recipe

Three Tomato Tart

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Here is a recipe you are going to love…and it is super easy…remember I like easy….

I have to say that this 4th of July I must have been possessed by a cook… for I had the urge to bake…yes, I made goodies to bring to my sister’s BBQ…

I came across this recipe and decided  to make it.  Now mind you, I never made this tart before.  Most normal cooks never make a new recipe and serve it to guests, but not me.

 Three-Tomato Tart

I took a chance and it worked…everyone loved the three tomato tart.

You have to try this easy dish…and if your guest like ricotta they will love this tart.

Ingredients:

Pastry for Single-Crust Pie (recipe follows

3  tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

2  egg whites

1  cup low-fat ricotta cheese

2  cloves garlic, minced

1  tablespoon snipped fresh lemon thyme or thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed

2 large tomatoes, sliced

5  yellow or red cherry tomatoes, slice

2 red cherry tomatoes, sliced

1  tablespoon olive oil or cooking oil

2  teaspoons snipped fresh lemon thyme or thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed

Directions:

1.
Prepare Pastry for Single-Crust Pie. On a lightly floured surface, roll pastry into a circle about 12 inches in diameter. Transfer to a 10-inch tart pan; ease pastry into pan. Trim pastry even with rim of pan. Do not prick pastry. Line pastry shell with a double thickness of foil. Bake pastry in a 450 degree F oven for 5 minutes. Remove foil. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes more or until pastry is set and dry. Remove from oven. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Sprinkle tart shell with Parmesan cheese.
2.
Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl beat egg whites slightly. Stir in ricotta cheese, garlic, and the 1 tablespoon thyme; spread over pastry.
3.
Overlap large tomato slices in a circle around edge. Arrange yellow cherry tomato slices in a circle within the tomato ring. Fill center with red cherry tomato slices. Stir together olive oil or cooking oil and the 2 teaspoons thyme. Brush tomatoes with oil mixture.
4.
Bake tart in a 325 degree F oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until heated through and nearly set. Serve warm or at room temperature. Refrigerate any leftover tart. Makes 10 to 12 appetizer servings.
*pastry for single-crust pie
In a large mixing bowl stir together 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in 1/3 cup shortening until pieces are pea size. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon cold water over part of the mixture; gently toss with a fork. Push moistened dough to the side of the bowl. Repeat moistening dough, using 1 tablespoon cold water at a time, until all the dough is moistened (4 to 5 tablespoons cold water total). Form dough into a ball.

* I bought a ready pie crust so much easier…

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Did You Know, Home

Keep Clear of Clogs

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I just had the plumber come to my home to clear up the  clog in my kitchen sink.  This cost was not expected and I was not so happy.  Joe, the plumber is a nice guy and he explained to me some simple steps I could follow to keep clear of clogs. Here they are:

Run hot water into the drain after each use of the drain

Save any and all cooking grease in a used aluminum can before washing pans

Throw coffee grounds away or add them  to your mulch pile

Pour a 1/2 cup of baking soda and boiling water down the drain once a month

Make sure you have a drain cover that fits your particular fixture.

 

I hope you find these tips helpful and for more tips and info go to:

https://www.clickandimprove.com/

 

product review

Rob Rainford’s, Born to Grill

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Yeah, summer is here!

It’s grilling time.  Get out the charcoal and flame it up.

I am so excited about grilling this year.

See, this year I have Rob Rainford’s, “BORN TO GRILL” recipe book.

This recipe book has over 100 recipes from his backyard to yours.  Rob must have read my mind…I am tired of grilling the same old, same old.  Now I can create a grilling meal that will surely please all my guests, or just me and my husband.

The pictures alone make my mouth water for all the meals that he has grilled and the step by step instructions, so simple…I need simple…Here are some of my favorite recipes:

Italian Style Grilled Potatoes….Yummy!

Jerk Shrimp Inferno…Hot, Hot, Hot!

Grilled romaine salad…Crunch!

Chickpea and tomato salad with yellow pepper …Yellow!

Rob Rainford’s Born To Grill can turn your backyard grill into a master grill.

Do get out your best china and silverware and go out doors…and Grill, Baby, Grill with Rob Rainford, Born To Grill.

Here is a little something about the Rob Rainford:

Rob Rainford was born to grill, and now he’s taking grilling to a whole new level! In Born to Grill he brings his barbeque prowess to over 100 recipes and 20 complete menus from around the world– designed for hosting family and friends around your backyard barbeque.
 
For Rob, grilling is about entertaining; it’s about spending time together, cooking and eating outdoors. It’s also about pushing the boundaries of what you think you can do on the grill. In Born to Grill he shares his unique slant on grilling with 20 menus for you to mix and match, for both charcoal or gas grills. Born to Grill‘s recipes are international, influenced by Rob’s travels and experiences in different countries and cultures. There are plenty of great grill classics (with a Rainford twist) but he really pushes BBQ boundaries with some true grilling originals and expert techniques, like cold smoking. Born to Grill  takes you where no barbeque book has gone before, because Rob knows the grill can handle so much more than burgers and steaks. There’s still plenty of beef in here, but also lamb, chicken, fish, seafood, veal, duck, a huge range of vegetables, plenty of sides, and even salads! All cooked on the grill.

