatillo-veg

Tomatillos are just another variety of tomato. They are a green tomato variety that hails from Central America. Since I already loved all types of summer tomatoes, I approached my exploration of tomatillos with the expectation that I’d love them, too. And boy did I ever! Tomatillos have a beautiful flavor, with a balance of delicate acid and brightness that I adore. What’s even more exciting is that in just ten minutes under the broiler, their natural flavors explode, turning a simple green tomato into a flavor powerhouse.

So if you’re looking for an amazing Meatless Monday dish to cook for your family tonight, or just want to bring a side dish to your summer picnic that everyone will adore, I’ve got three great reasons why you should put this Tomato Lover’s Pasta Salad into your summer rotation:

  1. It’s packed full of summer veggies: tomatoes, corn, green beans, and even tomatillos.
  2. It’s fast and easy: the corn and tomatoes are raw, requiring no cooking, and the green beans are blanched in the same cooking water as your pasta, requiring less clean-up of pots and pans.
  3. The vinaigrette can be used in other dishes: the ingredients in my vinaigrette make up a simple recipe I use again and again, adjusting slightly when needed (adding a jalapeno, for example). It’s my base for making my Joyful 12 tomatillo recipes zip with brightness.

When it comes to simple summer meals or side dishes, we all want fast and easy methods we can rely on again and again. This summer, I’ve found my flavor friend in the kitchen, tomatillos. I hope you’ll learn to love them, too!

tomatillo

tomatillo-2

tomatillo-3

If you want to learn how to make more recipes with tomatillos, and our other eight vegetables we’re exploring this summer in the Joyful 12 learning lab, join us.

tomato-lovers-pasta

Tomato Lover's Pasta Salad
2014-07-18 15:57:46
Serves 4
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Prep Time
30 min
Cook Time
25 min
Total Time
55 min
Prep Time
30 min
Cook Time
25 min
Total Time
55 min
Ingredients
  1. tomatillos, medium sized, 4
  2. garlic, 2 cloves
  3. cilantro, 1 cup (packed)
  4. onion (white), medium, 1/2
  5. lime, 1
  6. salt, 2.5 teaspoons (divided)
  7. olive oil, 3 tablespoons
  8. green beans, 2 large handfuls
  9. corn on the cob, 1
  10. cherry tomatoes (red, orange, or yellow), 1 pint
  11. fusilli pasta, gluten free, 8 oz box
Instructions
  1. Take 5 minutes to get out all your ingredients, measuring and cooking equipment needed, and place them on a cookie sheet within easy reach.
  2. Wash all produce.
  3. Turn on the broiler in your oven to high.
  4. Bring eight cups of water and ½ tablespoon salt to a boil. You will use this water to blanch the green beans and then cook the pasta.
The next steps are for the vinaigrette
  1. Remove the husks from the tomatillos, rinse under water to remove the sticky coating, and cut into halves. These will be broiled.
  2. Peel the garlic and set aside.
  3. Measure out 1 cup cilantro, packed.
  4. Peel and cut the onion into two halves. Only ½ goes into the vinaigrette.
  5. Juice and zest the lime.
  6. Place garlic, onion, lime juice, cilantro, olive oil and 1.5 teaspoons salt in a blender. After you broil the tomatillos, you’ll add them and blend together.
For your pasta veggie prep
  1. Cut the raw corn off the cob, in a large bowl, so the kernels don’t fall out everywhere.
  2. Cut the cherry tomatoes into halves, or you can leave whole. Add to the bowl with corn.
  3. Remove the woody stems and cut green beans into bite sized pieces. These will be blanched first before being added to the bowl with corn.
  4. Set up an ice water bath (bowl with ice and water) next to the pot of boiling water.
Cook
  1. Place cut tomatillos on a parchment or tin foil lined cookie sheet with raised sides, and broil for 10 minutes. When they are finished broiling, add them to the blender with the remaining vinaigrette ingredients and blend until smooth.
  2. Place the green beans in the boiling salted water for two to three minutes. Then, shock in the ice water bath for about 30 seconds. Drain green beans and put into the bowl with the cut corn and tomatoes.
  3. Bring the pasta water back up to a boil and cook the pasta, according to the package instructions (about 6-9 minutes for gluten free pasta).
  4. When the pasta is ready, drain from cooking water and rinse. Add to the bowl of veggies.
  5. Toss the blended tomatillo vinaigrette with pasta and veggies, plus 1 teaspoon salt.
  6. Serve with extra cut up cilantro to garnish.
JoyFoodly http://www.joyfoodly.com/

Filed Under: Seasonal Recipes Tagged With: corn, dinner, green beans, lunch, summer, tomatillo, tomato

Tomato Basil Quinoa Salad

May 22 by Chef Hollie Greene Leave a Comment

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quinoa-salad

Who says kids don’t like vegetables? Sometimes all it takes is a good dressing or a familiar flavor to introduce a new food.

