"Poached" Egg in Tomato Sauce

This one is more of a method than a recipe. Last night I made sauce with the last of the season's tomatoes. I know I need to save most of the leftover for my sweetie to enjoy with mozzarella sticks this weekend, but I have been wanting to try baking eggs in tomato sauce for a long time. However, our oven takes a really long time to heat up, and as I just wanted to cook one egg, that seemed excessive. In browsing recipes online I found this one, and decided to give this method a go.

It was a bit tricky since I was only cooking one egg, and therefore had hardly any sauce in the pot, maybe 1/2 a cup? Next time I will use a shallower pan rather than a pot. I also cooked my egg just a tad too long, but it was still very tasty. I will be trying this again.

"Poached Egg in Tomato Sauce"

Tomato or Marinara Sauce, about 1/2 cup per egg
Egg(s)

Heat up the sauce in a pan or pot over medium-low heat. Once the sauce is simmering, crack in the egg(s). Continue cooking until the egg whites are set, but the yolk is still somewhat runny, or to your tastes, 5 minutes or so for 'medium'-ish eggs.

Serve with (or over) toasted bread.

Mustard-Rosemary Roasted Potatoes

I can tell the seasons are changing just by what I am wanting to cook. Last night I made meatloaf, and wanted something other than mashed potatoes as a side, so I made these yummy roasted potatoes instead.



1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
1 tsp Paprika
1/2 tsp Dry Thyme
Salt and Pepper to Taste
2 Medium Yukon Gold Potatoes, cut into 1/2 - 3/4 inch chunks
1 - 2 Sprigs Fresh Rosemary, broken into 1 1/2 inch pieces

Preheat Oven to 400 Degrees

Spray an 8 inch baking dish with cooking spray.

Whisk olive oil, mustard, paprika, thyme and salt and pepper in a medium mixing bowl. Add the potatoes and stir to coat evenly. Spread the potatoes in the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with the fresh rosemary. Roast in the oven about 25 minutes until nicely brown on the outside and soft in the middle, stirring at least once during cooking.

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Pork Loin Roast with Apples

I bought a pork loin roast without any real plan for what to do with it, so I went browsing the web to see what I could find. This recipe from The Food Network caught my eye, so I decided to give it a go. Following is my version, with a few tweaks to account for my family's tastes and what I had on hand.

1 Two Pound Pork Loin Roast
Salt and Pepper
3/4 tsp Chopped Fresh Rosemary (or 1/2 tsp dry, crumbled)
2 Tbsp Canola Oil
1 Medium Onion, Thickly Sliced
1 Celery Root (Celeriac), Peeled. 1/2-inch Dice
2 Medium Carrots, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
3 Apples, Cored and cut into 1-inch chunks
3 Cloves Garlic, Minced or Pressed
3/4 tsp Dry Thyme (or fresh if you have it)
1 Sprig Fresh Rosemary (or 1/2 tsp dry)
2 Tbsp Cider Vinegar
1 Cup Apple Juice or Cider
2 Tbsp Grainy Mustard
2 Tbsp Cold Butter

Take the roast out of the fridge 30 minutes or so before you plan to start cooking. Sprinkle it all over with salt, pepper, and chopped rosemary and let it sit on the counter.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

Chop the veggies and apples.

Heat the canola oil in an oven-proof skillet over high heat. Add the roast and brown all over, about 3 minutes per side. Remove the roast to a plate.

Reduce the heat in the skillet to medium and add the onions, celery root, carrots and rosemary sprig. Cook for about 5 minutes, and add the garlic, thyme, and apples. Continue cooking for another 4 minutes or so, until the vegetables are beginning to brown. Push the apple mixture to the sides of the pan, and place the roast in the center. Put in the oven and roast to an internal temperature of 135 degrees. You can use an instant-read thermometer, or insert a probe thermometer before you put the roast in the oven.

Remove the pan from the oven and place the roast on a cutting board. Tent it loosely with foil. Put the apple mixture on a serving platter (discard any herb sprigs) and return the pan to high heat on the stove. Stir in the vinegar, stirring to get up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Cook until reduced by half, then add the apple juice or cider. Reduce the juice by half, then turn off the heat. Whisk in the mustard, then the butter.

Slice the roast about 1/4 thick or so and arrange it over the apple mixture. Drizzle the roast with the sauce, and pass remaining sauce at the table. Enjoy!

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How to Freeze Fresh Green Beans

This one is not so much a recipe as a how-to. We were blessed to receive lots and lots (and lots and lots) of green beans from our CSA farm this year. So many, in fact, that we could not possibly keep up with eating them all fresh.

