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First an update to yesterday's supper of tuna. I went to Wegmans this morning and while there, I checked their price for tuna. They also charge $25.99/lb. for tuna. My sister-in-law, who lives on the Outer Banks, was kind enough to inform that she can purchase fresh tuna for $9.99/lb. 

Back to this evening's meal. I opened the Whole Foods app this morning to check on their new weekly specials (they run Wednesday to Tuesday). The new promotion included wild caught salmon for $8.99/lb. (As a side note, Wegmans  had farm raised salmon for $10.99/lb.) ​With a protein selected, I just needed to find a quick recipe. I went to Lidia Bastianich's website, Lidia's Italy,  to search for an easy recipe. 
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I was at a loss as to what to cook this evening. I brought out my cookbook "Lidia's Italy," and went to one of the yellow tabs that my husband attached to a recipe he found interesting. One of the recipes he like was Grilled Tuna with Oregano. I stopped at Whole Foods on the way home from work and picked up tuna there. It was $25.99/lb. Just to be curious, I also decided to stop at Mr. Shrimp in Belmar to see what he charges for tuna. Mr. Shrimp's price was $18.99/lb. I should have went there  first, oh well. I should also check out the tuna prices at Wegmans the next time I'm there. 
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My husband didn't get his weekly allotment of pasta last week. As I was off today, I swung by Matt's Farm and Garden Center in  Wall Township, and picked up three pounds of plum tomatoes. My basil is looking good in the garden and garlic is a pantry staple so I was ready to cook away!
While I was preparing the sauce, I got the pot of water on the for pasta. I had taken the meatballs out of the freezer and plopped them in into the pot of tomatoes as they were cooking down. Before I knew it, the tomatoes cooked enough to be run through the food mill and the water was boiling for the pasta. I lowered heat on the water to a simmer until the tomato sauce was strained. Once I had run the tomatoes through the food mill, the sauce had to cook for 15 more minutes or so. This gave me enough time to get the pasta done. 
All in all, in about 45 minutes or so, we had pasta with fresh tomato sauce. Yum!
​Sugo Di Pomodoro
Smooth Tomato Sauce – From Fresh Tomatoes
By Arthur Schwartz
“Naples at Table” © 1998 Harper Collins
  
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
Or 2 large cloves garlic**, lightly smashed
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
3 pounds ripe plum tomatoes, peeled or not, and cut into large chunks
½ cup (packed) whole basil leaves
1 Tbsp**. salt, or to taste (see note below)
1/8 to ¼ teaspoon hot red pepper flakes, or to taste

  1. If making sauce with onion, place the onion and the oil in a 6- to 8-quart pot over medium heat, and cook, stirring, until the onion is tender and golden, 8 to 10 minutes. If using garlic, combine the garlic and oil in a 6- to 8-quart pot over low heat and cook the garlic, pressing it into the oil a couple of times to release its flavor, until it barely begins to color on both sides. Remove the garlic.  
  2. Stir in the tomato chunks, increase the heat slightly and, stirring occasionally, cook until the tomatoes have collapsed into a mush, about 20 minutes.
  3. Puree the sauce in a food mill, then return it to the pot. Tear the basil leaves into the sauce and add the salt and hot red pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium and, stirring occasionally, simmer for another 5 to 15 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened. The timing will depend on the moisture content of the tomatoes.  
To store: the sauce can be made ahead and kept in the refrigerator for up to a week or in the freezer for up to 10 months, at least until the next tomato harvest.
 
**Donna’s Notes: I make my sauce with garlic. Although the recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of salt,  I use 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and adjust accordingly. To puree, use a food mill, not a blender or VitaMix, as it will change the taste and consistency of the sauce. Food mills can be found at WalMart or at Williams-Sonoma. You can also try using a stainless-steel colander or large strainer placed over a large bowl or pot and press on the solids to separate out the liquids. 
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It seems that I can cook faster than I can post to my blog. I'm trying to catch up a bit here and hopefully still have a happy husband who's sitting alone right now. I better type and edit fast (and accurately!) 

Sunday, I worked until closing so I had to think of something I could prepare ahead of time. On a recent visit to Wegmans, I purchased their family pack of ground turkey (3 lbs. @ $2.99/lb.), which is a great value. I dug out of my recipe box and found another recipe from Better Homes and Garden, but this time from their Test Kitchen Prize Tested Recipes section. The recipe was submitted by Millie Breaux, of Galliano, Louisiana for Cajun Turkey Burgers. These are flavorful burgers and a nice change from beef burgers. The burgers are wrapped in bacon, which add great flavor and makes the turkey stay moist. I served these with some leftover ciambotta and macaroni salad. I purchased some corn earlier in the day at Wegmans (3 for $1), however, it's a bit early yet for summertime corn.

We rounded out the meal with the remaining crepe cake and called it a night.  
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My daughter is on her way down for the weekend, so I decided to make pizza tonight. I prepped the pizza dough this morning before I left for work. I also sauteed some onions until they were caramelized. Yesterday when I stopped at Whole Foods, I picked up a 4 oz. log of goat cheese and today I picked up a bunch of local grown arugula. You might wonder where this is going.
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I was beat after working yesterday. However, there was still supper to be made and cooking is relaxing for me.

On my way home from work I stopped at Whole Foods. One of the items on special this week was their bone-in center cut pork chops for $3.99/lb. I also wanted to try my aunt's recipe for ciambotta, so I also picked up a red pepper and green zucchini.
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​As our son had to work on Father's Day, tonight he treated my husband and I to dinner this evening at Brandl Restaurant in Belmar. My husband and I have been here many times before and, as usual, had a most wonderful dinner.
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I am working today and won't get home until late. I have prepped  tonight's supper. My husband had a request for chicken cordon bleu. I don't even remember where I got the recipe, but it's fairly easy and rather quick to prepare. 

The basic ingredients needed to prepare this dish is boneless chicken breasts, sliced Swiss cheese, sliced ham along with flour, salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder.
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My neighbor has once again shared his bounty from the sea. Tonight  I am preparing fluke, oven roasted herb potatoes and a vegetable. 


​meet donna

A former teacher, shop-a-holic, empty-nester redefining quick, family approved dinners.

​If you have questions or comments, click on the envelope icon above to contact me directly. 

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