Tag Archive for Roma tomatoes

Pasta Salad is Always a Hit

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Pasta Salad - The Surprised Gourmet

Pasta Salad is a hit anytime of the year

If your family is anything like ours, then pasta salad is always a hit no matter what time of year it is.

For some it seems pasta salads are only served during the summer when a cool dish is needed. But pasta salads are a delicious dish no matter what the weather is outside. In fact, a pasta salad can be a refreshing treat in the winter when most meals are hearty and hot.

Begin this salad by cooking a 16 ounce box of Rotini noodles according to the package directions.

While the pasta is cooking, seed and dice two Roma tomatoes and chop up broccoli florets making 2 cups. In a small bowl mix two packages of Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix with 16 ounces of sour cream and 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of milk. Mix well until completely smooth.

When the pasta is done, drain, rinse with cold water, drain again and place in a large bowl. Add the chopped tomatoes, chopped broccoli and 5 ounces of cooked bacon pieces. Pour over the prepared dressing mix and combine well.

Tasty Pasta Salad - The Surprised Gourmet

Enjoy Pasta Salad even in cold weather

The pasta salad can be served immediately while still warm or refrigerated. It stores well in the refrigerator for several days when kept in an airtight container.

This tasty dish can be a meal all on its own or served as an accompaniment to a main course.

Thanks for stopping by today. Do you enjoy pasta salad year-round or only in the summer? What do you like in your pasta salad?

Cucina Felice!

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Pasta Salad is Always a Hit

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Serves: 6-8 servings

It doesn't have to be hot to enjoy this salad
Ingredients
  • 16 Ounce box Rotini noodles
  • 2 Roma tomatoes (seeded and diced)
  • 2 Cup chopped broccoli florets
  • 2 Packages Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix
  • 16 Ounces sour cream
  • ¼ Cup plus 2 tablespoons milk
  • 5 Ounces cooked bacon pieces
Instructions
  1. Begin this salad by cooking a 16 ounce box of Rotini noodles according to the package directions.
  2. While the pasta is cooking, seed and dice two Roma tomatoes and chop up broccoli florets making 2 cups. In a small bowl mix two packages of Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix with 16 ounces of sour cream and ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons of milk. Mix well until completely smooth.
  3. When the pasta is done, drain, rinse with cold water, drain again and place in a large bowl. Add the chopped tomatoes, chopped broccoli and 5 ounces of cooked bacon pieces. Pour over the prepared dressing mix and combine well.
  4. The pasta salad can be served immediately while still warm or refrigerated. It stores well in the refrigerator for several days when kept in an airtight container.

 

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Ciabatta, Eggs and More

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Ciabatta, Eggs and More - The Surprised Gourmet

Ciabatta, Eggs and More is made using leftovers from other meals

Taking leftovers from two previous meals resulted in a new dish I call Ciabatta, Eggs and More.

The leftover ingredients included the stuffing from the Assembling Dinner in a Pinch meal and gravy from the Steak Fried Chicken and Gravy meal. Sometimes it pays to make more than you need for a meal.

Start by sauteing 1/4 cup minced onions in a skillet for 2 minutes and then add 1 1/2 cups chopped spinach. Cook another minute and then add 3 tablespoons butter, 1 tablespoon minced garlic and 12 ounces of the stuffing, reduce heat.

Next add 4 slices of Bar S deli-style ham that has been julienned and stir. Beat 4 eggs with 1/4 cup milk and add to the skillet. Top that off with 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, 6 ounces of the chicken gravy, and 1 Roma tomato that’s been seeded and diced. Let all the ingredients cook together for one minute.

Take ciabatta rolls and toast in a preheated 350 degree oven for 6 minutes. Pour egg mixture over the rolls and serve.

One of the fun things about cooking is seeing the different ways you can serve a dish. Sometimes it’s as simple as putting two dishes together to make one. Other times it’s just adding a few new ingredients that changes things up.

