Tagged:  tomatoes

Just a few days ago my husband and I went to IPAA Cocina Mexicana Restaurant in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico. I loved the private terrace dining style. If you want a romantic dinner, this is the place!

The restaurant’s interiors are high-end – no cutting corners here. And, the astounding mural evokes prehistoric themes.

IPAA’s cuisine represents the natural foods grown in Baja California for thousands of years. It’s classified as fine, Baja-Med cuisine. The menu changes on a daily basis and the six-course dinner with wine-pairing is fantastic!

We loved the Tomato Salad with Dill so much, that I made it at home (with my own guess work on ingredients). Here’s my version:

Prep time: 10 to 15 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
2 large green tomatoes (found at farmers’ markets)
1 large yellow tomato
10 to 12 cherry tomatoes
-OR-
1 large, red, vine-ripened tomato
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
4 to 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh, finely-chopped dill weed

Directions:
1. Using a sharp knife, cut the green tomatoes into fourths and then into eighths.

2. Transfer the green tomato pieces to a 2 to 3-quart glass or porcelain bowl; set aside.

3. Cut the yellow tomato into fourths and then into eighths; add them to the green tomatoes in bowl; set aside.

4. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and add them to the tomatoes in bowl.; set aside.

5. Alternatively, if using the large, red tomato, cut it into eighths. Add the red tomato pieces to the other tomatoes in bowl.

6. Add salt and ground black pepper to the tomatoes, followed by the olive oil and fresh dill weed.

7. Toss the salad and serve immediately as a side dish to meat, chicken, fish or as part of a vegetarian meal.

Note: IPAA Cocina Mexican Restaurant website here-https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=es&u=http://www.ipaa.mx/&prev=search

Text and Photograph ©2016 Nancy DeLucia Real

Prep time: 20 to 25 minutes
Serves: 4 to 6 (as a side dish)

How many of you love lentils? FYI, lentils been around for about 13,000 years and are an important staple o the Mediterranean diet. You can find different varieties of lentils that range in color – orange, brown, black, yellow and green.

For this recipe, I prefer the green variety. After cooking for a few minutes, the lentils are combined with tomatoes, garlic, parsley and olive oil. Pretty healthy, right? Check it out…

Ingredients:
4 medium tomatoes
1 medium yellow or white onion
2 cloves garlic
3 to 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
8 ounces green lentils, soaked in cold water for 3 to 4 hours
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
2 to 3 tablespoons chopped Italian, flat-leaf parsley

Directions:
1. Cut tomatoes in half; discard seeds and pulp.

2. Chop tomato flesh into ¼-inch pieces; set them aside in a small bowl.

3. Finely chop the onion; set it aside in a separate bowl.

4. Peel the garlic cloves and split them open; remove & discard the hearts.

5. Using a garlic crusher, crush the garlic over the chopped onion in bowl; set aside.

6. In a 12-inch skillet, heat 3 to 4 tablespoons of the olive oil (do not let it smoke).

7. Using a wood spoon, stir in the chopped onions and garlic mixture.

8. Stir fry the onion-garlic mixture over medium-high heat for 2 minutes or until onions are translucent.

9. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.

10. Meanwhile, drain the soaked lentils in a colander; add them to the tomato mixture in skillet.

11. Cover the lentil mixture with cold water.

12. Bring the lentil mixture to a boil and cook it for 15 to 20 minutes on medium heat (it should simmer-boil). Stir occasionally.

13. After 15 minutes, stir in the salt and pepper; taste the lentils. If lentils are a little raw, cook them for an additional 5 minutes.

14. After 5 minutes, taste the lentils and adjust seasonings. They should be cooked. If not, cook lentils 2 to 4 minutes longer.

15. Transfer the cooked lentil mixture to a colander set over a bowl.

16. Let the lentils drain and cool for about 30 minutes.

17. After 30 minutes, transfer the lentil salad to a porcelain or glass bowl; stir in the chopped parsley. Taste and, if preferred, add a little more olive oil.

18. Serve this lentil salad as a side dish to chicken, meat or fish. Alternatively, it can be served alongside other vegetables.

Text & Photograph of Lentil & Tomato Salad ©2014 Nancy DeLucia Real
Photograph of Lentil Varieties ©2014 en.wikipedia.org

In the last two weeks, as I’ve gone up and down the stalls at the Santa Monica Farmers’ Market, it’s been difficult to ignore the bright, multicolored cherry tomatoes. Don’t they look spectacular?

