Pasta with Tomatoes, Basil and Fresh Mozzarella

August 7, 2014 by Elizabeth Leave a Comment

Beautifully ripened tomatoes, creamy mozzarella, garlic, basil, and perfectly cooked pasta, tossed together to create a great summer dish. Pasta with Tomatoes, Basil and Fresh Mozzarella is an easy to make, simple recipe, that is sure to be a crowd pleaser for any occasion.

Let’s celebrate, it’s Thursday! There’s just something so wonderful about Thursdays. I guess it’s the fact that most of the work week is complete, and the thrill of the upcoming weekend is finally within reach. Let’s enjoy our evening, and be thankful for a great day. I’m celebrating with a special #tbt (Throwback Thursday) post!

William was just 19-months-old when we headed off to Europe with him (for the third time). Everything I had read before we left, said not to take your toddler to Rome, especially in the month of July. However, being fairly adventurous travelers, and completely up for a challenge, we decided to embrace an incredible opportunity. What an amazing trip it was! We are so blessed to have had this experience, and we cannot wait for our next time abroad. (Although with three little ones, we might have to plan it out just a bit more ;)).

Come join me as we stroll through a few pictures from our journey to Rome, back in July 2011.

The food in Rome, and Europe in general, is out of this world! Nothing says “Italy” more than a giant bowl of pasta. One of my favorite meals from our trip was this amazing dish. We were at a darling little restaurant that was located down a popular alley. Thankfully, we were just early enough to beat the dinner crowd. We learned that timing was an important factor when in Rome, in July, with a toddler. That night we enjoyed our dinner outside on the patio. The street was bustling, and a musician was playing nearby. What a fantastic way to dine in Rome! I ordered this wonderful pasta dish with short pasta, tomatoes, basil and fresh mozzarella, (as you can see). It was so yummy, and yet so simple. I enjoyed this meal so much on our trip, that I knew it would be a great one to recreate at home!

When summer roles around, there are a few flavors that I often feel compelled to work into our menu. I just adore the combination of tomatoes, mozzarella and basil! The ripeness of the tomatoes play a huge role in the end result of this recipe. Try to find the freshest, ripest tomatoes that you can. When it comes to preparing the basil, here is an excellent visual of the best way to thinly slice (chiffonade) basil.

Thanks for joining me on our flashback to Rome! Now, put your feet up and relax. Imagine you’re sitting on the patio of a fine Italian restaurant, and enjoy the goodness of these fresh summer flavors.

Pasta with Tomatoes, Basil and Fresh Mozzarella

Ingredients

2.5 pounds tomatoes (about 5 large tomatoes, or 10-12 Roma tomatoes), halved and seeds and pulp removed, then diced into 1/8-inch chunks
20 large fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced (see note below)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil (good quality)
Salt and pepper, (fresh ground), to taste
16 ounces campanelle pasta (or substitute penne or fusilli)
1 pound fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/2-inch chunks (room temperature)
Fresh grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

Instructions

Combine the tomatoes, basil, garlic, oil, and a generous amount of salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Stir together, then cover with plastic wrap and let sit out (do not refrigerate) for at least 30 minutes, or up to 4 hours. Stirring occasionally.
Cook pasta until al dente, make sure to reserve 1 cup of the cooking water, then drain.
In a large bowl, toss the pasta with the tomato mixture and fresh mozzarella. Add some of the cooking water if needed to loosen the consistency of the sauce. Serve immediately, and top with fresh grated Parmesan cheese.

Notes

To thinly slice (chiffonade) basil, stack 10 of the basil leaves on top of each other, then tightly roll them up the long way. Using a sharp knife, slice rolled basil into very thin slices. Then fluff and gently separate slices.

This is dish is usually served slightly warm from the heat of the cooked pasta. However, if you desire to have the cheese melted, or for a slightly different experience, this dish (or portions of it) can be placed in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, without further cooking the pasta or tomatoes. Leftovers can also be reheated in the microwave for a minute or two.

https://elizabethshome.com/pasta-with-tomatoes-basil-and-fresh-mozzarella/

Feel free to check out the earlier version of this Pasta with Tomatoes, Basil and Fresh Mozzarella recipe on my old blog.

