Tomato | I Can Cook That

Honey-Tomato Bruschetta with Ricotta

My CSA share this year has had plenty of tomatoes. Not that I’m complaining, I absolutely love them! But I’ve been running low on new inspiration for what recipes to use to highlight the tomatoes. I put out a request for yummy recipes that use cherry tomatoes on my Facebook page, and Katie H. suggested this Food and Wine recipe, which is a real winner. You slow roast the tomatoes to bring out the flavor and pair them with two types of honey and fresh ricotta cheese. mmm!

Ingredients:

2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons clover honey
2 teaspoons thyme leaves
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
12 baguette slices, cut 1/2 inch thick on the bias
1 cup fresh ricotta (8 ounces)
1 tablespoon buckwheat honey
6 basil leaves, thinly sliced or torn

I wanted to go over the two different honeys used in this recipe. The tomatoes are tossed in the clover honey, which sweetens up the somewhat tanginess of the tomatoes. Clover honey is simply honey in which bees feed mainly on the nectar of clover plants. Clover honey is mild, relatively inexpensive, and has a slight floral taste to it. The buckwheat honey is drizzled over the finished burschetta to bring out the flavor of the ricotta. Buckwheat honey is a darker amber colored honey that is produced by bees who feed mainly on the nectar of flowers on buckwheat plants. The flavor is similar to molasses and has a wonderful earthy flavor. (If you’re in the Philadelphia area, Bee Natural, located in Reading Terminal, has both honeys for sale).

This recipe is definitely not weekday friendly. You can roast the tomatoes beforehand and refrigerate up to 2 days to break up some of the time. Just bring the tomatoes to room temperature before serving.

To make, preheat your oven to 300 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, toss the tomatoes with olive oil, clover honey, thyme leaves, salt and pepper.

Add the tomatoes to the baking sheet, turning them cut side up.

Bake for 1 hour and 25 minutes or until they begin to shrivel. Allow to cool.

Preheat your broiler and add the baguette slices to a baking sheet. Broil for about 30 seconds on each side or until the edges of the bread are golden brown.

Add the ricotta to the baguette slices and top with the slow-roasted tomatoes.

Lightly drizzle with buckwheat honey and sprinkle with sliced basil.

I tend to be awfully impatient when it comes to making food, I want my meal prepared in under 40 minutes. So I’ve rarely attempt to slow roast, well, anything. But the flavor of a slow roasted tomato makes the wait time well worth it! (It also makes your kitchen smell fantastic)

The honey is a really nice addition and brightens up the flavors of the tomatoes. Creamy ricotta just finishes off the dish. The recipe is really simple (although time consuming) but would be a very welcome appetizer at any party.

Chilean Sea Bass Tacos with Chipotle Cream

I have never made a taco recipe from Cooking Light that I didn’t love. Honestly, how do they manage to deliver fantastic recipe after fantastic recipe? This one for Chilean Sea Bass Tacos with Chipotle Cream is no different, although the original recipe was made with red snapper. I’ve been having really bad luck recently coming across the fish I want when I go to the market, so I had to sub in Chilean sea bass instead.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce, seeded and minced
1 1/2 cups chopped onion, divided
1 1/2 cups chopped tomato, divided
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 pound Chilean sea bass
1 teaspoon grated lime rind
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
4 (8-inch) fat-free flour tortillas

Open-Faced Sandwiches with Mushrooms and Fried Eggs

Brunch appeals to my indecisive side: I love not having to choose between breakfast or lunch. Philadelphia is a huge brunch town so almost every weekend I have the opportunity to have an awesome brunch at a local coffee shop or restaurant. This weekend, I decided to stay home for brunch and try out this delicious sounding recipe from Cooking Light. The recipe includes mushrooms, a fried egg, tomatoes, and pesto … did they make this recipe especially for me?!

