One of the best things you can do for your health is to eat a diet rich in all of the colors of the rainbow. We hate to tell you but Trix and Fruity Pebbles don’t count. One of our favorite foods is not only a fruit AND a vegetable, but also comes in yellow, orange, green and red! Hopefully your garden, or your neighbor’s garden, has yielded a bumper crop of hearty, healthy tomatoes. If you need a little inspiration, here are 2 ways to enjoy their lycopene laden lusciousness!
1) Bake them and stuff with eggs and cheese. Potatoes and eggs are mundane, snooze city, overdone and seldom done that well – while tomatoes stuffed with eggs are a tangy combination to try. If you ditch the cheese, they’re practically a health food.
1) Clean the tomatoes and cut off the top. Use a spoon to scoop out the insides.
2) Heat a teaspoon of oil and cook onion and ginger garlic paste. Once they are done, switch off the flame and add the dry parsley. Finally add salt and mix well. Set aside to cool.
3) Line a cookie sheet with foil to bake the tomato. Pre heat the oven to 180 degrees.
4) Now take the cooled onion mixture and fill all the tomatoes half way. Then crack open the eggs and add onto the tomato bowl over the onion mixture.
5) Line tomatoes on the foil and top it off with cheese.
Steps: 1) Start with 6 cups of tomatoes, a cucumber, bell pepper, and red onion, couple cloves of garlic.
2) Roughly chop everything up, add salt, let everything meld for 30 minutes.
3) Puree everything in a blender or food processor.
4) Add in red wine vinegar and olive oil.
5) Enjoy! Full recipe here Now, instead of spaghetti sauce and salsa, you’ve got some creative uses for your tomatoes. Both of these recipes work well when you are working with larger tomatoes. If yours are cherry sized they work well in shish kabobs and on flatbread pizzas, just to name a few.
In case you’ve been ignoring the news lately, there’s been a lot of talk about pizzas and weddings (or any event for that matter!) If you scoff at the idea of having pizza at your nuptials or special event, perhaps this recipe will change preconceptions.
When you combine spring vegetables, pizza dough and cheese something remarkably delicious can happen. This is the kind of pizza that you’d be proud to serve at your spring or summer wedding, perhaps as an appetizer or during cocktail hour. But be warned, your guests might tear up the next time they try to eat pizza when it becomes all too clear that your pizza has ruined them and now no ordinary pizza will do.
Cheese: Because it’s a wedding or special occasion, opt for a fancier selection than mozzarella. The chef behind the recipe below used a Robiola Bechamel. Robiola is an Italian blend with goat, cow and sheep’s milk. It has a tangy taste to complement the vegetables and salty meats that top this appetizing, yet chaotic, culinary feat. If you cannot locate Robiola cheese, you can always substitute Fontina cheese.
Veggies: On top of the cheese, sprinkle asparagus tips and fava beans and mix in a pesto puree. Rather than quail eggs, use farm fresh chicken eggs. Add a pop of color to the pizza with yellow tomatoes and red peppers.
Protein: Coppa is hard to locate in stores so sub it for prosciutto or soppressata. Either meat will taste spectacular without losing the chewy, salty, “why haven’t I always put this on pizza” effect that we’re aiming for.
Tip: If you want to get out of the hot kitchen and enjoy the weather, this pizza tastes just as good prepared on the grill as it would baked in an oven.
Spring has sprung and thus our cooking styles have changed. Say goodbye to the thick, hearty meals we enjoy in the fall and winter seasons and say hello to the lighter, fresher fare of spring! So what makes a dish more “springy?” Typically spring cooking is lighter and very colorful! Here are some tips to help you add a springtime flare to your cooking at home!
Keep it Fresh – Lots of fruits and vegetables will be coming into season during the coming months so take advantage!
Get Colorful – The beautiful colors of spring can easily transfer into your cooking. Add fruits and vegetables with bright colors to your dishes to give them a springtime feel.
Stay Light – After months of hearty winter meals, now its time to get light (and I’m not just talking about losing our winter insulation!) Use lighter oils and glazes instead of thick sauces. Try using a protein like fish instead of London broil.
Keep your Cool – Now that its warm outside we can start making cooler meals (temperature wise that is!) Try making pasta or couscous salads and mix in fruits for a fresh springtime taste.
Lots of Veges – Start your meal off with a fresh salad and accompany your main course with lots of roasted vegetables!
Spring is all about growth and rebirth. Spring clean your diet and start cooking with a fresh new perspective! To give you a head start try out this recipe we would like to share with you. Not interested in cooking anything? Have your next office meeting or event catered by That Personal Touch Catering! Check out some of our spring specials here.
Slice the red peppers in half lengthwise, removing the seeds and the membrane. Place peppers skin up on a sheet pan and place under a hot broiler until the skin blackens and blisters. Cool peppers in a plastic bag for 10 minutes. Carefully remove skin and dice peppers. Place lemon juice, garlic, olive oil and basil in a small bowl and wisk to combine. Add diced peppers and pine nuts, season with salt and pepper. Wash and rinse asparagus, carefully remove the woody end (hold each spear at both ends and bend gently-the woody end will snap off at its natural breaking point.) Blanch the asparagus in boiling water for 3 minutes, or until just tender. Immediately drain asparagus and place in a bowl of ice water to cool. Drain again, and pat dry with paper towels. Arrange spring mix on plate, garnish with sliced grape tomatoes. Place asparagus over spring mix and gently spoon the dressing over the top of the asparagus and serve. Garnish options: sliced black olives or lemon wedges for squeezing.
We would like to wish you and your family a very Happy Holidays and a prosperous new year!
This is our 32nd year catering holiday parties in the Denver and Centennial area. It is so special to be a part of all the celebrations during this very festive season. We cater all types of holiday parties including Hanukah, Christmas, Kwanzaa and New Years! Some we host at our event center while others we travel to and deliver our hot meals directly to happy partygoers!
If you are interested in having your event catered this holiday season, please contact us. 2013 was a great year for us here at That Personal Touch Catering at The Franciscan Event Center. We had the pleasure of hosting many wonderful events including a Denver Chamber Business After Hours and many beautiful weddings. (Click the links to see pictures from each event!) We updated our menu to add some new and delicious items and created this new website to showcase our beautiful facilities. We are very excited to see what 2014 brings! If you are planning on having any sort of event in the upcoming year, please consider using us for the venue and/or the catering. We have an amazing staff that is excited to help you create a memorable event whether it is a wedding, a corporate function or anything else! Please contact us with any questions you may have regarding catering or events. We are looking forward to seeing you in 2014!
This side dish is sure to impress your guests and satisfy their taste buds! Now go out there and host the best BBQ of the summer! Need some help or would you just prefer to have someone else do it? Contact That Personal Touch Catering in Centennial Colorado about providing the food for your next event.