Nutritious meal-on-the-go—the colorful breakfast rollup

I love the way this recipe item was billed—as a nutritious, on-the-go breakfast treat for kids on school mornings “when singing ‘Kumbaya’ around the breakfast table just isn’t going to happen”, the magazine stated.

At our house we don’t have any racing schoolkids, but as grandparents we do plenty of breakfast “inhaling”. Lots of other meals, too. 

The photo on these Sausage-Egg Rollups (which I adapted and called Sausage-Egg-Tomato-Avocado Rollups) looked as though it would be a good comfort-food dinner item. Hubby sure gave it his heartiest “Like”. The addition of the chopped tomato and avocado brought the garden into it and just mellowed it out even more.

I loved the recipe’s suggestion about wrapping these in parchment for easier handling and then for freezing by popping them in a zip-top plastic bag. They keep in the freezer for about a month, it states—a great idea when company’s expected.

Sausage-Egg-Tomato-Avocado Rollups

1/2 pound ground pork sausage, browned and drained (I used turkey sausage)

5 large eggs (I used 1 1/4 cups egg substitute)

1 tablespoon milk (I used skim)

pinch of salt (or salt substitute) and pepper

3/4 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

salsa of your choice

6 (6-inch) fajita-sized flour tortillas

chopped tomato

chopped avocado

Scramble eggs in nonstick skillet over medium heat to desired consistency. Divide sausage, scrambled eggs, cheese, and salsa equally among the 6 tortillas. Spoon ingredients down center of each tortilla. Add chopped tomato and avocado. Roll tortillas up. To make ahead, wrap in parchment paper. Chill in a zip-top plastic bag up to 3 days or freeze up to 1 month. If frozen thaw overnight in fridge before reheating. To reheat microwave at high 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. If freezing add tomato and avocado after you thaw and not before you freeze. Makes 6. (Source: Southern Living September 2012)

Grilled tomato sandwich yummy to the last Goud-a bite

A grilled-cheese sandwich always will be one of my great loves. Give me a grilled cheese for lunch and I’m a happy camper any day. If I can’t figure out what to order on a restaurant menu, grilled cheese is my default button. 

The AARP magazine (one of the benefits of being that “certain age” is that you get to read this classy publication) recently featured an upscale G.C. that takes a healthiness detour. It combines grilled tomatoes with shredded Gouda over whole- wheat bread sautéed in olive oil. The Tomato and Gouda Grilled Cheese Sandwich is touted for its health benefits because it says cooked tomatoes have more healthful antioxidants than do raw ones. 

This made a wonderful lunch option for us. I was happy to eat it open-faced without the top layer of bread. This menu item was ready in minutes and was yummy to the last Goud-a bite. 

Tomato and Gouda Grilled Cheese Sandwich

1 medium vine-ripened tomato, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices (I used several Roma tomatoes)

3 ounces Gouda

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing the bread

Kosher salt (or salt substitute) and freshly ground black pepper

4 slices whole-wheat bread

In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, add the oil; swirl to coat. When the oil is hot, add the tomato slices; season tomatoes with salt and pepper. Cook until softened, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer the tomatoes to a plate. Use oil to brush the bread on both sides. Set 2 or 3 tomato slices onto 2 of the bread slices. Grate Gouda over the tomatoes; top with the remaining bread. Wipe out the sauté pan and place it over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add the sandwiches; cook until the bread is golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Turn the sandwiches over and grill to brown on the other side, another 2 to 3 minutes. Serve immediately. Serves 2. (Source: AARP The Magazine, September 2012)

Tomato Panzanella a jumble of colors and nutrition

The tomatoes keep rolling in from our garden. The heat keeps pressing down without a break. Keeping the kitchen temps lowered helps make the house bearable on a sweltering day. This recipe meets a lot of needs in all those afore-mentioned regards.

Tomato Panzanella features cooked fresh corn kernels, gorgeous tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, and fresh basil. Some French bread (toasted in a countertop toaster, not by firing up the oven) gets tossed in.

