Roasted Winter Tomatoes

Winter citrus. It's what every food blog/site does not stop raving about between December- February. Oranges, grapefruit, and lemons are all at their juiciest and sweetest during the winter months and so my RSS and Instagram feeds turn into a virtual juicer cacophony of the stuff. Here's the thing- I love citrus as much as the next guy. Lemons are great! Oranges are awesome. Sugar on a grapefruit?! Revolutionary. Honestly though, there's only so much excitement over "winter citrus" that I can muster before I start getting cranky about the whole thing. Just because it's in season, does that mean I have to lose my head over it?? 

Oh, winter tomato. You look so pretty. Why must you taste like corrugated cardboard?

The reality is, winter has me craving the same thing I crave year round. My one true fruit love- the tomato. Unfortunately, this time of year the tomato options flat out suck. My regular grocery has them but they taste like wet, slimy, corrugated cardboard. The only sweet, delicious tomatoes to be found are at organic groceries and Whole Foods- completely not in my budget right now. Planning a wedding while living in NYC means pinching every. single. penny. So what is a girl to do? 

Roast your tomatoes. It is the easiest, fastest and most efficient way to get great tomato flavor out of dull, cheap, not in season, grocery tomatoes. 

Enter roasted tomatoes. This is the kind of recipe that calls for almost no effort and reaps bountiful rewards. The low temp of the oven means you can walk away and live your life for a few hours while the fruit releases a depth of flavor and sweetness that will help you hold out until the real thing is in season again. (Bonus: It will also make your apartment smell like the cozy Italian kitchen you never grew up with.) 

Make a huge batch all at once and put them in a jar in the back of the fridge to throw on salads, sandwiches, or whatever you like to throw tomatoes on. (Freeze them for up to 6 months if you have the space.) Alternatively, put these in the food processor and work them into your next pasta dish for a sauce so tasty Paul Newman will start haunting your dreams asking for the recipe. 

February is cold, grey, and generally sucks. Indulge your cravings. Don't spend a ton of money. Roast tomatoes. 

Roasted Winter Tomatoes

Ingredients

• 3 lbs tomatoes (or more!) whole, sliced in half, quartered, or chopped.  
• 2 cloves garlic sliced
• olive oil for drizzling
• 1 tbsp. any course salt (does not have to be from the sea. can be from the kosher)
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. dry parsley leaves* 
• 1 tsp. dry basil leaves*

1. Place whole, sliced, quartered tomatoes in a baking sheet. 
2. Toss with herbs, olive oil, sugar. 
3. Bake at 250F for 3-4 hours OR bake at 400F for 1 hour. 

Once your tomatoes are roasted there are a myriad of ways you can use them:

• put them on a sandwich
• in a food processor make tomato/carrot/celery juice OR homemade bloody mary mix
• toss in a salad instead of fresh tomatoes for extra flavor
• make pasta sauce, recipe below:

Whole Roasted Tomato Pasta Sauce

Ingredients

• 2-4 whole roasted tomatoes, skins peeled, chopped
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1-2 carrots, chopped
• 2 cans tomato paste
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1 tsp. basil
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 2 cloves minced garlic

1. Sautee carrots and onions until fragrant.
2. Add chopped tomatoes and their juices.
3. Stir in tomato paste and spices.
4. Simmer on low heat for 35-40 min.

The best thing about this recipe is that you can tweak it however you like. The idea is to let the tomatoes release flavors in the low, slow, and steady heat that they wouldn't otherwise. If you prefer more/less spices (rosemary, oregano, thyme, etc.) go ahead and add them, experiment! 

Quick weeknight meal: peppers + radish over roasted tomato sauce over pasta. Less than 15 min. prep time for a healthy and filling dish! 

Mid-Holiday Meal Plan

Hi! First thing, I want to share some really exciting news- we got a puppy! Potato is a Boston Terrier pup who when not running laps around the house manages to fit 13 naps into each day. Describing him doesn't do much justice so here's the first photo my dad snapped of our new fellow while he waited for me to pick up treats and puppy pads on our way home. 

I spent the Thanksgiving holiday at my parent's house outside of Detroit where cool, damp weather was perfect for sitting around the fireplace drinking endless mugs of black tea. Instead of engaging in the madness of Black Friday we went through all the clothing my sister and I had left in various closets around the house. We purged of old, unfortunate style choices and reclaimed items with sentimental value. I came out with a full bag of sweaters and blankets, helped my mom ease her anxiety over stagnant and leftover teenage/college clutter, and didn't spend a penny! 

The drive back to New York on Sunday was long and coming back to the city so late left me feeling totally unprepared for the remaining weeks of madness before everyone breaks for the holidays. Between gift shopping and wrapping up the work year there's a lot to be done both around the house and in the office.  For me, it always seems like there's even less time than usual to spend hours in the kitchen or experiment with new recipes. Any and all energy that I can muster for cooking this time of year is channeled into latke making for Hanukkah. Due to the recent and very welcome addition of a food processor, my sister and I were able to churn out a batch of 200 (Smitten Kitchen's fool proof latke recipe is the best) and enjoy a lovely evening of dreidel at our apartment. 

