Spicy Bean Salsa

(Altho, this ought to be called Rainbow Salsa because it's seriously so pretty with all those colors!)

First up - I apologize for including so few photos!  As you know, normally, I like to include a whole slew of pictures with my posts.  But I made this recipe on a whim for a New Year's party and didn't bother to document the step-by-step as I threw it together.  And it turned out so yummy, that I decided to share it with you and hope you'll forgive the lack of elaborate directions :)

What first grabbed my attention with this recipe is that it's pretty darn healthy.  It's basically some legumes, veggies, and a little salad dressing (that can definitely be low-cal).  Now that I've made it, I totally agree with the Allrecipes reviewers in that at first, this salsa doesn't look or taste like anything spectacular.  But as it sits in your fridge, you'll find yourself grabbing the bowl over and over again; it's kind of addictive.  Seriously, give this stuff a chance.

Enjoy!

Spicy Bean Salsa

adapted from Allrecipes

1, 15 oz can black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained

1, 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained

1, 15 oz. can whole kernel corn, drained

1/2 c. chopped red onion

1/2 c. chopped orange (or red or yellow) bell pepper

1, 4 oz can diced jalapeno peppers

2 roma tomatoes, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 c. cilantro, minced

1/2 - 3/4 c. Italian-style salad dressing**

Throw all the ingredients into a large bowl and stir to combine.  Refrigerate at least overnight before serving.  Best if it marinates for a full day before serving.

** Start with 1/2 cup dressing and add more, depending on how juicy your mixture is.

Tomato Sauce with Onion and Butter

I keep bumping into this recipe on the food blogs I read.  I've seen it posted on Epicurious, Steamy Kitchen, Smitten Kitchen, and Food.com.  If you google "marcella hazan tomato sauce butter onion" you'll find a gazillion returns, because so many people have been raving about it.

Is it worth all the hype?  Yes, indeed, it is.  This sauce is amazing in its simplicity.  No one can deny the appeal of a from-scratch recipe that uses only 3 ingredients (4, if you count salt) and almost no effort to make. 

The first thing you taste * is tomatoes.  Then, you taste the butter.  Oh, the butter.  This sauce is buttery and tomatoey and just plain delicious.  It's not fancy, nor do I want it to be.  It's just a simple, really good, really easy sauce.  5 spoons in our house.

Enjoy!


* Unless you're like me and you shoveled a spoon of it into your mouth, while it was still steaming and burbling. Then you'll just have burnt-mouth and not really taste much of anything at all.




Marcella Hazan’s Tomato Sauce with Onion and Butter
recipe adaption courtesy of Smitten Kitchen
original found in Marcella Hazan’s Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking

28oz whole peeled tomatoes from a can (San Marzano, if you can find them)
5 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 medium-sized yellow onion, peeled and halved
Salt to taste

Put the tomatoes, onion and butter in a heavy saucepan (it fit just right in a 3-quart) over medium heat. Bring the sauce to a simmer, then lower the heat to keep the sauce at a slow, steady simmer for about 45 minutes, or until droplets of fat float free of the tomatoes. Stir occasionally, crushing the tomatoes against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon. Remove from heat, discard the onion, and add salt to taste (you might find, as I did, that your tomatoes came salted and that you didn’t need to add more) and keep warm while you prepare your pasta.

Ingredient Lineup:

This looks way too easy.

Mmmmm...Yum Nation.

Roasted Tomato Soup: Guest post

A great spin on the family favorite of tomato soup and grilled cheese. Great for summer with all those tomatoes!

If you are feeling adventurous, you could use this soup as a base and add tortellini, pepperoni, sausage, or peppers to creat a mirade of other options.

Roasted Tomato Soup

8-10 tomatoes on the vine

6 minced cloves garlic

1/4 c. olive oil

1 t. salt

Toss together and roast at 450 for approx 40 minutes.

Remove skins from tomatoes

Saute in 2 T. olive oil

1/2 to whole white onion - chopped fine

Place in pot with:

Roasted tomatoes

2 c. water

2 t. sugar

1/2 t. salt

1/4 t. red pepper flakes

Bring to boil and then reduce heat and allow to simmer for at least 30 minutes.

Blend until smooth in blender before serving.

Can Garnish with:

Pesto

Cream

Grated Parmesan

Our family rated this 5 spoons. I added pesto directly to the soup for everyone and we loved it. We had a dinner party with it, and wished there was more! I served with Italian Pesto Sandwiches.

Italian Pesto Sandwiches

Sliced Italian bread or a sturdy french bread
Brush outsides with butter (no substitutes!) (I add minced garlic to the butter first just for extra deliciousness!)
Spread prepared pesto on one side of bread
Place shredded mozzarella and parmesan cheese on top of pesto

Bake sandwiches on crinkled tinfoil on a baking sheet for 30-40 min at 300 degrees, flipping once. Or can toast on griddle.

Also 5 spoons! I wish there were 6 spoons! :)

This combination is one of our favorites and monthly menu regulars!
--
Callie Robbins
www.callieshomecooking.blogspot.com

Eggplant, tomato and cheese

Another super easy recipe!   This can be served as an appetizer, a side dish or pair it up with something else to turn it into the main course!  In the summer you can grow the 2 main ingredients in your own backyard.

Ingredients:
1 whole eggplant
tomatoes (fresh or canned)
Italian Seasoning
1-2 cups of Mozzerella cheese

Directions:
1.  Slice eggplant into "rings" and line baking dish with them
2.  Sprinkle with Italian Seasoning
3.  Cover with tomatoes
4.  Top with Mozzerella cheese

5.  Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes

(15 min. gives the eggplant a softer texture, 20 minutes makes it a little firmer/crisper)

6. Cut up and enjoy!

 Ratings:

The hubby gives it a 3 1/2 spoons....his critique was to slice the eggplant thinner and to make it at the height of eggplant season and then it would be given higher spoons.