Last month I got a great video from the mother of a 1 1/2 year old who was happily chowing down on some fennel. Her child was dipping the fennel in some Joyful 12 (super duper easy) ranch dressing and was thoroughly enjoying herself. Since my goal with the Joyful 12 is to give parents resources to help get their kids excited about fruits and veggies, this was the best endorsement I could ever receive. It makes me so happy to see people setting a great groundwork for their kids to grow up unafraid to try new foods!

I wanted to share another great dressing with you today. This basil lime vinaigrette tastes like summer, and goes great with tomatoes, corn, and quinoa in an easy to make salad. Just in time for Memorial Day, you can make this ahead of time and pack it to go. It also happens to be one of the recipes in my summer Joyful 12 Learning Lab, so stay tuned for more!

vinaigrette
corn-salad quinoa
salad

Corn and Tomato Quinoa Salad in a Lime Basil Vinaigrette
2014-05-22 04:16:17
Serves 6
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Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
30 min
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
30 min
Ingredients
  1. quinoa, tri-color, 1 cup dry (yields 3 cups cooked)
  2. water, 2 cups
  3. red onion, ½
  4. salt, 1 teaspoon
  5. corn on the cob, 2
  6. tomatoes, cherry, 1 pint
Lime Basil Vinaigrette
  1. basil, 2 cups (lightly packed)
  2. limes, 2
  3. salt, ½ teaspoon
  4. dijon mustard, 2 teaspoons
  5. honey, 1 tablespoon
  6. olive oil, ½ cup
Prep
  1. Take 5 minutes to get out all your ingredients, measuring and cooking equipment needed, and place them on a cookie sheet within easy reach.
  2. Dice ½ the red onion.
  3. Shuck corn (peel off outer husks) and remove the corn silks by pulling off with your hands.
  4. In a large bowl, use a paring knife to carefully cut away from yourself and down the corn cob to remove the corn. It will fall into the bowl.
Cook
  1. Cook quinoa - bring 1 cup quinoa and 2 cups water up to a boil. Once you reach a boil, turn the heat to low, cover the pot, and cook for 15 minutes.
  2. After 15 minutes, lift the lid, use a fork or spoon and pull back the quinoa until you see the bottom of the pan. There should be no water remaining at the bottom of the pot. If there is, just leave the top off and cook for another 1 - 2 minutes to let that water evaporate. Use a fork and spread the cooked quinoa out on a parchment or tinfoil lined cookie sheet. This helps the quinoa air dry and not get mushy. If it stays in the hot pot, it will keep cooking and loose its nice texture.
  3. With the diced red onion, put a teaspoon of salt on top and crush the diced onion in your hand. This macerates the onion, releasing its beautiful flavors and taking some of the raw onion bite out of the taste. Place in the bowl with the cut corn.
  4. Add the pint of cherry tomatoes to the bowl. We leave them whole for ease, but you can cut them in half.
  5. Make your vinaigrette by placing all the ingredients into a blender and pulsing until smooth.
  6. Combine your cooked quinoa, the vinaigrette and chopped veggies in a large bowl.
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Filed Under: Joyful Updates, Seasonal Recipes Tagged With: basil, corn, gluten free, nut free, quinoa, salad, side dish, summer, tomato

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Here at JoyFoodly we help families joyfully eat more fruits and veggies each season. I am passionate about helping parents feel good about the food they feed their kids.

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The information on this website is designed for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for informed medical advice or care. You should not use the information found on this website to diagnose or treat any health problems or illnesses. Always seek the advice of a physician or other qualified healthcare providers (such as a pediatric dietitian) with any questions regarding a medical condition, nutritional issue or any eating/feeding problem.