Along with some fresh melon on the side, this dish made a welcome meal for Hubby and me on a recent mop-the-brow summer evening. The vibrant color of everything jumbled together added to our enjoyment. Cool and delicious!

Tomato Panzanella

1 cup cooked fresh corn kernels

2 pounds large heirloom tomatoes, coarsely chopped

1 tablespoon white cooking wine

1/2 (16-ounce) French bread loaf, cut into 1-inch cubes and toasted

1 English cucumber, sliced

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 red onion, thinly sliced

1/3 cup torn fresh basil

salt (or salt substitute) and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

Toss together all ingredients. Let stand 30 minutes. Add sherry vinegar; toss to combine. Makes 4 to 6 servings. (Source: Southern Living July 2012)

Tomato-and-Okra Cornmeal Cakes are prizes for being sneaky

Every morning we square off against the birds in our pursuit of vine-ripened tomatoes from our garden. Huge black birds watch those vines scrupulously. Let one green tomato get the slightest hint of a blush on it, and the birds swoop in for a tasty treat. 

I had to be sneaky, but by looking carefully near the ground, where they weren’t so obvious to the hungry winged creatures, I rescued about 1 pound of small, slightly pinkish tomatoes so I could make this divine recipe. I lined my finds up on my window ledge until they ripened to a pretty red in color.

Tomato-and-Okra Cornmeal Cakes were just as cute as they could be and so imaginative. They might have been designed to be appetizers, but Hubby and I made full meals out of then for several evenings in a row. 

Besides the okra I tossed in some chopped yellow squash for the cornmeal patty. Pimiento cheese is my middle name, so turning up a cheese spread for the second layer wasn’t tough at all. (The source of this recipe says that in this step, you also can use whipped cream cheese or goat cheese.) On top went the rescued tomatoes, which were just gorgeous all sliced up. Fresh basil from my herb patch crowned it all.

Big black birds, you lose! Hubby and I win big; this was a great dish! 

Tomato-and-Okra Cornmeal Cakes

2 cups plain yellow cornmeal

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 large egg (or 1/4 cup egg substitute)

1/2 cup water

1 garlic clove

1/2 pound fresh okra, thinly sliced

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped

1/4 cup canola oil

kosher salt (or salt substitute)

arugula

1 pound small tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices

fresh basil leaves

pimiento cheese spread of your choice

In a large bowl whisk together first 3 ingredients. Whisk together egg and 1/2 cup water; add to cornmeal mixture. Whisk until smooth. Smash garlic to make a paste. Stir okra, jalapeno, and garlic paste into cornmeal mixture. (Batter will be thick and will thicken even more as it sits, so add water, if needed.) In a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon oil. Into skillet pour 1 tablespoon batter for each cake; gently flatten the batter into a 2-inch cake. (Don’t overcrowd the cakes in the skillet.) Cook 2 to 3 minutes or until tops are covered with bubbles. Turn and cook 2 to 3 more minutes. Transfer cakes to a paper-towel-lined plate. Season with kosher salt and pepper. Keep cakes warm in a 200-degree oven. Repeat procedure with remaining batter and oil. Spread each cake with about 1 teaspoon pimiento cheese. Top with arugula, tomato, basil, kosher salt, and pepper. Makes 16 appetizer servings. (Source: Southern Living July 2012)

Happy ending for countless tomatoes--Mexican Tomato Soup

Tomatoes line my window ledge, my kitchen island, the shelves of my refrigerator. A banner tomato year . . . I’m seeking to find happy endings for all them.

I couldn’t have picked a better place for some of these tomatoes to land than Mexican Tomato Soup. To begin with, the recipe calls low-sodium tomato juice. No-brainer. Boil a bunch of these red jewels, season, and strain. Tomato juice at the ready (the exact tomato juice recipe is found in my cookbook, Way Back in the Country Garden). Then it asks for a couple of extra tomatoes, cored and halved and added to a chicken-broth-and-tomato-juice base. A couple extra tomatoes (how about a couple hundred extra ones?) are no problem.

