Chicken Florentina

Did you ever go to your local pizza place and look at their menu? Many places serve a lot more than just pizza. They have so many wonderful sounding chicken, veal, pasta and seafood (if you like that kind of thing!) dishes, yet I rarely try anything else on the menu. If I want pizza, I get pizza.

Tomato Gratin

If you or someone you know has a garden, then I'm sure you have been or will about to be inundated with tomatoes. September is the "last hurrah" of tomato season here in NJ and every year, my in laws grow more tomatoes than they know what to do with. Lucky for me, I get them to experiment and cook with their overabundance. Some recipes I create are healthy. Others not so much. I guess I'm just having one of those "I don't care what I eat" weeks after yesterday's Beef Stroganoff. Anyway, this recipe for Tomato Gratin certainly falls into this category, but man is it worth it! 

Tomato Gratin

Prep Time: 10 minutes  Cook Time: 25 minutes  Total Time: 35 minutes    Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 6 Large Roma Tomatoes, sliced 1/4" thick
• 2 Garlic Cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 c. Asiago Cheese, shredded
• 1/4 c. Fresh Basil, chopped
• 1 c. Italian Flavored Breadcrumbs
• 3 tbsp. Butter, melted

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. Layer tomatoes in an 8"x8" oven safe baking dish; then top with garlic and drizzle with oil. Bake for 10 minutes and remove from oven. 
3. In a small bowl, combine the cheese basil, breadcrumbs and butter. Mix until it is crumbly; then sprinkle on top of the tomatoes. 
4. Place the dish back in the oven and bake for an additional 15 minutes, until the breadcrumbs are lightly browned. 

Enjoy! 

Nutrition Facts

Calories 340, Carbs 19.4g, Fat 23g, Protein 11.3g, Fiber 2.1g, Sugar 1.3g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into Calorie Count and may not be 100% accurate. 

Tomato Gratin Shopping List

Gab's Caprese Shrimp Stuffed Tomatoes (Guest Post)

Today I'm honored to have my youngest daughter back here on the blog to share her latest experiment with all of you. AND...she chose seafood since I don't prepare it very often myself. It looks great and the rest of the family really loved these tomatoes. Take it away Gab.... xo 

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Hello everybody! It’s Gab again and I’m happy to be back on the blog. Ever since I was on the blog two summers ago with my Homemade Gnocchi with Sausage Bolognese Sauce, I could not wait to get back into the kitchen to share another original recipe with you. This summer I was busy learning kitchen basics with my mother and helping her on the blog. My favorite task was to pin fantastic looking food to all of her Pinterest food boards and I can't wait to try some of them in the coming months!

I knew what I wanted to make as soon as I tasted my mom's Spinach, Mushroom & Brie Stuffed Tomatoes. They were SO good and I wanted to make my own unique version. These Caprese Shrimp Stuffed Tomatoes were DELICIOUS and had such a rich flavor, but not too "shrimpy" tasting. It made me feel like I was back in Italy and eating such wonderful Italian foods. This recipe can also be made without shrimp if you dont like shrimp or seafood. I had so much fun making this recipe, but the fun part is eating it together as a family. I hope you like it as much as we did. Bon Appetit! 

Gab’s Caprese Shrimp Stuffed Tomatoes

Prep Time:  15 minutes           Yield: 4
Cook Time: 15 minutes            Serving: 1 each
Total Time:  30 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 Large Tomatoes
• 12 Extra Large Shrimp, cleaned and deveined
• 1 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 Garlic Cloves, chopped
• 1 tbsp. Fresh Basil, chopped
• 1/2 c. Shredded Mozzarella Cheese (I used part skim)
• 2 tbsp. Parmesan cheese
• 3/4 c. of Italian Flavored Breadcrumbs

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. Add the oil to a small saute pan, heat over medium heat; then add the shrimp. Cook until the shrimp is cooked through and pink for approximately 3-5 minutes(should not be clear or gray). Remove from pan, allow to cool slightly and cut in half. 
3. Place your tomatoes on a flat surface, slicing a thin slice off of the bottom if necessary so it sits flat; then take a sharp knife and cut a circle in the top of the tomato. Remove the inside pulp and even out the inside of the tomato shell using a spoon. 
4. Chop the tomato pulp and place in a bowl; then add the shrimp, garlic, basil, both cheeses and the breadcrumbs. Mix well. (You may need to adjust your breadcrumbs if the mixture is too dry/moist, it depends on how much tomato pulp/juice each tomato yields). 
5. Stuff the tomato mixture into the tomato shells and place in an oven safe baking dish. 
6. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the breading is lightly brown. 

Enjoy! 

Nutrition Facts

Calories 228, Carbs 24.5g, Fat 7.8g, Protein 7.6g, Fiber 2.8g, Sugar 1.5g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into Calorie Count and may not be 100% accurate. 

