Yellow Pear Tomato Salad with Orzo and Basil

I have an overabundance of yellow pear tomatoes and needed to figure out a way to use some of them up. I came up with this and since my husband absolutely loved it I decided to post it. I hope you enjoy it as well.

6 servings

1 cup Orzo, dried, whole wheat
2 quarts Water, boiling
2 tbsp salt
¼ cup Olive Oil, good-quality extra virgin
1 whole Lemon, both juice and zest. Zest first and squeeze using a citrus press.
1 tsp Spanish Smoked Paprika
salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
½ cup Fresh Basil Leaves, tightly packed. Washed and spun dry in a salad spinner then sliced into strips
2 cups Yellow Pear Tomatoes, sliced in half, or more if you like.

Method
1.In a 4 quart pot: Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil, add 2 T. salt and the orzo and cook according to directions on the package, about 8 min.
2.Meanwhile: In a large bowl grate the zest of 1 lemon and using a citrus press juice the lemon (you should have about a 1/4 cup.). Add salt and pepper to taste and whisk to blend.
3.Holding the bowl in place with a rolled up towel: Whisk in the olive oil in a thin stream until well blended.
4.When orzo is done: Drain the orzo and pour the hot orzo into the dressing mixing well. Mix in the smoked paprika and let cool.
Do not substitute Hungarian Paprika for the Spanish Smoked Paprika. If you don't have Spanish Smoked just eliminate it from the recipe.
5.Just before serving: Slice up the tomatoes and basil and gently mix in. Adjust the seasoning with salt and freshly ground pepper and serve.

Orzo with Shrimp, Spinach, Tomatoes, Olives and Feta

Had some shrimp I needed to use and came up with this.

• 1 lb Orzo, Whole Wheat
• 1 lb Shrimp, Peeled and deveined
• 1 tsp Spanish Paprika, Hot Smoked
• ½ tsp salt
• 3 tbsp lemon juice, Juice of 1 lemon and the zest
• ¼ cup olive oil, also some for sauteing the shrimp
• 8 whole kalamata olives, quartered
• 1 cup baby spinach, packed and chopped
• 8 ounces cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
• 6 ounces Greek Feta, crumbled

For the Shrimp: Mix the 1 tsp. Spanish hot smoked paprika and the 1/2 tsp. salt in a small bowl. Pat the shrimp dry and put them into a small bowl. With your fingers, evenly distribute the spice mixture onto the shrimp.

Heat a small amount of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
Pour in the shrimp and saute until pink and cooked through.
Remove from the pan and set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to boiling: Add 2 tbsp. salt and the Orzo and cook until just al dent, 8-10 minutes.

Meanwhile: Zest the lemon and measure about 3 tbsp. of juice into a large bowl. Whisk in the 1/4 cup of olive oil and salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

When the orzo is done drain it into a fine mesh colander, shake out the excess water and dump it into the bowl with the dressing. Mix very thoroughly and add chopped spinach mixing well until spinach begins to wilt. Let cool.

When cool mix in shrimp with accumulated juices, kalamata olives, cherry tomatoes and feta.
Adjust seasoning with salt and freshly ground pepper and serve.

Can be refrigerated and served later.

Source: Tracey Adams | 8 servings

Curried Chicken with Potatoes and Spinach

I had thawed a couple of boneless, skinless chicken thighs and wanted to make something a little different with them. After much searching on the Internet I decided to come up with my own recipe.

I'd bought some Vadouvan Curry Powder from Williams-Sonoma and wanted to try it out.
This is what I came up with. We liked it so much, I'm sure I'll be making it again really soon.

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 whole chicken thighs, skinless, boneless
• ½ cup yogurt, plain, whole milk
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 tsp curry powder
• ¼ tsp cayenne, or more to taste
• salt, to taste
• 3 tbsp curry powder, Vadouvan from Williams-Sonoma
• ¼ tsp garlic powder, or 1 clove minced fresh
• 1 pound potatoes, Yukon Gold, cut into 1" pieces
• 2 large Italian plum tomatoes, cut into 1" chunks
• 1 medium onion, cut into 1" chunks
• 3-4 cups baby spinach
• 1 cup yogurt, plain, whole milk
• ¾ cup chicken broth, or as needed
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1.Chicken Thighs: Preheat oven to 500 degrees and line a baking sheet with nonstick foil.
In a medium-sized bowl put 1/2 cup yogurt, salt and pepper, and 1 tsp. curry powder. Coat chicken pieces and place on baking sheet.
Place baking sheet in lower center of oven and turn heat to 400 degrees.
Bake for 15 min. and turn, bake for another 15 min.
Remove to plate, cover and let cool enough to cut into bite-sized pieces without burning your fingers.
2.In a large skillet: Heat oil over medium heat. In hot oil cook curry powder until fragrant, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
Stir in potatoes and onions mixing thoroughly. Cook until onions are transparent and potatoes begin to soften. Add chicken, cayenne and salt and pepper to taste and stir well to combine.
Add chicken broth as needed to keep the mixture from drying out too much.
3.Cover: Continue cooking stirring frequently until potatoes are tender. Add yogurt, tomatoes and spinach.
Simmer uncovered for about 10 more minutes or until spinach is cooked and tomatoes begin to soften.
4. I served it over brown basmati rice.