Some spices, green onions, lime juice, a little boiling and simmering. Add some deboned chicken strips. Not many minutes later (just long enough for the chicken bits to cook), a tangy soup dish awaits. The recipe also calls for making your own tortilla chips out of leftover tortillas. A great way to use up some that hang around in the refrigerator. Chunks of cheese and avocado are hearty additions.

Hubby and I enjoyed this dish on a Saturday night. Since Saturday is approaching again, I commend this to your weekend.

Mexican Tomato Soup

6 (6-inch) corn tortillas

2 tablespoons canola oil, divided

2 medium tomatoes, cored and halved

1 onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves

1 (32-ounce) container reduced-sodium fat-free chicken broth

2 cups low-sodium tomato juice

1 bay leaf

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper

1 1/2 pound skinned and boned chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips

4 green onions (white part only), thinly sliced

1/2 cup fresh lime juice

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 cup crumbled fresh Mexican cheese

1 medium avocado, chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush 1 side of tortillas with 1 tablespoon oil; cut tortillas in half. Stack tortilla halves and cut crosswise into 14-inch-wide strips. Arrange strips in a single layer of a lightly greased baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper. Bake 15 minutes or until golden. Stir halfway through. Cool. Meanwhile heat a nonstick skillet over high heat 2 minutes. Add tomato halves and cook (turn occasionally) 10 minutes, or until tomatoes are charred on all sides. (Tomatoes may stick.) Transfer to a food processor. Sauté onion in remaining 1 tablespoon hot oil in skillet over medium heat 3 to 5 minutes or until tender. Add garlic; sauté 2 minutes or until fragrant. Transfer onion mixture to food processor with tomatoes; process until smooth. Cook tomato mixture in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally, 5 minutes or until thickened. Stir in broth and tomato juice. Add bay leaf and next 3 ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered and stirring occasionally, 20 minutes. Add chicken; simmer, stirring occasionally, 5 to 7 minutes or until chicken is done. Discard bay leaf. Stir in green onions and next 2 ingredients. Season with salt (or salt substitute) and pepper. Divide Mexican cheese among 4 to 6 soup bowls; top with tortilla strips. Ladle soup into bowls. Top with avocado. Makes 4 to 6 servings. (Source: Southern Living July 2012)

Four and twenty tomatoes (well, almost that many) baked in a pie

A very special adult son’s visit to his parents’ house called for a dish beyond description. Fresh tomatoes from the garden and an enticing new recipe for tomato pie was just the combination.

We wanted our son, in town on a business trip, to enjoy some of the yield of our overpoweringly fertile tomato vines. Gorgeous red tomatoes were starting to line our window-ledges and countertops as Hubby marched them in from the garden rows. They got a home in this Old-fashioned Tomato Pie after the July 2012 issue of Southern Living featured some new, creative ways to work with tomatoes that are just-ripened.

In a flaky pie crust and garnished with fresh herbs and filled with a delicious cheese mixture, the pie was devoured in a hurry. The straight-from-the-vine tomatoes first were laid out on a paper towel, salted (salt substitute was used), and left to stand for 10 minutes to rid them of excess water so the pie wouldn’t be soggy.

We had quite a celebration; this pie of pies easily could have been the dessert course, since the tomatoes represented such sweet goodness.