Gab's Caprese Shrimp Stuffed Tomatoes Shopping List

Recipe ReRun: Ciliegine Caprese Salad

Welcome to another edition of Recipe ReRun, where I give new life to some of my favorite recipes for all of you new to Carrie's Experimental Kitchen.

Today I'm sharing this gorgeous Ciliegine Caprese Salad. I first made this recipe last August and it has to be one of my all time favorite summer salads. There is nothing like fresh tomatoes, basil and mozzarella to perk up your day. And just look at the color when you combine the red and yellow cherry tomatoes!

What is your favorite Summertime Salad? 

Enjoy!

Spinach, Mushroom & Brie Stuffed Tomatoes

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Such is the case with these Spinach, Mushroom & Brie Stuffed Tomatoes. I first experimented with these about 2 weeks ago because I had a small piece of Brie, a handful of spinach and some ripe tomatoes that needed to be used up. The recipe was AMAZING and the family devoured them. However, sometimes my photo skills aren't quite what I'd like them to be and this is the photo I wound up with. I made them too late in the day and the natural lighting was gone as it started raining. And, they just didn't look appetizing. I tried. I really did.

So being a food blogger, what did I do? 

I made the ultimate sacrifice and made them again of course. Just for you. 

Oh who am I kidding...I was happy to make them again! 

This time, my preteen had her friend over for dinner so I had her as an extra taste tester as well. She started out with half because she wasn't sure she would like them, but then quickly returned for the other half. That speaks volumes in my book! I told you...AMAZING!

The first time I made this recipe I used Roma tomatoes, which are my preference. However, they didn't have hearty ones this time around at my local market, so I used a standard, round garden tomato. I also had to purchase more Brie, so I'll have to use that up in a new recipe next. Any suggestions or requests?


Spinach, Mushroom & Brie Stuffed Tomatoes
Prep Time:  15 minutes                     Yield: 4
Cook Time: 15-20 minutes                Serving: 1 each
Total Time:  30-35 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 Fresh Garden Tomatoes
• 1 c. Mushrooms, small dice
• 2 Cloves Garlic, minced
• 1 Scallion, chopped
• 1 c. Packed Baby Spinach, washed, stems removed and torn into smaller pieces
• 1/2 c.+/- Italian Breadcrumbs
• 2 oz. Brie Cheese, small dice
• 1 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. Place your tomatoes on a flat surface, slicing a thin slice off of the bottom if necessary so it sits flat; then take a sharp knife and cut a circle in the top of the tomato. Remove the inside and even out the inside of the tomato shell. 
3. Chop the tomato pulp and place in a bowl; then add the mushrooms, garlic, scallions, spinach, breadcrumbs and cheese. Mix well. (You may need to adjust your breadcrumbs if the mixture is too dry/moist, it depends on how much tomato pulp/juice each tomato yields). 
4. Stuff the tomato mixture into the tomato shells and place in an oven safe baking dish. 
5. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the breading is lightly brown. 

Enjoy! 

Nutrition Facts

Calories 164, Carbs 16.8g, Fat 8.6g, Protein 6.3g, Fiber 2.2g, Sugar 1.3g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into Calorie Count and may not be 100% accurate. 

Enjoy! 

Spinach, Mushroom & Brie Stuffed Tomatoes Shopping List

Shared on Thursday's Treasures 8/8/13

Recipe Rerun: Fried Green Tomatoes with Avocado Ranch Dipping Sauce

School is almost out for the summer (YES, we're still going until next week!) and I'm trying to tie up a few loose ends around the house before I'm off and running trying to entertain an eleven year old for the next few months. If you read my newsletter, you'll know that my posts may be a little sporadic in the coming weeks, but I'll try my best to create new content to share with you you as often as I can. My daughter has even offered to do a few Guest Posts over the summer and is looking forward to getting back into the kitchen again. 

In the meantime, I'll be running some old posts to bring new life to these fun recipes as well as share them with all of the new followers I have here at CEK since they were first posted. 

To start with, I'm going to share this recipe for Fried Green Tomatoes with Avocado Ranch Dipping Sauce. I chose this recipe for several reasons. 

1. It was the 2nd most popular (page views) recipe on my site to date since starting this blog in April 2011. 
2. When I first posted this recipe last September, many people couldn't find "green tomatoes" as by then, most tomato plants had fully blossomed and turned red. Depending on when you planted your tomato plants or where you reside, the next few weeks will be a great time to pick them for this recipe before they fully bloom. Also, if you didn't grow your own tomato plants, ask your local farm stand if they can pick some for you. 
3. If you read the original post, I used bottled Ranch dressing; which was great in a pinch. However, since then I found a wonderful homemade lower fat version from +Ann Fulton  of the Fountain Avenue Kitchen. I shared her recipe for Low Fat Ranch Dressing back in January this year and this dressing would also work very nicely for this dipping sauce. 
4. Now this is the big one. Are you ready? These are DEE-LIC-IOUS and shouldn't be missed. However, as I mentioned in the first post, it's one of those things you need to make and eat right away while they're hot. When reheated, they loose that crispy coating that comes when you first fry something. 

