Killer Tomatoes

Sorry for the late blog update y'all! I have some good news. I will be posting two other recipes this week. 

The other week, I decided to make a recipe I saw on Pinterest with tomatoes that was originally intended for peppers. However, I kind of tweaked the recipe! Y'all know I get bored following exact recipes unless it's for baking, which is a different story. I used feta cheese, but goat cheese or mozzarella would work well too! I only cooked them until the cheese was golden brown and the tomatoes were soft, but I would recommend cooking them for a little bit longer until the cheese starts to melt. This would be a great item for a tailgate or football party because each person gets their own individual tomato to eat. Adjust the number of tomatoes you need to make based on the size of your party. 

**Please note that the measurements below are for each tomato, and NOT for all 3 as a whole.

Servings: 3

Ingredients:
3 medium sized heirloom tomatoes 
1 tablespoon of feta per tomato, or to taste
1-1/2 teaspoons per tomato of mixed bell pepper, diced (use 1 yellow, 1 green, and 1 red)
1-1/2 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) per tomato to coat inside and outside
Pepper, to taste per tomato
Pinch of salt per tomato

Materials:
Cutting board
Serrated knife
Sharp knife
Cookie sheet
Tin Foil
Parchment Paper

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Line a cookie sheet with tin foil and parchment paper placing the parchment paper on the top.

Wash the Tomatoes, and cut off the small bit at the bottom and a circle around the bad bit at the top. Make sure that you cut a hole deep enough at the top to fill the tomato(es) up with cheese and peppers.

Place the tomatoes on the cookie sheet lined with parchment and tin foil and pour the EVOO inside and out, coating the tomato.

Next, put half of the feta measurement on the bottom. Add the mixed bell pepper on top of the cheese.

Add the rest of the feta on top (or enough to cover the bell pepper). Top with salt and pepper.

Cook for 20 mins or until tomatoes are soft and cheese is cooked.

Salmon Salad

I have to say that Salmon is one of my favorite dishes. I was telling my boyfriend how I wanted to make some recipes that would be perfect for tailgating for Football (American Football) Season. This recipe is by Barefoot Contessa. I will have to say that the recipe takes a long time if you  cook the salmon yourself, which is what I did (you're looking at about 3 and a half hours because you have to cook, cool, and chill the salmon).  However, it is completely worth the wait. The best part is there is no mayo in this recipe, so it's really healthy.  You can eat it either on top of a salad or make it more of a gourmet sandwich using baguette bread or a nice roll.

How to cook the Salmon: 

I baked the salmon, which I coated in Extra Virgin Olive Oil and topped with sea salt and ground black pepper, in the oven at 400 °F  for 35 mins. I let it cool for 30 minutes before I cut it up into chunks (removing any skin and bones) and placed it into a large mixing bowl, which I refrigerated for an hour. 

Ingredients:

2 pounds of salmon, chilled

1 cup small- diced celery (3 stalks)

1/2 cup small- diced red onion (1 small red onion)

2 tablespoons minced fresh dill

2 tablespoons capers, drained

2 tablespoons raspberry vinegar

2 tablespoons good olive oil

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Materials:

Large mixing Bowl

Tablespoons/teaspoons

Measuring Cup

Large Wooden spoon to mix everything together

Cutting board

Serrated knife

Sharp Knife

Break the salmon into very large flakes, removing any skin and bones, and place the salmon in a bowl. Add the celery, red onion, dill, capers, raspberry vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Season, to taste.  Mix well and serve cold or at room temperature. 

Caramelized Brussel Sprouts

Last week, I decided to try something new. I was sick of eating my usual vegetables, so I thought outside the box a little bit. I was at the grocery store and saw some local brussel sprouts that were just delivered to the store that day. Of course, I bought them. After all, buying fresh and local produce is very important to me. 

Since I've been so busy lately, I've decided to update my blog weekly. If I have more time during certain weeks, I will upload more recipes.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

6-8 brussel sprouts, cleaned, cut in half, and steamed in microwave for 2 minutes

2-3 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar

Materials:

Large, deep frying pan

Large microwavable dish

Wooden spoon or Tongs 

Tablespoon

Clean brussel sprouts. Before cutting them in half, chop off most of the hard bit at the end. Slice brussel sprouts in half, and steam in a large microwavable dish with a little bit of water on the bottom for 2 mins on high in the microwave.

While the brussel sprouts are steaming, place EVOO in a large, deep frying pan on the stove cooking on medium heat. Let oil get really hot before putting brussel sprouts in.  

When Brussel sprouts are done cooking in microwave, drain water, and place brussel sprouts in frying pan. Pour Balsalmic vinegar over brussel sprouts and stir. Flip after 7 minutes and continue cooking for another 7 minutes. Brussel sprouts are done when almost black in color on both sides. Balsamic should be thick and stick to the brussel sprouts.  Enjoy!

Shopping at Your Local Farmers Market

Why should you shop at a local Farmers Market? Simply because you can get fresh, local produce (most of which is organic) for a reasonable price. Organic is good for you because the fruits and veggies aren't sprayed with a ton of chemicals as opposed to regular produce. You may be charged more, but I always notice that the taste tends to be better.

Here are some shopping tips to take into consideration:

1) Don't leave the house without CASH. 90% of all vendors will only accept cash. I usually bring about $50.00 in cash which is more than plenty of money to buy what I want. The Farmers Market I go to also sells food from local dive-ins, coffee houses, wood-fired pizza, and more in the Atlanta area.

2) Always bring a canvas bag or a bag that is reinforced at the bottom. I brought one of those reusable grocery bags to the market today, and it ripped at the bottom because all of my produce weighed it down. I wish I had brought a bag that was strong and reinforced with support at the bottom of the bag.

3) When you arrive at the market, the first thing you want to do is check out all of the vendors before you buy something. I know in the past, I never used to do this until I realized that some vendors sold produce that looked better than others. Trust me, you'll regret it if you don't.

4) Some Farmers Markets will have Cheese, Honey, Pickles, Charcuterie, and Bakery vendors. I would definitely check them out if yours has them. The Farmers Market I go to in Grant Park in Atlanta, GA has all of these. I have bought some great things from these vendors. Georgia Honey was my favorite. The old wives tale is a spoonful of local honey a day will help you build immunity against allergies in the area. The markets that will generally offer options other than produce are usually community run as opposed to city or state run.

5) My motto: buy local, fresh, and organic. Always buy LOCAL (or REGIONAL). Not only are you supporting the farmers in your community, but you are getting the crops that grow best in your area. I took a course in Horticulture, and I learned that it is benefit to buy local produce because the crops are usually fresher when they reach your grocery store. Every May (for the past 2 years), I have gone strawberry picking at local farms that offer U-pick Strawberries. Not only were they the best Strawberries I've EVER eaten, but also the freshest.

6) Always ask if it's organic. Like I've previously mentioned,  not only does it the taste better, but it's better for you. A lot of vendors will have signs up about what produce is organic, so you don't have to ask.