So now Thanksgiving is done, Hanukkah is happening, gifts are being bought and wrapped, holiday parties are every weekend, and then we're off to South Carolina for Christmas. All while chasing around Potato who like a little tornado tears through our home and required constant attention. Like I said, it's a hectic time and there's not much energy for the kitchen or even grocery shopping. Mostly these coming weeks are punctuated by a lot of sighing and texting, "I wish I were in bed or it was Christmas already." followed by massive caffeine consumption and more sighs. So, if you're like us and things are absolutely insane this time of year, I'd like to share with you my meal plan for the next two weeks - what I have in my fridge and pantry and how I plan to use it. The idea is to make several bases and prepare foods that will last through for lunches and dinners. Nothing fancy, because let's be honest, the idea this time of year is just to get through.That's not to say that we're eating fast food, but it also doesn't mean I'm standing around trimming my homegrown organic basil plant while sipping kombucha and knitting a sweater for my grandmother. It's go, go, go around here and so are our meals.

Mid-Holiday Meal Plan

Below is a list of items I came home to the Sunday after Thanksgiving in my fridge and freezer. My pantry is always stocked with canned and dry goods from my Starting from Scratch post. 

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken tenders
• frozen green beans
• frozen vegetable mix
• 1 package large tortillas
• 1 large leek
• cherry tomatoes
• 4 carrots
• 1 head lettuce
• bell peppers

Again, the idea is to make lots of meals which will be quick, filling, and work for both lunch and dinner. Instead of going through what we are eating every day I am going to share recipes for the dishes which are my go-to's when I am on a hectic schedule. We plan to eat out a few times to supplement meals and this does not include snacking, but mostly this is what we're eating for the next 2.5 weeks. Some of the recipes are linked out and my favorite easy soup is outlined below. I hope you find this guide helpful! 

Bases: 

My first tip for efficient meal planning is to prepare several bases which can serve as fillers or sides to have on hand. I filled 3 large tupperware containers with cooked rice, lentils, and bulgur. You can make any base from grains you have in your pantry.These can be easily reheated for sides, put into wraps for lunch, or used for bowls.

If I have sweet or regular potatoes on hand, I boil and mash them up. In tupperware they can last for the week and also work as excellent quick side or base options. 

Protein: 

Quick Chicken:

Frozen chicken is great to have on hand because it's really a meat that can work for you, while you're at work. I use two super simple methods for preparing chicken when I have almost no time to spare.

Dressed+ Baked:

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are a dream for a rushed cook.

1. I marinate the chicken in a full bottle of honey mustard (or use any dressing you have) overnight.
2.  Come home from work and bake for 35 minutes at 400F, dressing and all.
3.  Use frozen vegetables or your prepared grains as a side. Leftover chicken goes into a bowl of bulgur, cherry tomatoes, and walnuts for a work lunch. 

Easy chicken tenders:

1. Defrost the chicken tenders and pat dry.
2. Coat on both sides with salt and pepper.
3. Grill on a pan with vegetable oil until brown on both sides.
4. Cut chicken into pieces and store in tupperware to add to bowls, salads, wraps, or the soup recipe below!

Beef Burritos:

When in a pinch for what to cook Ian often make beef burritos by using pre-made taco mix or just fixing his own with a basic taco seasoning mix. He grills the beef, I chop lettuce + tomatoes, then wrap everything into a burrito with some sour cream/salsa/cheese, basically whatever we have on hand. Quesadillas can be made with almost all the same ingredients, it's really a matter of preference. 

Bowls: 

I use the bases I prepare at the beginning of the hectic week as bases for bowls which I toss together for lunch and sometimes, a quick dinner. The combinations are endless and really a question of taste, the two bowls I prepared this week are below. (I will go into my bowl lunch prep strategy in a post soon!)

1. lentils + cherry tomatoes + feta + almonds + bell pepper then dressed with olive oil/balsamic/s+p.
2. bulgur + honey mustard chicken + lettuce + walnuts then dressed with olive oil/s+p. 

Soup:

When you're in a rush, soup made with canned ingredients mixed with whatever fresh vegetables you have on hand is your best friend.  Below is my favorite recipe which I developed while severely stressed for time and funds. The result is protein rich and flavorful - you can keep it vegetarian or grill some chicken tenders for extra flavor!

Easiest Chickpea + Vegetable Soup

Ingredients

• 3 cans chickpeas, drained + rinsed
• 1 leek or onion, thinly sliced
• 1 head garlic, finely chopped
• 2 carrots finely chopped
• 1 container mushrooms, rough chop
• 2 cartons chicken or vegetable stock or 6 cups of water + 2 bouillon cubes
• 1 tbsp. cumin
• 1 tbsp. paprika
• 1 tbsp. thyme
• 1 tsp. rosemary
• salt +pepper

1. In a pan sauté drained chickpeas in a glug of olive oil until they start to lose their softness and brown a bit, 10 min or so. 
2. While chickpeas are cooking- in a big soup pot on medium heat sauté mushrooms, onions, carrots, and spices until mushrooms brown and lose their liquid. If using leeks add when the mushrooms are cooked through and browned. 
3. Add garlic and chickpeas to the soup pot with mushrooms, onions/leeks, and sautee for 5-7 min. on low heat. If using bits of chicken tenders add them now. 
4. Add all the chicken/vegetable stock, bring to a boil, then simmer and cook for 15 min. 
5. Serve with grated cheese if you have it and some crusty bread. 