Old-fashioned Tomato Pie

2 1/4 pound assorted heirloom tomatoes, thinly sliced

1 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided (I used salt substitute)

1 sweet onion, chopped

1 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided

1 tablespoon canola oil

1/2 cup assorted chopped fresh herbs (such as chives, parsley, and basil)

1/2 cup freshly grated Gruyere cheese

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese 

1/4 cup mayonnaise

pie crust recipe of your choice (source furnished one, but I used my own tried-and-true version)

Line prepared crust with aluminum foil; fill with pie weights or dried beans to keep the crust from bubbling up or shrinking. Place on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet. Bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove weights (or beans) and foil. Bake 5 minutes or until browned. Cool completely on baking sheet on a wire rack (about 30 minutes). Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Place tomatoes in a single layer on paper towels; sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt. Let stand 10 minutes. Meanwhile sauté onion and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper in hot oil in a skillet over medium heat 3 minutes or until onion is tender. Pat tomatoes dry with a paper towel. Layer tomatoes, onion, and herbs in prepared crust. Season each layer with pepper (1 teaspoon total). Stir together cheese and mayonnaise; spread over pie. (I sprinkled a little extra grated cheese on top.) Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until lightly browned. As you bake, shield edges with foil to prevent excessive browning. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Fried Green Tomatoes take the edge off waiting on those vines

What to do when the tomato vines are loaded with mouth-watering tomatoes but they’re all the color of St. Augustine grass? If God didn’t love Fried Green Tomatoes, he would have made the red ones first.

Waiting out the green-into-red ripening cycle, I grabbed the Fried Green Tomatoes recipe from my new Cooking on the Home Front cookbook that I mentioned having bought at the Pearl Harbor gift shop earlier this month. In WWII days victory gardens were the source of many meatless meals. Clearly a plate of Fried Green Tomatoes was a dinner-table staple then as homemakers everywhere (not just in the South, although this typically is thought to be a Southern dish) got creative with their produce.

I love these crispy fried slices of green, especially as they’re smeared in ketchup. I used whole-wheat bread crumbs (day-old bread whisked in a blender) for my first batch but switched to Panko (Japanese bread crumbs) for the second. That switch made them extra-crispy.

We couldn’t get enough of these; the next day, we dived into the leftovers and ate them cold straight out of the refrigerator. The tomatoes on our vines don’t seem to be in a big hurry to ripen, so I imagine plenty more Fried Green Tomatoes will be destined for our table.

Fried Green Tomatoes

6 large green tomatoes

1 tablespoon sugar (or sugar substitute)

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon salt (or salt substitute)

1 egg, well-beaten (or 1/4 cup egg substitute)

1/2 cup bread crumbs

Wash tomatoes; cut into 1/2-inch slices. Soak slices for 1 hour in cold salted water. Add sugar, pepper, and salt to the beaten egg. Dip each tomato slice in mixture and then in bread crumbs. In skillet fry on both sides in hot oil (I used extra-virgin olive oil) until tomatoes are brown. Makes 6 servings.

  

Everybody’s happy with this new take on fish and pasta with fresh tomatoes and lemon

“We just haven’t had much fish lately,” Hubby intoned. He’s a great guinea pig and cheerfully tries all my oddball food ideas, but occasionally the basic meat-and-potatoes guy that he is (or in this case, fish-and-potatoes) surfaces.

I had clipped a recipe for Crispy Oven-Baked Tilapia with Lemon-Tomato Fettuccine for the next time I wanted some new ways with fish. It appeared in Southern Living’s (9-2011 issue) Quick-Fix Suppers feature. A reader had asked for some inspirations for her family’s Italian night; she stated that she was tired of the “same old spaghetti”. The recipe to which I was attracted was one of two of the magazine’s suggestions for her.

For me this wasn’t exactly a “quick-fix”. The magazine stated that “hands-on” time was 33 minutes. But I didn’t have panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) and had to make my own crumbs by pulsing leftover wheat-bread slices in the blender. I also decided to add a couple of fresh, chopped tomatoes besides the can of petite-diced tomatoes the recipe specified. Hubby hadn’t been able to round up spinach fettuccine when he went to the store, so I subbed with some basic spaghetti I needed to use up. Prep-time minutes, for me, probably were closer to 45.

