Main Dishes

[Mischka]

Tomato Main Dish Recipes posted here

[coronabarb]

Shrimp with Tomato & Feta
Recipe By : Bon Appetit-9/98

1/2 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbls extra-virgin olive oil
1 (28oz)can Italian-style plum tomatoes,drained, chopped
1/3 cup dry white wine
2 tsps dried oregano leaves
3/4 pound med. shrimp, cleaned
1 (4oz) pkg crumbled feta cheese
2 Tbls chopped fresh parsley
1 (5.8oz) pkg "Near East" brand roasted garlic and olive oil couscous or 1 (6.9oz) rice pilaf mix, prepared as directed

Cook and stir onion and garlic in oil in large skillet over medium heat 3 min. Add tomatoes, wine and oregano. Reduce heat to low; simmer 5 min. or until thickened. Add shrimp. Cook 3 min., stirring frequently, until shrimp are pink. Sprinkle with cheese, simmer 1 min. Stir in parsley. Serve with couscous or rice.

[lightt]

I've tried many tomato pie recipes and this is without question the absolute best!

Adapted from Morash's "The Victory Garden Fish and Vegetable Cookbook" (Knopf, 1993). from the Washington Post August 2005

For the pastry:

1 cup flour
1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into bits
1/2 teaspoon salt

For the filling:
About 2 teaspoons Dijon-style mustard
2 or 3 large beefsteak tomatoes, sliced thick and evenly
1 cup grated low-fat Swiss cheese
2 tablespoons basil, julienne
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup grated low-fat mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Have ready an ungreased 9-inch pie plate or fluted quiche pan.

For the pastry: Combine the ingredients in a large bowl and, using your fingers or a pastry blender, cut the mixture until it comes together as a smooth dough, with the butter well incorporated. Form the dough into a ball, flatten it slightly, wrap in wax paper or plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.

On a lightly floured surface or between two pieces of wax paper, roll out the dough slightly larger than the pie plate or quiche pan and press the dough into the plate or pan. Pierce the bottom with the tines of a fork, cover loosely and refrigerate for another 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Line the pie shell with aluminum foil and pour ceramic pie weights or dried beans evenly on the foil. Bake for 8 minutes, then carefully remove the weights or beans and the foil, and bake for 2 minutes more. (At this point, the crust will not be fully baked.) Set aside to cool.

For the filling: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Brush the bottom of the cooled pie shell with a thin, see-through coating of the mustard. Layer the tomato slices, Swiss cheese and herbs, seasoning each layer lightly with salt and pepper to taste. Spread the mozzarella and Parmesan evenly over the top, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Serve warm.

My notes:

I put the sliced tomatoes on several layers of paper towels and pressed paper towels on top that I changed a few times to wick off some of the water.

Be careful timing wise as the various chilling stages adds an inordinate amount of time to make. I planned on having it for dinner Saturday night, made the dough and then read ALL of the directions. Ended up havng it the next day... There’s an hour of refer time and 40 minutes of baking so it might not be a very practical weeknight dinner.

[MsCowpea]

Don't be fooled by the title-it's got tomatoes in it! This pie is wonderful--I take it to a lot of clubs and potlucks and someone ALWAYS want the recipe. It is not light and fluffy but more substantial. Lots of sauteed onions with basil and toms. What more would you want.

Savory Cheese and Onion Pie
(from THE VEGETARIAN EPICURE by Anna Thomas)

- Basic Pastry for one 10 inch pie (I use Pillsbury Ready-made in refrigerator section)
- 10 oz. cheese : half Swiss and half Switzerland Gruyere, or in proportion desired (you can use all Swiss too)
- 2 Tbls flour
- 2 large onions (I use big, sweet ones)
- 4 Tbls butter
- 1 tsp chopped fresh basil (I use a lot more, maybe 1-2 Tbls)
- 2 large firm tomatoes, sliced
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup cream

Put pie crust in pie dish. Grate cheese and toss with flour. Melt butter in a large skillet. Slice onions and saute very gently in butter until they begin to turn golden, about 1/2 hour. Spread about 1/3 of the cheese over crust; spread onions over cheese.