Ingredients (this makes 4 servings):

4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided (I used basil olive oil)
1 cup thinly sliced shallots, divided
3 portobello mushrooms, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons dry white wine
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
8 teaspoons refrigerated pesto (or fresh, check out my recipe here)
4 (1 1/2-ounce) slices Italian bread
2 ounces grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (about 1/2 cup)
4 large eggs
8 (1/4-inch-thick) slices beefsteak tomato
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

The wonderful people at Nudo sent me a new product on their site: the Squadra Italiana Set which includes cold press olive oil, olive oil with Sicilian chillies, and a free tin of extra virgin olive oil stone ground with fresh basil. These olive oils are absolutely wonderful on their own, to just dip breads in. But I wanted to add that extra punch of basil to this dish so I used the basil olive oil to add a little bit more flavor. Expect these tasty olive oils to show up in quite a few posts in the coming weeks. (You can get your own Squadra Italiana Set here)

If you’re making your own pesto, do that first. It takes maybe 5 minutes and tastes considerably better (at least I think so).

Heat a large saute pan over medium heat. Add 2 teaspoons olive oil to the pan and swirl to coat. Add 2/3 cup shallots and cook for 3 minutes.

Add the chopped mushrooms and cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the wine, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, scraping the pan to loosen up the brown bits. Cook for 2 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates, stirring occasionally. Remove the mushroom mixture from the pan and keep warm. Preheat your broiler.

Return the pan to medium heat. Add 1 teaspoon oil to the pan, swirling to coat. Add the remaining 1/3 cup shallots and saute for 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from pan and keep warm.

Spread 2 teaspoons pesto over one side of each bread slice. Top each slice with 2 tablespoons cheese.

Broil for 2 minutes and set aside.

Return the pan to medium heat. Add 1 teaspoon olive oil to the pan and swirl to coat. Crack the eggs into the pan and cook until whites set, about 4 minutes.

Boy did I botch this egg. Oh well, it will still taste good!

Top each bread slice with 2 tomato slices.

Divide the mushroom mixture evenly among the bread slices. Top each serving with 1 egg. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon pepper, shallots and basil.

This is quite the meal!

I loved the meatiness of the mushrooms which went so well with the egg. Tomatoes are in season right now so they were absolutely perfect in this dish. And my pesto was pretty darn good if I do say so myself 🙂 This meal, although it’s called a “sandwich” definitely required a fork and knife, and even then got a bit messy. But that’s part of the fun!

Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes and Garlic

This week is my favorite week of the summer: I received my first batch of tomatoes from my CSA. I love tomatoes oh so much (if you haven’t figured that out with all my posts including tomatoes as an ingredient). As a kid, I used to eat them whole, dipping them in ranch dressing. Not much has changed, except now I choose to dip them in hummus instead. Although I do love a good fresh, juicy tomato, there is something wonderful about a cooked tomato. Cooking Light‘s latest issue was (as usual) on point with a lovely, simple pasta recipe that includes tomatoes, garlic, basil … and not much else.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon kosher salt
8 ounces uncooked fettuccine
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 pints multicolored tomatoes (I used cherry/grape tomatoes)
5 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, shaved
1/4 cup small basil leaves

Continue reading Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes and Garlic

Snapper with Zucchini and Tomato with Parsley Orzo

My CSA this year allows me to choose 6 items each week to be in my share. Every single time so far, I’ve chosen zucchini as one of the six. I just love it. But with 3-4 pieces of zucchini a week, I am absolutely in search of as many different recipes as I can find. Cooking Light’s latest issue had this wonderful recipe for Snapper with Zucchini and Tomato that I just had to try. They also suggest pairing it with some Parsley Orzo. Note: this recipe makes 2 servings. Multiply as needed.