So....I asked my son to research ways to freeze them for later use. He did me one better. He not only did the research, but then came downstairs and did the work as well. That was a great day!

The first thing he did was snap off the stem ends of the beans.

Next, he blanched them in boiling water for three minutes.


The next step was to take the beans out of the boiling water and put them in a bowl of ice water, also for three minutes.



After that, he put the beans on a cookie sheet covered with a clean towel so they could dry a bit.



One of the most important steps, according to him, is to make sure that you label the bag. I am sure this will seem more important to me in December when I am looking for these green beans in the freezer!




Next the green beans go into the bag, and then into the freezer.


Thanks to my son for freezing the green beans. I am sure we will enjoy them this winter, after we haven't had any in a while.

One Pot Creamy Pesto Pasta

Here is a quicky lunch or side dish to use up some of that summer basil you may still have around.

One Pot Creamy Pesto Pasta

1 Small Garlic Clove
2 TBSP Pine Nuts or Walnuts
2 TBSP Shredded Parmesan Cheese
1/3 Cup Fresh Basil Leaves
Drizzle of Olive Oil
1 Cup Pasta
2 Cups Veggie Broth (or Chicken Broth)
2 Tbsp Flour
1 1/2 Tbsp Butter
1/2 Cup Milk

Combine the garlic, pine nuts or walnuts, Parmesan cheese, and basil in a food processor and process until smooth. Slowly add in a drizzle of olive oil until desired consistency is reached. Or, feel free to use pre-made basil pesto in this recipe, up to about 1/3 cup or so.




This little food processor that came with my stick blender is perfect for this job.


Put the pasta and the broth in a medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer, and simmer until the pasta is tender, about 10-12 minutes. There will still be some liquid left in the pot.

Sprinkle the flour over the pasta and cook and stir for about a minute. Add the butter and stir until melted. Cook and stir another minute or two, then add in the milk. Stir to incorporate everything and let cook for about 90 seconds, or until the milk is simmering. Stir in pesto sauce to taste, I like a lot, so I used all of it, but start with a few tablespoons and see how you like it. Season to taste with salt and pepper, serve and enjoy.

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Padron Peppers

This one is super quick and easy, not even a recipe, so I am not going to bother with a printer-friendly version. We got padron peppers in our CSA share 2 or 3 times this summer, and it was a new veggie to us. After researching online, I found out that they are originally from Galicia, Spain, and are commonly served as tapas. Or is that a tapa? Anyway, no matter. Also, they are mostly mild, but a few spicy ones turn up here and there. You can't tell which will be spicy, so it is a surprise! There is even a saying : "Pementos de Padrón: uns pican e outros non." (Padron peppers, some are spicy some are not.)

The preparation is super simple and delicious. Simply heat a cast iron skillet or griddle over high heat, and cook the peppers until they are blackening. Remove to a plate or platter, drizzle with good olive oil, and sprinkle with salt. That's it. Yum!

Stir-Fry Noodles with Spicy Peanut Sauce and Veggies

Okay, it's been forever. I know. I have been sick ALL summer, but despite that did manage to cook a few things, just never got around to posting.

My sweetie is not a big fan of peanut sauce, so I made this one in July when he was on a business trip to the East Coast. I have tried many times to make peanut sauce, and this was by far my best effort to date. I listed the vegetables I used this time, but, as always, you can use whatever you have on hand. Just try to have about 3 cups or so of vegetables.

For the Sauce :

1/3 Cup plus 1 TBSP Creamy Peanut Butter
1 Clove Garlic, Minced or Pressed
1/2 tsp Fresh Ginger, Minced
1 TBSP Brown Sugar
1/4 Cup Rice Vinegar
1/2 tsp Chili Garlic Sauce
1 tsp Sesame Oil



For the Stir-Fry

2 tsp Canola or Peanut Oil
1 Cup Green Beans, about 1 inch long
1/2 Cup Sliced Summer Squash
1/2 Cup Sliced Radishes
1/2 Cup Sliced Carrots
1 Cup Chopped Cabbage
1/4 - 1/2 Cup Chopped Fresh Cilantro
One 9 oz. Package of Fresh Asian Noodles, or Dried Linguine or Spaghetti


To make the sauce, combine all of the sauce ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. Set aside.

Cook the noodles according to the package directions and set aside.

To make the stir-fry, heat the oil in a wok over high heat, add the vegetables and stir-fry until they just begin to soften, about 3 or 4 minutes. Add the sauce and the cooked noodles. Stir to coat everything thoroughly and cook until hot, about another 3 minutes or so. Stir in the chopped cilantro, serve and enjoy!

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