In response to one of our Facebook friends, here’s a recipe for tomatoes and basil (btw, we’re using cherry tomatoes here). Simply, cut the cherry tomatoes in half, add salt, pepper, extra virgin olive oil and basil. Get some good European-style bread and eat your heart out! Now, who says you have to cook to eat well?

Prep time: 15 minutes (for washing and cutting the tomatoes)
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
One quart cherry tomatoes, washed & dried with paper towels
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
2 to 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 to 5 large fresh basil leaves, washed & dried with paper towels

Directions:

1. Remove stem from each cherry tomato. Cut each tomato in half; set halved tomatoes in a serving bowl.

2. Add salt and pepper, to taste.

3. Using two spoons, gently stir in 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil. Toss and taste.

4. If needed, add a little more olive oil, one tablespoon at a time. Taste the tomatoes with each olive oil addition.

5. Using kitchen shears, cut the basil leaves into slivers; toss the basil slivers into the tomato salad.

Serve Cherry Tomatoes & Basil with fresh, crusty bread.

Text and Photographs ©2014 Nancy DeLucia Real

Homemade chili is always so comforting, especially with some freshly baked cornbread and a nice glass of red wine. This one-dish meal gets its “buzzz” from chipotle ahumado powder which will definitely warm you up in autumn weather. The flavors of this dish are enhanced when the chili is made a day ahead. This means that leftover, warmed-up chili tastes great up to three days later – and there’s no need to cook for a while!

Prep time: 10 minutes
Inactive prep time: 30 minutes (for cooking)
Serves: 4 to 6

Ingredients:
4 large vine-ripened tomatoes, boiled, cooled and peeled
One 14.5-ounce can Muir Glen Organic Fire Roasted Tomatoes with Chipotle
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 pounds extra lean ground beef or organic, grass-fed extra lean ground beef
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon chipotle ahumado powder or regular chili powder
2 cups cooked kidney beans, drained, or one 15-ounce can kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1. Purée the boiled tomatoes and canned tomatoes together in a blender and set aside.

2. Heat oil in a 4-quart saucepot. Add the ground beef and the onions and, with a wooden spoon, stir fry on medium-high heat until meat is broken up and turns gray, about 8 to 10 minutes.

3. Pour in the puréed tomatoes and stir. Cook on medium-low heat, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Stir in the salt, sugar and the lesser amount of chili powder and cook 2 minutes.

5. Stir in the kidney beans and cook for about 2 more minutes. Taste and adjust the chipotle ahumado powder or chili amounts.

Serve immediately in individual bowls accompanied by Columbus Day Cornbread (previously published on this blog).

Wine suggestion: Pinot Noir – this red wine pairs well with chili.

Note: You can find chipotle ahumado powder online at gourmetsleuth.com.

Text and Photographs ©2013 Nancy DeLucia Real

I still have lots of chard sprouting like weeds in my vegetable garden.

Here’s a simple, but fine-tasting recipe with limited ingredients. This means that if you’ve got to buy chard to make this dish, your cost won’t break the bank. I know this is a good thing, since many of us are aiming for bargains at those end-of-summer sales.

Enjoy Chard and Tomatoes as a healthy and delicious side to grilled meats, poultry or seafood dishes.

Prep time: 20 minutes
Serves: 4 (as a side dish)

Ingredients:
2 bunches (about 8 cups) coarsely chopped fresh chard
3 to 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (or more, depending on your taste)
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
2 yellow or red tomatoes, deseeded & cut into 1/4-inch pieces

1. Rinse, drain and spin dry the chopped chard in cold water about 3 to 4 times (this will remove dirt particles). Set chard aside.

2. Meanwhile, bring a 5 to 6-quart sauce pot filled with water to a boil.

3. When water is boiling, add the chard.

4. Cook chard about 2 to 4 minutes or until it is wilted and tender, but not overcooked.

5. When chard is cooked, drain it in a colander and let it cool slightly, for about 5 minutes.

6. Drain the chard very well and transfer it to a serving bowl.

7. Stir the oil, salt and pepper into the chard. Add tomato pieces and stir once more.

8. Taste, adjust seasonings and serve immediately.

Text and Photograph ©2013 Nancy DeLucia Real