Tomato Pie

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Tomatoes, fresh from the vine, are one of summer’s greatest gifts. There’s so many ways to use them, but few are simpler or more delicious than a tomato pie. When I first heard the term “tomato pie” – I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. Was it sweet? It was after all pie, right?  But, after one bite I was hooked.

Tomatoes and onions are layered in pre-baked pie shell, then topped with a mixture of cheeses and fresh basil. So, yeah, it’s essentially a crust of cheese. How can you argue with that? My girlfriend made a couple for our book club this past weekend, and I’m afraid I might have eaten an entire pie to myself if they’d have let me! With all the fresh tomatoes I had in a colander on the counter, I knew I had to make one to share with you guys!

I did tweak a few things. First, I sliced the tomatoes, then salted and let sit for a few minutes to strain liquid out.  I like the layers! I sauteed the onions with a bit of garlic before adding them to the pie. Added a drizzle of balsamic before topping with the cheese mixture. Traditionally that mixture is mayonnaise, and then various cheeses. I wanted to lighten it up a bit, so I subbed half the mayo for Greek yogurt – and, as always, I love the slight tang that it lended to the dish!

If your lucky enough to have an abundance of tomatoes right now, do yourself a favor and make this pie! Or, better yet, make two – because they’ll go fast. Apparently they freeze great too. Stick it in the fridge the night before to defrost, then bake as usual. I’m definitely making a couple more to freeze before tomatoes are gone for good. It would be wonderful to enjoy this summery goodness in January!

Tomato Pie

1 9-inch pie shell (click for my favorite pie crust recipe)
1/2 onion, diced
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 tomatoes, sliced in 1/4-inch slices
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
2 cups grated cheese (Cheddar, Mozzarella, Monterey Jack)
1/3 cup mayonaise
1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
salt, freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350F. Place pie shell in oven and cook for 8-10 minutes or longer until lightly golden. If you are starting with a frozen crust, you’ll need to cook it a little longer. If you are using a homemade crust, freeze the crust first, then line the crust with aluminum foil and pre-bake it for 20 minutes, then remove the foil and bake an additional 10 minutes.

Place the sliced tomatoes in single layer on a cooling rack placed inside a baking pan, and sprinkle both sides with kosher salt. Let sit 15 minutes to let liquids drain.

Add olive oil to a medium skillet over medium high heat, and saute the onions until starting to brown on the edges. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute. Remove from heat.

Sprinkle the bottom of the pre-cooked pie shell with the onions and garlic. Place the sliced tomatoes in even layers on top of the onions. Drizzle with the balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle the sliced basil over the tomatoes.

In a medium bowl, mix together the grated cheese, mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, a sprinkling of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Spread the cheese mixture over the tomatoes.

Bake at 350, uncovered, until brown and bubbly – about 35 minutes. Let cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing.

Source: adapted from my friend Sarah via Simply Recipes

Chicken Gyros

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I had to do a double check to make sure I hadn’t posted this one yet. This is a dinner that we’ve eaten pretty much every other week for the past 3 years, and still never tire of it! It’s relatively quick and easy dinner too, that doesn’t heat up the whole house.

My husband grew up working in Greek family restaurants, so he’s always loved gyros. I stayed away from them for a long time, due the flat grey meat that is usually lurking inside. Then, my favorite internet Greek resident, Elly, shared her recipe for chicken gyros. It was like a revelation! I made them once years ago, and our whole family has been loving them since.

The chicken is marinated in lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, and oregano. Then grilled, sliced, and piled into a warm pita with plenty of cool, creamy tzatziki and fresh veggies of your choosing. I like lettuce, tomato, sliced cucumber, and red onion. Perfect for an evening dinner outside in the backyard, which we love to enjoy this time of year.

I usually like to serve a Greek (think garlic & oregano!) seasoned oven fry or Greek salad with them, but with the abundance of gorgeous tomatoes in my backyard right now I decided to make a cucumber tomato feta salad. Amazeballs! If you haven’t made this Greek favorite already, just go ahead and do so. I can say with certainty that it will probably go onto heavy menu rotation on your dinner menus!

Chicken Gyros

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken (breasts or thighs)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 lemon, juiced
2 tsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp dried oregano
kosher salt and pepper
1 batch tzatziki sauce
sliced tomatoes
sliced onions
sliced cucumbers
lettuce
4 (pocketless) pitas

Whisk together the garlic, lemon juice, vinegar, oil, oregano, and 1 teaspoon salt in a small bowl and add to Ziploc bag. Add in chicken pieces and marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour, turning halfway through.

Preheat the grill (or pan, or broiler).  Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides, and then grill over indirect heat until cooked through, about 8 minutes per side, depending  what size/type chicken you are using. Allow the chicken to rest for a few minutes before slicing into strips.

Meanwhile, warm your pita bread. I have a gas stove, so I just spray them with a little bit of oil and stick them right on the burner for a few seconds per side. Top the pita with the chicken, tzatziki, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, and lettuce.

Souce: slightly adapted from Elly Says Opa!

Carrot Cupcakes

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While we’ve been enjoying every minute of summer thus far, I can’t help but look forward to the arrival of Fall. It’s my favorite season for sure – nothing makes a hot cup of coffee better than a crisp, cool Autumn morning. I made these carrot cupcakes for a friends birthday, it’s a recipe I’ve gone to time and time again, but just never managed to share with you guys.