Nutrition facts do not include rice.

Nutrition Facts:

Servings: 6
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 189
Total Fat: 6.27g
Cholesterol: 14mg
Sodium: 144mg (the sodium will vary depending on how much salt you add.)
Total Carbs: 24.84g
Dietary Fiber: 3.53g
Sugars: 7.37g
Protein: 9.56g

Tracey's Vegetarian Chili

Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tsp ground cumin
3 tsp ancho chile powder, rounded (Williams-Sonoma brand)
½ tsp smoked serrano chili powder, or to taste (Williams-Sonoma brand)
1 tsp smoked spanish paprika, slightly rounded
1 tsp thyme, dried and crushed
1 ½ tsp oregano, dried and crushed
1 medium zucchini, diced
1 cup roasted corn, Trader Joe's Roasted Corn in the freezer section
2 cans black beans, 15 1/2 ounce cans
1 can crushed canned tomatoes, 15 1/2 ounce can
1 can Del Monte Diced Tomatoes in Juice, 15 1/2 ounce can
2 cups broth, or more if it needs it.
salt and ground black pepper to taste
Method
1.Preheat oven to 350°.
2.In a large pot, heat oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion and sprinkle with a little salt, cook stirring until translucent (about 2 min.) and add garlic, stirring frequently until garlic is fragrant and soft (about 2 more min.). Add cumin and chili powders along with salt and pepper and cook until the spices are fragrant, about 1 minute. Add both cans of tomatoes, the thyme and oregano and the beans. Stir to mix and add 2 cups of broth.
3.Bring to a boil and add the zucchini. Turn off the stove, stir, cover and place on lower middle rack in oven. Set timer for 25 minutes. When timer goes off add the corn, mix well, return to oven and cook for another 5 minutes just to heat through.
4.Serve with cornbread.
Source: Tracey Adams (6 servings)

Pasta with Shrimp, Tomatoes, Spinach, Mushrooms and Zucchini

Last night was another late night for Chris so I wanted to fix something tasty and quick. I threw together an old standby for me with a little twist to make it interesting.
1 lb. lg. Shrimp, peeled, deveined and cut in half.
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves Garlic, chopped
3 lg. ripe Roma Tomatoes, diced
2 cups Cremini Mushrooms, sliced
1 small Zucchini, diced
6 oz. pkg Baby Spinach
2 cups Penne Pasta, dry
2 tsp. Williams-Sonoma Vandouvan Curry powder or any mild curry powder
3 tbsp. Brown Cow Cream on Top Plain Yoghurt
Salt and Freshly ground pepper to taste.

Fill a large heavy pot with water and bring to a boil. Put the spinach in a colander in the sink.
Chop the tomatoes, peel and chop the garlic, slice the mushrooms and dice the zucchini.
Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan until just shimmering and add shrimp, some salt and pepper, and 1/2 tsp. of the curry powder. Saute the shrimp, stirring frequently until just cooked, remove from pan and keep warm.
When water comes to a boil add 2 tbsp. salt and the pasta, set timer for whatever your package says (if it says 10-12 min. set the timer for 10 min.)
Add a little broth or white wine to the pan to deglaze it and add the garlic, sauteing until fragrant, about a minute, next saute the mushrooms until they begin to soften then add the zucchini and tomatoes sauteing until zucchini is tender.
By now the pasta should have only a minute or two left to cook. Turn off the heat under the tomato mixture and add the shrimp as well as the curry powder and the yoghurt. Stir until thoroughly combined.
Remove a cup of the hot pasta water and drain the pasta into the colander with the spinach. Shake it gently to remove most of the water then pour it back into the pasta pan. Using tongs or a pasta fork distribute the spinach through the pasta, add the tomato, shrimp mixture to the pan and stir until well mixed adding some of the pasta water if it seems dry.
Cover and let sit for 2-3 min. so the pasta can soak up some of the liquid. Adjust the seasonings and server.

