Tag: tomato

Caprese Spinach Stuffed Tomato

Just a quick little post for a quick little salad……. Caprese Spinach Stuffed Tomato
Caprese Spinach Stuffed Tomato

It’s Saturday and after my favorite thing in the world……almost……..buying groceries, I needed little lunch. I bought some beautiful tomatoes, even though they aren’t in season….yet! Of course if the weather doesn’t start to cooperate, we will not have tomatoes, it’s freezing!

I am un-deterred and I made myself a spring-ish salad for lunch. So simple really……I have stuffed tomatoes frequently in the summer, egg salad, tuna, salad, chicken salad…….. so why not with a salad???

Caprese Spinach Stuffed Tomato

I used baby spinach that I shredded and stuffed inside the tomato. At first I was thinking, just a tossed salad inside of a tomato, then Caprese crossed my mind.

Caprese salad, meaning “Salad of Capri” is a simple Italian salad, made of sliced fresh mozzarella, tomatoes and green basil, seasoned with salt, and olive oil. It’s made to resemble the colors of the Italian flag: red, white, and green.

Caprese Spinach Stuffed Tomato

I love, love, love the combination of fresh mozzarella, tomato, and basil. So, the spinach was in the tomato, and I topped it with cubes of fresh mozzarella….pretty!

For the basil, I made it into a dressing, a pesto dressing. Basil, walnuts, parmesan cheese, white balsamic vinegar, and olive oil with a touch of water to make it easy to pour.

Caprese Spinach Stuffed Tomato

For my money, the pesto dressing made this dish. Basil is extremely aromatic, with the initial scent of pepper, anise, and mint. The taste is sweet, but savory. Perfect for Caprese Spinach Stuffed Tomato.

This salad is a great light lunch and would be a side side salad for any grilled meat……steak sounds good!

Caprese Spinach Stuffed Tomato

It’s so quick and easy you can make it in a flash for those unexpected guests, or if you just need a quick lunch……like I did today!

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Caprese Spinach Stuffed Tomato

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  • Author: Marty Boyd
  • Yield: 2 1x
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Ingredients

Scale
  • Pesto Dressing
  • 1/2 c. fresh basil leaves
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 1 tablespoon chopped walnuts
  • 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
  • 1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 
Salad
  • 
1/2 cup fresh mozzarella cheese, cubed
  • 2 large vine ripened tomatoes
  • 1 cup baby spinach leaves, shredded
  • Additional fresh basil, sliced for garnish if desired

Instructions

  1. For pesto dressing, in a food processor combine basil, garlic, walnuts and Parmesan cheese. Cover and pulse until combined. Add vinegar, water and oil. Cover and process until thoroughly combined.
  2. Wash and dry the tomatoes. Slice each tomato into 6 wedges, leaving the bottoms of the tomato intact. Spread open the wedges of the tomatoes slightly and evenly divide the spinach and mozzarella between the tomatoes. Drizzle each tomato with the dressing and finish with fresh cracked pepper and salt if desired.

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BLT Bruschetta

You need snacks, you want snacks, you gotta have BLT Bruschetta!
If you love bruschetta and if you love BLT’s this is the snack for you.

BLT Bruschetta Dip

Crusty french bread toasted until golden brown, then slathered with this amazing dip, spread,or whatever you want to call it. BLT Bruschetta is the bomb. Continue reading “BLT Bruschetta”

French Bread Tomato Soup

Cool blustery days……I need soup……..French Bread Tomato Soup

French Bread Tomato Soup 6

Once fall has reared it’s beautiful albeit it chilly head, I want comfort food… casseroles, chili, stews and of course soup.

When I was a kid, tomato soup and grilled cheese was a fall and winter fav. Of course it was canned soup and white bread, and single sliced cheese. Over the years I have jazzed up my tomato soup collection and Tomato French Bread Soup is my latest addition.

French Bread Tomato Soup 1

Once again I have turned to my pressure cooker. I know I am repeating myself …….but really…….get one of these. If you are a busy family this is just your ticket for quick and tasty meals.

This soup is a veggie tomato soup, loaded with carrots, onions, red pepper, celery, and garlic. Chicken stock, tomato juice, canned tomatoes, a touch of lemon juice, sugar, and cayenne to your heat preference, then into pressure cooker for 15 minutes.

French Bread Tomato Soup 3

What makes this soup special are the french bread dumplings…….who knew you could cook bread in the pressure cooker????

Using Pillsbury’s Simply Rustic French Bread loaf, I cut it into 6 pieces, and tossed it with some spices, parmesan cheese, and olive oil.

French Bread Tomato Soup 4

After the soup had cooked for 15 minutes, I dropped the “dumplings” on top and cooked for another 6 minutes or so……..and ta da………Tomato French Bread Soup.
Kinda like chicken and dumplings …….only its Tomato Soup and dumplings. Warm and comforting. Perfect for a chilly night!!

I also included directions for a regular slow cooker, for those of you who do not YET own a pressure cooker.

Tomato French Bread Soup Collage

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French Bread Tomato Soup

★ 5 Stars ☆ ★ 4 Stars ☆ ★ 3 Stars ☆ ★ 2 Stars ☆ ★ 1 Star ☆ No reviews
  • Author: Marty Boyd
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Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup onion, chopped
  • 1/2 cup carrots, chopped
1/2 cup red pepper, chopped
  • 1/2 cup celery, sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 – 28 ounce can diced tomato
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 1 cup tomato juice
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 1/8 –1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (to your desired heat)
  • 1 – 13.2 ounce can Pillsbury Simply Rustic French Bread, cut into 6 pieces
  • 1/2 teaspoon each, basil, fennel, and oregano
  • 1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil

Instructions

  1. In a pressure cooker combine onion, carrots, red pepper, celery, and garlic. Stir in tomatoes ( do not drain), broth, tomato juice, lemon juice, sugar, and cayenne pepper. Set on High Pressure for 15 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, cut the french bread dough into 6 pieces and place in a large bowl. Add spice, parmesan cheese, and olive oil, toss to coat, making sure to evenly distribute the spices and cheese.
  3. After the 15 minutes, allow pressure cooker to set for an additional 10 minutes, then release pressure.
  4. Remove lid and place the french bread pieces evenly over the soup. Put the lid back on and set the pressure cooker to High pressure for 6-8 minutes. Allow to set for several minutes then release the pressure.
  5. Serve with additional parmesan cheese.

Notes

Slow cooker instructions:
Add the first 11 ingredients to a slow cooker.
Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 6 to 8 hours or on high-heat setting for 3 1/2 to 4 hours.

Remove lid and place bread pieces on top of soup. Replace the lid. If using low-heat setting, turn cooker to high-heat setting. Cover and cook for 50 to 60 minutes more. Do not lift lid during cooking time.

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