Late August + Pizza

Vine-ripened tomatoes are a sure sign of late August.  For over a week now, our tomatoes have been ripening and were ready for picking.  I would love to tell you their proper name, but Nuno planted them early in the Summer, and I never did figure out their variety.  I can tell you they grow very big and sweet-smelling.  Those who know me well, know that I do not enjoy raw tomatoes.  Yes, I know, it's awful, isn't it?  I do wish I loved tomatoes, but unfortunately, no matter how many times I try them, I feel no appreciation.  But don't get me wrong, I LOVE cooking with tomatoes!  They are the main ingredient in tomato sauces and delicious butter chicken.  I really couldn't live without them.  And as long as they're diced small enough, I will eat them on bruschetta, in tacos, etc.  I just wouldn't be able to take a great big bite out of a tomato.  Do you see what I'm saying?

Tomatoes growing on the side of our house, where we get lots of sunshine!

Within the last week, there has been an abundance of tomatoes ripening every single day.   So, on Monday, I decided to make it a Pizza night!  We divided pizza dough into four equal parts.  Nuno and I, rolled out the dough, mostly with our hands.  A woman we know, who owns an Italian bakery in Toronto, told us not to roll the dough, she says it "kills" the dough.  It is best to work it with your hands.  So, I tried my best to do that.  Nuno, is better at it than I am.  He's usually the one who makes pizza at our house.  Once the dough was rounded out in the pans, the girls got to add the tomato sauce and any toppings they liked. 

This is the tomato sauce I made using fresh garden tomatoes, chopped garlic, chopped, fresh oregano, salt, pepper, and extra virgin olive oil.  Beside it, is some crumbled goat cheese and fresh basil for the toppings.  All the tomatoes, oregano, and basil, came from our herb garden!

This is Anita, adding tomato sauce to her heart-shaped pizza.

And here is Annabel, sprinkling grated mozzarella cheese on hers.  Notice the beautiful pearl bracelet (Nancy, this one's for you)!  She wears it all the time! 

Annabel and Daddy working on their pizzas!

Daddy's pizza looks awesome, topped with pepperoni, basil leaves, kalamata olives, and anchovies. 

The pizzas turned out so yummy.  Of course, we couldn't finish them all.  So, guess what?  We had leftovers the next day and Daddy took some to work.  I am so thankful for my little herb garden, where I can gather so much deliciousness and inspiration for our daily meals.  I will surely miss it once the garden gives way to Fall and the colder temperatures.  

Thank you again for visiting my kitchen.  I want to wish you all a happy September!  When the colder weather comes around, and we are all wearing coats, hats, and mitts, remember that there is one place the cold must never enter - our hearts.  Wishing you all a cozy heart season!  xo

The foliage has been losing its freshness through the month of August, and here and there a yellow leaf shows itself like the first gray hair amidst the locks of a beauty who has seen one season too many.  ~Oliver Wendell Holmes

Stuffed with Inspiration

A couple of weeks ago, Nuno, the girls, and I went to dinner at an Italian restaurant in Orillia, about half an hour's drive from our home.  The restaurant is called Zat's.  This was our first time dining there.  The girls ordered spaghetti and meatballs and Nuno and I each ordered a tomato-based seafood pasta .  The restaurant was participating in "Barrielicious" - a food festival where restaurants in and around Barrie offer customers a 3 course prix fixe menu for only 15-25 dollars per person. What I loved most about the pasta was the addition of the goat cheese, cherry tomatoes, and black olives.  Those simple ingredients made an otherwise standard dish, taste deliciously gourmet.  It really left an impression on me.  I decided to use some of that inspiration towards Monday's dinner. 

First, I made the tomato sauce using tomatoes, onion, garlic, oregano, and fresh basil.  I let it simmer for approximately one hour, then set it aside.

Using a sharp knife, I sliced into the thickest part of the boneless, skinless chicken breast.  This forms a "pocket" so you can fill it with the stuffing.  Be careful not to cut through the other side!

Ingredients for the stuffing - soft unripened goat cheese, chopped fresh basil, and sliced black olives - mix these together until well combined

Fill pockets with the stuffing and secure opening with a toothpick, so the stuffing doesn't escape.  Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper.

 

Next, I braised the breasts in some vegetable oil (no photo).  You can braise them for 4-5 minutes each side over medium high heat.  This gives the breasts a nice golden color. Add enough tomato sauce to cover the bottom of the pan and place the chicken breasts on top.  Cover them with more tomato sauce.

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake covered, for approximately 20 minutes. Take care not to over cook, or the breast meat will dry up.

In the meantime, cook your favorite pasta in boiling, salted water until al dente.  Add tomato sauce.

...and here it is on a plate.  I added bits of goat cheese to the pasta as well as sliced black olives and some fresh basil.   

