Goat Cheese Stuffed Tomatoes

I’m continuing the goat cheese theme, this week.  That’s because I just can’t get enough of the creaminess and deliciousness of my favorite cheese, and I also figured that I should probably embrace tomatoes, the season’s most valued ingredient.  Truth be told, I simply can’t ignore an obvious thing these days – tomatoes are overflowing!  And now they’re in my kitchen, too!   

Tomatoes play an important role in Romanian cuisine, but merely as supporting actors.  They often constitute the cozy, saucy, piping hot pool for stuffed cabbage, pork goulash and stuffed peppers stew, or are found amid many other chopped ingredients in rich sour soups.  But, on occasion, we love to thoroughly stuff them!  Everything from bread to baba ganoush; rice, meat, mushrooms, meat and mushrooms, liver, pork scraps, fish, and of course cheese.  Anything known to man just shove it down inside the beautiful and mostly unmolested fresh tomatoes!  And just like that, tomatoes become the centerpiece! 

Although tomatoes are not my favorites among summer’s delights, they are simply splendid when partnered with smooth and tangy goat cheese speckled with delicate dill in this wonderful Goat Cheese Stuffed Tomatoes recipe.  In Romania, cheese stuffed tomatoes are more often than not a quintessential component on cold appetizer platters next to a diverse array of cold cuts, meatballs, olives and cheeses.  But they could easily represent a dazzling and delightful appetizer all on their own, a light snack or a quick lunch.  

        

There’s no cooking or baking involved in this recipe, which makes it even more accessible, appealing, and perfect for the blazing hot season.  The tomatoes are firm and juicy, crisp and sweet, while the soft cheese filling is rich and packed with flavor and green freshness.  Suffice it to say – they are beautiful and very, very tasty!

Goat Cheese Stuffed Tomatoes

By Simply Romanesco inspired by my Grandma Vicki

Makes: 8 stuffed tomatoes

Ingredients:

·         8 medium, ripe but still firm tomatoes 
·         12 ounces goat cheese, at room temperature 
·         6 ounces sour cream 
·         2 Tablespoons mayonnaise 
·         1 small yellow onion, finely chopped 
·         ¼ cup dill, chopped 
·         ½ teaspoon salt 
·         Optional: a few leaves of parsley
 

Instructions:

Using a small sharp knife, cut off the top (where the stem used to be) of each tomato.  Using a small spoon, gently scrape out the pulp and seeds and discard them.  Place the tomatoes, cut side down, on a paper towel to allow the extra juices to drain out, about 10 minutes.

In the meantime, combine the goat cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, onion, dill and salt in a large bowl.  Mix together well until it becomes smooth and creamy.  Adjust the seasoning, adding more salt if necessary.

Place the tomatoes, cut side up, on a platter.  (If they tend to fall over, cut a tiny sliver off the bottom to allow them to stay still.)  Spoon 1-2 Tablespoons of the cheese mixture inside each tomato; I used a dessert decorator with the star tip for an extra decorative touch.  Decorate them with parsley leaves on top.  

Note:  If you have a bit of cheese mixture leftover, don’t throw it away; it’s simply superb smeared on a slice of crusty bread!          

Poftă Bună! (Bon Appétit!)

Vegetable Sour Soup

A while ago, I told you about Romanians’ fascination with soup; that for us soup is an everyday affair regardless of season, and that we treat it with the utmost respect.  It’s so true!  What I omitted back then was that we have two types of soups in Romania, and that we make a clear distinction between them.  First, we have the clear soup filled with dumplings, homemade noodles or pasta.  Second, we have the sour soup, also known in Romanian as ciorbă, which is, as the name suggests, sour and tart thanks to the various souring agents used to flavor it such as lemon juice, vinegar or even sauerkraut juice.       

While home this time around, I was indisputably on a soup diet.  It wasn’t a diet per se; it was just the regular everyday Romanian custom of indulging in a bowl of soup before the main course.  And I didn’t mind it; not even a bit.  I can’t really decide whether I prefer the clear soup or the sour soup; they’re quite different and each unique and delicious in its own and delightful way.  