Ingredients for the snapper:

4 teaspoons coconut oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
2 (6-ounce) snapper fillets
2 tablespoons white wine
1 cup diced zucchini
1 1/2 tablespoons minced shallots
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Ingredients for the orzo:
1/2 cup orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/8 teaspoon salt

Continue reading Snapper with Zucchini and Tomato with Parsley Orzo

Curry Clay Pot Chicken

I was recently sent a clay pot from Romertopf to try out and review. Cooking in a clay pot is something I never really thought about, or even considered. You just cook your meal in a clay pot which has been soaking in water. This releases steam while it cooks and keeps the food moist. Clay pots have been used for cooking dating back to Roman times and are still used around the world. The clay pots are perfect for making roast chicken, paella, ratatouille, or even dessert!

I honestly had no idea how to go about finding a recipe to try out my new spiffy clay pot. So I just used a recipe from the Romertopf website as my first attempt. The Curry Clay Pot Chicken sounded right up my alley. (https://www.romertopfonline.com/chicken-recipes.htm)

Ingredients:

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh ginger
1 tablespoon cornstarch
6 small new red potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch slices (I forgot to cut mine! Make sure you do though!)
6 baby carrots
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 medium tomato, cut into 1/2-inch wedges
1 tablespoon soy sauce (or coconut aminos to make gluten free)
1 teaspoon sugar

Continue reading Curry Clay Pot Chicken

Egg BLT with Avocado

When I came across this recipe, my first thought was “why don’t people make Egg BLTs more often”? Why is this not a common brunch menu choice? Egg sounds like a logical upgrade to a traditional BLT. The addition of avocado to this just takes it over the top. I found this recipe on myrecipes.com and switched it around a bit, but the general idea is the same.

Ingredients (makes two servings):

1/2 cup halved grape tomatoes

1/2 avocado, diced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar, divided
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons mayonnaise
2 pieces of ciabatta bread (or 2 ciabatta rolls)
1 cup firmly packed arugula
4 thick bacon slices, cooked

I bought one of those “bake at home” ciabatta breads that you pop in the oven for about 10 minutes. I thought some “freshly baked” bread would be nice with this dish. You can use whatever bread you happen to find if ciabatta is not available.

Cook the bacon according to package directions. Transfer to a paper towel to drain excess fat.

Combine the tomatoes, avocado, basil, garlic, olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper in a bowl.

Cook eggs over easy (or whatever style you prefer). To cook them over easy, heat a saute pan over low heat and spray with cooking spray. Crack one egg into the pan. Season with salt and pepper if desired (I honestly don’t think you need it ) and cook until the whites become opaque. To make sure the yolk cooks slightly, I add a top to the saute pan. Repeat with the second egg.

Now it’s all assembly. Spread 1 teaspoon mayonnaise on a slice of bread.

Add 1/2 cup arugula.

2 bacon slices (I tore them in half to fit nicely)

and the egg.

Top with the tomato avocado mixture.

This is the fanciest BLT I’ve ever seen.

It was fantastic too. I kept saying over and over again how yummy each bite was!

This recipe is so great because you can substitute whatever you want. Mess up the egg? Stick a scrambled egg on there instead. Hate arugula? Substitute baby spinach leaves. I suggest adding some extra sliced basil on top of the whole dish to add some extra freshness!

Seared Chicken with Avocado Salsa

I have inexplicably been picking up an avocado each and every time I buy groceries. I didn’t have a recipe for the avocados, I just kept buying them. I guess my subconscious really wanted one. So I finally sat down and found a recipe highlighting them: Seared Chicken with Avocado. I added some tomato to give it a bit more freshness but the rest of the recipe is pretty intact.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 teaspoons blackened seasoning
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 teaspoon coconut oil
1 diced peeled avocado
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 1 lime), plus the zest of the lime
1/2 a tomato (or one plum tomato), diced

Continue reading Seared Chicken with Avocado Salsa

Rigatoni with Halibut Tomato and Basil

This recipe for Rigatoni with Halibut Tomato and Basil is loosely adapted from Marc Vetri’s cookbook, Rustic Italian Food. Last Friday, I went to Vetri for the first time. And it was hands down the best meal I’ve ever had, both food and service. I was also so terribly awkward that I’m not quite over it. Marc Vetri is one stellar chef. He opened Vetri in 1998 and 14 years later continues to wow people with the food he turns out. I was swooning over each and every plate that came out. I brought my parents for their 30th anniversary and honestly, I feel like it ended up being as much a present to myself as it was for them (sorry mom and dad!).

