Smoked Tomato, Goat Cheese, and Sausage Pasta

The other day I was going through my cabinets when I came across a stove top smoker, still in the box. Oops. I'd bought it over two years ago never used it. I happened to have Roma tomatoes on hand and the next thing I knew I was drizzling them with red wine vinegar, salt, pepper and smoking them.

I let them go for a few hours until they were halfway to the 'sun dried' phase - wilted but not completely shrunken - then tossed them with olive oil, fennel seeds, garlic powder, bay leaves, and red pepper flakes.

At this point I knew I had something special on my hands. Part of me wanted to hoard them in a jar in the fridge but hunger got the best of me and soon I was mixing them into pasta. If I die right now I'll feel like I accomplished something. These tomatoes are that good - rich, smokey and sweet. A haunting combo. They would also make a fantastic appetizer stuffed with a little goat cheese and fresh thyme...but I digress.

If you don't happen to suffer from my gadget affliction and own a stove top smoker, no matter. That can be solved in a matter of seconds. Do it.... DO it....

I can't wait to experiment with what to smoke next!

Smoked Roma Tomatoes, for Pasta, Appetizers, or Anytime
Ingredients:
6 Roma tomatoes, cut in half, length-wise
Red wine vinegar, for drizzling
salt and pepper

Place your stovetop smoker on a gas burner. Add a pinch of cherry wood chips to the center then place the rack inside. Scatter the tomatoes over the rack, cut side up, then lightly drizzle them with red wine vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Shut the top leaving a half inch crack and set the heat to medium. As soon as you see smoke coming from the crack, shut the top all the way and smoke the tomatoes for four hours, checking on them every half an hour or so after the first hour to make sure you don't need to adjust the heat. (If it's blackening too quickly, lower the heat, if not much is happening after the first hour, raise it a little.)

After four hours, the tomatoes should be thoroughly shrunken and be about half the size they were, but not withered to the sun dried phase. Remove them from the smoker with tongs and toss with the following in a glass or plastic lidded container:

1/4 teaspoon thyme, rubbed between your fingers
Red pepper flakes, to taste
Couple dashes garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 large bay leaf or two small
2 tablespoons olive oil

Set aside until ready to use or cover and refrigerate for up to 5 days. To make the pasta, continue to the following recipe:

Pasta with Smoky Tomato Sauce, Turkey Sausage, and Goat Cheese
Ingredients:
1/2 tablespoon butter
1/2 sweet onion, chopped
1.1 pounds turkey sausage, removed from casing and broken up with your fingers or wooden spoon in the pan
3/4 pound whole wheat pasta (rotini, penne, or whatever you like)
1 cup pasta water (use 1/2 cup to deglaze the sausage/onions in pan, plus as much as needed afterwards to help the goat cheese meld into the sauce)
3 oz goat cheese
3 tablespoons Parmesan, plus additional for garnish
2 teaspoons of fresh thyme leaves plus additional sprigs for garnish

Directions:
Add the butter to a medium/large dutch oven and put over medium heat. Add the onion, season with a good pinch salt and pepper and saute, stirring occasionally until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the sausage and break up with your spoon as you cook it through - about 8-10 minutes. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, add in a handful of kosher salt, return to a boil then add your pasta and cook until JUST al dente, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water.

Add 1/2 cup of the pasta water to your onions and sausage to 'deglaze' the pan and help you scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan, then use a spider to add the cooked pasta to the pan. Mix well then toss in the goat cheese, parmesan, and thyme leaves. Give a good stir to melt and break up the goat cheese, adding a splash or so of the reserved pasta liquid to help things get along, then add in your smoked tomatoes (and all the oil and seasonings.) Stir again (tomatoes will break up which is fine) and check the consistency to see if you want to add more pasta water to make it more moist and taste for seasoning. Add any salt and pepper if necessary and serve in heaping bowls garnished with sprigs of fresh thyme.

Lauren's Pan Roasted Shishito Peppers. Let the party begin.

The only thing more fun than cooking is cooking with a friend that loves to cook as much as you do while another friend whips up margaritas. I was lucky enough to experience all of the above this past Labor Day weekend with our dear friends from New York. We had come back from a day on the lake (witnessing the horrific fires at Steiner Ranch), we were starving and attempting cooking on the Big Green Egg for the first time ever.

Things could have (and almost did) go horribly wrong. But then Lauren whipped up these amazing pan roasted peppers, sprinkled sea salt on them, and all was well. Three ingredients and ten minutes is all you need to create the most addictive, delicious appetizer I've ever eaten. And while generally mild, like any pepper you never really know what you're going to get which only adds to the fun of eating them. Every couple of minutes somebody yells "I got a hot one!"

