In the meantime, here is my tip for a Friday.  I mean, I can be my own friend, right?

Freeze-dried berries are the perfect ingredient for fillings or frostings.  They add a punch of flavor without the extra liquid.

Enjoy the weekend!

xo–me

Today’s treat comes from a friend I made via my twitter account.  Jimi Blaze is clearly a foodie but his first love is music.  He currently plays bass in the hot LA band Gorgeous Got a Gun.  I do hope when they are on the road, they ask Jimi to cook occasionally.  Based on his recipe below, he knows how to satisfy in the kitchen.  In Jimi’s words I present his ‘blazing pasta sauce’!

Ingredients:

1 c. Mozzarella
3/4 c. Parmesan
1/2 c. Gorgonzola (or other bleu cheese)
1 c. milk/cream
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp. black pepper
16 oz. pasta or rice

Boil water in a big pot.  Place a pan big enough to cover the pot on top (a double boiler would work great).  Mix ingredients in the pan on top reserving 1/2 the milk and the pepper.  Stir once every 5 min or so.  Should start to become creamy after about 30 minutes.  Add pepper and as much milk as desired- more milk for creamier texture, less for a chunkier texture.  Continue to stir periodically for another 15-30 min.  Serve when texture is how you like it, straight onto your pasta/chicken/rice/pizza dough whatever.  Peas and mushrooms go great with it.

Adding mushrooms, peas, bell peppers, or other vegetables change the flavor so you aren’t making the same meal each time.  Experiment with your additions and let Jimi know what you come up with.  He chose to put it over pasta dough and enjoy it as a pizza as you see in his picture.  I think it would be heavenly smothering some mashed potatoes.  Enjoy!

xo–me

With summer coming to an end, now is the time to take advantage of ripe farm stand tomatoes.  A great way to do this is to can them. Canning is a method of preserving that has been in my family for generations. It is a link to the past and a wonderful way to have tasty tomatoes in the dead of winter.

Prepping the Jars
They need to be sterilized before filling them. I do this in the dishwasher. Run only the jars through the dishwasher on the hottest setting you have (no other dirty dishes). The jars can also be sterilized in by placing them upright in the canner covered with hot water. Boil them for 10 minutes Place the sterilized jars on a kitchen towel, with the open end down. Put the lids and rings in a sauce pan and cover with hot water. Bring them to a boil and let them simmer in the hot water until you need them.

Prepping the Tomatoes
The tomatoes need to have their skins removed before canning them. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and fill a large bowl with ice water. Using a small paring knife cut a small X on the bottom of each tomato. This will help the skin come off easier.  Place five to six tomatoes in the boiling water at a time. After one minute, remove the tomatoes from the boiling water and place in the ice bath. The skins should just peel right off now. Process all tomatoes in the boiling water and the ice bath to remove their skins.

Filling the Jars
If you are using pint size jars put ½ tsp. of salt and 1 tbs. of lemon juice in each jar. If you are using quart size jars put 1 tsp. of salt and 2 tbs. of lemon juice. Cut the peeled tomatoes into quarters and stuff as many as you can in each jar. If you think you can’t fit anymore in the jar try to stuff another one or two in, but leave ½ inch space at the top of the jar.  They should be really packed in. Using the bubble remover (it is the long flat, clear, plastic thing that looks like a letter opener) run it down the sides of each jar to remove the air bubbles. Wipe off the top of the jar with a clean towel or rag. If the top of the jar is dirty it may not seal. Using the lid wand (it is the plastic stick with a magnet on the end) get your lids and rings out of the simmering water and place them on the jar. Twist on the rings as tight as you can, use the jar lid wrench if you have one.

Boiling-Water Canning
Place the canning rack on the bottom of the canner and fill it with water. Bring to a boil. Using the jar lifter place each jar into the boiling water and set into canning rack. The jars cannot rest on the bottom of the pot without a canning rack, otherwise the glass may crack. Once the water has come to a boil again cover the pot and let the jars of tomatoes process for 30 minutes. Then remove the hot jars using the jar lifter and place on a towel on the counter.

After you have processed all of the jars of tomatoes in the canner you may start to hear a popping noise, this is just the jars sealing. After 24 hours check to make sure all jars have sealed. You can do this by pressing on the lid. If you can press it up and down and hear a little popping noise, then the jar didn’t seal. Place any unsealed jars in the fridge and use within a week.

I am so grateful Amanda has taught me how to do this!  I have always been intimidated by the thought of canning and look how easy it can be!  Thanks to Amanda.  Let us know how you do.

And if you want to be a Friday Friend with a tip or a special recipe or idea to share, please write me!

xo–me

Ingredients:

Make lemon cake batter according to box mix and bake in two 8-inch round pans. When cooled, use a long, sharp knife to cut the rounded top off one layer (so the other layer will stack flat on top of it). Cut each round cake in half (horizontally) so that you are left with four layers of cake. In between each layer, spread a generous amount of raspberry preserves. Once all four layers are stacked, ice the cake with one container of Cool Whip (I prefer how this looks and that the icing is not so sweet – makes the flavors of the cake and preserves the stars of the show). Line the bottom edge of the cake with fresh raspberries; garnish with a few on top, as well. The finishing touch: zest a lemon on top of the cake for a little extra flair and lemony flavor! Enjoy!

So there you go.  Will’s mom will not steer you wrong.  And yes, this is the same woman my brother was boasting of on the Martha Stewart Show.

xo–me

Things are starting to get cold outside, a perfect reason to make one of my fav dishes, tomato soup.  It is easily made from scratch, which is a far cry from the condensed soups that are out there.  This recipe can be made vegan or vegetarian easily.  It is a great way to get your family to eat their vegetables and the soup is fantastic the next day.  Pairing this recipe with a grilled cheese is a great way to make it a complete meal.  This serves 4 and doubles nicely in a larger pot.

Ingredients:

1-14oz. can diced tomatoes
1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 stalk of celery, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 yellow onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 c. chicken or vegetable stock
1 bay leaf
2 Tbsp. butter (omit if you’re making this for a vegan)
1/4 c. fresh basil leaves chopped
1/2 c. heavy cream (omit if you’re making this for a vegan)

Preheat oven to 450.  Strain the chopped canned tomatoes, reserving the juices, and spread onto a baking sheet, season with salt and pepper, to taste, drizzle with 1/4 cup of the olive oil and roast until caramelized, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan, heat remaining olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the celery, carrot, onion and garlic, cook until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook for about one minute, stirring constantly, breaking up the paste with the back of a wooden spoon. Add the roasted chopped canned tomatoes, reserved tomato juices, chicken/vegetable broth, bay leaf and butter, if using. Simmer until vegetables are very tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Add basil and cream, if using. Puree with a hand held immersion blender until smooth.  Salt and pepper to taste.  If you don’t have an immersion blender, carefully puree in batches in either a blender or food processor.

A few variations:

• Substitute 2 Tbsp. fresh dill in place of the basil.
• Place a slice of crusty bread or large crouton in the bottom of the bowl, then spoon the soup on top.

So there you have it.  Meegan’s homemade tomato soup.  In the spirit of the month of Thanksgiving ideas, this recipe would be a great beginning to your meal.  Or you could make it to accompany the leftover grilled turkey sandwiches! Enjoy.

xo–me