Vetri even came over to our table, wished my parents a happy anniversary, and signed his cookbook for me! (This is the stage where I got truly embarrassing. I absolutely turned red during this encounter. Eep). So naturally, I can’t think of anything but those delicious meals. I decided to use a recipe from his cookbook, Rustic Italian Food. I ended up using Halibut because the store I was at was out of swordfish (boo).

Ingredients:

1 (16 oz) box dried rigatoni
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
4 cloves garlic, smashed
2 (12 oz) containers heirloom tomatoes, halved lengthwise
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 pound halibut, cut into large chunks
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup basil leaves, hand torn, plus additional basil leaves for garnish

Continue reading Rigatoni with Halibut Tomato and Basil

Crispy Flounder and Roasted Tomatoes

These Lipman Tomatoes just keep on giving! This time around, I used their gorgeous cherry tomatoes. Cooking Light had a wonderful recipe in their most recent issue for Crispy Flounder and Roasted Tomatoes. Fish is a favorite of mine for weeknights because it cooks so quickly; this meal took me 25 minutes from start to finish.

Ingredients: (this serves 2)

2 tablespoons capers
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pint cherry tomatoes
Salt and pepper, to taste
A few basil leaves, thinly sliced
1/2 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
2 (6-ounce) skinless flounder fillets
Cooking spray

1 tablespoon olive oil

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. While waiting for the oven to heat up, combine the capers, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and the cherry tomatoes in an oven safe dish. Toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake for 20 minutes.

When there is about 10 minutes left on the tomatoes, combine the panko, parsley, and thyme in a shallow dish.

Coat the fillets with the cooking spray and dredge the fillets in the panko mixture. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a nonstick saute pan over medium-high heat and add the fillets to the pan.

Cook for 3 minutes on each side.

The tomatoes should finish almost the same time as the fish.

To serve, add the flounder to a plate. Top with the tomato mixture. Add some fresh sliced basil.

I love how the cherry tomatoes burst in the oven while roasting.

The capers add a little saltiness to the whole dish which is nice. I think you only need 1 tablespoon of capers though, instead of 2.

I couldn’t really tell that there was thyme with the flounder but I loved the parsley flavor. If you’re a thyme fan, try upping the amount to get more flavor.

This was one delicious meal! With the exception of the flounder, the ingredients are things I usually have on hand anyways so this is a great last minute dinner.

Creamy Fresh Tomato Soup

Naturally, the day after I made my Grilled Tomato Orzo Salad in a Tomato Bowl pretending it was summer, the weather decided to do a 180 and veer into rainy cold sadness. Sigh. So what better way to use some of my Lipman Tomatoes than to make Creamy Tomato Soup? I found this recipe on Food Network and I had most of the ingredients already, win! I changed the recipe slightly for my tastes.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 red onion, chopped

1 carrot, unpeeled and chopped
3 cloves minced garlic
12 plum tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 cup packed chopped fresh basil leaves, plus julienned basil leaves, for garnish
3 cups chicken stock

1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream
Croutons, for garnish

Heat a large pot or a Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add the olive oil. Chop the onion and carrot.

Saute for 10 minutes.

While waiting for the onion and carrot to soften, mince the garlic and set it aside. Roughly chop the tomatoes. Chop the basil.

Add the garlic to the pot and cook for 1 minute.

Add the tomatoes, sugar, tomato paste, basil, chicken stock, salt and pepper to the pot.

Stir well and bring to a boil.

Lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes.

