a healthy bloody mary mix and more

I recently discovered a line of healthy tomato products that I love called Dei Fratelli.  This family-owned company really takes pride in the food they produce, and you can taste the difference in the freshness of their tomatoes.  Dei Fratelli, which by the way means “brotherhood” in Italian,  makes great packaged tomatoes, tomato sauce and tomato juice.   Some of them come in cartons instead of cans, which I really like. They also have some amazing recipes that I have tried and wanted to share with you today.

 Bloody Mary Mix

Ingredients:
·    1 (46 oz) can Dei Fratelli tomato Juice ·    1 1/2 Tbsp. Celery salt ·    1 1/2 tsp Ground black pepper ·    3 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce ·    1 1/2 tsp Hot pepper sauce
Preparation: In a large jar or bottle, combine the tomato juice, celery salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and hot pepper sauce. Secure the lid and shake, or stir to mix until well blended.  (Store in the refrigerator for up to one week.)  Mix with vodka and enjoy!

Peppercorn Bacon and Tomato Shrimp Chowder Ingredients:
·    1 (14.5 oz) can Dei Fratelli Petite Diced Tomatoes ·    4 Cups Water ·    1 1/2 lb medium Shrimp, shelled ·    4 slices thick Peppercorn bacon ·    1 medium Onion, finely chopped ·    1 medium Green pepper, finely chopped ·    1 tsp garlic	·    2 Cups Potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch dices ·    1 Bay leaf ·    1 tsp Salt ·    1 tsp Freshly ground pepper ·    3 - 4 dashes Hot sauce, to taste
Preparation: In a medium size pot, add water. Cook until boiling. Add shrimp and cook 2 minutes. Remove shrimp from pot. Strain water and measure 3 cups. Keep on warm temperature until needed. In a Dutch oven, fry the bacon until crisp. Remove bacon to cool on paper towels. When cool, break into pieces. Add onion, green pepper, and garlic to bacon grease and sauté until tender about 10 minutes. Pour in reserved water. Add the potatoes, tomatoes, bay leaf, salt, pepper and hot sauce. Bring slowly to a boil, then turn the heat to low and cook and simmer for about 10 minutes or until the potatoes are tender but not mushy. Add the shrimp and bacon. Continue cooking for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and discard. Serve the chowder in heated mugs. Serves 6 to 8

Red Pepper Shrimp Linguini            Ingredients:
·    1 (14.5 oz) can Dei Fratelli Chopped Italian Tomatoes ·    1/3 Cup Olive oil ·    1 Cup White onion, sliced thin ·    1 Cup Red bell peppers, sliced ·    2 1/2 Tbsp Garlic, minced ·    1/4 Cup Fresh basil, finely chopped ·    2 Tbsp. Oregano ·    1 Tbsp. Rosemary ·    1 tsp Salt	·    1/2 tsp Black pepper ·    3/4 Cup Mushrooms, sliced ·    1 1/2 lb Fresh large shrimp, cleaned and deveined, tail on (can substitute thawed frozen cooked shrimp) ·    1 lb Linguini, cooked al dente per package instructions
Preparation: Heat oil in large pot with lid. Add onion, peppers, garlic, basil, oregano, rosemary, salt, pepper and mushrooms. Sauté over medium heat 5 minutes. Add tomatoes. Cover and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add shrimp and simmer until shrimp is pink and hot (if using frozen cooked shrimp, approx 5 minutes to heat through). Toss with cooked pasta. Serves 8-10 For more healthy recipes from Dei Fratelli,  visit their recipe page. ciao! fabiana

my first tomato of the season & recipe

The summer tomato season has started here at casa ciao! My first little perfect tomato has just been picked, and last night I incorporated it into one of my favorite middle-eastern recipes, Salad Shirazi. 

Salad Shirazi is a popular traditional Persian salad that originated the city of Shiraz in Southern Iran. The main ingredients are chopped cucumber, tomato, onion and a little lemon juice. In Iran, it is eaten in the summer as a side dish and on its own. It’s a crisp and refreshing side dish for summer that is so easy to make! 

During the colder months, it serves as a side dish alongside foods such as kebab and rice. Try my basic recipe and let me know what you think! 

Salad Shirazi

v  4 Persian cucumbers, peeled and diced

v  2 medium tomatoes, diced

v  1/4 medium red onion, diced

v  1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped

v  1 tablespoon olive oil

v  ½  tablespoon lemon juice

v  Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Chop all your vegetables and herbs and mix together in a large bowl.  Toss with olive oil and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Enjoy! (About 4 servings)

ciao! fabiana

tomato tulips filled with cheese

Impress your guests with these gorgeous

tomato tulips that are so easy to make!

           Tomato Tulips Filled with Cheese

Ingredients for 13 tulips:

13 roma tomatoes

14 stalks green onions

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1 small cucumber

½ teaspoon chopped fresh basil

Salt & pepper

A beautiful, decorative appetizer.  We use thirteen because the bouquets should have an odd number of flowers.   

PREPARATION: Slice cucumber very finely or grate, and drain on a paper towel. Mix cucumber with cream cheese and basil, season with salt and pepper. Cut the end of the tomatoes in the shape of a cross.  Poke a hole in the other end with a bamboo skewer and place the stem of green onion into tomato in this hole. Fill the tomatoes with cream cheese mixture. Place on plate and tie the bouquet with the last green onion.

ciao! fabiana

recipe courtesy of Biblia Smakow

it's all about those summer tomatoes!