In butter that is left in the pan, heat tomato slices with chopped basil for a minute or two. Arrange tomato slices over the onion , then cover with remaining cheese.

Beat eggs with cream and pour over cheese. Sprinkle a little nutmeg on top. Bake in pre-heated 350 degree oven for about 35 to 40 minutes, or until top browns nicely. Serve hot.

Serves 6

****the only thing else I do is lightly salt the onions and toms- almost to taste. Not too much though.

[fnsdo]

My wife brought two 3-pound sea bass home today (Asian Market in Phoenix sells freshest fish -some live). The fish were cleaned, but with head and tails on.

I melted a stick of butter in a saucepan, added about 8 cloves of garlic cut up, a fistful of Italian parsley, from the garden, of course, some cut up ginger, and made a roux by whisking in a tablespoon of flour and the juice of 3 lemons ( our tree), a little black pepper.

I cooked the roux down to about 75%, and, after filling the cavities of the fish with sliced (thick) Anna Russian, poured the roux over the fish and baked the fish for 30 minutes. The flavor of the fish, the roux, and the exquisite sweetness and tang of the Anna Russian were spectacular. A Peter Lehman Shiraz from the Barossa Valley (OZ) accompanied the meal. Perfect!

[coronabarb]

Creole Flounder

1 cup sliced green onions with tops
1 green pepper, sliced in thin strips
1-1/2 Tblsp. margarine, melted
1 (16 oz.) can whole tomatoes, undrained
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. dried whole thyme
6 flounder filets (approximately 1-1/2 lbs.)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
3 cups hot cooked rice

Saute' onions and peppers in butter until tender. Add liquid from tomatoes; chop tomatoes, and add to saucepan. Stir in tomato sauce, bay leaf, and thyme; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes; remove bay leaf and discard.

Place fish in 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with oil; sprinkle fish with salt and pepper. Spoon sauce over fish; cover and bake at 350 degrees F. for 20 minutes, or until fish flakes when tested with a fork.

Serve over rice. Yield: 6 servings.

[coronabarb]

Timatari Macchi (Cod Steaks in Tomato Sauce)

You will do best to use fish cut in steaks of between 1 and 1.5 inches thick. If you use fillets, skip the step that requires you to fry the fish in a skillet first.

1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 cod steaks (about 2 lbs)
8 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon each whole fennel seeds and black mustard seeds
2 medium onions peeled and chopped finely
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 lb can tomatoes, chopped
1/4 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon salt

Wash fish and dry with paper towels. Rub with salt, turmeric and cayenne; set aside for half an hour.

Heat half the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. When hot, put in fennel seeds and mustard seeds. As soon as mustard seeds begin to pop, add onions and garlic. Stir and fry onions until slightly brown. Add cumin and salt; stir. Add tomatoes and liquid, and garam masala, bringing to a boil. Cover, and reduce heat to low; simmer for 15 minutes.

Put remaining oil in a large frying pan and heat over medium. When hot, add fish steaks and brown on both sides, about 30 seconds each side.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place steaks in a baking dish and pour cooked tomato sauce over steaks. Bake uncovered for 15 minutes.

[coronabarb]

California Round Ups
From California Poultry Federaton

1 avocado, mashed
1 14-ounce package cream cheese, softened
5 fresh tomatoes, chopped
1 14-ounce can chopped green chilies
1 bunch green onions, sliced thin
1/4 cup cilantro leaves
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 tsp dried oregano
juice of one lime
2 tsps salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 cooked, boneless, skinless chicken breasts, shredded
flour tortillas, 6 inch

In a small bowl, blend mashed avocado and cream cheese; set aside. Put tomatoes, chilies, onion, cilantro, garlic, oregano, and lime juice into food processor; pulse until finely chopped. Season with salt and pepper to taste; drain.

Place salsa in medium bowl and add shredded chicken; mix together. Spread avocado/cheese mixture on each tortilla, about 1/2" from edge. Top with chicken salsa. Roll up jellyroll style and wrap tightly in plastic wrap; refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Cut each roll into 1/2" slices for appetizers or in half for sandwich.