If you have an immersion blender, at this stage, use to puree the soup. If you don’t, remove half the mixture and add it to a blender. Blend until smooth; be sure to keep the center of the top off of the blender and cover with a paper towel. Repeat with remaining mixture. Return to the pot over medium-low heat.

The soup is honestly good to go at this point. Feel free to just stop here.

To make a creamy soup, add the cream to the soup and mix.

Serve with basil and croutons.

Oh my goodness. Not only is this super easy, but it is absolutely delicious.

Because the soup is made with so many fresh tomatoes, it’s important to use tomatoes at their peak.

This is a wonderfully thick soup so it’s a meal in itself, but rainy, cold days always make me want a favorite childhood staple:

Note: The original recipe used a food mill but I don’t have one. And I was not willing to peel the tomatoes so I blended them, and it worked out great. The soup ended up completely creamy.

Grilled Tomato Orzo Salad in a Tomato Bowl

We have been having such a warm spring in Philadelphia. So if the weather is going to pretend it is summer, I will as well! To me, summer means tomatoes, corn, pesto, pasta salad, and of course, grilling.

Before I go into this recipe for Grilled Tomato Orzo Salad in a Tomato Bowl, first I want to tell you about Lipman Tomatoes. Lipman Tomatoes, a business-to-business company that has been supplying tomatoes and other vegetables to grocery stores and restaurants for 70 years, is about to launch a consumer-focused brand and website. Lipman contacted me about developing a recipe to celebrate their launch, which is the perfect opportunity for me to give into my “summer fever”. I decided to make a Grilled Tomato Orzo Salad served in a Tomato Bowl. (Update: the site is now live! Check out my recipe here!)

Lipman sent me an awesome assortment of their tomatoes. I decided to use the grape tomatoes for grilling, and the Vintage Ripe (a beautiful heirloom tomato) as my tomato bowls. The assortment also came with some cherry tomatoes and plum tomatoes so expect me to be on quite the tomato kick in the coming days!

Ingredients:

4 large Vintage Ripe tomatoes

1 cup orzo

4 cups vegetable broth

1 pint grape tomatoes

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 corn on the cob (or 1/3 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed)

8 oz mozzarella balls (if you cant get marinated mozzarella balls, even better!)

1 cucumber, seeded and chopped

Mint, for garnish

For the pesto:

2 bunches fresh basil leaves (about 2 cups packed)

1/3 cup walnuts

3 garlic cloves, minced

the juice and zest of 1 lemon

Salt and pepper, to taste

1/4 cup grated Parmiginao-Reggiano cheese

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Black Bean Mango Salsa on Jalapeno Parmesan Crisps

You can never have too many quick appetizers on hand. I am loving the Kitchen Table Makers Crisps. I already did one post on the Rosemary Parmesan Crisps, so it was time to get a little spicy. I used Kitchen Table Makers Jalapeno Parmesan Crisps and topped it with a yummy Black Bean Mango Salsa. The original recipe had jalapenos within the salsa, but after tasting the Crisps, I decided they had enough heat that the additional jalapeno might be too much. If you’re a huge spice fan, feel free to add a bit of chopped jalapeno to the salsa.

Ingredients:

1 can (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 firm, ripe mango, diced
1 tomato cored and chopped
1 orange bell pepper, diced
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
1/4 of an onion, diced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
the juice of 2 limes plus zest
Salt, to taste
Jalapeno Crisps

Continue reading Black Bean Mango Salsa on Jalapeno Parmesan Crisps

Penne with Bacon Vodka Sauce

Yes, you read that title correctly. Penne with Bacon Vodka Sauce. I have wanted to make some recipes using Bakon Vodka ever since I heard of its existence. My mind immediately went to Bloody Mary’s (which I will have a post on soon), but a coworker suggested I use it for Penne Vodka. Brilliant, no?

Ingredients:

1 can (28 oz) tomato sauce

1 shallot, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried parsley

1/2 teaspoon basil

2/3 cup Bakon vodka

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 box penne pasta

Chop the shallot and garlic cloves. Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallot and cloves and cook for 3 minutes.