Birthday Dinner at Thomas Hill Organics in Paso Robles

Last night Chris took me to dinner at Thomas Hill Organics in Paso Robles for a belated birthday dinner. It's our favorite restaurant. They grow all of their own produce organically and buy their meats and seafood locally. It's a little difficult to find the first time you go because it's down an alley but it's well worth it. They seem to be the exception that makes the rule when it comes to location being important.

Chef Julie is an artist and you'll never find the usual on her menu.

Last night Chris and I both chose the seared giant scallops with forbidden rice and fresh strawberries, macadamia nuts, liche nuts, kumquat and grilled bok choy, heaven. Each bite was an explosion of texture and flavor in the mouth. My husband and I shared the grilled romaine salad with feta and Spanish white anchovies, which was absolutely delicious. For desert we shared the Italian olive oil cake with blackberries.

My only regret is that I forgot to bring my camera.

My Review of Women's Timberland PRO® 6-Inch TiTAN®Waterproof Rigmaster Safety Toe

Originally submitted at Timberland

Get geared up this season. Take a look at our Women's Timberland PRO® 6-Inch TiTAN® Waterproof Rigmaster Safety Toe. Crafted from waterproof full-grain leather, these super-durable 6-inch workboots are engineered specifically for the jobsite.

Women's Timberland PRO® 6-Inch TiTAN® Waterproof Rigmaster Safety Toe

Most comfortable boots ever!

By Bikracer from Atascadero, CA on 5/11/2011

5out of 5

Sizing: Feels true to size
Width: Feels true to width
Pros: Comfortable, Stable, Durable, Good Cushioning
Best Uses: Work
Describe Yourself: Athletic, Comfort-oriented

The moment I got these boots in the mail I took them out of the box and tried them on. They were a perfect fit and not only that they were comfortable right out of the box. I wore them all day spreading mulch out in our up and down yard the very first day I got them.
I've never had a pair of boots that were comfortable with no break-in at all. They have a high-top which with all of the boots I have tried in the past was very painful, NOT with these boots. The cushioning is just right and in the right places as are the seams. No painful rubbing seams.
The footbed is a dream to walk around in, even on rocky terrain.
I LOVE these boots!

(legalese)

Whole Wheat Penne with Broccoli, Shrimp and Goat Cheese

This is one of my favorite quick meals.
Really, really yummy.

Ingredients:
2 cups penne pasta, Whole Wheat
2 cups broccoli, florets
½ pound shrimp, peeled and deveined (Use more if you like)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
¼ tsp coriander, ground
¼ tsp cumin, ground
⅛ tsp chile powder, chipotle
2 ½ ounces goat cheese, crumbled
3 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

Method:
Bring 4 quarts water to boil. When boiling add 1 tbsp. salt to water and pasta. Set timer for 9 or 10 minutes.
Mix the seasonings (except the salt and pepper) together in a small bowl.
Meanwhile, heat olive oil over med-high heat in a large skillet. Add broccoli and half the seasonings and toss to evenly coat. Sauté for about 5 minutes and add garlic. Toss to mix then add shrimp and sprinkle with the rest of the seasonings and salt and pepper to taste.
Lower heat enough to keep from burning the garlic and sauté while the pasta finishes cooking. Be careful not to overcook the pasta.
Scoop out 1/4 cup of the hot pasta water and quickly drain pasta. Return to pan and mix in the goat cheese and pasta water stirring until a creamy sauce forms. Season with salt and pepper to taste, if you like, and toss in the broccoli/shrimp mixture.
Let sit covered for 3 minutes and serve.

Notes:
I used large shrimp from Costco so I cut them in half to make them bite-sized.

Source: Tracey Adams (Makes about 3 servings)

Chicken Sausage with Carrot, Peppers and English Peas

I had a carrot, a yellow bell pepper and more of those shelled English peas. Yesterday I bought some Chicken Sausage with Jalapeno that they occasionally sell at Spencer's Market here on the Central Coast. Not really in the mood to cook as I've been spreading mulch for the past couple of days and I'm feeling a little weary.
Served over whole brown rice and quinoa by "Seeds of Change" I happened to have in the pantry and a green salad these few ingredients became a pretty tasty and healthful meal.