Fried Green Tomatoes with Avocado Ranch Dipping Sauce

Oh one last thing. Sorry, but you won't find any nutritional information on this recipe. We're frying people, need I say more?! 

Did you make these the first time I posted this recipe?

 If so, comment below and let me know! 

Vegetarian Roasted Tomato, Spinach and Chick Pea Soup

Whether it's Winter or Summer, there is nothing like a nice bowl of hot soup on a rainy day! I started off making this Vegetarian Roasted Tomato, Spinach and Chick Pea Soup for lunch one afternoon. It looked fantastic with the chunks of roasted tomatoes, fresh wilted spinach and whole chick peas, but it tasted a little on the bland side. I didn't want to add salt or cheese, so I pureed all of the ingredients instead.

It's amazing how just pureeing something can give it an entirely new flavor. Everything blended nicely together and this recipe turned into a heart healthy, creamy soup I could put in a cup and drink instead; which is a HUGE time saver when I'm trying to do other things at the same time!

Vegetarian Roasted Tomato, Spinach
and Chick Pea Soup

Prep Time:   15 minutes                        Yield: 5

Cook Time:  20 minutes                        Serving: 1 c. 

Total Time:  35 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 Beefsteak or Heirloom Tomato, chopped
• 2 tsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/4 c. Red Onion, chopped
• 1 Garlic Clove, chopped
• 1 tbsp. Fresh Basil, chopped
• 1-150z. Can Chick Peas, rinsed and drained
• 2 c. Fresh Baby Spinach, rinsed, stems removed
• 2 c. Fat Free Vegetable Broth
• 1 c. Water
• Kosher Salt, to taste
• Fresh Ground Black Pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 
2. Season tomatoes with salt and pepper and place on a baking sheet. Bake 10 minutes until they start to soften. 
3. Heat the oil  in a nonstick saute pan over medium heat; then add the onion and garlic. Saute 2-3 minutes until the onion starts to turn translucent. 
4. Add in the basil, spinach, chick peas and cooked tomatoes and saute for another 2-3 minutes. 
5. Stir in the broth and water, bring to a boil; then reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. 
6. If you like a "brothy" soup, leave whole. If you prefer it blended (like I did), use your immersion blender to blend all of the ingredients together until smooth; approximately 1-2 minutes. 

Nutrition Facts

Calories 94, Carbs 14.3g, Fat 2.4g, Protein 4g, Fiber 2.9g, Sugar 1.8g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into Calorie Count and may not be 100% accurate. 

Enjoy!

Green Bean & Tomato Salad with Ginger-Wasabi Vinaigrette

Today is Day 2 of Salad Week here at CEK and I couldn't wait to share this Green Bean & Tomato Salad with Ginger-Wasabi Vinaigrette with you. Especially since in a short time, all of those fresh garden vegetables you planted will be coming to fruition. 

I've mentioned before that I hail from the Garden State and one of our most famous crops are tomatoes. I love all types of tomatoes, but my absolute favorite would have to be the Heirloom variety. They come in a multitude of colors and are so sweet and hearty, I could eat them all by themselves. For this salad, I combined my favorite Heirloom tomatoes with some hearty Beefsteak tomatoes, shallots and fresh green beans; then tossed them in a light ginger-wasabi vinaigrette to give my salad a little zesty Asian flair. This salad was incredibly tasty and would make a perfect accompaniment to any picnic or as a stand alone meal; especially on a warm summer day. 

Green Bean & Tomato Salad with Ginger-Wasabi Vinaigrette

Prep Time: 20 minutes                                       Yield: 10

Cook Time: 10 minutes                                       Serving: 1/2 cup

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients
For the Green Bean & Tomato Salad

• 2 c. Fresh Green Beans or Haricot Verts, steamed al dente
• 3 c. Tomatoes (I used Heirloom and Beefsteak tomatoes), sliced
• 1 Shallot, thinly sliced
• Prepared Ginger-Wasabi Vinaigrette, see below

For the Ginger-Wasabi Vinaigrette

• 2 1/2 tbsp. Rice Wine Vinegar
• 1 tsp. Wasabi Paste
• 1 tsp. Sesame Oil
• 1/4 c. Canola Oil
• 1/2 tsp. Fresh Ginger, grated
• 1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder
• 1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt

Directions
For the Green Bean & Tomato Salad

1. Add the green beans, tomatoes and shallots to a large bowl; then add the prepared ginger-wasabi vinaigrette. 
2. Mix well and keep refrigerated until ready to serve. 

For the Ginger-Wasabi Vinaigrette

1. Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl. Makes 1/2 cup. 

Nutrition Facts

Calories 74 , Carbs 4.8g, Fat 6.3g, Protein .9g, Fiber 1.3g, Sugar .6g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into Calorie Count and may not be 100% accurate. 

Enjoy!