As with all soups I divide into tupperware or jars and we eat it for a week for lunch after we've had it for dinner. 

I repeat the recipes above throughout the mid-holiday season because they're no brainers and last us for several days. Fresh vegetables can be added to the chicken with a grain base for hearty lunch time bowls. Tortillas can be used to wrap up chicken, beef, lettuce, and fresh vegetables for quick salad wraps. I think once you nail the formula of base, protein, and fresh vegetable you have a lot of quick meal options to choose from throughout the work week. But most important, soup is your biggest friend. Huge quantities made with canned goods, means that you don't have to worry about making something new every evening. 

Please share in the comments if you have any recipes that you stick to during this hectic time of the year! I've found that's it's unsustainable to eat out too much and the above meal plans have really saved us time and money. 

Happy running around!! I'm so excited to slow down and take a breath over the Christmas break. I hope that you have a chance to do the same. 

 

Roast Chicken w. Thyme & Preserved Lemon

I hit an inspirational cooking block this summer. It’s not that I stopped cooking, I was just making food because we had to eat without much enthusiasm. I knew it would pass, as these things do, and that I just had to wait out the doldrums and stick with comforting meals that didn’t dirty too many dishes in the meantime. So we ate pounds of pesto, lots of grilled meat, and hundreds of spinach and kale salads—which were tasty and kept us fed, but not in the least bit memorable.

In the past week, the mornings have been crisp and the evenings are becoming downright chilly (yes, even in San Diego). This is my favorite season on the cooking calendar, so I wondered if fall soups, winter squash, citrus, and roasted meat could be my ticket back to home cooking happiness. 

On my next visit to the grocery store, I picked up some thyme and two chicken halves intending to throw them onto a baking sheet for an easy weeknight dinner. Then, Sunday morning as I was cleaning up breakfast, a yellow beacon called out from the back of the fridge –my jar of preserved lemons.  They spoke to me. I had a plan. 

With the addition of some rainbow carrots and onions I had on hand, I pulled together a chicken with roasted vegetables and the bright, briny preserved lemons.This dish came together beautifully. Using two halves instead of a whole chicken reduced the cooking time and allowed the skin to get perfectly golden and crispy.  It was easy enough to pull together on a Sunday morning, but felt luxurious as a lunch.

With a pot of soup bubbling on the stove for dinner, I’m joyfully digging through my favorite cookbooks tabbing recipes for Christmas dinner. I’m back on track and ready to spend fall in the kitchen.

Roast Chicken w. Thyme & Preserved Lemon

Ingredients

• 2 chicken halves (1.6-2 lbs each half; you could use a whole chicken but you will need to increase the cooking time, plus I think the two halves produce incredible golden, crunchy skin with evenly moist dark and light meat. The two halves were cheap too – just $2.88 each at my grocery store!)
• 6 rainbow or regular carrots: washed, peeled, and sliced into 1.5 inch pieces
• 2 large yellow onions: cut into 1/8th wedges
• 12-20 springs of thyme
• 1 preserved lemon (Preserved lemons are available at many grocery stores and can be used in lots of dishes including salad dressing, marinades, and roasts. They’re also easy and cost-effective to make at home. I like this recipe and suggest using Meyer lemons and adding a bay leaf, whole cloves, and whole black peppercorns.)
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• Salt
• White pepper (black will do here too, but I like the subtle flavor of white pepper and suggest you use it if you have it on hand.)

1. Heat your oven to 425. Prepare the carrots and onion then place in the bottom of a roasting pan. Toss with 2 Tbsp of olive oil, salt, and pepper.

2. Place the two chicken halves on top of the bed of vegetables skin side up. Drizzle the remaining 1 Tbsp of olive oil over the chicken halves and rub the oil all over the chicken, making sure the skin in coated. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.

3. Wash the preserving liquid off of your lemon and tear it into segments. Tuck two lemon pieces under the chicken wings and place the remaining pieces in the roasting pan with the vegetables.

4. Tuck most of your thyme springs under the chicken halves and place a few directly in the vegetable mix. Place your assembled dish in your hot oven and cook for 30-40 minutes. 

5. Check for doneness once the skin is crispy and golden. When ready, remove the chicken from the roasting pan and place on a cutting board to rest.

6. Place the pan of vegetables back in the oven for 7-10 more minutes. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before carving to ensure you don’t lose all of the good juices you’ve sealed in the meat.

7. Carve the chicken, pull your vegetables out of the oven, remove the thyme twigs, and serve with half of a fresh lemon to squeeze over the roast vegetables. The preserved lemons are edible and pair well with bites of chicken.