However, the meal, once on the table, was wonderful and truly did represent a new way with fish. I thought adding the fresh tomatoes significantly added to the flavor of this entree. Definitely not the “same-old, same-old”. Hubby got his wish for fish; I scratched my perpetual itch for cooking up something different. Everybody was happy.

Crispy Oven-Baked Tilapia with Lemon-Tomato Fettuccine

2 lemons

1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

1 teaspoon paprika

4 (4-ounce) tilapia fillets

2 teaspoons salt (or salt substitute), divided

6 tablespoons butter, melted

1 (16-ounce) package spinach fettucini (I subbed spaghetti)

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup chopped sweet onion

4 garlic cloves, pressed

1 (14.5-ounce) can petite-diced tomatoes (I used the no-salt variety and added 2 chopped, fresh tomatoes)

2 tablespoons drained capers

1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grate zest from lemons to equal 4 teaspoons. Cut lemons in half; squeeze juice from lemons into a measuring cup to equal 2 tablespoons. In a shallow dish combine panko, paprika, and 2 teaspoons lemon zest. Sprinkle fish with 1 teaspoon salt (or salt substitute). Dip fish in 1/4 cup melted butter; dredge in panko mixture. Press panko to adhere. Place fish on a lightly greased rack in an aluminum foil-lined boiler pan. Drizzle remaining 2 tablespoons melted butter over fish. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until fish flakes with a fork. Meanwhile prepare pasta according to package directions. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat; add onion and sauté 5 to 6 minutes or until golden. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Add tomatoes and cook 5 to 6 minutes or until tomato mixture begins to thicken. Stir in 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 tablespoons capers, and remaining 2 teaspoons lemon zest and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, Remove from heat and toss with hot pasta, feta cheese, and basil. Serve with fish. Makes 4 servings.

Thick, rich homemade tomato juice a fitting use for tomatoes by the bucketloads

Doesn’t the photo at left look like something you want to stand up and salute? No, this Tomato Mary wasn’t a part of our recent Fourth celebration, but it was made in anticipation of another great event—the planned arrival this afternoon of Hubby’s sister, Mary, and her husband, Richard. They’re traveling on motorbikes and riding from Oklahoma down to the Dallas area to see us. We’re rejoicing at that (and praying for their safety).

Tomato Mary is a recipe that hails from my cookbook, Way Back in the Country Garden. Seems as though it would be the perfect pick-me-up to serve these loved ones after their arduous trip. Because we’re absolutely COVERED UP in tomatoes from our garden, I was thrilled that I can use up a passel of tomatoes at one time (Tomato Mary calls for 10).

You can’t beat the ease of this thing. First you core and dice the tomatoes and dump them into a large kettle. Then add the leaves from a couple of celery stalks (not the celery itself; just the leaves), onion slices, a bay leaf, vinegar, sugar, and salt. This simmers on the stove for 30 minutes. After it cools, pour the tomato mixture into a blender container. Pulse until the ingredients are pureed and the liquid thickens.

You’ll be staggered at the rich, thick juice—far more flavorful than anything canned you can purchase. This vibrant, nonalcoholic drink can be seasoned with a squeeze of lemon and a squirt of hot pepper sauce.

Tomato Mary

10 tomatoes, diced

1/4 cup vinegar

1 teaspoon sugar (or sugar substitute)

1 teaspoon salt (or salt substitute)

1 bay leaf

2 shoots celery leaves

2 slices sweet onion

Bring all ingredients to a boil. Then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Allow mixture to cool. Pour into blender container; pulse for as long as necessary to make a puree of the vegetables. Seal in sterilized pint jars or refrigerate as long as 5 days. Serve in a tall glass; garnish with a celery stick or sprig of herbs.

Grilled wrap recipe found on almost-discarded bag makes for a great weekend supper

Recipe inspirations crop up in some of the most random places. Before I tossed a plastic wrapper that had contained shredded Cheddar cheese, my eye caught a recipe for Grilled Chicken Barbecue Wraps. It appeared on the back of the plastic sleeve that was about to be destined for the trash can since I had used all the cheese.

