Tag: tomatoes

Posted in Dinner, Food, Main Dish, Pasta, Sauces, Skillet Meal

Midwest Goulash

Posted on by lmc

This tasty goulash comes together quickly… Perfect for a mid-week meal or to inexpensively feed a crowd. Serve over corkscrew pasta with a crispy side salad and some crusty garlic bread for a winning family meal with plenty of leftovers.

Midwest Goulash

  • 1 pound extra lean ground beef
  • 1 pound ground chicken
  • 1 pound mild Italian Sausage
  • 1 large Vidalia onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
  • 1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 jar Bertolli 5 Cheese Pasta Sauce
  • 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
  • 2 bay leaves, (remove after cooking)
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground pepper
  • 3/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes ( to taste)
  • 2 1/2 Tablespoons sugar
  • 2 teaspoons seasoned salt
  • Small bouquet of fresh type, oregano, basil, rosemary tied in kitchen twine.

Instructions:

  • In a large Dutch oven, sauté  ground beef, chicken, and sausage over medium-high heat until browned. (Breaking up the meat into large chunks.) 
  • Add garlic and onions and cook until tender.
  • Add remaining ingredients.  Simmer until cooked through, about 20 minutes.
  • Remove fresh herb bouquet and bay leaves. Serve over pasta or rice with garlic bread on the side. Top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
Posted in Food, Kids in the Kitchen, Main Dish

M’s Simple Whole Wheat Pizza

Posted on by lmc

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It’s that time of year again, tomatoes are sitting plump and pretty on the vine and the fresh basil is ripe for the picking.
While shopping at the local Costco this week, I ran across a tub of Formaggio Fresh Mozzarella Cheese. I immediately threw it in my cart… I just couldn’t resist. This cheese is soft, tender and absolutely heavenly. For the past two days, I have been preparing a little bruschetta lunch salad consisting of chopped vine ripe tomatoes, fresh mozzarella cheese, and plump leaves of fresh basil. YUM!
Today, M arrived home after a week of house sitting and she too, could not resist the sight of the fresh cheese. Within minutes, she had whipped up a tasty pizza made with fresh garlic, olive oil, tomatoes, basil and fresh mozzerella. Boy oh boy, the aroma in the kitchen was unbelievable as that pizza baked in the oven. Oh, how I love the bounty that a midwest summer can bring.

M’s Rustic Whole Wheat Pizza

1 Boboli Whole Wheat Pizza Crust
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Roma tomatoes, sliced
5 balls fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
4 large leaves fresh basil, chopped

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Prepare pizza by brushing olive oil over crust. Sprinkle minced garlic over olive oil. Evenly distribute tomatoes and cheese over crust. Sprinkle half of the basil over the toppings. Place pizza on baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes. After removing from the oven, sprinkle remaining basil over the pizza. Serve immediately.

Posted in appetizers/snacks, Food

Bruschetta

Posted on by lmc

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Recently, I noticed a new item on my local grocer’s produce shelf. Gourmet Garden is now making basil paste in a 4 oz. tube. I was so excited to see this because my family loves basil and I usually only make recipes with fresh basil during the summer months when fresh basil is cheap and plentiful. I always make sure to plant plenty of varieties so that I have lots of different flavors to add to appetizers, salads, canned tomatoes, and Italian dishes. Now my family can enjoy many of these recipes year round. Bruschetta is a popular favorite in my house and I was able to surprise my family with this tasty appetizer last night. I’m so excited to have found this convenient tube of delicious basil paste. It brings a touch of summer to the cold winter days in Indiana.

Bruschetta

3 medium tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tsp basil
1 tsp salt
2 Tbls. Parmesan cheese, grated
1 baguette or thin Italian loaf, thinly sliced
2 Tbls. olive oil
½ tsp. garlic powder

Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl. Cover and chill before serving.

Line a cookie sheet with bread slices. Brush the slices with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic powder. Bake at 325 degrees for 7-10 minutes.

Pile tomato mixture on toasted bread slices and enjoy!