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Tag: cherry tomatoes

Pesto Crusted Cod with Roasted Cauliflower

Healthy and delicious… what more does one want??? Try this one…

  • 4 filets of cod or any other white fish
  • ½ cup homemade or store bought pesto
  • 1 cup breadcrumbs
  • Salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Mix the pesto with the breadcrumbs, add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil if necessary. Season the filets with salt and divide the pesto mixture into 4 parts. Top each filet with the pesto mixture and set aside.

Place on a lined baking sheet and bake in oven for about 10 minutes or till the pesto mixture is golden brown and the fish is cooked through. Baking time will vary according to the filet thickness. Take out and serve with roasted cauliflower and couscous.

Roasted Cauliflower with Tomatoes

  • 1 cauliflower head, cut into florets
  • 1 cup cherry tomaotes
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt
  • Pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degree F.

Place the florets and tomatoes onto a lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Mix well and roast for about half an hour or till the cauliflower is golden brown. Serve with the fish.

Roasted Tomato and Shiitake Mushroom Pasta

  • 1 pound cherry tomatoes
  • Drizzle of olive oil
  • Sprinkle of salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Transfer the tomatoes to a lined cookie sheet. Drizzle the oil and sprinkle the salt and mix well. Roast in oven for 30 minutes. Put the tomatoes through a food mill or a blender. Keep aside.

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 2 cups Shiitake mushrooms, sliced
  • ½ pound rigatoni, cooked with ½ cup pasta water to spare
  • Salt
  • ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped

Heat a large frying pan with the olive oil. Add the shiitake mushrooms and sauté on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the onion and garlic, sauté on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the roasted tomato sauce, cooked pasta and the pasta water. Mix well, season according to taste and garnish with parsley.

Chicken Cacciatore

My first try at chicken cacciatore! Not sure why I didn’t make it before- it was quite easy and super flavorful.. especially with the capers and basil!

  • 2 cups cherry tomatoes
  • 1 large red pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 large yellow onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 16 ounces, Cremini mushrooms, cut in half
  • 4 large garlic cloves wrapped in aluminum foil
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon Sherry wine vinegar
  • Salt
  • Pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Line a large cookies sheet with aluminum foil. Place all the vegetables onto the tray accept the garlic. Drizzle oil, vinegar and sprinkle salt and pepper. Mix well with fingers and add the covered garlic cloves. Roast the vegetables for about 40 minutes or till they are golden brown and soft. Take out of the oven and keep aside.

  •  2 pounds chicken cutlets
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • Pepper
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary
  • 2 tablespoons fresh thyme
  • 1 14½ ounces can of fire roasted chopped tomatoes (or crushed tomatoes)
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoon capers, drained
  • 1/3 cup fresh basil, sliced thin

Mix the flour, salt and pepper on a flat bowl. Dredge the chicken pieces taking off any excess flour. In the meantime, heat a large saucepan with the oil, butter, rosemary and thyme. Brown the chicken pieces in batches on both sides till golden brown. Take out and keep aside. In the same pan, add the canned tomatoes, chicken broth and capers. Bring to a boil and add the roasted vegetables including the soft garlic. Cook for about 10 minutes on a simmer and add the chicken pieces. Add the chicken pieces and cook till the chicken is cooked through. Check for seasonings and garnish with basil. Serve with pasta or polenta.

Greens with Avocado and Cumin Dressing

I have making this salad almost twice a week. We love avocados- well, my husband and I do. I usually make guacamole a lot and we enjoy it with fish, chicken or any other Mexican cuisine. Since we love avocados so much, I now incorporate them into a simple salad. Some mixed greens, halved cherry tomatoes and a delicious dressing.

The dressing in this salad is the star- I used fresh lemons, honey and extra virgin olive oil. The main ingredients that make this dressing amazing is roasted cumin seeds and smoked paprika. I think I need to make a big jar of it as I find myself licking the plate after the salad is done.

Definitely try this salad- it is delicious…

  • 4 cups mixed greens
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
  • 2 ripe avocadoes, cut into 1 inch pieces

Place the greens, tomatoes and avocado pieces into a medium salad bowl.

Dressing

  • 1 teaspoon roasted cumin seeds, crushed
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • Juice of two lemons
  • 2 to 3 teaspoons honey
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • Salt

Add the cumin seeds, lemon juice, honey, paprika and salt into a small bowl. Slowly drizzle the olive oil until the dressing emulsifies. Check for seasonings and drizzle over the salad. Toss and serve.

Halibut with Tomatoes & Olives

Another super healthy recipe! I made it with halibut as it is a nice, meaty fish but it can be substituted with another fish or shrimp or even scallops. It is simply marinated in smoked paprika- which gives anything super flavor without any calories. The fish is then browned briefly and cooked in a delicious mixture of tomatoes and olives. I served this with couscous with roasted butternut squash and cranberries. The meal was delicious…

  • 2 to 3 halibut filets, 4 to 6 ounces each
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

Sprinkle the fish filets with salt and smoked paprika.

  •  2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • ½ cup olives, sliced (any kind you like)
  • 1 cup cilantro, chopped
  • ½ teaspoon sugar
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • Juice of half a lemon

Heat a non-stick frying pan with the olive oil. Brown the fish filets briefly on both sides on high heat. Take them out and keep aside. Add cherry tomatoes, garlic and olives to the same pan. Saute on medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth, lemon juice and sugar. Bring to a boil and simmer for 7 to 8 minutes. Add the cilantro and the fish. Cook the filets for another few minutes (depending on the thickness). Check for seasonings and serve.

Halibut with Tomatoes and Olives1

Fresh Tomato Compote

Some more of my favorite recipes!

I wanted to post this ASAP as tomato season is almost over and this is too good to miss. I made it with baby San Marzano tomatoes I found at Trader Joes. I served this delicious compote with cheese but it can be served with pasta, on pizza, on grilled meats or fish! It is absolutely delicious!

  • 2 pounds cherry tomatoes, cut in half
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • Juice of a lemon
  • 1 Serrano pepper, chopped fine
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons salt
  • ¼ cup fresh basil, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Transfer the tomatoes to a cookie sheet and bake for half an hour or till the tomatoes get a bit soft and the skin looks loose. Take out and let cool and slide the skins off. Transfer the tomatoes to a saucepan. Add the oil, brown sugar, lemon juice, pepper and salt. Bring to a boil and simmer on low heat for 20 to 25 minutes. Taste for seasonings and turn heat off. Once the compote is cooled off add the basil and serve with cheese or as a topping for pizza or any meat or fish.

 

Quick Barley Salad

I thought I would post recipes this week that have lots of summer ingredients.. since you can still find all the fresh ingredients.. although this one can be made any time of year, but it is particularly delicious with some grilled fish or meat!

  • 1 cup barley (I used the quick cooking variety), cooked according to package directions. Instead of water, I used chicken broth, juice of half a lemon and 1 teaspoon salt to cook mine. Cool the barley and add to a serving bowl and let cool.
  • 1 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
  • ½ cup mint, chopped
  • ¼ cup dill, chopped
  • 1 cup cucumber, chopped
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half or quarters
  • Juice of one lemon
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons salt or to taste

 

Add the parsley, mint, dill, cucumber, tomatoes, lemon juice, oil and salt to the cooked barley and mix well. Let the salad sit at room temperature for at least an hour before serving.