Tag Archives: rosemary

Roasted Tomatoes with Rosemary and Peanuts

22 Sep

I know this recipe might sound quirky… but it’s probably because it was “invented” by one of my quirkiest friends, Yanelis.  While we were in Paraguay, we were assigned a different day to lead the kitchen and design a menu for all of us who were traveling together.  This was one of Yanelis’ creations on his menu…

This dish was so popular that Yanelis actually made it 3 times…  well the third time I actually was the one who made them, using macadamia nuts instead of the peanuts.  And to be honest, I like them both (but maybe a little bit more the macadamia version)…

This is easy and delicious and will impress anyone when served at a table.  I usually plan for 2-3 tomato halves per person.  Or maybe 2 whole tomatoes per person so you make sure there’s enough for all.  I know I served myself seconds each and every time we made these.  Check them out.

Roasted Tomatoes with Peanuts and Rosemary

ROASTED TOMATOES WITH ROSEMARY AND PEANUTS

8-10 Roma tomatoes  – make sure they’re organic, without wax on the outside
¼ cup honey
¼ cup water
2 tbs olive oil
2 tbs dried rosemary
½ cup raw peanuts
Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
 
  1. Pre-heat oven to 400F.
  2. Half all the tomatoes and take off a very thin piece off the “bottom” of each tomato half, to make sure they stand and do not topple on top of each other when they’re roasting.  Place in a roasting dish cut side up one next to the other.
  3. Season tomatoes liberally with salt and freshly ground pepper.  Sprinkle dried rosemary on top of tomatoes.
  4. In a large measuring cup measure the oil, honey and water.  Whisk well to combine and drizzle over the tomato halves.
  5. Roast in oven for about 45-60 minutes.  The tomatoes will cook, but maintain their shape.

 

Serve was a simple but tasty side dish…  I just liked them on top of whole grain rice and a salad.

Roasted Tomatoes with Rosemary, Honey and Macadamia Nuts

Roasted Tomatoes with Rosemary Honey and Macadamia Nuts

 

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Thyme Rosemary Scalloped Potatoes

27 Feb

I loooooove potatoes and I love cheese too… But sometimes I want to take a break from cheese. Hey… don’t shoot me for saying this, but as the saying goes, “todos los extremos son malos” or all extremes have a dark side. And for me, eating too much cheese on a consistent basis does a number on me.

After I finish retreats, I try to avoid eating too much cheese. I seek recipes in my arsenal that do not rely on cheese. There are some, but not many. I must confess (*hangs head down in shame)…

I found this recipe by a daily email I receive from Cooking.com. It’s a Food & Wine recipe which they adapted from Daniel Boloud. So by me now adapting it once again, who knows if we’re either come full circle to the original recipe or taking it into a whole different place where chef Boloud never ever intended… either way, this recipe is a real keeper IMHO.

As you’ll read in the directions, I did it in a spring form pan. Some of the liquid seeps out, but the end result is really good still. Next time, I will make them individually in muffin tins and they will look cute and the liquid will stay with the potatoes. I will show you pics of that soon enough. OK??

scalloped potatoes

THYME ROSEMARY SCALLOPED POTATOES

1 tbs extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the pan
1 small onion, minced
1 clove of garlic, smashed
1 tsp chopped thyme
1/2 tsp chopped rosemary
1 cup mushroom broth… left over from rehydrating some morels
½ vegetable bouillon cube
1 large Yukon Gold potato, very thinly sliced with a mandolin
Salt and Freshly ground pepper

 

  1. In a small saucepan, heat the olive oil. Add the onion, garlic clove and vegetable cube and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes.
  2. Add the thyme and rosemary and cook for 1 minute. Add the mushroom broth and bring to a boil. Cook over moderately high heat until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 10-15 minutes.

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3.  Preheat the oven to 400° and oil a round cake pan. I did it on my spring form pan, but make sure you wrap it tightly in foil to prevent leakages. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and oil the paper.

4.  Arrange an overlapping layer of potato slices in the bottom of the pan. Season lightly with salt and pepper and spoon a small amount of the reduced broth on top. Repeat the layering with the remaining potatoes and reduced broth, seasoning each layer lightly. Pour any remaining broth on top. Cover the pan with a sheet of oiled parchment paper and then a sheet of foil and place in a sheet tray to catch any liquid.

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5.  Bake the potatoes until they are very tender, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove the foil and paper and bake until the top is dry, about 10 minutes longer.

6.  Turn the broiler on. Remove the potatoes from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Take out of the spring form pan and broil it until the surface is lightly browned, about 2 minutes.

7.  Cut into wedges and serve.

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Rosemary Almonds

16 May

I love almonds.  They’re one of my favorite nuts, next to cashews, pistachios and hazelnuts.  I love almonds, not only for their flavor and crunchy texture, but also because they’re a great source of protein.  I read somewhere that eating 5-10 almonds a day gives you all the protein you need for that day.  Great news for me… because I rather eat almonds than beans any day of the week.

I wanted to treat the mothers in my life with something I made… instead of something bought.  I read this recipe in the Barefoot in Paris Cookbook where Ina uses cashews to re-create these bar nuts she ate at Union Square Café in New York.   I decided to go with almonds instead of cashews because I needed to make a large batch and almonds tend to be less expensive than cashews. 

I loved the results…  and as Ina says in her book, these taste best when they’re still warm.

 

ROSEMARY ALMONDS

3 cups peeled raw almonds
2 tbs minced fresh rosemary
½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
2 tsp brown sugar
1 tbs kosher salt
1 tbs unsalted butter, melted

 

  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.  Spread thee almonds on a baking sheet and toast for about 10-15 minutes, particularly if you soaked the almonds to peel them.  If you prefer to keep the almonds with their skin, toast them for a shorter time to avoid burning them.
  2. While the almonds are in the oven, combine the rosemary, salt, pepper, sugar, and butter in a large bowl.
  3. Add the toasted almonds to the large bowl with the salt/sugar/rosemary mixture.  Toss well to combine.
  4. Serve warm if possible.

 

These are great as a snack, as a hostess gift… you name it.  They’re super delicious.

 

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