Oven Dried Tomatoes

Whenever you’re not happy with some decisions you make, the easiest thing to do is blame it on your parents. Time and time again, I have boldly stated my love and commitment to cooking seasonal, local foods. So you may ask yourself…why I am sharing an oven-dried tomato recipe at the end of April when I live in NYC.

I’m blaming this one on my parents. 😉

I recently came home to Chicago for a visit and wanted to make dinner one night. As I searched through our refrigerator I came across a pack of tomatoes in the refrigerators. My Mom suggested of using them in my dinner. I, of course, shot her the look of disappointment, “tomatoes in April…really?” Nevertheless, they were available so I set out to use them.

The only way to eat to tomatoes out-of-season is to cook them to allow the natural sugars of the tomatoes to awaken, so they don’t taste like bland, acidic, rocks.

Oven Dried Tomatoes

Makes 4 Servings

1 serving = 1 Point Plus

• 1# tomatoes cut into medium pieces
• 1 sprig rosemary, minced
• 1 tsp fresh thyme, minced
• 1 garlic clove sliced
• 1 tsp olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 300°F. Combine the tomatoes, rosemary, thyme, garlic, and olive oil in a small bowl. Season liberally with salt and pepper.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Lay your tomatoes onto the baking sheet making sure there is enough room between each piece of tomatoes.

Allow to slowly cook in the oven for 2 hours. Tomatoes should be caramelized on the outside but still soft and moist on the inside.

I realize that it is extremely difficult to constantly be focused on seasonal ingredients, especially when you in cooler climate places (like NYC, Chicago, or even North Dakota). The most important thing is to buy seasonal and local when you can. It’s not realistic to think people can do it 100% of the time, no one is perfect, but if you can do it once or twice a week it’s a great start for the environment and for your local economy. Even I buy things out-of-season, but for now I’m still blaming this one on my parents.

Chicken Pozole Soup

Forecast in NYC this week: rain, rain, and more rain. Even though it’s already April we still have those chilly, rainy, cloudy days…perfect for a hot bowl of soup.  I kept this soup really brothy so it’s not too heavy and also a little spicy to heat things up—inside and out. I made this in my slow cooker (one of my favorite kitchen appliances) but you could definitely make this on the stovetop as well.

Chicken Pozole

Makes 8 servings

1 serving = 1.5 cups = 4 Points Plus (garnishes may alter Point Plus Values)

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 4-5 hours

• 1 large onion, large dice
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 large green bell pepper, large dice
• 1 large poblano chile, large dice
• 2 serrano chiles, sliced (you can remove the seeds if you don’t like it too spicy)
• 1 large zucchini, large dice
• 2 chipotles en adobo, minced
• 1 # tomatillos, chopped
• 14.5 oz canned stewed tomatoes (1 can)
• 15 oz canned hominy (1 can)
• 1 # boneless, skinless chicken thigh, cubed
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp chile powder
• ½ tbsp ground coriander

Optional Garnishes:

• Fat-free sour cream
• Cilantro
• Scallions
• Low-fat cheddar cheese

Spray your slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Add all your ingredients and give it a big stir. Season with salt (hold off on the pepper since there’s a lot of hot chiles in there). Cook on low for 4-5 hours or until the veggies are tender and the flavors have melded.

 

Get Those Tomatoes In There!

That's Hominy...

 

 

If you want to cook it on your stovetop….

Heat a large dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat. Spray with non-stick cooking spray. Add your onions, garlic, poblano, green bell pepper, and serranos. Sweat for 10-12 minutes. Add your zucchini, chipotles, tomatillos, tomatoes, and hominy. Cook for another 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth, cumin, chile powder, and ground coriander and bring up to a simmer. Cook for 1 hour. Then add your chicken thighs. Cook for another hour or so. Season with salt and pepper, if needed.

Now it’s ready to serve.  The best part about making it in your slow cooker is when you come home it’s already to go. It’s also perfect for storing and freezing. So make a big batch and then portion into small containers for a quick lunch or dinner when you’re feeling lazy.

The second best part of this soup the garnishes. I like to use cilantro, fat-free sour cream, and a low-fat sharp cheddar.

 

Support Your Local Farmer and Artisan!

 

 

I found this AWESOME low-fat cheddar at one of the farmer’s markets in NYC…it’s from Millport Dairy in Lancaster County, PA. I am a big fan of supporting your local farmers and businesses. I give them big credit for making a really tasty low fat cheddar cheese. It has a sharp taste, melts beautifully and adds that extra punch of flavor to my Chicken Pozole Soup. Thanks guys!