The main focus is create healthy, tasty meals your family will enjoy. If you can have fun doing that, then that’s an added bonus.

Thanks for stopping by today. Do you like using leftovers for new dishes? What’s your favorite leftover dish that gets used in other dishes?

Cucina Felice! 

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Ciabatta, Eggs and More

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Serves: 4 Servings

Combining leftovers can sometimes lead to tasty new dishes
Ingredients
  • ¼ Cup minced onion
  • 1½ Cups chopped spinach
  • 3 Tablespoons butter
  • 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
  • 12 Ounces stuffing (recipe in Assembling Dinner in a Pinch post)
  • 4 Slices Bar S deli-style ham, julienned
  • 4 Large eggs
  • ¼ Cup milk
  • ½ Cup shredded Mozzarella
  • 6 Ounces chicken gravy (recipe in Steak Fried Chicken post)
  • 1 Roma tomato, seeded and diced
  • 4 Ciabatta rolls
Instructions
  1. Start by sauteing ¼ cup minced onions in a skillet for 2 minutes and then add 1½ cups chopped spinach. Cook another minute and then add 3 tablespoons butter, 1 tablespoon minced garlic and 12 ounces of the stuffing, reduce heat.
  2. Next add 4 slices of Bar S deli-style ham that has been julienned and stir. Beat 4 eggs with ¼ cup milk and add to the skillet. Top that off with ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese, 6 ounces of the chicken gravy, and 1 Roma tomato that's been seeded and diced. Let all the ingredients cook together for one minute.
  3. Take ciabatta rolls and toast in a preheated 350 degree oven for 6 minutes. Pour egg mixture over the rolls and serve.

 

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Have You Tried Stroghetti?

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Stroghetti - The Surprised Gourmet

Stroghetti is like stroganoff and spaghetti together

What do you call a dish that reminds you of stroganoff and spaghetti, how about Stroghetti?

I had 3 bell peppers in the fridge I needed to use and had no idea how I wanted to cook’em. I cut them in half, removed the seeds and then julienned them.

I put 8 ounces of spaghetti noodles into boiling water and boiled according to the package instructions for al dente.

I got my wok out, added 2 tablespoons olive oil and dropped the bell pepper in to saute on medium heat for 5 minutes. I added 1 small onion, minced, and cooked for 3 more minutes. Next came 2 tablespoons minced garlic and cooked for another minute. Then I added 1 Roma tomato, finely diced, to cook for still another minute.

Stroghetti - The Surprised Gourmet

Stroghetti is a quick and easy dish the family will enjoy

I then added 1 cup chicken stock, 1/2 cup tomato sauce and when it came to a boil, added .84 pounds ground chuck cooking everything for about 6 minutes more. Then came 1 tablespoon fresh ground kosher salt, 1 cup cottage cheese and turned the heat down to allow the mixture to thicken into a creamy sauce. The last ingredient while it was heating was 2/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese.

I took the mixture off the stove, added the drained spaghetti noodles and 1/3 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, mixing well.

The creamy mixture has the consistency of the stroganoff with the delicious texture of the spaghetti. Sometimes a dish just comes together as you start cooking.

Thanks for popping by. Are you a fan or stroganoff and/or spaghetti?

Cucina Felice!

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Have You Tried Stroghetti?