Slow-Cooker Pulled Pork and Cole Slaw

July 28, 2014 by Elizabeth 2 Comments

Tender, juicy, succulent shreds of pork, paired with a crunchy, creamy cole slaw. It’s a match made in heaven! This Slow-Cooker Pulled Pork and Cole Slaw is incredibly delicious and surprisingly easy. The perfect summer, make-ahead meal that is sure to please them all.

Welcome back! What a fun and BUSY two weeks we’ve been having. Between family time, outings, errands, playing with friends, date nights, and of course, lots of cooking, we have certainly not been bored this summer. 😉 Charlie turned 8 weeks on Friday, and is becoming more and more aware of the world around him. William and James are the best big brothers, and love Charlie so much! They also seem to love each other more and more everyday, and are THE BEST of friends. (Yes, they have their moments, but for the most part, they get along incredibly well!) It warms my heart to see the joy in their eyes when they’re playing together.
Here are a few pictures from this weekend.

Friday at the park with our buddiesMaker Faire at Henry Ford yesterday Tired and hilarious smiles from the big boys after lots of Maker Faire fun 🙂
Smiling pictures of Charlie today! (8 weeks)Here’s a great summer recipe to put on your menu this month. The house will smell amazing and dinner will be cooking away, while you can be out enjoying the summer day. We absolutely LOVE this family favorite. I have been making and trying to perfect this (almost embarrassingly) easy recipe since our days in Atlanta, seven years ago. (Feel free to check out my first version of this Pulled Pork and Cole Slaw recipe on my old blog. It’s amazing to think that’s where we started a few years ago!)

Yes, I will confess that sometimes I can get carried away in the kitchen (Andrew is probably nodding ;)), and that sometimes my recipes are a bit involved. Well, this is not one of them, I promise! This Slow-Cooker Pulled Pork is super duper simple to toss together, and requires just a few ingredients. (It also freezes well!!!) Plus, you’ll love that it doesn’t have to be too exact, either. Just toss in a huge chunk of pork, squeeze in some sauce, add a little onion, garlic, salt and pepper, and spread it over the pork. Put on the lid, and turn it on. I mean, what’s not to LOVE about those directions. 🙂 Easy easy easy. I like to make the cole slaw the night before, so that the dressing and the flavors have a chance to really come together. I love using this Creamy Balsamic Dressing in my cole slaw. Or in a pinch, I’ll mix up a packet of Good Seasons Italian dressing, and use that instead.

(This is the pork just before I put the lid on. YUM!)

Instead of spending the day slaving away in the kitchen, take a few minutes to toss this together in the morning, and when dinner time rolls around, you will have a delicious feast ready and waiting for you!

Slow-Cooker Pulled Pork and Cole Slaw

Ingredients

Slow-Cooker Pulled Pork:

1 boneless pork shoulder (Boston butt), about 8 pounds
2 (40 ounce) bottles Sweet Baby Ray's barbecue sauce
1/4 cup white onions, minced
2 gloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper

Cole Slaw:

2 heads cabbage (medium sized)
1/4 cup white onion, minced
1 carrot, peeled and grated
1 1/2 to 2 cups mayonnaise
3/4 cup oil and vinegar salad dressing
Salt and pepper (to taste)
2 dashes celery seed (optional)

Instructions

For Slow-Cooker Pulled Pork:

Place pork in slow-cooker and add 3/4 of one bottle of barbecue sauce to the pork. Spread onions and garlic over pork, and add a generous amount of salt and pepper. Cover and cook on high for about 6 hours.
After 6 hours, uncover and check meat with a fork; if very tender (starting to fall apart), turn heat to low, otherwise cover and continue cooking on high for 1-2 more hours.
Then, using a large spoon, skim off excess fat covering the liquid in the pot. Now, using 2 large serving forks, gently shred pork/pull apart, (this should be very easy since the pork will be moist and tender), until completely shredded and sauce is absorbed. Make sure to remove any visible chunks of fat while shredding.
Add the last 1/4 bottle and about 1/3 of the new bottle of barbecue sauce, so that the pork is well coated. Add more sauce if needed, then stir and cover.
Allow pork to cook, covered, for 30-60 more minutes on low.
Serve pork on rolls or buns, with cole slaw, (corn, if desired), and extra barbecue sauce on the side.

