Tag: tomato

Chorizo Stuffed Peppers

Chorizo Stuffed Peppers

I walked into the kitchen last night expecting to start dinner late since I had been outside enjoying the early evening with my neighbor. What I found was a delightful surprise.  My husband was deep in the trenches of chopping vegetables and spiralizing a zucchini 

Beef Gyros with Tzatziki Yogurt Sauce

Beef Gyros with Tzatziki Yogurt Sauce

Ahhhhh. That’s the sound of a happy mom who’s getting a little bit of a break! My two daughters are away for the week spending time with their grandparents on the farm.  They will be showing goats and exhibiting their culinary and artistic creations at the 

Pizza Awesome Sauce

Pizza Awesome Sauce

pizza sauce

Happy hump day!  I’m in a midweek scurry to get things yet to be accomplished off my to-do list. I’ve had a winter project list that’s been in dire need of completion now that spring is merely a few weeks away (or so I’m hoping). Paint the guestroom, help hubby build a coat rack and entryway hooks, build a frame for a large painting, finish my son’s scrapbook that should have been done two years ago (turns out I hate scrapping so it kept getting put off)…. It feels so GOOD to get things done and checked off the list.   This week has therefore been a week for easy meals so I’m making pizza tonight with this quick and awesome pizza sauce and therefore I’ve been calling it pizza awesome sauce!

This sauce is super fast to put together using dry spices, smoked salt, tomato paste and fire roasted diced tomatoes. Toss it all in a blender and puree.  Then use it as a pizza sauce, or a dipping sauce for other fun munchies, in your scrambled eggs, or whatever else you want some awesome sauce to spice up your life with.

Pizza Awesome Sauce
 
Prep time
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Author:
Recipe type: Sauces and Dips
Cuisine: paleo, vegetarian, vegan
Serves: 2.5-3 cups
Ingredients
  • 1 (15oz) can fire roasted diced tomatoes
  • 1 (6oz) can tomato paste or use ½ cup pumpkin puree
  • 2-3 teaspoons dried oregano to taste
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder (or 1 clove fresh minced garlic)
  • ¾ teaspoon salt (smoked salt is awesome here if you have it)
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • ⅛-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
  1. Place all ingredients in a blender and puree until blended.
  2. Makes enough sauce for about 3 pizzas depending on size of pizza.
Notes
If you prefer a thinner sauce, use tomato sauce instead of tomato paste or thin it out with a little water.
Sauce can be frozen or canned.
To can via water bath, add 1 Tbsp lemon juice to each pint or 2 Tbsp lemon juice to quarts. Fill sterile jars with sauce to ½" headspace. Wipe rim, add lid and ring until finger tight. Submerge in boiling water 35 minutes for pints, 40 minutes for quarts. Let cool for 12-24 hours and be sure each jar has sealed before storing.
Nutrition Information
Serving size: ¼ cup Calories: 30 Fat: 0g Carbohydrates: 6g Sodium: 235mg Fiber: 2g Protein: 2g

 

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Tomato Bacon Jam

Tomato Bacon Jam

I can’t wait to go camping this weekend!!!   I am normally excited for camping adventures but this weekend is bound to be full of shenanigans as we’re meeting up with some extended family that we haven’t seen in quite some time.  My apologies to the 

Pico de Gallo, a Garden Fresh Salsa

Pico de Gallo, a Garden Fresh Salsa

Mayday, mayday!  Stress overload during this first week of May and it’s not about to get better so apologies in advance for any one-and-lonely posts in the weeks to come.  In a whirlwind of house touring last week, we did find the perfect house to move into, 

Bacon Borscht

Bacon Borscht

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The taste profile was like none other I had tasted. Sour, salty, tangy, earthy and rich with a hidden creaminess that caresses your tongue.  I sat at the dining table across from my husband licking my spoon at Domacin Wine Bar suddenly dreaming of creating my own bacon borscht.  Having no positive experiences with beets in the past, I welcomed the challenge to re-create this amazing dish.  Beets are one powerhouse root vegetable and as a gal who lives through harsh Minnesota winters, I take my root veggies seriously. Beets are loaded with antioxidants and phytonutrients (responsible for their crimson red color). The consumption of beetroot and their greens has historically been used to treat a myriad of diseases. Both the beetroot and its greens have a dense nutrient profile rich in anti-inflammatory and detoxifying properties. They are also reported to strengthen your immune system and boost your stamina.

I researched the basics of cooking beets and quickly decided upon a combination of traditional borsht ingredients of beets, carrot, onion, and potato (Note: scrub those beetroots with a vegetable scrubber to get any remaining dirt off or you’ll end up with tiny crunchy dirt particles in your bacon borscht).  Then, I added a homemade tomato sauce as well as pancetta to the mix to arrive at the right balance of savory salty goodness. I chose to use pancetta simply because it’s already chopped up into nice little bits but feel free to use bacon slices. You’ll just need to do some dicing. I enhanced the smokiness of the pancetta by using a smoked salt in this recipe but a nice sea salt or pink Himalayan will also work well. To get the creaminess in this soup, I blended a portion of the vegetables with the broth.  Top the soup with scallions, extra bacon crumbles and a dollop of sour cream or plain coconut milk yogurt.

The entire beet plant can be eaten so chop up the greens and blend into a salad or sauté with herbs and olive oil for an iron-packed and incredibly healthy side dish to this bacon borsht.

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5.0 from 3 reviews
Bacon Borscht
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Recipe type: Soups
Serves: 8
Ingredients
  • 4-5 beets
  • 8 cups water (or use 4 cups water and 4 cups beef broth)
  • 2 white potatoes, peeled and diced
  • 4 ounces pancetta or bacon, diced
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 carrots, peeled and sliced into small rounds or diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 cups tomato sauce or puree
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons dill
  • 1-2 teaspoons pink himalayan salt, to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Instructions
  1. Scrub beets and trim off the top and root tail. Submerge in water and boil for 1 hour. Once soft, take beets out of water. Keep the water. After they are cool enough to touch, rub the skin off and dice them.
  2. While beets are boiling, sauté the pancetta, onion, carrots, and garlic in olive oil until pancetta is cooked through and vegetables are softened.
  3. After beets are removed from the pot of water/broth, place diced potatoes in the same water and boil until soft.
  4. Place ½ of the beets and ½ of the sautéed pancetta and vegetables in a blender and puree with 1 cup of the broth (taken from the saucepot).
  5. Pour the puree and the cooked vegetables back into the pot with the potato.
  6. Add remaining ingredients and simmer 30 minutes to blend the flavors.
  7. Serve hot or cold with scallions, extra bacon bits and sour cream (or plain coconut milk yogurt for dairy free) on top.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 127 Fat: 5g Carbohydrates: 17g Sodium: 351mg Fiber: 2g Protein: 4g

 

 

 

Homemade Tomato Sauce

Homemade Tomato Sauce

When life (or your garden) gives you lots of tomatoes, you make tomato sauce! Homemade tomato sauce is so simple to make and has a depth of flavor you just can’t match in a can. Think of those rich, thick tomatoes, that sweet sensuous taste coupled with 

Summer Cucumber Salad with Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette

Summer Cucumber Salad with Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette

    I am refusing to believe that summer is nearly done for another year. It seems that the summers are whizzing by faster each year.  I took my kids out to the beach for the last splash in the lake before school starts tomorrow.  Then, I’ll be left