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Serves: 4

A creamy dish that's like stroganoff and spaghetti together
Ingredients
  • 3 Bell peppers, seeded and julienned
  • 1 Small onion, minced
  • 1 Roma tomato, finely diced
  • .84 Pounds ground chuck
  • 2 Tablespoons minced garlic
  • 1 Cup chicken stock
  • ½ Cup tomato sauce
  • 1 Tablespoon kosher salt
  • 1 Cup cottage cheese
  • ⅔ Cup shredded mozzarella
  • 8 Ounces spaghetti noodles
  • ⅓ Cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Instructions
  1. Cut the bell pepper in half, remove the seeds and then julienne them.
  2. Put 8 ounces of spaghetti noodles into boiling water and boiled according to the package instructions for al dente.
  3. Using a wok or large skillet add 2 tablespoons olive oil and drop the bell pepper in to saute on medium heat for 5 minutes. Add 1 small onion, minced, and cook for 3 more minutes. Next add 2 tablespoons minced garlic and cook for another minute. Then add 1 Roma tomato, finely diced, to cook for another minute.
  4. Add 1 cup chicken stock, ½ cup tomato sauce and when it come to a boil, add .84 pounds ground chuck cooking everything for about 6 minutes more. Then add 1 tablespoon fresh ground kosher salt, 1 cup cottage cheese and turn the heat down to allow the mixture to thicken into a creamy sauce. The last ingredient to add while it is heating is ⅔ cup shredded mozzarella cheese.
  5. Take the mixture off the stove, add the drained spaghetti noodles and ⅓ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, mixing well.

 

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Ground Beef Wonder

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Delicious Ground Beef Wonder - The Surprised Gourmet

Delicious Ground Beef Wonder comes together with the help of leftovers

Ground Beef Wonder is one of those delightful dishes that comes together when you’re just looking for something to eat.

If you cook very much, you’re going to have leftovers from time to time. It’s what you do with those leftovers that makes a difference. This Ground Beef Wonder came together with some simple ingredients I keep on hand, along with a little leftover Mac and Cheese, some leftover Farfalle in Alfredo Sauce, and a tad bit of leftover sausage gravy.

In a sauce pan on medium heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1/2 medium sweet onion, finely chopped. Let that saute for about a minute then add 1 tablespoon minced garlic. Saute 30 to 40 seconds and add 1 1/2 Roma tomatoes (seeded and diced into small pieces) Saute 30 to 40 seconds and add one pound cooked ground beef. (Precook the ground beef and add just a bit of water to get all the flavors infused before pouring into the sauce pan.)

Ground Beef Wonder - The Surprised Gourmet

Leftovers come together to make a tasty Ground Beef Wonder

Mix well, add 1/4 cup Farfalle in Alfredo Sauce and cook 30-40 seconds. Mix well, add 2 1/2 cups Mac and Cheese, cook 30 seconds. Add 1/2 cup sausage gravy. Let all ingredients incorporate and heat up all the way through. Taste for seasoning to see if you want to add anything else. Finish it off by adding 1 cup finely chopped spinach and stir well.

Remove from heat and serve.

This would be a hard recipe to recreate exactly this way as you may not have all the leftover ingredients. However, take what you have and create your own Ground Beef Wonder by adding bits of dishes you’ve enjoyed. You may be pleasantly surprised at what you create.

Thanks for stopping by. If you decide to give this recipe a try or your own version of it, be sure to drop back by and let me know how it turns out. If you post your results online, tag it with #thesurprisedgourmet as I’m always happy to hear how a recipe turns out for you.

Cucina Felice!

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Ground Beef Wonder

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Serves: 4-6 Servings

Using leftovers can sometimes result in a tasty new dish
Ingredients
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • ½ Sweet onion, finely chopped
  • 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1½ Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced into small pieces
  • 1 Pound cooked ground beef
  • ¼ Cup Farfalle in Alfredo Sauce
  • 2½ Cups Mac and Cheese
  • ½ Cup sausage gravy
  • 1 Cup finely chopped spinach
Instructions
  1. In a sauce pan on medium heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and ½ medium sweet onion, finely chopped. Let that saute for about a minute then add 1 tablespoon minced garlic. Saute 30 to 40 seconds and add 1½ Roma tomatoes (seeded and diced into small pieces) Saute 30 to 40 seconds and add one pound cooked ground beef. (Precook the ground beef and add just a bit of water to get all the flavors infused before pouring into the sauce pan.)
  2. Mix well, add ¼ cup Farfalle in Alfredo Sauce and cook 30-40 seconds. Mix well, add 2½ cups Mac and Cheese, cook 30 seconds. Add ½ cup sausage gravy. Let all ingredients incorporate and heat up all the way through. Taste for seasoning to see if you want to add anything else. Finish it off by adding 1 cup finely chopped spinach and stir well.
  3. Remove from heat and serve.

