Addicted to tomatoes

Drool. When i saw this recipe on Smitten Kitchen's blog yesterday, I had a faint idea of the amazingness that slow-roasted tomatoes produce. Today, my taste buds delighted in the true glory of the tomato. Basically, when you slow-roast a tomato, you produce something similar to sun-dried tomato. Only, these are better! I'll never go back!

Seriously, these are like candy. Addictive crack-cocaine candy. I am salivating on the keys of my mac as I type. It took all my will power not to pop morsel after delicious morsel into my mouth before dinner. I can't wait to make these into a brushcetta or put them into my next pasta sauce. Or perhaps they'll accompany an omelet tomorrow? Who knows!

Slow-roasted cherry tomatoes

Ingredient
1 box of cherry tomatoes
Kosher salt
Finely ground pepper
Olive oil
**eassssyyy

Preparation

Preheat your oven to 225.

Cut tomatoes in half and arrange on parchment paper. Include a clove or 2 of garlic (I didn't have any!). Drizzle each tomato with a drop of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Roast for 3+ hours. I went grocery shopping and signed a lease for my new apartment and they STILL weren't done. Mine took about 3.5 hours.



Smitten Kitchen says you can store them in a jar in oil in your fridge. Other sources say you can freeze them too! Summer all the time!

Crimini Criminals!

I've been thinking about stuffed mushrooms for about 2 months. My fungi fantasies can be traced by to a fateful afternoon when Tanya and I visited one of our favorite eateries: Portabla. Discovered two years ago by Poin, Portabla has been a regular on our Austin go-to's. Their paninis are inspiring and the chicken salad is the best I've ever tasted. Anyways, I am digressing. On this glorious afternoon, John, one of the owners, was preparing a tapas plate for a catered event. He had a spare stuffed mushroom that he generously let me taste.... and I was hooked.

Fast forward 2 months, and I created my own delectable darlings. These would be great to take a party as an appetizer!

Spinach and Feta stuffed Crimini Mushrooms

Ingredients

3 shallots diced
1 clove of garlic minced
14 Crimini mushrooms, caps & stems
1 big handful of fresh spinach leaves (substitute with thawed frozen spinach)
1.5 ounces of feta (I used Bulgarian from Central Market, only $2.00 for a whole block!)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350.

Remove the stems and dice. Saute on stems on medium/high heat with shallots and garlic for 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Add spinach leaves and cover pan with a lid to wilt the leaves. Then saute together until spinach is cooked.

In a food processor, mix together sauted items and feta cheese. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Cover a baking tray with parchment paper and place mushroom caps. Fill each cap with spinach feta mixture.

Bake for 25 minutes.



*These can be made ahead of time and served at room temperature. I warmed them in a 350 degree oven for 5 minutes and served. Yum!

After reflecting, Poin & I decided that they were pretty "f***ing" good, but could possibly benefit from sage and..... pancetta. Mmmm. pork.

Australia!

You know when you go on trips and you just crave food from home?

Well, I did not experience taste-realted-home-sickness during my time in Australia. I loved the produce there - almost everything is local due to strict quarantine rules. You can shop from markets more easily than visiting a (frowned-upon) supermarket. The approach to eating is less processed - across the board. Chain restaurants aren't popular and ethnic cuisine is on every corner. Authentic thai, halal butchers, fresh lebanese bread, flaky french pastries, and delicious coffee. Everywhere.

Australia may only conjure images of koalas and beaches, so I compiled images to illustrate the deliciousness I experienced. *I did take other photos of non-food items, btw!


Roasted pumpkin and feta on turkish bread with poached organic eggs. Sydney.


Fresh vegetables at the Victoria Markets. Melbourne.


Grilled lamb chops with cous-cous and butternut squash. Melbourne.


Lemon mojitos. Sunshine Coast.


Fish & Chips! Sydney (post 6 hour bike ride. no joke)


Lebanese Meat Pizza (Anthony Bourdain ate here!). Melbourne.


My knife skills! Melbourne.


Kangaroo Pizza. Kangaroo, btw, is a sustainable meat choice in Australia. Sydney.


Wine. Morning Peninsula.

meatballs

Amazing meatballs. Recipe isn't set in stone, so feel free to experiment.

1/2 lb beef & lamb each
2 eggs beaten
2 tbspoon grano padano
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs + more for coating
2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon each of rosemary and oregano
1 teaspoon dried chili
2 garlic cloves, minced

Combine all the ingredients, shape meatball and coat in breadcrumbs. Lay on parchment covered baking sheet, and bake on 375F until done (20 minutes?). Yum!

Traditional Hummus

Just a recipe I wanted to keep handy. No pics, but awesome hummus.

From Alba's Lebanese Kitchen

1 1/2 cups dried chickpeas or 3 cups from can
1 teaspoon bicarb soda
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 clove garlic
1 1/4 cup tahini
2/3 cup lemon
1/2 teaspoon paprika
parsley and olive oil for serving

The secret (I think) is to soak your dried chickpeas w/the soda bicarb overnight. Then, blend everything together in your food processor and enjoy.

Traditional Tabbouleh

Another handy recipe. No pics, just great tabbouleh.

1/4 cup fine burghul
2 bunches flat parsley
5 tomatoes finely chopped
1/3 cup spring onions (8)
1/3 cup mint chipped
150 ml lemon juice
150 ml olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon salt

Soak burghul for 30 minutes - drain.

Combine all the ingredients, mix, and serve!