Tomatoes

Greek Shrimp

January 31, 2014 by Kay 6 Comments

I am a huge fan of shrimp. I can pretty much eat them in any form. Today’s recipe for Greek Shrimp has moved high on my list of my favorite shrimp recipes.

Greek Shrimp

You start this recipe on the stove and saute onions, then add in tomatoes and spices.

Then you pile half of this mixture into an oven safe dish, add in the shrimp and then pile on the last of the tomato mixture.

Pour the feta cheese, I used garlic herb, on top of the mixture and bake the Greek Shrimp so all the flavors blend and the juices thicken.

The feta shrimp really completes this dish. I served it on french bread but you could easily make this a full meal and serve it over rice or noodles.

Enjoy!

Greek Shrimp

Rating: 51

Greek Shrimp

Ingredients

1 ½ lbs. shrimp, cooked
Olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 green onion, optional
2 tsp. fresh garlic
28 oz. can diced tomatoes
½ cup white wine
1 tsp. oregano
Salt & pepper to taste
Red chili flakes to taste
4 ounces Feta cheese, crumbled (I used Garlic & Herb)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Dry shrimp with some paper towel and set aside.
In a large skillet, heat oil and fry onions until transparent. Add green onions (optional) and garlic. Cook for 2 more minutes. Add the tomatoes, wine, oregano, salt, pepper and chili flakes. Cook for 30 minutes or until the liquid has dissolved.
Spoon half the tomato mixture into a baking dish. Add shrimp and add the rest of the tomato mixture. Sprinkle with the feta cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes until bubbly. Serve with hot French bread as an appetizer or serve with rice or pasta for a main dish.

http://www.lovefoodwillshare.com/greek-shrimp/

I made this recipe for Hearty Beef Vegetable Soup for a Lunch & Learn at work. Within a half hour the soup had vanished and I even doubled the recipe. I got rave reviews on the recipe. I promise it’s good, you should plan on making it soon!

Hearty Beef Vegetable Soup

You start this Hearty Beef Vegetable Soup with ground chuck and bacon (nothing is bad if it has bacon in it) and you add in a ton of vegetables along with cheddar cheese soup, beer and beef broth. The beer really adds a depth of flavor but if you prefer not to use beer you can add in an extra cup of beef broth.

Hearty Beef Vegetable Soup

Adding the milk in the end makes the soup creamy and mellows out the tomatoes in the soup. Add cheddar cheese when you serve up this hearty soup. Enjoy!

Add some cheddar cheese if you please.

Hearty Beef Vegetable Soup

Rating: 51

Yield: 8 Servings

Hearty Beef Vegetable Soup

Ingredients

1 pound ground chuck
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
8 slices bacon, diced
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 can cheddar cheese soup (I used heart healthy)
2 cups beef broth
1-12 ounce bottle beer, dark brown ale
3 medium potatoes, peeled & diced
2 tsp. dijon mustard
2 tsp. worcestershire sauce
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 cup milk (I used skim)
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 cup cheddar, shredded (optional)

Instructions

Cook the ground beef in a large sauce over medium high heat. Add salt & pepper and cook for 10 minutes or until cooked through. Drain the grease off the meat and set aside.
Cook the bacon in the pan until crispy, about 7 minutes, set aside on a plate with paper towel on it
Add 1 tbsp. olive oil to the pan and add the onions, carrots and celery and sauté for 8 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
Add in the soup, broth, beer, bacon, beef, potato, mustard, worcestershire sauce and tomatoes, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.
Add in the milk and stir to combine. Taste the soup and add salt and pepper if needed.
Serve the soup and top with cheddar cheese if desired.

Notes

You can substitute beef broth for the beer.

http://www.lovefoodwillshare.com/hearty-beef-vegetable-soup/

Tamale Pie

January 15, 2014 by Kay 1 Comment

Tamale Pie is a layer of polenta with a mixture of rice, corn, beef and tomatoes baked on top. Are you familiar with polenta? It is corn meal mixed with a liquid and then it can be eaten directly, baked, fried or grilled. In this case, the polenta is baked at the bottom of the Tamale Pie.

The great thing about this recipe is the fact that you can freeze it if you wish. This recipe makes enough for two meals. I made half of the recipe in a 2.5 quart casserole dish and the rest of the recipe I split into ramekins to freeze and use at a later date.

As mentioned in Monday’s post, I made 2 pounds of ground chuck and split the meat between Monday’s Post for One Pot Pasta Dish and today I will use the rest of the meat for the Tamale Pie.

Tamale Pie

Brown the onion and ground chuck in the olive oil. Add in the spices, tomatoes, rice and corn and cook until it boils. Next you will make the polenta and divide evenly between your baking dishes.

Polenta

Now divide evenly the meat mixture between your baking dishes.

Divide the meat mixture.

Add parmesan cheese if you like but only to the portion you are going to bake right away.