 

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Southwestern Style Salad

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Southwestern Style Salad - The Surprised Gourmet

Southwestern Style Salad is colorful and loaded with flavor

While temperatures are beginning to dip to cooler digits in parts of the U.S., it’s never a bad time for a tasty Southwestern Style Salad.

A quick dish to fix after a long day of work or when you just want something a little different. Easy to prepare, this salad is colorful and flavorful featuring avocado.

Take 4 Roma tomatoes – half, seed and dice into 1/4-inch cubes. Place in large bowl. Add 1 tablespoon minced garlic, 1 small jalapeno (seeded, finely minced), 1 can (15 1/4 ounces) whole kernel corn, 1 ripe avocado (seeded, peeled, diced), 2 tablespoons sugar, 2 tablespoons lime juice, fresh ground black pepper to taste, fresh ground kosher salt to taste, 1/2 small onion (finely minced), and 6 strips of crisp bacon (finely chopped).

Delicious Southwestern Style Salad - The Surprised Gourmet

Southwestern Style Salad is good anytime of the year

Toss together. Put fresh spinach on plates, add salad and top with your favorite shredded cheese and serve.

What could be more simple than that? It doesn’t have to be a hot, humid day to enjoy this cool, delicious salad.

Thanks for dropping by today. Do you enjoy salads throughout the year or do you only eat them during the warm months? If you give this a try, be sure to stop back by and let me know how it turned out for you. If you post it online, just tag it with #thesurprisedgourmet. I’m always interested in knowing how you like the recipe.

Cucina Felice!

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Southwestern Style Salad

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Serves: 4-6 servings

Never too cool for a tasty salad with avocado
Ingredients
  • 4 Roma tomatoes, halved, seeded, diced into 1/-4 inch cubes
  • 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1 Small jalapeno, seeded, finely minced
  • 1 Can (15¼ ounces) whole kernel corn
  • 1 Ripe avocado, seeded, peeled, diced
  • 2 Tablespoons sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons lime juice
  • Fresh ground black pepper to taste
  • Fresh ground kosher salt to taste
  • ½ Small onion, finely minced
  • 6 Strips crisp bacon, finely chopped
  • Fresh grated Parmesan cheese to taste
  • Spinach to taste
Instructions
  1. Take 4 Roma tomatoes - half, seed and dice into ¼-inch cubes. Place in large bowl. Add 1 tablespoon minced garlic, 1 small jalapeno (seeded, finely minced), 1 can (15¼ ounces) whole kernel corn, 1 ripe avocado (seeded, peeled, diced), 2 tablespoons sugar, 2 tablespoons lime juice, fresh ground black pepper to taste, fresh ground kosher salt to taste, ½ small onion (finely minced), and 6 strips of crisp bacon (finely chopped).
  2. Toss together. Put fresh spinach on plates, add salad and top with your favorite shredded cheese and serve.

 

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Potato Pancake Florentine

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Potato Pancake for breakfast - The Surprised Gourmet

Potato Pancake Florentine is delicious for breakfast or dinner

Lately we seem to be on a food merry-go-around of sorts using the same ingredients everyday, but coming up with different dishes is how I created my Potato Pancake Florentine meal.

One of the main ingredients I tend to use a great deal is spinach. I use it instead of lettuce and find that I’m using it in more and more dishes. It’s one of those foods that we enjoy and besides, it’s good for you.

With my busy work schedule we only get to enjoy breakfast as a family on weekends and then sometimes only on Sundays. Because of this and the fact that it’s a meal we really enjoy, we have a habit of eating breakfast for dinner from time to time.

Deciding to combine breakfast and dinner the other evening I came up with these tasty potato pancakes filled with nutritious julienned  spinach.