In my love affair with cooking, I have learned that inspiration is key.  I will never have enough cookbooks, food magazines, or restaurant experiences. These all provide me with constant inspiration for everyday meals and culinary adventures.  Thank you again for visiting my kitchen.  I love reading your comments.  Have a wonderful day! xo


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A Little Mexican Flavour

One of the first things I do when I wake up in the morning is decide what I will be making for dinner that night.  First, I look in the fridge or freezer to see what I already have at home.  If I'm lucky, I'll have all the ingredients on hand (which is usually not the case).  Yesterday's freezer contents were 2 whole chickens, ground beef, assorted fish, hamburgers and chicken breasts.  I decided to make something with one of the chickens.  But what would I make?  A stew? Roasted chicken?  And then it came to me, chicken tacos!  I love Mexican food and my favourite Mexican restaurants are those teeny tiny ones, that have just a few tables, if none at all.  I find the food at those restaurants, by far, have the most authentic Mexican flavour.  Less is more.  The simplest, freshest ingredients make for the best tacos - nothing too fancy.

I allowed the 3-4 pound chicken to defrost, chopped it up, then boiled it for approximately 30 minutes.  Once cooled, I shredded the entire chicken.  It gave me approx. 5 cups of shredded chicken.

I chopped an onion & garlic and sauteed in vegetable oil until golden.

I added shredded chicken, salt, pepper, oregano, ground cumin, cinnamon and cloves.  After some research, I found that these ingredients are key to making "authentic" chicken tacos.  However, it still didn't have the distinct taste I was looking for.  I added some chili powder, chopped cilantro and a cup of the chicken broth that was left over from boiling the chicken.  Without the broth, the chicken would have been too dry.   Now, it was perfect! 

Some of the taco toppings - freshly grated white cheddar, iceberg lettuce, homemade salsa and sour cream

Homemade salsa - chopped onion, garlic, tomatoes, avocado and cilantro, along with lime juice, salt and pepper.

Here it is on a plate.  The taco shells are Mexican corn tortillas.  They come refrigerated...all I had to do was warm them up in the oven.  I made some rice to serve on the side, it was boiled in the strained, leftover chicken broth.   Nothing goes to waste in this kitchen!

I hope I have inspired you to make something different with your chicken. The tacos were delicious and hubby and girls loved them.  I will definitely be making these again in the future.  Thanks for stopping in!  It has been raining here for most of the day.  Waiting for hubby to get home, so we can have dinner together.  Have a good evening everyone! xo

Caldeirada / Portuguese Fish Stew

Caldeirada is a very typical Portuguese dish.  It is similar to the French dish, Bouillabaisse.  It's a type of fish stew cooked with onions, garlic, tomatoes, potatoes, paprika, and of course fish.  I remember the first time I ate this meal...it was at my Mother-in-law's house, back when my husband and I were dating.  This is one of my husband's favourite meals.  I know how much he loves it, so I made it for dinner last night.  I would like to share the recipe with you:

Caldeirada - serves 4

1 large onion
2 large tomatoes
1 green bell pepper OR 1/2 green, 1/2 red bell pepper
4 garlic cloves
12-15 small boiling potatoes (of similar size)
3 tsp coarse salt
3 tsp paprika
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves
1 cup dry white wine
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2-3 pounds assorted fresh fish
fresh seafood (if desired)

First, peel and cut onion into thin slices.  Chop 2 large tomatoes into coarse chunks.  Cut green pepper in half, lengthwise, remove seeds, and slice into thin strips.(You can also use 1/2 green pepper & 1/2 red pepper). Peel and thinly slice garlic cloves.  Set aside.  Peel 12-15 small potatoes, cut in half, and keep submerged in water until ready to use.

The trick to Caldeirada seems to be the importance of layering.  Here's how I do it...

Layer 1 - In a large pot, add half of each (onions, tomatoes, garlic, peppers).  Add 1 tsp coarse salt, 1 tsp paprika powder, and bay leaf.

Layer 2 - Add all of the halved potatoes over the first layer.  Sprinkle with 1 tsp of salt and 1 tsp of paprika powder.

Layer 3 - Over the potatoes, add remaining half of each (onions, tomatoes, garlic, peppers).  Add 1 tsp of coarse salt, 1 tsp of paprika and 1/2 cup of coarsely chopped cilantro leaves.

Next, add 1 cup dry white wine to the layers and fill the rest of the pot with water, just until the potatoes are covered.  (I used 6 cups of water for my large pot).  Add 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil.  Bring the water to a boil, over high heat. 

Let the stew boil for 5 minutes before you add the fish.  This is what it should look like.  Set the heat to medium high.  Now it's time to add the fish...

You can use 2-3 pounds of fresh fish.  I used sea bass, grouper, red snapper, skate fish, and 2 sardines (typical of Portuguese Caldeirada).  This fish was bought fresh and cut at the market.  You must use fresh, frozen just won't give you the same flavour.  I also added some mussels, clams, and a couple of blue crabs. (You don't have to add the seafood if you don't want to).  You can also add shrimp or scallops, if you like. Seafood adds great flavour to the stew. 

Place mussels, clams, and crabs on top of your stew, and then the sliced, assorted fish over top.  Cover the pot with its lid and cook over medium high heat for approximately 20 minutes, or just until potatoes are cooked.  The steam from the sealed pot will cook the fish, without having to immerse it in water.  Be sure to check the potatoes, you wouldn't want them to overcook and break.  It will make a mess in the stew. And of course, don't forget to taste for salt. 

And here is the stew, served on a typical Portuguese plate.  Use a ladle to pour some of the delicious sauce over the fish and make sure you have some fresh, crusty bread for dipping!  Add some chopped cilantro over top and you have a delicious meal! 

ENJOY!!  xoxo