Hmm, it calls for fresh tomatoes, I mused as I read the ingredients. I probably could ad lib a little and add some lettuce, since I still have in abundance the red-leaf lettuce from my garden. Sounded like a good Saturday-night supper to me—quick and easy after our day-long stint in the flower and vegetable gardens.

The recipe called for grilling the actual wrap after it was assembled and stuffed with marinated shredded chicken breasts, cheese, tomato, and lettuce. I used my countertop grill for the experience. You might want to be sure your grill is exceptionally well-oiled with spray cooking oil before you attempt the cooking. Mine wasn’t terribly well-prepared, so the actual cleanup took longer than the cooking. Fortunately, since I cooked, Hubby cleaned up, so the tasks were equally divided, but next time I’ll remember to take a lot more care with the cooking spray.

However, we WILL have a next time, because the novel way of preparing these delicious and healthy wraps made this nearly discarded recipe a definite winner.

Grilled Barbecue Chicken Wraps

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts

3 tablespoons bottled Italian dressing

1/2 bottled barbecue sauce, divided

4 (10-inch) flour tortillas

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

2 tomatoes, chopped

1 cup lettuce, torn into bite-sized bits

a little extra barbecue sauce to drizzle over the tops of wraps after grilling

Heat grill to medium heat. Brush chicken with Italian dressing. Grill chicken 6 to 8 minutes on each side or until done. For the last few minutes of cooking brush with 1/4 cup sauce. Shred chicken. Spoon remaining sauce down centers of tortillas; top with chicken, cheese, tomatoes, and lettuce. Fold in opposite sides of tortillas; roll up burrito-style. Grill wrap, seam-sides down, 8 to 9 minutes, or until wrap is golden brown. Turn after 5 minutes. Place on serving plate. If desired, drizzle a little extra sauce over tops of wraps. Makes 4 servings.

"Greata"-Tomato-Feta stems tide of tomato deluge

They have us on the run now.

For days we watched for the first green tomatoes to appear on the vines so I could haul them in for Green Gazpacho Soup and other "easy-to-be-green" recipes. Then we eagerly waited for a few to redden so we could slice them and serve them fresh on sandwiches.

Now we're in the typical mid-summer tomato deluge. (Be careful what you pray for.) They're cropping up on the vines faster than we can work them into recipes.

I know, I know. Instantly I could polish a bundle of them off by setting out to put up some of my cousin Jana's Picante Sauce (requiring 5 quarts of tomatoes) or homemade Tomato Sauce (18 tomatoes) that I recommend in my new cookbook, Way Back in the Country Garden.

On some other week that might be a great idea. But this is the week of our daughter's baby shower--with deadlines and responsibilities and houseguests in town to observe the impending arrival of that sweet baby boy. Not the week to undertake a leviathan canning effort, although I'd love to do so soon.

That's why I was thrilled to find the recipe for Tomato Feta Pie (spiel off the recipe title fast and you'll sound like a server at an Italian restaurant). It calls for four large beefsteak tomatoes--truthfully, after I sampled the finished product, the recipe just as easily could have called for six tomatoes instead of four. Preparing it and carving into my tomato supply quickly provided some extra space on refrigerator's produce shelf.

The result (some fresh onions from our garden joined the fresh tomato slices in the recipe) produced a quiche-looking dish without the crust. Hubby cut him a slice of the finished "pie" and served it to himself cold. I heated mine in the microwave until it was bubblin' good.

What a clever, wonderful idea for fresh tomato usage!

The recipe, featured below, was one of the two top tomato recipes recommended in my oft-quoted "Celebrating a Healthy Harvest" recipe book. No, it didn't clear out all the tomatoes in my garden, but the summer's still young, relatively speaking, with hopefully more days ahead-- unless little expected grandboy arrives earlier than his August due date--for grinding up bunches of tomatoes into salsa.

