tomato cobbler

Odd?

Why, yes.

Delicious?

Definitely.

Tomato Cobbler

Makes one 8x8 casserole.

Adapted from Joy the Baker!

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

2 large onions, sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 pounds cherry tomatoes

1/4 cup coarsely chopped basil

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Salt and coarsely ground black pepper

6-8 homemade buttermilk biscuits, uncooked (as in, just the dough, cut out)

Add olive oil and butter to a medium saute pan over medium heat.  Add sliced onions and season with salt and pepper.  Cook and brown onions, stirring occasionally, until caramelized, about 18 to 20 minutes.  Add garlic and cook for one minute more.   Remove pan from heat, add balsamic vinegar and set aside.

In a large bowl, toss together clean cherry tomatoes (no need to cut them), chopped basil, flour, and red pepper flakes.  Add caramelized onions and toss together until everything is lightly and evenly coated in flour.  Season with salt and pepper.

Place rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Pour the tomato and onion filling into a square 8×8-inch baking dish.  Place in the oven and bake tomatoes filling for 25 minutes.

Remove the partially cooked filling from the oven and carefully place 6-8 biscuits atop the tomato filling in the pan.  Brush biscuit tops with buttermilk or milk and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  

Return warm filling and biscuit dough to oven and bake for 17-20 minutes, until the biscuits are golden brown and cooked through, and the tomato mixture is bubbling.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 15 minutes before serving.  Best served warm.  Enjoy!

gd likes

this wallpaper...for what, I haven't a clue...

hunters.  pretty please.

a good garlic press

Sooooo, what do you like this week??

coffee scrub

Need a pick-me-up?
It's so so cold outside.
And I need a pedicure.
But, I refuse to get out in the snow to go get one.

This is the best and I pretty much promise that you have all the ingredients in your cupboard.
Enjoy and relax :)

Coffee Scrub
Makes 2ish cups.
1 cup coffee
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup olive oil

Mix mix mix!
Scrub on in the shower and rinse off.
Smell heavenly.
Be smooth.

ps - makes a great gift! :)

friday flashback - creamy turkey and wild rice soup

Here we are!
The first of a new thing I'm trying...re-visiting old recipes that I think are way too good for you to miss out on.
Did you freeze any turkey from Christmas??
Need to do something interesting with those turkey leftovers??
I do.
And I'm just sick of turkey pot pie.
I love turkey hash and I love turkey noodle soup but I stumbled across this recipe and I had to try it!
I made a few adjustments and voila!
A perfect way to use up some leftovers plus it's actually healthy for you.
Read that again.
Healthy.
And it's resolution season!
Score.
Enjoy!

Creamy Turkey and Wild Rice Soup
Serves 4-6.
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups sliced mushrooms
3/4 cup diced celery
3/4 cup diced carrots
1/4 cup diced onions, shallots, or leeks
1/4 cup flour
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 cups home-made chicken stock (or turkey, if you've got it!)
1 cup quick-cooking or instant wild rice
3 cups shredded cooked turkey
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add mushrooms, celery, carrots, and onions and saute until softened, about 5 minutes. Add flour, salt and pepper and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes more.
Add stock and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits. Add rice and reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook until the rice is tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in turkey, sour cream and parsley and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes more.

beer bread

Have you ever bought self-rising flour on accident?
And then you have this whole sack of useless flour?
No?
Okay, then.
Moving on.
This recipe uses self-rising flour.
For those of us that lose our minds once in awhile and need to use up a bunch of flour.
In a super yummy way.
Enjoy :)

Beer Bread

Makes one loaf.

Adapted from a few online recipes.

3 cups sifted self rising flour

1/4 cup sugar

12 ounces beer, your favorite

1/4 cup melted butter

Ready??

Mix all ingredients.

Aaaaand done.

Scrape into a greased loaf pan and bake at 375* for an hour.

Cool, remove from pan, and serve with more butter and jam.

Be happy.

gd likes

love. this.

all of this for my boys' "man" kitchen

a cool cheese dome

Soooo, what do you like this week??

scallop cioppino

This is one of those dishes that you serve to guests.
You can do it all (literally) the day before and it takes under ten minutes to prep for your guests.
It already has the garlic bread in the stew so you don't even have to serve bread....just a big, fancy salad and you are all set.
And maybe a chocolate mousse (also do ahead!) for dessert?
So so easy and super fancy.