Lots of shredded carrot (seriously, you’ll think “this much?”)and chopped walnuts are mixed in to a tender spice cake, for a taste that will definitely have you wanting more of cooler temperatures. For the garnish, I made candied carrot curls. Though they were a little bit time consuming, they were a totally awesome garnish that tasted great. Jon and I were munching on the leftovers all night.

Not that we’ve met a cupcake we didn’t like, everyone seemed to enjoy these more than usual. I had about 6 left after getting the birthday boy his order, and waited until the next day to take a photo. When I came downstairs with the plate of cupcakes, it was if a hoard of locusts had descended upon me. Crumbs, on a spinning plate, I tell ya. Enjoy these, guys!

Carrot Cupcakes

3 Cups peeled, grated carrots, ends removed (about 1 lb.)
2 Cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
4 large eggs
2 Cups granulated white sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 Cup vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup chopped walnuts

For the frosting:
8 ounces cream cheese
4 ounces butter
3 3/4 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt

For the carrot curls:
1 large carrot (preferably fat) or 2 medium
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 325°. Line muffin tins with paper cupcake cups. Peel carrots, chop off ends, and grate finely, which is easiest using a food processor. Sift flour, cinnamon, salt, baking soda and baking powder together, set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs until well blended. Add sugar, oil, buttermilk, carrots, and vanilla, mix well at medium speed. Add flour mixture and nuts. Blend on low speed until just mixed, spoon into cupcake cups, about 3/4 full. Bake in preheated oven for about 22 minutes, until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Let cool completely before frosting.

For the garnish,  Peel layers from carrot lengthwise on one side with peeler until you begin to get wide slices. Peel wide strips, reserving them, until you get about 20 (there will be a few extra). Bring water and sugar to a boil in a small heavy saucepan, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Add wide carrot strips and simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes. Strain through a sieve into a bowl, discarding syrup. Let stand 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 225°F with rack at middle position. Line a large baking sheet with nonstick liner, then arrange candied carrot slices flat in 1 layer on sheet. Bake until dry but still flexible, about 20 minutes. Wind carrot strips, 1 at a time, around end of handle of a wooden spoon in a loose spiral, then slip off each curl and return, seam sides down, to lined baking sheet to dry for a couple of hours and using as garnish.

For the frosting, cream the butter, cheese and salt in a stand mixer until light and fluffy. Gradually add the sugar until incorporated, then add the vanilla.

Ice cupcakes with frosting as desired, garnishing with carrot curls and chopped walnuts, if desired.

Source: cupcakes adapted from Penzeys, candied carrot curls adapted from Epicurious

Chipotle-Lime Chicken Fajitas

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Ahh, these fajitas. We go way back. I first made them during a power outage during a hurricane,as it was a meal I could completely make on the grill. I remember being so blown away by the flavors. Keep in mind that this was 2007, I was just getting my footing in the kitchen – and was finally opening up to trying new things. Like, chipotle or cilantro for instance. Ahh, the ways of youth.

For years now, this has been my go-to recipe for anything Tex-Mex related that involves chicken. The original recipe from Cook’s Illustrated gave two other variations (God love ’em!) that are both awesome in their own right, lemon-parsley and orange-tarragon. I plan to add those to our menu soon to share with you guys, I’d forgotten how good they both were!

But, the chipotle-lime really lends itself nicely to these fajitas. The sauce that you top the chicken with right before serving is killer. Often, fajitas can be bland – but you won’t have that problem here. Take advantage of bell peppers while they’re still affordable (seriously, $3 for a red bell pepper?) and in-season! Piled high on a warm tortilla, it’s one of my favorite weeknight meals.

Chipotle-Lime Chicken  Fajitas

1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, chopped (about 1 tbsp)
7 tsp fresh lime juice
6 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp fresh cilantro leaves
1 1/4 tsp sugar
Kosher salt
black pepper
3 garlic cloves,minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
2 tbsp water
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 red, orange, or yellow bell pepper, sliced into 1/2″ thick strips
1 green bell pepper, sliced into 1/2″ thick strips
1 red onion, peeled and sliced into 1/2″ thick strips
8 – 8 inch tortillas
Vegetable oil

Whisk together 2 tsp chipotle chile, 4 teaspoons lime juice, 3 tablespoons olive oil, cilantro, 1/4 teaspoon sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in small bowl; set aside.

Whisk together the remaining chipotle chile, lime juice, 3 tablespoons olive oil, remaining teaspoon sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, garlic, and water in medium bowl. Place marinade and chicken in gallon-size zipper-lock bag and toss to coat; press out as much air as possible and seal bag. Refrigerate 30 minutes, flipping bag after 15 minutes.

Heat grill to high, wiping down grill grates with some vegetable oil on a paper towel using tongs. Add chicken and cook over indirect heat, for about 8-10 minutes on each side depending on thickness. Then, place over direct heat for a couple of minutes on each side to char up the chicken breasts.

While the chicken is cooking, saute up the peppers and onions. In a large skillet over high heat, add 1 tbsp vegetable oil. When shimmering, add the sliced bell peppers and onions. Cook over high heat, stirring frequently, until the peppers and onions are starting to soften and blister. Remove from heat and set aside.

Transfer chicken to cutting board, let rest, tented with foil, 5 minutes. Slice each breast on bias into 1/4-inch-thick slices and transfer to individual plates. Drizzle with reserved sauce. Serve with warm tortillas and sauteed peppers and onions.

Source: Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated, July 2007