I’ve already shared with you grandma Vicki’s classic Chicken Ciorbă; a staple in our family and easily adaptable according to occasion.  You’ll see this sour soup made with pork for New Year’s, or with lamb for Easter, or with chicken for an uneventful Sunday lunch.  This Vegetable Sour Soup (Vegetable Ciorbă) sprung up from my experimenting with the classic only to come up with something cleaner and less sophisticated, yet still packed with flavor.  

For me, this Vegetable Sour Soup (Vegetable Ciorbă) is one of those go-to soups or whenever-I-want-something-more-besides-the-main-course kind of soup.  I love that it’s a cinch to make; it’s light, refreshing, colorful and loaded with vegetables.  It doesn’t have meat but the tiny pasta acts like the meaty element of the dish, while the splash of vinegar spurs your taste buds.  A few sprinkles of fresh parsley are highly recommended but not mandatory.  As you can clearly see from the pictures, I didn’t use any parsley this time, but I’ll make sure to add it to my next pot of soup for that extra kick of freshness.  With or without parsley, this vegetable sour soup is simple and perfect to welcome spring! 

Vegetable Sour Soup (Vegetable Ciorbă) 
By Simply Romanesco inspired by my Grandma Vicki

Makes: 8-10 servings

Ingredients:

·         3 Tablespoons olive or vegetable oil

·         4-5 carrots peeled and chopped

·         1 medium yellow onion, chopped

·         1 red pepper, chopped

·         1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes

·         1 cup small pasta such as ditalini

·         Salt and pepper

·         1-2 Tablespoons white vinegar

·         Optional: a small bunch of fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions:

In a large pan, heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the carrots, onion and a pinch of salt and pepper.  Cook together for about 5 minutes adding a bit of water so that the vegetables don’t stick to the bottom of the pan.  Add the red pepper.  Cook for 2 minutes.  Add the can of tomatoes and mix well.  Cook everything together for 3 minutes stirring occasionally.  Add water to fill up the pan.  Season with salt.  Bring to a boil.  Turn the heat down and simmer for 25-30 minutes.  

In the meantime, bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil.  Drizzle a Tablespoon of oil.  Add the pasta and cook according to the directions on the package.  Drain well and keep close at hand.  

When the vegetables are cooked, season with salt to taste, and add the vinegar and bring back to a boil for 2 minutes.  Turn the heat off, add the pasta and stir well.  Sprinkle with fresh parsley on top. 

Note:  Let the soup cool completely before you put it in the fridge. 

Poftă Bună! (Bon Appétit!)     

Deconstructed Stuffed Pepper Stew

We’re still savoring the comfort food chapter.  I think it’s because of the frigid temperatures that I don’t feel like doing anything but cozying up to the fireplace (if only we had a real one) with a bowl of hot, homey and hearty comfort food. 

I’ve been craving Romanian comfort food, lately; something other than stuffed cabbage or pork goulash.  And to be honest, I’ve been dreaming of Grandma Vicki’s Stuffed Peppers recipe for a while.  This recipe has been on my to make list, but I wanted to somehow avoid the two inconveniences that the recipe entails: first, I wasn’t eager to waste my time in the kitchen stuffing pepper after pepper; and second, those little gypsy peppers traditionally used in this recipe are mighty hard to find in wintertime.  So, how to make a stew without having to spend an outrageous amount of time putting it together?    

But then it happened that a couple of weekends ago, Adrian and I paid a visit to our friends’ house to watch some English soccer games.  After lots of yelling and cheering while watching the games, Gretchen served us a delicious stuffed pepper stew.  The stew had all the ingredients for a stuffed peppers recipe but everything was chopped and blended together; and she called it “a deconstructed stuffed pepper stew”.  And the little lightbulb went off in my head!  Thank you Gretchen for helping me decide how to approach my grandma’s stuffed peppers recipe!  I have to admit that, once I heard the word “deconstructed” I wanted to race home and make the stew right away. 

Before attempting the impossible, I called my grandma and explained how I wanted to transform her beloved stuffed peppers recipe.  Of course, she said that I was crazy and that it would never work.  But, guess what, it worked out beautifully!  Only the aspect of the stew is radically different from my grandma’s recipe but the flavors that I love are all there.  In fact, I would say that there are various nuances and depths of flavor in this dish.  It’s also nourishing and it incorporates everything from proteins to starch and veggies. 