Lauren's Pan Roasted Shishito Peppers

Ingredients:
15-20 shishito or padron peppers, rinsed and pat dry
1 tablespoon good quality olive oil
flaky sea salt - a good pinch or so to taste
1 large rimmed nonstick or cast iron skillet

Directions:
Put the skillet over medium high heat. Add the oil and let heat through for one minute. Add the peppers and saute, flipping every couple of minutes until the sides become just blistered and deeply bronzed. You still want some green on them so don't let them completely blacken - just get some good color on them.

Remove to a serving platter and sprinkle immediately with flaky sea salt. Serve hot (though they're still good at room temp or even cold.)

Jen's Lethal Watermelon Margaritas. Because it's Monday. And Irene's gone.

My sister is known for her cocktails. She recently made these margs for my niece's birthday party (for the adults.) I have to admit I'm not the biggest watermelon fan in the world but these were so fresh and clean I fell head over heels in love with them.

Mix up a batch and keep chilled in a carafe buried in a tub of ice for people to serve themselves.

Jen's Lethal Watermelon Margaritas
*It should be mentioned that my sister gave this recipe to me from memory while on her second margarita... Luckily with any cocktail recipe you can always shift things around to taste - or at the very least 'fix' it with sparkling water if it's too sweet or add Sprite or simple syrup if it's too tart/strong.

Ingredients:
2 cups fresh lime juice
2 cups pureed fresh (seedless) watermelon
1 cup orange liquor (Grand Marnier or Patron Orange Liqueur)
2 cups silver tequila
lime wedges for garnish

Directions:
Mix and keep chilled up to 4 hours ahead of serving. Serve over ice with lime wedges.

Salmon over Shallot and Blue Cheese Grits with Balsamic Glaze

I didn't expect to love this combination so much. It may be my new favorite. Reducing balsamic vinegar is like trying to raise a child from start to finish in 15 minutes. If you leave it alone for half a second, it will scorch and become unusable so keep a watchful eye. The upside is when reduced correctly and poured over the blue cheese grits and salmon, it is pure magic.

Salmon with Balsamic Glaze over Shallot and Blue Cheese Grits
Serves 4.

Glaze, via Giada Delaurentiis:
3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, peeled and smashed or chopped

In a small saucepan, bring the vinegar, maple syrup, mustard and garlic to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until thick, about 12 minutes. DO NOT LEAVE IT ALONE AS IT CAN BURN AND BECOME A STICKY, RUINED MESS IN SECOND. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes.

Shallot and Blue Cheese Grits:
2 TB butter
1/2 cup chopped shallots
3 cups low sodium chicken stock
3/4 cup quick grits
1/2 cup packed blue cheese
2 TB Parmesan
2 oz cream cheese
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Fresh thyme, from 3 stalks
Salt and pepper

In a medium lidded pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the shallots, sauteing for 5 minutes or just until softened and becoming pink. Stir in the chicken stock and bring to a rolling boil. Once boiling, stir in the grits. Reduce the heat to a simmer and let cook, stirring every so often for 7-8 minutes until the grits have cooked and absorbed the liquid. Reduce the heat to low if not already on low, and stir in the blue cheese, parmesan, cream cheese, oregano and thyme. Once melted in and blended, season with salt and pepper to taste.

Salmon:
Four 6-ounce center-cut salmon fillets, skinned
2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange the salmon on the baking sheet. Drizzle both sides of the salmon with the olive oil and season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Roast until the salmon is cooked through and flakes easily with a fork, 8 to 10 minutes. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes.

To serve, add grits to a plate to make a 'bed' for the salmon. Add the salmon over the top and drizzle with the glaze letting the grits absorb the excess. Garnish with fresh thyme sprigs.

Gale Robb's Caramelita Bars...

Via my new dear friend Claire via her dear friend Hilary Sanborn. Hooray friends!

Gale Robb’s Caramelita Bars

Ingredients:
2 (14 oz) bags Kraft caramels (or new melt pellets)
1 cup heavy cream
1 ½ c butter, at room temp
2 cups flour
1 ½ cups brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ tspn salt
2 cups regular oatmeal
1 (12 oz) pkg. semi sweet chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line a 9x14” brownie pan with parchment paper. Spray with nonstick spray.

In a double broiler melt caramels with heavy cream on low – stir until incorporated and smooth. Set aside. In a separate mixer or large sturdy bowl with a hand held mixer, combine butter with flour - adding the flour gradually, then the brown sugar, baking soda, salt, and oatmeal.