Tamale Pie

To freeze, leave unbaked, cover in plastic wrap and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Tamale Pie

Rating: 41

Serving Size: 8 - 10 Servings

Tamale Pie

A mixture of polenta, beef, rice, corn and tomatoes come together to make a delicious pie.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 pounds ground beef
¼ tsp. red pepper flakes (more if you like things spicy)
1 tablespoon ground cumin
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
1 cup rice, cooked
1 cup corn, fresh or frozen
Cornmeal Crust (recipe below)
½ cup parmesan cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
*Make filling: Brown ground beef in a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat until browned, drain the fat.
Reduce heat to medium and add the red pepper flakes, cumin, salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Add the crushed tomatoes, rice and corn. Cook mixture until it comes to a boil
Make Crust (recipe below). Pour 1/8 of the crust (1/4 cup) into the bottom of each of eight 10- to 12-ounce ramekins or use two, 2.5 quart baking dishes or a combination of both. Smooth tops with a spoon; cool 5 minutes. Top each with filling, dividing evenly; sprinkle with cheese.
Bake on a rimmed baking sheet until filling is bubbling and cheese is melted, about 30 minutes for ramekins, 45 minutes for baking dishes.
*If you are going to make this recipe along with the All In One Pasta Dinner, you will use half of the beef mixture you browned before making the two recipes.
For the polenta:
1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal
2 teaspoons coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
4 tablespoons butter
Whisk cornmeal with 1 1/2 cups cold water.
In a medium saucepan, bring 2 1/2 cups water, salt, and pepper to a boil.
Gradually stir in cornmeal mixture. Reduce heat; simmer, stirring often, until very thick, 4 to 5 minutes.
Remove from heat; stir in butter until melted.

Notes

To freeze this dish, do not add cheese in step 3. Let pies cool completely; do not bake. Cover tightly with plastic wrap; freeze up to 3 months. To cook small pies: Remove plastic wrap from frozen pies, and cover with foil; bake 45 minutes. Remove foil, top with cheese, and bake 30 minutes more. To cook large pies: Defrost overnight in refrigerator. Sprinkle with cheese; bake, uncovered, 45 to 60 minutes.

http://www.lovefoodwillshare.com/tamale-pie/

One Pot Pasta Dish

January 13, 2014 by Kay 4 Comments

I always say if you are going to dirty up your kitchen for one meal, why not dirty it up for two! So, today I am featuring my One Pot Pasta Dish recipe and I will also be making enough ground chuck for my Tamale Pie recipe which I will feature on Wednesday. It can be tough trying to plan meals every week and at times even tougher to find time to make a decent meal every night. Both of these recipes come together rather quickly and are packed full of flavor.

The One Pot Pasta Dish is delish! I am a huge pasta lover and I always say that if I had to choose one nationality of food to live on it would be Italian because of pasta, I LOVE IT……LOVE, LOVE, LOVE IT! I try and eat pasta in moderation and over the last few years they have come out with healthier pasta, so I don’t feel so bad making pasta dishes and serving it to my family.

I started out frying up 2 pounds of ground chuck. And here is a secret for cutting back on the fat in your ground chuck, when you are done frying the meat, pour the meat on a plate with a stack of paper towels on it. The paper towel will soak up the excess fat from the ground chuck. Set aside half of the ground chuck for the Tamale Pie.

Get rid of the excess fat.

Next add the olive oil to the same pan you used for the ground chuck over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute for 7-8 minutes, until onions are translucent. Add the meat, tomato products, water and seasonings. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the temperature to low and simmer for 30 minutes.

The Sauce

Add in the pasta and simmer for another 20 minutes or until pasta is tender. I used Orecchiette pasta, but you can use the pasta shape of your choice.

Orecchiette Pasta

The end result is so heart warming, a true comfort food.

One Pot Pasta Dish

Add some parmesan cheese to the top if you wish.

Add some parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!

One Pot Pasta Dish

Rating: 51

Yield: 6 Servings

One Pot Pasta Dish

Ingredients

1 pound ground chuck
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
3 cups tomato juice
1 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
2 to 3 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
Dash of pepper
1 (7-ounce) package pasta, uncooked
Grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Cook the ground chuck in a large pot, stirring it and breaking down the meat into crumbles. Drain the meat on a plate covered with paper towel. In the same pot add the olive oil and add the onion and pepper. Saute until translucent, approx. 7-8 minutes.
Add in the ground chuck and the next 10 ingredients and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add pasta; cover and simmer, stirring often, 20 minutes or until pasta is tender. Serve with cheese, if desired.

Notes

*If you are going to make this recipe along with the Tamale Casserole, you will need to brown 2 lbs. of ground chuck and save half for the Tamale Pie.

http://www.lovefoodwillshare.com/onepotpastadish/

Recipe adapted from My Recipes

Tomatoes

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