Tag Archives: Tomatoes

Loaded Guacamole Dip

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Loaded Guacamole Dip by Tara Bench

Recipe excerpt from:
Delicious Gatherings: Recipes To Celebrate Together
by Tara “Teaspoon” Bench

TURN THAT FAMOUS seven-layer dip on its head! You know the one; I’ve got a gorgeous
version on my blog. Here, I’ve loaded a tasty layer of guacamole with so much good stuff (and some new additions). I wanted a dip that could serve as a centerpiece, so I’ve composed the platter to look impressive. It’s a showstopper that’s perfect for dipping your chips into, scooping onto enchiladas, or dolloping on a taco salad. Your taste buds will know what to expect—amazingness!

I suggest making your own simple guacamole with my quick-cheat tomatillo salsa recipe provided here. But in a pinch, you can buy the guac. I won’t tell.

Taco Crema

  • 1 ¼  cups sour cream
  • 3 tablespoons taco seasoning

Guacamole

  • 5 ripe avocados
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ cup green tomatillo salsa
  • 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Green Salsa

  • ¾ cup chopped cilantro
  • 1/3 cup finely chopped scallions
  • 2 tablespoons finely diced jalapeño

Toppings

  • 1 ¼ to 1 ½ cups finely diced tomatoes,
  • seeds removed and drained of juice
  • 1 to 1 ¼  cups crumbled cotija cheese
  • Half a can (15-ounce) black beans,
  • drained and rinsed
  • ¾ cup roasted corn kernels
  • Chips for serving

Instructions

  1. For the taco crema: In a medium bowl, whisk together sour cream and taco seasoning.
    Set aside in the fridge while you prepare the remaining elements.
  2. For the guacamole: In a large bowl, smash all guacamole ingredients until you
    achieve a slightly chunky consistency. Cover and set aside.
  3. For the green salsa: Mix together all green salsa ingredients. Set aside.
  4. Prepare remaining toppings.
  5. On a large platter (I used an oval platter 12-by-14- or 12-by-16-inches), spread
    guacamole in a .1/4- to .1/2 -inch-thick layer. Gently spread taco crema on guacamole
    in a single layer, leaving a border of guacamole. Carefully create a ring
    of chopped tomatoes near the edge of the sour cream, then do the same with a
    smaller ring of cotija cheese. Continue making rings with the green salsa and
    the black beans, finishing with the corn in the center. Make sure to create very
    skinny rings so there is room for each ingredient.
  6. Serve immediately with chips, or cover and refrigerate for up to an hour.

Tara’s Tip: In order to create this look, you need enough dip ingredients for a large crowd. For smaller groups, halve the recipe. “Load” your dip however you wish on your platter or layer it in a glass dish. It’s tricky to get perfect rings of toppings on your first try. You can start in the middle with the corn and work outward if that is easier for you!

Insalata di Mare / Seafood Salad

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Insalata di Mare by Amy Riolo

Recipe excerpt from:
Italian Recipes for Dummies
by Amy Riolo

Prep Time: 10 Min
Cook Time: 10 Min
Yield: 8 Servings

Ingredients

  • 4 vine-ripened tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 carrot, thinly sliced
  • bf 1/4 teaspoon unrefined sea salt
  • 1⁄8 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
  • Juice and zest from 1 large lemon
  • 1 pound dry scallops
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 3/4 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 1 pound boneless, skinless cod, haddock, or other white fish, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 pound baby squid tubes, cleaned and sliced in small rings
  • 1/2 cup Amy Riolo Selections or other good-quality extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • 3 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 1 pound mussels, scrubbed well
  • 1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
  • Additional lemon slices, for garnish

Directions

  1. Place the tomatoes, carrot, salt, pepper, and lemon zest in a large bowl, and mix well.
  2. Bring a medium-size pot 3/4 full of water to boil over high heat.
  3. Lower the heat to medium, and add the scallops and bay leaf. Cook, uncovered, until scallops are opaque, approximately 1 minute. Remove scallops with a slotted spoon to a dish lined with paper towels. Add the shrimp and fish to the water, and cook until opaque, 1–2 minutes. Transfer to another dish lined with paper towels. Add the squid and cook for approximately 40 seconds, until rings begin to tighten slightly. Remove with a slotted spoon into a colander. Immediately transfer squid to a bowl of very cold water to stop the cooking.
  4. Add 2 tablespoons EVOO and garlic cloves to a large, wide skillet with a fitted lid over a medium-high flame. When oil is hot, add mussels, toss to coat, and add 1/2 cup water over the top. Cover and cook for 2–4 minutes until mussels are open (cooked). Remove opened mussels, and set aside. If any mussels fail to open after another minute or two of cooking, discard them.
  5. In a small bowl, make the dressing by whisking the EVOO and lemon juice together until emulsified.
  6. Add the seafood to a salad bowl, and stir to combine. Drizzle with dressing, and stir. Sprinkle with parsley, garnish with lemon slices, and serve immediately.