Take ½ of the butter/oatmeal mixture and gently pat into lined pan with your hands or a nonstick spatula. Bake @ 350 degrees 8-10 min. Remove from oven. While still hot, evenly sprinkle with the chocolate chips on top. Bake 2 minutes then spread the chips with a knife or offset spatula. Once spread, pour the caramel mixture evenly over. Crumble rest of the oatmeal mix evenly over on top. Bake another 15 min. Let cool completely before slicing.

Spicy Yogurt Marinated Lamb Kabobs in Warm Pita

Heinous picture time! My apologies for being too impatient and lazy to learn the art of the lens. This looks like a gaping demon mouth for Christ's sake. But onwards and upwards. Lamb haters - don't click away. This marinade would be equally good with chicken or beef. Unless you love lamb (like me) in which case you know that could never be true...

But whatever meat you fancy, this marinade will make it juicier, more flavorful and more awesome. I've always wanted to be in a band called "More Awesome" but that's besides the point. Anyway, with meat this flavorful you don't even need to make a sauce or accompaniment. Just let it rest after grilling, accumulating all those magical juices, then de-skewer and cradle it up in warm pita and sprinkle with crumbled feta. If you have any patience left, chop up some green onions and flat leaf parsley to gild the lily.

Spicy Yogurt Marinated Lamb Kabobs in Warm Pita
* Austin residents - the best naan bread can be found at the Farmers Market at Barton Creek Mall at the Indian food vendor stand. SOOO good!

Ingredients:
7 oz Greek yogurt, full or low fat okay
2 green onions, chopped
1 shallot, chopped
1 1/2 inch knob fresh ginger, minced or grated
2 garlic cloves, rough chopped
Large handful flat leaf parsley, minced
1 medium lime, zested and juiced
1 jalapeño, chopped (seeds and veins optional)
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Fresh cracked pepper
1 lb cubed lamb

Naan or pita bread, wrapped in foil and warmed in a low oven.
Feta cheese, for serving.
Chopped green onions and flat leaf parsley, for serving.
Wooden skewers, soaked in water for at least two hours.

Instructions:
In a large ziploc bag, mix together the yogurt, shallot, ginger, garlic, parsley, lime juice and zest, jalapeno, spices, salt and pepper. Add the lamb and turn around to make sure every piece is well coated.

Refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight, removing from the fridge a half hour before grilling. Remove the lamb from the marinade and skewer. Preheat an outdoor or stovetop grill pan to medium. Spray with nonstick spray. Once the grill or grill pan has heated up (you shouldn't be able to hold your hand within a couple inches of it for more than a few seconds), add the skewers and grill for about 4-5 minutes per side for medium.

Remove and let rest for 10 minutes lightly tented with foil before deskewering and serving in warm pita or naan with feta, chopped green onions, and flat leaf parsley.

Mustard and Garlic Crusted Pork Tenderloin with Black Pepper, Coriander, and Thyme

Please tell me you own a mortar and pestle. Not only are they perfect for cracking spices and making marinades but they're also invaluable "I've had a bad day" therapy devices. You just mentally insert someone's face inside and go to town. It's genius. The crunch, crunch, crunch of whole spices getting obliterated underneath your hands...divine.

But enough about me and my psychosis. You don't own one, you say? Let's fix that:

Buy me!

Anyway this marinade makes me so, so happy. It's like Jesus slather for meat. I even over cooked the hell out of my pork last night and it still came out tender. And the leftovers - cold on a sandwich the next day? I'm slapping myself right now.

You probably could make this without a mortar and pestle (grind the spices in a spice grinder, mush the garlic with the back of a spoon and whip it all together) but it won't be near as gratifying as crunching and mushing and mashing together your own little witches potion. But then again you might not be as easily entertained as I am.

Mustard and Garlic Crusted Pork Tenderloin with Crushed Black Pepper, Coriander and Thyme
* This would also be fantastic with beef tenderloin or as a chicken marinade.

Ingredients:
2 garlic cloves, peeled and lightly smashed with the back of a knife
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablepsoon olive oil
1/4 cup dijon mustard
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 nice sized pork tenderloin

Instruction:
Mash the garlic in a mortar and pestle. Add the peppercorns, coriander, dried thyme and oil, then mix and crush the seeds and pepper as much as possible creating a nice paste (you don't need to mash every single seed - just crush as many as you can.) Add the dijon and salt mixing in until well blended.

Transfer the marinade to a large ziploc. Add the tenderloin, flipping it around in the bag to make sure it's well coated. Seal and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, or overnight.

Remove 30 minutes before cooking. Preheat the oven to 375. Line a medium rimmed baking sheet with parchment or aluminum foil and spray with nonstick spray. Remove the pork from the bag and scrape off any excess lumps or big chunks and excess liquid.

Roast at 375 for 25 minutes, then raise the heat to 425 and cook another 10-15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes, lightly tented with foil before slicing and serving.