Rob Rainford is a professionally-trained Canadian Chef, who was born in Jamaica and grew up in downtown Toronto, surrounded by the smells of sizzling grills. He graduated from George Brown College and his professional career has taken him all over the world. Rob was host of the wildly popular Food Network TV show, License to Grill (which aired in Canada, the USA, Australia, Africa and Asia), and has spent the last two years perfecting his signature style, The Rainford Method, unveiled in this book. Rob has always loved mastering the challenges that unravel when working with a wider variety of foods, but his one true love has always been the grill. He lives in Toronto with his wife and two daughters.

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recipe

Fennel & Onion Salad with Pistachios

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A couple of weeks ago we went out to celebrate Merci turning 60, she finally caught up to me 🙂 Before dinner, we ordered a round of  cocktails, then we enjoyed this salad along with chicken quesadillas and a green salad.  All the ladies were so surprized at how wonderful this salad was. Hope you give it a try!

 

 

Fennel & Onion Salad w/Pistachios

2 large fennel bulbs (about 1 pound each)

1 red onion, sliced paper thin

3 tbs lemon juice

4 tbs Extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp coarse salt

1/2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper

Palm full of shelled pistachios nuts

Trim the feathery greens from the fennel bulbs and reserve. Cut off the stalks and discard. Cut in half through the stem end and place cut side down on a cutting board. Slice very thin, keeping the layers together. Place the fennel and onion slices in a colander and rinse for several minutes with very cold water. Dry in a salad spinner or blot dry. Put the slices in a bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice, 3 tablespoons of the olive oil, and the salt and pepper. Pull off the leavesof the reserved fennel greens and add about half add them to the salad. Toss to combine. Let stand for 10 minutes, then sprinkle with the remaining lemon juice and olive oil, and toss again, sprinkle with nuts.  Serves 4-5.

Pistachios have been shown to slow the absorption of carbohydrates and prevent blood sugar spikes

Family, pets

Until Then, My Dear Pet

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It is very sad when you lose a pet…a pet that has been with the family for 12 years…yes, it is sad when your home becomes a little empty because one of God’s little creatures has moved on..and even though you never thought you could miss this pet you suddenly realize that this pet took a piece of your heart when he left this world…I realized this last Sunday evening when my beagle, Gizmo,  decided that his time had come and left our family.

Gizmo came into our home when he was only 8 weeks old.  I remember watching this little beagle dog, in the pet shop cage, just being abused by his sister,  she would nip on his ear, nip, nip, nip and all he did was take it.  My need to protect this little creature was aroused.   I knew  I needed to take him away from his abusive dogie family. So I did.  I brought Gizmo to my den.
Gizmo ended up to be the type of dog that would always get himself into  trouble.  How did he get into trouble?  Well, Gizmo became a opener.  Yes, an opener, like open the refrigerator door, always when no one was looking,  and he would eat anything that he could get his big mouth on.  One time I had some left over lasagna, I could not wait to eat it for dinner…came home from work and the fridge door was open, and there was the tray of lasagna,  totally cleaned out.I never had baby locks for my children, I did have one for my fridge.. to keep the dog out.  Gizmo even opened  our  deck door from the outside.  Yes, he did…I would get upset because the dog did not learn how to close it when he entered the house…Gizmo was a smart beagle.
My family members were always yelling,  get Gizmo out of my room,  Gizmo ate my sandwich,  Gizmo opened my bag and tore up my money, or ate my gum…he was always into some kind of mayhem.   As he got older we were able to control his antics.
Oh, Gizmo was also an escape artist.  If the backyard gate was just slightly ajar he would open it and run.  He was a runner…as it was explained to me by a follow dog lover.
The funny thing is Gizmo always managed to find someone to bring him back home…one time as we were searching the neighborhood a man just pulled up along side my dad and asked…”Did you lose a dog?”  And there was Gizmo in the back seat…How did this man, who said he found the dog blocks away, managed to find the house, is still a puzzle…one time  the pound picked  him up…and I was off to the pound to bail him out…problem was he had no license and of course I had to get him one.
Yes, Gizmo was a big pain in the kazoo…but we all loved him.  When Gizmo left us he did it with a quiet touch.  Just slowly went away to the place all animals go to…I truly believe that animals have no souls, but that does not mean that animals have no place to go.
I believe that all the animals that have brought love into the home, live on in another plane and one day we get to meet them again…I can see them coming to greet us, just like they did when they were with us.  Can I attest to this, NO!… Gizmo, until then.