Add the tomato sauce, oregano, parsley, and basil. Add the Bakon vodka and stir to combine. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally; it will thicken and reduce a bit.

While waiting for the sauce to reduce, boil a pot of water and cook the penne according to directions, you want the pasta al dente. After the 15 minutes have passed, add the heavy cream and Parmesan cheese and stir to combine.

Add the pasta and mix to combine. Cook for another minute or so to allow the sauce to absorb into the pasta.

Mmmm. Smoky goodness.

This was really tasty! The bacon vodka added a subtle smokiness, kind of like using roasted tomatoes, or smoked paprika.

It wasn’t an overpowering, punch-in-the-face kind of bacon taste though. Honestly, it might be tough to pinpoint the flavor if you didn’t know that was in it.

So if you’re really in a bacon-y mood, I’d suggest adding some crumbled bacon or pancetta on top of the finished pasta.

Yum

Penne with Bacon Vodka Sauce

Total Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients

1 can (28 oz) tomato sauce
1 shallot, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon basil
2/3 cup Bakon vodka
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 box penne pasta

Instructions

Chop the shallot and garlic cloves. Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallot and cloves and cook for 3 minutes.
Add the tomato sauce, oregano, parsley, and basil. Add the Bakon vodka and stir to combine. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally; it will thicken and reduce a bit.
While waiting for the sauce to reduce, boil a pot of water and cook the penne according to directions, you want the pasta al dente. After the 15 minutes have passed, add the heavy cream and Parmesan cheese and stir to combine.
Add the pasta and mix to combine. Cook for another minute or so to allow the sauce to absorb into the pasta.

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Risotto Balls with Marinara Dipping Sauce

I love when you can incorporate leftovers from one meal into a new dinner the next night. I am a huge fan of risotto, but it can get a little old eating reheated risotto after a few nights. Risotto balls are the perfect way to still use those leftovers but have a completely different meal. I used my leftover Mushroom Risotto for this recipe, but feel free to use whatever you might have.

Ingredients:

1 cup risotto

1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs

1 large egg

6 fresh mozzarella balls

1 tablespoon fresh basil, roughly chopped

1 shallot, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup marinara sauce (I used Pomi Tomato Basil sauce)

Oil, for frying

Add the risotto, 1/4 cup bread crumbs, basil, and the egg to a small bowl. Mix to combine.

Form the risotto into palm sized balls, adding a mozzarella ball in the center and forming the risotto around the mozzarella ball. (It should make 6 risotto balls)

Add the remaining bread crumbs to a plate. Roll the balls in the bread crumbs and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. (This will help the risotto balls keep their shape when you fry them.)

While waiting for the 30 minutes to pass, chop the shallot and garlic. Add 1 teaspoon olive oil to a saute pan over medium high heat. Add the shallot and garlic.

Cook for 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup marinara sauce and simmer on low for 10-15 minutes. Keep warm.

Heat the oil to 350 to 375 degrees. (I was a bit low on canola oil so I actually only ended up putting about an inch depth of oil in the pot. It still turned out fine, but having enough to cover the risotto balls would make this easier/quicker to make.) Add the risotto balls two at a time.

Cook until cooked, turning to cook evenly (about 3-5 minutes). Transfer to a paper towel. Serve while still hot with the marinara sauce.

These are crunchy little balls of deliciousness. I didn’t know risotto could taste better than it already did until now!

The risotto was so yummy I completely forgot about the mozzarella ball in the center, but was more than happy to come upon it!

It didn’t melt all the way, which I would have preferred, but it was still delicious. The marinara sauce was the perfect dipping accompaniment. I love the Pomi Tomato Basil sauce because it really doesn’t need anything to make it taste awesome. (I’ve written two posts in the past about all the positives of Pomi. Check them out here and here)

Is it bad that I might put some risotto to the side from now on just so I can have these the next day?