It all started with 1 cup of leftover mashed potatoes. This is one dish that is so handy I’m tempted to make extra potatoes when I prepare them just so I’ll have leftovers to use in some other dish.

Potato Pancake - The Surprised Gourmet

A tasty dish the family will enjoy anytime of day

Putting a non-stick skillet on medium high, I gave it a splash (about 1 tablespoon) of Canola oil to make sure it was lightly coated. In a bowl, I slightly beat 2 large eggs, added the mashed potatoes, 1/4 cup milk, 1/4 cup plain flour, 1/4 teaspoon baking powder, a pinch of baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon Lawry’s Garlic Salt, 1/2 cup julienned deli-style ham, 1/3 cup julienned spinach, 5 leaves of basil (julienned), 1/4 cup shredded Mexican Blend cheese, fresh ground black pepper (to taste), and fresh ground kosher salt (to taste). I combined all the ingredients until it was a batter-consistency.

Using 1/3 cup measuring cup, I dropped the mixture into the hot skillet making the pancakes about 6 to 7 inches in diameter. I cooked them about 2 to 3 minutes until they were golden brown and could be flipped over without tearing apart.

Tasty Potato Pancakes - The Surprised Gourmet

Quick and easy Potato Pancake Florentine

In a cast iron skillet I scrambled 1 egg with Kraft Velveeta Sharp Cheddar Cheese for the garnish. On top of that I added 1 tablespoon of julienned ham and a dollop of sour cream with a wedge of a Roma tomato on the side.

Mashed potatoes (or creamed potatoes to some) are always good. I love potatoes just about any way you can prepare them. Are you a mashed potato fan? Have you used them in any other dishes as an ingredient?

Thanks for poppin in. Hope you’ll give this a try. If you do, be sure to stop back by and let me know how it turned out for you or if you post it online tag it with #thesurprisedgourmet.

Cucina Felice!

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Potato Pancake Florentine

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Serves: 4 servings

You can enjoy this delicious Potato Pancake Florentine recipe for dinner or breakfast
Ingredients
  • 1 Cup mashed potatoes
  • 1 Tablespoon Canola oil
  • 2 Large eggs
  • ¼ Cup milk
  • ¼ Cup plain flour
  • ¼ Teaspoon baking powder
  • A pinch of baking soda
  • ½ Teaspoon garlic salt
  • ½ Cup deli-style ham, julienned
  • ⅓ Cup spinach, julienned
  • 5 Leaves of basil, julienned
  • ¼ Cup shredded Mexican Blend cheese
  • Fresh ground black pepper (to taste)
  • Fresh ground kosher salt (to taste)
  • GARNISH
  • 1 Large egg
  • 1 Slice Velveeta sharp cheddar cheese
  • 1 Tablespoon julienned ham
  • Dollop of sour cream
  • 1 Roma tomato, cut into wedges
Instructions
  1. Put a non-stick skillet on medium high, give it a splash (about 1 tablespoon) of Canola oil to make sure it was lightly coated. In a bowl, slightly beat 2 large eggs, added the mashed potatoes, ¼ cup milk, ¼ cup plain flour, ¼ teaspoon baking powder, a pinch of baking soda, ½ teaspoon garlic salt, ½ cup julienned deli-style ham, ⅓ cup julienned spinach, 5 leaves of basil (julienned), ¼ cup shredded Mexican Blend cheese, fresh ground black pepper (to taste), and fresh ground kosher salt (to taste). Combine all the ingredients until it is a batter-consistency.
  2. Using ⅓ cup measuring cup, drop the mixture into the hot skillet making the pancakes about 6 to 7 inches in diameter. Cook about 2 to 3 minutes until they are golden brown and can be flipped over without tearing apart.
  3. In a cast iron skillet scrambled 1 egg with Kraft Velveeta Sharp Cheddar Cheese for the garnish. On top of that add 1 tablespoon of julienned ham and a dollop of sour cream with a wedge of a Roma tomato on the side.

 

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