Chicken Sausage with Carrot, Peppers and English Peas
Ingredients
3/4 lb. Chicken Jalapeno Sausage
1 tbsp Olive Oil
½ cup Chicken Broth
1 whole Carrots, diced into 1/2 inch cubes (about 3/4 c.)
1 whole Yellow Bell Pepper, diced
1 cup Shelled Peas
2 cloves Garlic, chopped
1 can Del Monte Diced Tomatoes in Juice
1 tsp Spanish Smoked Paprika
2 cups Brown Rice, cooked and hot or Seeds of Change Foods, Whole Brown Rice and Quinoa.

Method
Heat heavy saute pan over medium heat and add olive oil. When the olive oil is shimmering add the sausage and brown on all sides.
Add chicken broth and braise until cooked through.
Remove from pan and slice into bite-sized chunks.

Add garlic to pan and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the carrots and simmer for a couple of minutes. Add the peppers and saute another minute or so.
Add the sausage, tomatoes and smoked paprika. Stir to combine, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes or until the carrots are just tender.

Remove the lid, add the peas stirring to combine and simmer uncovered for 1-2 minutes.
Serve over the brown rice with a tossed green salad.

Source: Tracey Adams (about 3 servings)
Note: It's important that you use regular Del Monte Diced Tomatoes in tomato juice. If you use low-sodium tomatoes you'll need to add salt to taste.

Whole Wheat Penne with Shrimp, Tomatoes, Spinach, Peas and Feta

Tonight for dinner I had some shrimp I'd bought at Costco as well as some baby spinach I needed to use up. This is what I came up with and it turned out so delicious I just had to share it.


Ingredients

2 cups whole wheat penne

12 large shrimp, peeled, deveined and cut in half

2 large garlic, clove, chopped

2 tbsp olive oil

1 large tomato, diced (1 cup)

8 ounces fresh baby spinach, put into colander in sink

1 cup fresh peas*, shelled (optional)

1 tsp smoked Spanish paprika, rounded or to taste

1/2 tsp salt, or to taste

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled, preferably sheeps milk

1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Method

1. Prep all ingredients  Have all ingredients ready to go before you begin cooking and everything will go much more smoothly. 

Peel and devein shrimp then cut them in half crosswise. Peel and chop garlic, chop tomato, chop parsley. Shell peas and measure out a cup. Dump baby spinach into colander.

2. Fill a 6-quart pot with water Bring to a boil. When boiling add a small handful of salt and the pasta*. Set timer for pasta and begin heating olive oil in a large nonstick wok shaped pan.

3. Season shrimp Dump smoked paprika, salt and pepper into bowl large enough to hold shrimp easily and mix together. Next add the shrimp and mix thoroughly until shrimp is evenly coated with seasoning.

4. Saute garlic in olive oil until fragrant and add shrimp. Saute until shrimp is cooked stirring constantly so that garlic doesn't burn. Add tomato and cook stirring until a sauce begins to form. When it does, turn off the heat and just leave the pan on the burner until you're ready to mix it with the pasta.

5. When there are 2 min. left on the timer for the pasta add the shelled raw peas to the pasta.

When the timer goes off dip a cup of the pasta water out (don't worry if you get some peas) and drain the pasta into the colander with the baby spinach.

6. Tip the colander until most of the water is drained and pour the mixture back into the pasta pot. Stir and break up the spinach (I use a pasta fork). Once it's broken up add the shrimp mixture and toss to distribute evenly. Next add the parsley and crumbled feta. Mix it up and put the lid back on the pot. Let stand for 3 min. and serve.

Servings: 4
Nutritional Values per serving:

Calories: 290kcal
Saturated fatty acids: 3.82g
Monounsaturated fatty acids: 5.86g
Polyunsaturated fatty acids: 1.00g
Total fat: 11.35g
Calories from fat: 102
Cholesterol: 39mg
Carbohydrate, by difference: 35.33g
Total dietary fiber: 2.80g
Protein: 11.22g
--
Notes:

I use a gas stove so if you use an electric, do not leave the shrimp mixture on the burner once it is finished cooking.

*I bought shelled English Peas in a bag from Trader Joe's.

*I have found that whole wheat pasta is best if cooked for the lesser amount of time. If the package says 10-12 min. boil it for 10 min. and it will be perfect.

Source: Tracey Adams

Mixed Grains and Lentils Stew with Turkey Kielbasa

It's been raining a lot this winter so I've made a lot of soups and stews. This is one of my favorites. I had a package of "Trader Joe's Brown Rice Medley" and wanted to use it in something healthful and comforting. I decided to make a lentil and turkey kielbasa stew with it since I had all the necessary items on hand.
Here is the recipe I came up with. I think it turned out rather well.
---
Mixed Grains and Lentils Stew with Turkey Kielbasa

Photo by Tracey Adams

Trader Joe's Brown Rice Medley is a mixture of parboiled long grain brown rice, black barley and daikon radish seeds. It gives a lovely texture to the stew and tastes great too.