Happy Friday! Today I’m sharing another peek at the current issue of Cottages & Bungalows. This article called “The Right Stuff” features my good friend Laura’s beautifully updated kitchen. 

This kitchen was brightened to fit in with 21st century living, and I just fell in love with it the moment I walked into her house. 

Styling this kitchen was just as easy as pie, and we chose to follow the theme of preparing a casual meal with fresh veggies and herbs from the garden. 

Laura’s an enthusiastic cook, and we share so many recipes with each other. We both love fresh garden tomatoes, and as you can see, there are beautiful heirloom tomatoes in just about every shot, except the one with the bar cart, haha. 

A basket full of tomatoes here, and a cute green pie plate filled with summer’s bounty there... in my mind, it’s all about the tomatoes when styling this adorable kitchen, as you can see from my behind-the-scenes photos! 

And, why not!? It’s such a natural fit for this kitchen. So, included in today’s post I’m sharing three of Laura’s favorite tomato recipes. 

Tomato Crostini with Whipped Feta 

Serves 6-8

6 ounces good feta, crumbled 

2 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature 

2/3 cup good olive oil, divided 

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice 

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 

2 tablespoons minced shallots (2 shallots) 

2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves) 

2 tablespoons good red wine vinegar 

2 pounds ripe heirloom or cherry tomatoes, ½-inch-diced 

3 tablespoons julienned fresh basil leaves, plus extra for serving 

20 to 25 (½-inch-thick) diagonal baguette slices, toasted 

2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts 

For the whipped feta, place the feta and cream cheese in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse until the cheeses are mixed. Add 1/3 cup of the olive oil, the lemon juice, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and process until smooth.

For the tomatoes, up to an hour before you’re serving, combine the shallots, garlic, and vinegar in a medium bowl. Set aside for 5 minutes. Whisk in the remaining 1/3 cup olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Add the tomatoes, stir gently, and set aside for 10 minutes. Stir in the basil and taste for seasonings. 

To assemble the crostini, spread each slice of bread with a generous amount of whipped feta. With a slotted spoon, place the tomatoes on top. Put the crostini on plates and scatter with the pine nuts. Sprinkle with extra basil and serve. 

Copyright 2012, Barefoot Contessa Foolproof by Ina Garten 

Garden Fresh Tomato Soup 

6 servings

4 cups chopped fresh tomatoes 

1 chopped medium onion  

3 cloves of garlic 

2 cups chicken stock 

2 tablespoons butter 

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 

1 teaspoon salt 

½ teaspoon pepper 

In a stockpot, over medium heat, combine the tomatoes, onion, garlic and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, and gently boil for about 20 minutes to blend all of the flavors. Remove from heat and run the mixture through a food mill into a large bowl, or pan. Discard any stuff left over in the food mill. 

In the now empty stockpot, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the flour to make a roux, cooking until the roux is a medium brown. Gradually whisk in a bit of the tomato mixture, so that no lumps form, then stir in the rest. Season with salt and pepper, and adjust to taste. 

© Copyright 2020 allrecipes.com. 

Chicken with Herb-Roasted Tomatoes and Pan Sauce 

4 servings - Cooking time: 40 minutes 

1 1/2 pounds cherry tomatoes or other small tomatoes on the vine 

6 tablespoons olive oil, divided 

2 tablespoons herbes de Provence 

1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more 

Freshly ground black pepper 

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts 

1 small shallot, minced 

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 

3 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley leaves 

3 tablespoons fresh tarragon leaves 

Preheat oven to 450°. Combine tomatoes, 2 Tbsp. oil, and herbes de Provence in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper; toss to coat. Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a large heavy ovenproof skillet until oil shimmers. Carefully add tomatoes to pan (oil may spatter). Transfer skillet to oven and roast, turning once, until tomatoes burst and give up some of their juices, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl and drizzle with Worcestershire sauce. 

Meanwhile, season chicken all over with 1 tsp. salt and pepper. Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Sear chicken on both sides until golden brown, 6–8 minutes. Transfer pan to oven and roast chicken until cooked through, 8–10 minutes. Transfer chicken to a cutting board and let rest for at least 5 minutes. 

Add remaining 1 Tbsp. oil to same skillet; heat over medium heat. Add shallot and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Deglaze pan with vinegar, scraping up browned bits from bottom of pan; add tomatoes and their juices and simmer until sauce is just beginning to thicken, about 1 minute. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. 

Slice chicken; divide among plates. Spoon tomatoes and sauce over; garnish with herbs. 

Recipe by Soa Davies for Bon Appetit, photo by Romulo Yanes 

We photographed Laura’s entire home last August, and the backyard entertaining spaces were featured in the last issue of Cottages & Bungalows. Make sure you pick up a copy so you can read the whole article, and you can also check out the other two projects I styled. 

The editors ended up spreading the love of this photo shoot into three issues, with the upcoming Fall issue featuring the fun backyard fire pit area. I can’t wait to see it! 

Enjoy the weekend... 

  

 ciao! fabiana 

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