[coronabarb]

Zucchini Tomato Tart

2 lbs zucchini, shredded (about 3 large)
4-5 scallions, sliced (use both green and white parts)
1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs, plus
2 tbsp seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
1 egg, beaten
6 oz fontina cheese, divided
1 medium tomato, halved and thinly sliced
1/4 c loosely packed basil leaves, slivered

Place zucchini and scallions in a large dry saute pan. Cook over high heat, stirring frequently, until zucchini shrinks, about 6 minutes. Drain in a colander, and press out excess water with a spoon. Return zucchini to pan, and add 1/4 bread crumbs, and salt and pepper. Allow to cool for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add egg and toss well.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat 9" pie plate with oil. Press zucchini mixture into bottom and sides of pan, but not over the lip of the dish. (It should be a thick layer) Bake for 15-18 minutes, until golden. Remove and sprinkle with 1/2 c cheese. Top with tomato slices, overlapping if necessary. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Cover with 2 tbsp bread crumbs, basil, and remaining fontina.

Reduce oven temperature to 350, and bake for an additional 30 minutes, until cheese is well browned. Remove from oven, and allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.

[coronabarb]

Three-Tomato Tart

1- 1/4 cups flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 cup shortening
Cold water
3 Tbl grated Parmesan cheese
2 egg whites
1 cup low-fat ricotta cheese
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbl fresh lemon thyme, or 1 tsp. dried thyme, crushed
2 large tomatoes, cored and sliced horizontally
5 yellow or red cherry tomatoes, sliced horizontally
2 red cherry tomatoes, sliced horizontally
1 Tbl olive oil
2 tsp fresh lemon thyme or 1/2 tsp. dried thyme crushed

In a small mixing bowl, stir together flour and salt. Cut in shortening until pieces are size of small peas. Sprinkle 1 Tbl cold water over part of mixture; gently toss with a fork. Push to side of bowl. Repeat, using 2 to 3 more Tbl cold water, until all is moistened. Form dough into a ball, wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 450. On a lightly floured surface, using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll pastry into a circle about 12" in diameter. Transfer to a 10" tart pan; ease pastry into pan. Trim pastry even with rim of pan. Do not pr!ck pastry. Line pastry shell with a double thickness of heavy-duty foil. Bake pastry for 5 minutes, or until pastry is nearly done. Remove from oven. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Sprinkle tart shell with Parmesan cheese.

Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, beat egg whites slightly. Stir in ricotta cheese, garlic, and 1 Tbl thyme; spread over pastry. Overlap large tomato slices in a circle around edge. Arrange yellow cherry tomatoes in a circle within tomato ring. Fill center with red cherry tomatoes.

Stir together olive oil and 2 tsp. thyme. Brush tomatoes with oil mixture. Bake tart in a 325 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes or till heated through and nearly set.

Serve warm or at room temperature. Store leftovers in refrigerator.

[brokenbar]

RISOTTO WITH SUN DRIED TOMATOES
6-8 c. chicken broth
2 c. Arborio rice (short grained Italian rice)
8 tbsp. butter
1 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
15 sun dried tomatoes, diced
3/4 c. dry red I wine (Merlot or Burgundy is fine)
10 fresh basil leaves
1 yellow onion, chopped


If tomatoes are packed in oil, drain them well. If not, soak them for 20 minutes in hot water, then drain them. Bring the broth to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer in a 3-quart pan, melt 6 tablespoons
butter and over low heat, saute the onion until just golden. Add the rice and raise the heat to medium high. When the rice begins to sizzle and pop, add the wine. Simmer until the rice has absorbed the wine, then add a ladle full of hot broth. Reduce the heat to medium. When the rice has absorbed the broth, add the sun dried tomatoes,
being careful not to break them. Use a wooden spoon to stir the mixture, as a metal utensil will tear the rice. Add another ladle full of broth; when the rice has absorbed this, add another. Continue doing this until the rice is almost cooked, but still slightly firm to the bite. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining butter. When
melted, tear the basil into pieces and stir into the mixture along with the Parmesan cheese. Cover and let rest for 2 minutes before serving hot. Serve with additional Parmesan, if desired. Serves 4