Ingredients
5 cups chicken broth, non-fat, low-sodium
1 can tomato, Del Monte Organic Diced
1 cup green lentils, dried
1/2 cup Trader Joe's Rice Medley, raw
2 cloves garlic, large, chopped
2 medium carrot, chopped
1/2 large red bell pepper, chopped
2 small onions, chopped
1/2 whole turkey kielbasa, sliced in half lengthwise then into 1/2 inch pieces
cooking spray
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
Method
1. Prep: Chop all vegetables.
2. Saute: Spray a large 6 quart stockpot with cooking spray and heat over medium heat until just beginning to smoke.
Add onions and sprinkle with salt. Saute until just beginning to sweat and add carrots and peppers. Stir that around for about 5 minutes and add the garlic sauteing until fragrant, about minute.
3. Add: Broth and tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Add the lentils, kielbasa and rice medley.
4. Simmer: Simmer for 30 minutes or until rice medley and lentils are done.
5. Serve

Cincinnati Chili the easy way

One of my husband Chris's favorite meals is Cincinnati Chili 3-way. As we don't live in Ohio I make it here at home. True Cincinnati Chili can only be gotten at Skyline Chili so I mail order the seasoning packets. Just add tomato paste, water and ground meat. I don't eat red meat so I make ours with ground turkey. Simmer it on the stove uncovered for about 3 hours stirring occasionally, boil some spaghetti, grate some cheddar cheese and yum, enjoy.

Missy's Visit to the Vet

You probably noticed that Missy has a growth on top of her head above her left eye. A few days after we brought her home we took her to the vet to make sure everything was okay and get a biopsy on the growth. The results came back and "yea, it's not cancer"! What it is, is very rare, so rare that I've plugged it into Google in as many different permutations as I could think of and have so far come up with nothing, lots of things that aren't it though. Medically speaking; Inflamed cystic slightly proliferative sweat glands with associated dermal inflammation. She's now taking prednisone. We're hoping it will shrink the growth and alleviate the discomfort.
Other than that she's healthy as a horse and a barrel of laughs. We've learned that if we want to sleep past 3:00 AM, we need to play with her before bedtime and tire her out. Once she's tired out she'll curl up on the bed and sleep most of the night.

Bicycle crash at San Ardo

Last weekend my husband and I went to San Ardo with plans for him to do the road race and me to ride the race course in the opposite direction with my girlfriend who's husband was also racing.
Everything went according to plan and my girlfriend, Sharon and I were having a very nice ride. Every now and then one of the racing groups would pass on the road going the other way, always observing the "centerline" rule. The centerline rule means that just like a car, you stay on your own side of the road. Only in a bike race that also applies while passing.
As I said everything was going great, we were having fun, waving to the occasional person we knew in the race. No problems at all until we got about 3-4 miles from the finish line of the race. This would be about 18 miles from the finish for the racers since we were traveling in opposite directions. We were out on the rolling part of Paris Valley Rd. in a flattish area with good sight-lines. We saw a large group coming toward us very fast so we knew they were either CAT 3 or Pro/1/2 riders. As they got close the riders in front began pointing us out to those behind. We were as far to the right of the road as we could get. At this point racers in the back decided this was a good opportunity to move up in the pack so they moved over the centerline and right in line with us. We had no where to go other then into the star thistle on the shoulder of the road or into the racers going at least 30 mph. At this point Sharon stopped and I having no other choice ran right into the back of her. She flew over her handlebars and landed on her face, I crashed onto my left side bruising my hip and getting road rash and bruises on my leg and elbow.
Fortunately we're both alright but unsatisfied as it looks as if the perpetrators are going to get away with it.

Transcending CSS

I've been reading a new book about CSS, it's call Transcending CSS, the fine art of web design by Andy Clarke. Molly Holzschlag has provided the editing and a forward, and David Shea the preface. It's not your ordinary beginning CSS book, in fact it's not for beginners at all, which is one of the reasons I bought it.
In the first few pages I learned about styling attribute selectors (who knew), as in putting borders around images that have "alt" tags or coloring text with a "title" attribute. Not only that, it's a beautifully designed book with lots of photos and color. It feels good in your hands, like a much loved and well read favorite.
More to come ...