Tip

Reserve this recipe, a traditional Christmas Eve appetizer that can be enjoyed anytime, for a time when the freshest seafood and produce possible are available to you.

Pair this dish with a bottle of Passerina di Offida or similar. A white wine with a slender body, low alcohol, and a taste profile underlined by freshness, sapidity, and tropical notes.

Sustenance Stew

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Sustenance Stewby Tess Masters
The Blender Girl

I’m a sucker for stew, and this one is seriously delicious and so quick and easy. The combination of rich, creamy almond butter, sautéed sweet potatoes, and spices will make you mmmm your delight at every bite. This hearty dish, loaded with protein (the optional greens and seeds add even more), is an alkalizing, immune-boosting, chlorophyll-rich crusader.

Serves 5 to 6

Cauliflower Eice

2 medium heads cauliflower, cut into florets
¼ cup (60ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon natural salt, plus more to taste

Stew

1 tablespoon grapeseed oil or extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
2 teaspoons minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
Natural salt
3 cups (720ml) vegetable broth
2 (14.5-ounce/411g) cans whole tomatoes with their juice
1½ tablespoons minced fresh ginger
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 cups (570g) peeled and roughly diced orange-flesh sweet potatoes
3 cups (210g) chopped broccoli florets
4 cups (120g) Swiss chard, stalks removed, leaves cut into ribbons (about 1 large bunch)
1/3 cup (43g) roasted almond butter
½ cup (14g) loosely packed finely chopped cilantro
1 medium avocado, pitted, peeled, and sliced
½ cup (80g) sliced raw almonds

optional boosters

¼ cup (35g) shelled hemp seeds
1 tablespoon chia seeds (black or white)
¼ cup (10g) pea greens

To make the cauliflower rice, preheat the oven to 375°F (180°C). Line a large baking sheet with a silicone liner or parchment paper.

Put the cauliflower florets in a food processor and pulse about 5 times, until the cauliflower has the texture of couscous. You may have to process in two batches. Transfer the cauliflower to a large bowl and stir in the oil and 1 teaspoon of salt until well combined.

Transfer the “rice” to the prepared baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Stir with a spatula or wooden spoon and continue to roast for another 15 minutes, until the “rice” begins to brown. Set aside until ready to serve.

To make the stew, in a large pot over medium heat, warm the oil and sauté the onion and garlic with a pinch of salt for about 5 minutes, until the onion is soft and translucent.

Meanwhile, add the broth, tomatoes, ginger, and red pepper flakes to your blender and pulse a few times on low until rustically chopped and combined but not blended. Stir the sweet potatoes and broth mixture into the sautéed onion. Increase the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil. Lower the heat to medium, add 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and simmer, uncovered and stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes, until the sweet potato is just tender. Add the broccoli and simmer for another 5 minutes. Stir in the chard and almond butter and simmer for another 5 minutes, until the chard is just wilted. The broth should be absorbed and you should have a creamy vegetable dish. Stir in the cilantro and tweak the salt to taste.

To serve, spoon equal amounts of the cauliflower rice into bowls and spoon the stew next to or over the “rice.” Top with the avocado and sliced almonds and sprinkle with the hemp seed and chia seed boosters. Finish by topping with the pea greens booster.

Nutritional Facts (per serving, based on 6 servings)

calories 126 kcal | fat 9.6 g | saturated fat 1.4 g | sodium 324.8 mg | carbs 8.8 g | fiber 2.8 g | sugars 4 g | protein 3.6 g | calcium 68.6 mg | iron 1.8 mg

CREDIT: Reprinted with permission from The Perfect Blend, copyright 2016 Tess Masters. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.
Photography Copyright 2016 by Anson Smart

Show 118, April 18, 2015: Scott Daigre and Tomatomania!

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Scott DaigreIt’s seemingly always tomato planting time somewhere in the U.S. From striped heirlooms to golden cherry tomatoes, and everything in between to be found at your local farmer’s market tomatoes are creating “Tomatomaniacs” everywhere.

Now, Scott Daigre, the founder of the wildly popular, “Tomatomania” annual seedling sale in California, has teamed up with Jenn Garbee to bring the reader a beautiful and fun guide to growing, preparing and cooking tomatoes, with TOMATOMANIA! A Fresh Approach to Celebrating Tomatoes in the Garden and in the Kitchen.

“I want people to grow tomatoes,” says Daigre, “but I wanted to create a book that guides people in a fun way, and not get so serious about success. It’s about the challenge – and sometimes it IS a challenge.” Daigre doesn’t sugar coat things, either. TOMATOMANIA! is a reality gardening book. Sometimes you’ll have a good year, sometimes…not so good. But Daigre makes sure anyone, from beginner to seasoned gardener, will have fun while they try.

Scott is performing a cooking demonstration at the L.A. Times Festival of Books, Saturday afternoon, April 18th at 3:30 p.m. on the Cooking Stage.

Scott Daigre is our guest.

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