For Cole Slaw:

Finely chop (shred) the cabbage, then dice into small pieces. Add cabbage to a large mixing bowl, and stir in the onion and carrot.
Add mayonnaise, dressing, salt, pepper and celery seed if using, and stir together. (Cole slaw should be creamy and well-dressed. If needed, add more mayonnaise and or dressing to achieve desired consistency.) Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour or overnight. Serve on or with pulled pork.

https://elizabethshome.com/slow-cooker-pulled-pork-cole-slaw/

Summer Asparagus, Mushroom and Onion Salad

July 13, 2014 by Elizabeth Leave a Comment

Crunchy asparagus and tender mushrooms, sautéed with onions and garlic, and tossed together with fresh herbs and thin shavings of creamy asiago cheese. This Summer Asparagus, Mushroom and Onion Salad is a fresh, healthy favorite, that makes the perfect side dish for any occasion. No need to worry about keeping it cool or heating it up, this summer salad is made to serve at room temperature.

It has been another great week around here. I can’t believe Charlie was 6 weeks old on Friday! What an amazing time we’ve been having with him. He has even been starting to sleep a bit more at night! YAY! (Maybe the extra sleep has something to do with all of our adventures this week.) In addition to our normal day to day activities, this week also included a huge trip to Target on Tuesday, my 6 week post-baby doctors appointment and our weekly lunch with Andrew on Wednesday, a super fun date night out on Friday, a trip to Greenfield Village on Saturday (followed later with a date night in…which leads us to this recipe), and a relaxing and productive Sunday. Busy, but fun. 🙂 Here are a few pictures from our trip to Greenfield Village.Now, let’s talk about one of our favorite new creations, this Summer Asparagus, Mushroom and Onion Salad. The other day at Costco I picked up a huge bag of beautiful, fresh asparagus, and a big carton of mushrooms. They looked delicious and I figured they would be great if I (simply) roasted them in the oven and served them with the steaks that Andrew was going to grill this weekend. Well, somehow my idea to “keep it simple” quickly flew out the window and my wheels were turning. I was thinking how much we LOVE these Oven Roasted Portobello Mushrooms, especially as a side dish with steaks. But since I also had a huge bag of asparagus, and really wanted onions with our steaks as well, the chef in me was eager and determined to create a dish that incorporated all of my visions. 😉 So, I searched for some imagesthat would help to inspire me. (Sometimes I get my inspirations from the recipe itself, and other times I just need a picture to point me in the right direction. In this case, the pictures were all that I needed.)

This asparagus salad looked amazing with the creamy cheese! I loved the addition of the fresh herbs in this warm mushroom asparagus salad, and I jumped on the purple onion idea after coming across this image of roasted asparagus and mushrooms. So, now you have a little insight into how my mind works in the kitchen, and just how some of my recipes are created. 😉

This Summer Asparagus, Mushroom and Onion Salad is a great addition to any meal. Make it, leave it, serve it up and enjoy!

Summer Asparagus, Mushroom and Onion Salad

Ingredients

1 large purple onion, sliced in half, then cut into 1/4 inch slices (crescent moons)
4 cloves garlic, sliced thin
1 pound (medium thickness) asparagus, cut on diagonal, into 1-2 inch pieces
12 ounces white mushrooms, wiped clean and sliced 1/2 inch thick
1/2 cup shaved asiago or parmesan cheese, (with vegetable peeler), plus more for serving
2 teaspoons fresh dill, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (good quality)
Salt and pepper

Instructions

Coat a large non-stick skillet with cooking spray, and heat over high heat. Add onions and garlic and sautee on high for 1 minute without stirring, then cook for another minute, stirring. Add the asparagus and mushrooms and cook for 3-4 more minutes, stirring occasionally, allowing veggies to brown slightly, but do not over cook. (Asparagus and mushrooms should be just cooked slightly, and still have a little crunch to them.) Move veggies to a large serving bowl, and allow to cool until slightly warm, but not hot. Toss with cheese, fresh herbs, oil and salt and pepper to taste. Cover loosely with foil and let rest together for at least 5 minutes, or until ready to serve. Serve salad at room temperature with additional cheese on top, if desired.

https://elizabethshome.com/asparagus-mushroom-and-onion-salad/