[brokenbar]

Herb-Crusted Salmon with Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:
4 tsp olive oil
2 Tbs shallots, minced
1 Tbs lemon juice, strained
1/2 cup dry white wine
6 sun-dried tomatoes (not packed in oil), finely minced
1/2 tsp coarse salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 Tsp fresh basil, minced or 1 tsp crumbled dried basil
1 Tbs fresh thyme, minced or 1 teaspoon crumbled dried thyme
2 Tbs fresh rosemary leaves, r 1/2 tsp dried rosemary

1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
2 (12-ounce) skinless salmon fillets


In a 10-inch nonstick skillet, heat 2 teaspoons of oil over medium heat. Add Shallotsa and saute, stirring constantly, until lightly golden, about 1 minute. Add lemon juice wine and sun dried tomatoes. Turn heat to medium-high and cook until sauce is reduced to 1/2 cup, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and set aside. (Sauce can be made up to 1 hour before cooking fish. Reheat over low heat just before removing fish from oven.)
Adjust oven rack to center of oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9 x 13 x 2-inch oven proof casserole with cooking spray; set aside. On a piece of wax paper, combine basil. Thyme & rosemary and bread crumbs. Dredge each fillet in bread crumb mixture, coating well. Transfer fillets to prepared
pan and place 2 inches apart. Drizzle with remaining 2 teaspoons of oil. Bake in a preheated oven just until salmon is opaque and barely flakes when tested in the center with a knife, about 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to serving platter, slice each fillet in half crosswise, spoon sauce over fillets, and serve.

Yield: 4 servings Prep Time 20 min Cook Time 15 min

[brokenbar]

Chicken Breasts Stuffed W/Sun-Dried Tomatoes & Ricotta


2 Whole boneless chicken breasts pounded to 1/4 thickness
8 oz Ricotta softened at room temp
16 Sun-Dried Tomatoes packed in oil, diced finely
1.2 cup grated mozzarella
1 Sm can tomato paste
1 tsp each Oregano, basil & parsley
1 tbs olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste


Pound chicken breasts flat being careful not to tear or break. Mix Ricotta with diced tomatoes, oil & herbs. Spoon small amount into each breast and roll up (like jelly roll) Secure with toothpick. Brush tops with tomato paste. Sprinkled grated parmigiana on top. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.

[brokenbar]

WHITE BEANS AND SUN DRIED TOMATOES


1 lb. white beans
1 lb. mild or Hot Itlaian sausage, sliced
2 oz. sun dried tomatoes (not in oil)
2 lg. onions
2 cloves garlic
1 green pepper
Parsley
Bay leaf
Thyme
ParsleyChicken broth
Rinse beans. Cover with chicken broth. Add chopped onions, garlic and green pepper, sliced sausage, and diced sun dried tomatoes and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 2 hours or until soft.
Serve over rice. Serves 8 people.

[coronabarb]

Shrimp and Tomato Casserole

6 Tbl butter
1 small onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 Tbl basil
1/2 cup parsley
2 Tbl chives
3 large cloves garlic, chopped
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 egg
2 egg yolks
4 oz Monterey Jack cheese, grated
12 oz Swiss cheese, grated
1 1/2 lb shrimp, cooked and peeled
4 med. tomatoes, cut in chunks
4 Tbl butter
1/4 cup bread crumbs

Saute onion and pepper in 6 Tbl butter. Add basil, parsley, chives and garlic.

In a bowl, beat mayonnaise and eggs; add cheese. Combine cheese mixture with onion-pepper mixture, along with shrimp and tomatoes; stir gently. Put all in greased 9x13" casserole.

Saute 1/4 cup bread crumbs in 4 Tbl butter. Top casserole with bread crumbs and sprinkle with paprika. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until bubbly.