Scallop Cioppino
Serves 6.
From Fish Without A Doubt.
Olive oil
1 baguette, cut into 1 inch slices
1-2 large garlic cloves, cut in halves
2/3 cup olive oil
2 large onions, diced
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 large bell peppers, diced (any color)
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 jalapenos, minced
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 cup dry white wine
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
16 ounces bottled clam juice
28 ounces canned diced tomatoes with juice
2 pounds bay or sea scallops, frozen is fine, rinsed well and tough bits removed
2/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
2/3 cup chopped fresh basil

Preheat your oven to 200*.
Heat a nonstick skillet over high heat.  Add about a tablespoon of olive oil and as many slices of bread that will fit.  Saute the bread until it's a nice golden brown, about 2 minutes.  Turn slices over and saute for another minute.  Set the slices on a baking sheet and continue browning until all the slices are browned, adding more oil if needed.
Bake the bread in the oven until the slices are dry, about 15-20 minutes, turning once.
Rub the croutons with the cut side of the garlic cloves and let them cool completely.  Cut into cubes, if desired...we liked it better cubed but we've done it both ways.  And you can make these ahead of time...just store in an airtight container.
The day before serving, heat a large Dutch oven over high heat.  Add the 2/3 cup of olive oil and onions and saute until soft, about 3 minutes.  Add the garlic and saute about a minute, until fragrant.  Add the bell peppers and oregano and saute for a couple minutes.  Add the jalapenos and tomato paste and saute, stirring often, for another couple minutes.  Don't burn the paste!!
Add the wine, bring to a boil, and reduce until the wine is syrupy, about 5 minutes.  Season with just a bit of salt....not too much because the clam juice is salty! and lots of black pepper.
Add the clam juice and tomatoes and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for around 30  minutes.  Let cool and refrigerate overnight.
When you are ready to eat, bring back to a simmer and add the scallops and herbs.  Cook for about 3-4 minutes, until scallops are barely cooked through.
Serve over a handful of garlic crouton cubes (or a few slices, if you left them that way).  Enjoy!

massaged kale salad

Sometimes, you gotta try something new.
Like massaged kale salad.
Really??
What a name.

Or, awesome Vans shoes.
Thrifted, no less.
And then you gotta take an iphone picture of this weird-o salad with your new shoes.
And then promptly forget to take real pictures with your fancy camera.
Because you are eating the weird-o salad.
Because it's so good.

But, I have to say, it is named aptly.
You actually massage the kale.
With your hands.
Weird.
But, effective.
Takes out the bitterness of the kale and wilts it down so it's edible in the raw.

Very odd, this salad.
But, pretty tasty, nonetheless.
Enjoy!

Massaged Kale Salad
Serves 2-4.
From Sunny Anderson.

1 bunch kale, stalks removed and discarded, leaves thinly sliced

1 lemon, juiced

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

Kosher salt

2 teaspoons honey

Freshly ground black pepper

1 mango, diced (about 1 cup)

Small handful toasted pumpkin seeds

In large serving bowl, add the kale, half of lemon juice, a drizzle of oil and a little kosher salt. Massage until the kale starts to soften and wilt, 2 to 3 minutes. Set aside while you make the dressing.

In a small bowl, whisk remaining lemon juice with the honey and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Stream in the 1/4 cup of oil while whisking until a dressing forms, and you like how it tastes.

Pour the dressing over the kale, and add the mango and pumpkin seeds. Toss and serve.

change is a'coming!

I have been writing this little food blog for 3 1/2 years now.
I mostly do this for my own enjoyment and to keep myself busy when the husband is out Marine-ing.
I love taking pictures of food and I like to think that I'm getting better every day.
I know I'm a terrible writer but I really enjoy writing down tid-bits of my daily life in food.
I love sharing recipes and disasters and getting feedback from all of you.
(All three of you ;) )

But, the Marine-ing is starting to slow down a bit.
(I can't even describe what a blessing that is.)
And now we have two crazy man-children to chase around the house.

What I guess I'm trying to get at is that this little blog is going to slow a bit.
I'm going to post a new recipe a week and it'll still include how-to's and pictures.
But, maybe just once a week.
I'll continue with my 'likes' and maybe start including revisions of old recipes and blog-posts.

What do you think?
Will you all survive?
(cough cough)

I do love all three of you that read the gd kitchen and appreciate all the support.
I love love love food and improving my photography so I'm definitely not quittin'!

Thanks to all and much love from us.
:)