If he does, instead of baking this Tomato Pie we just may see if we can find a recipe for Tomato Cake and celebrate.

Tomato Feta Pie

4 beefsteak tomatoes (2 1/2 pounds), cut into 1/4-inch slices

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

1/2 cup (2 ounces) feta cheese

2/3 cup (3 ounces) reduced-fat mozzarella cheese, grated

2 large eggs, beaten (we use egg substitute)

2 teaspoons dried oregano

pepper

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Spray a 9-inch pie plate with nonfat cooking spray. Arrange 1/3 of the tomato slices (overlapping them) to cover the bottom of the pie place. Over the tomatoes sprinkle one-half of the onion. Sprinkle on one-third of the feta and mozzarella cheese. Repeat for a total of three tomato layers. In a bowl combine the eggs and oregano. Pour over the pie. Sprinkle on the remaining feta and mozzarella cheeses. Sprinkle pepper on top of all. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until the egg mixture is set and the cheeses on top are bubbling and deep brown. Let the pie sit 30 minutes; cut into wedges and serve warm.

Garden-fresh tomatoes add missing ingredient to these very "elementary" beans

My hubby couldn't have been more insulted. The recipe card that I, with a hopeful look on my face, plunked in front of him was labeled "Beans 101."

Hubby fancies himself as the Grand Pooh-Bah of Bean-Cooking. My recipe card with its unusual title apparently hinted to him that he might have something yet to learn on the subject.

Why “101”? his expression seemed to say. I'm already on the doctoral level where beans are concerned.

Nevertheless, he undertook the recipe and helped me out with what would be the next night's dinner. After all, he'd already been commenting that we'd need to have some homemade beans again sometime soon. And besides, the recipe card hailed from his beloved Chickasaw Nutrition Services office. As a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation, to him these freebie recipe cards (mentioned in yesterday's blog) are—like everything else Chickasaw—sacrosanct.

Some 10 hours later, after the concoction bubbled on low overnight (and greeted us in the morning with an awesome aroma), hubby had a frown on his face when he sampled the mixture. "Needs something," he murmured with furrowed brow.

He grabbed the salt substitute and poured some into the crockpot. Not sufficient, he determined on taste. Next he browned some ground turkey (our substitute for ground beef) and dumped it in. Improving, he assessed. Then he thought of tomatoes--fresh tomatoes from the garden, or the canned-and-drained variety as a substitute. Now that's getting tasty, his pleased look communicated.

For our purposes we changed the name of the recipe to Tomato Chili Beans. Fresh tomatoes had saved the day, added lycopene and vitamins C and A, and given the chili beans an improved color, with red chunks bobbing in the liquid. (Cooked tomatoes are said to have even more health benefits than raw ones do.) We heaped our soup bowls high and then dabbed on sour cream with a dusting of shredded cheese and slices of avocado.

Beans 101 turned out to be a fine refresher course in perseverance and ingenuity. And as Grand Pooh-Bah of Bean-Cooking, my husband can add one more success story--this time with Tomato Chili Beans (see below)--to his repertoire.

Tomato Chili Beans

3 cups dried pinto beans

1/2 small onion, diced

10 sliced jalapenos (optional)

1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder

2 teaspoons black pepper

12 cups water

salt to taste

about 6 tomatoes, peeled and seeded (or 1 14-ounce can salt-free diced tomatoes, drained)

1 pound ground turkey, browned and drained (optional)

sour cream

grated cheddar cheese

sliced avacado

Wash and sort 3 cups of pinto beans. Discard any small stones. Place beans in a slow-cooker and fill with 12 cups of water. place small diced onion and jalapenos (if desired) in slow cooker. Add chili powder and black pepper. Add tomato. Add browned ground turkey, if desired. Cook on high for 1 hour; then turn down to low to cook overnight (10 hours). Check water level in the morning. May add more water if needed. Cook on low all day and served in the evening. Spoon into bowls. Add sour cream, cheddar cheese, and avocado.