Of course, being a Romanian dish, I was indebted to throw in a smidge of paprika to coat the onions and meat in a mild pungency and give them that beautiful red color.  But the meat, rice, peppers and tomatoes are all able to shine through and add texture despite being engulfed in a sea of sweet, savory and tangy tomato sauce.  And then you sprinkle a few chopped leaves of parsley on top for a lovely green color and much desired freshness.  You could even argue that this stew is similar to a chili; a Romanian chili with rice but without beans.  Ultimately, this Deconstructed Stuffed Pepper Stew is a filling, flavorful and homemade Romanian comfort stew!

Deconstructed Stuffed Pepper Stew

By Simply Romanesco inspired by my Grandma Vicki

Makes: 6-8 servings

Ingredients:

·         6 Tablespoons olive oil, divided

·         1 large yellow onion, chopped

·         Salt and black pepper

·         1 Tablespoon sweet or hot paprika

·         1 pound ground pork

·         2 large red peppers, cut into ½ -inch chunks

·         1 15-ounce can of diced tomatoes

·         1 15-ounce can tomato sauce

·         2 Tablespoons sugar

·         ½ cup white rice

·         A small bunch of parsley for garnish, chopped

·         Sour cream (optional)

Instructions:

Heat 4 Tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan over medium heat.  Add the chopped onion, season with a good pinch of salt and pepper, and cook until translucent, about 5-7 minutes.  Add the paprika and stir well.  Add the ground pork, season with salt and pepper, and stir well to coat with the paprika.  Cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, until the meat is cooked through.  Add the red peppers and diced tomatoes and give it a good stir.  Cook for 5 minutes.

Combine the tomato sauce with ½ cup of water and pour it over the ingredients in the pan.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add the sugar and stir well.  Add ½ cup of water and stir.  Bring to a boil.  Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 30-40 minutes.

In the meantime, rinse the white rice in cold water.  Heat 2 Tablespoons of olive oil over high heat in a small saucepan.  Add the rice and stir.  Add 2 cups of water and season with a good pinch of salt.  Turn the heat to low and simmer uncovered until the water is absorbed and the rice is cooked.  When the rice is cooked, turn the heat off and cover the saucepan with a lid and let it sit until the stew is cooked.

When the stew is cooked, add the rice and stir well to incorporate. Check the seasonings and add more salt and sugar if necessary, for that perfect balance of savory and sweet.  Simmer for 5 more minutes.  Serve with chopped parsley and a dollop of sour cream on top.

Poftă Bună! (Bon Appétit!)        

Quick and easy

I still have stories to share with you from my trip to Romania, but I’ve decided to intercalate this short posting and a quick and easy Bean and Corn Tomato Soup recipe.  

Our computer desk has been falling apart for the past six months, but for some inexplicable reason we kept postponing getting a new one.  I think it’s called procrastinating or we just thought that it would get fixed on its own.  It’s really beyond my comprehension.  Well, last weekend we finally agreed to get a new desk and stop holding the keyboard on our lap every time we used the computer.  Oh, I guess that by now you’ve realized that we use a desktop instead of a laptop.  Yes, we’re kind of old-fashioned and we prefer a big boring desktop. 

Anyway, after a week of staring at the new box in the middle of the house, last weekend we got our energy up and were ready to install the three piece professionally looking furniture.  There was only one problem – the Euro 2012 was on, too.  No, we couldn’t miss the soccer matches especially since the so-called group of death of the Euro 2012 was playing on Saturday.  And so, one eye was reading the instructions booklet, one was on the nails so that we didn’t nail our fingers, one was on fastening the screws, and one was watching the soccer game.  All in all, it only took us seven hours to put together the computer desk while also watching the Euro 2012 soccer games.  Long story short, by dinner time I was so tired and my knees were bloody red that I was in no condition to prepare anything fancy.  In fact, we were so exhausted that we couldn’t even find the energy to go out to dinner.  Bottom line, I fixed a quick and filling Bean and Corn Tomato Soup.

In the end, we didn’t need anything more than this quick and easy soup.  It was the perfect fix.  This soup has a full-bodied tomato flavor and a bite from the red pepper flakes, while the corn and carrots add a hint of sweetness to balance out the acid from the tomatoes; and the beans and pasta make it hearty and rich.  We love this fantastic soup and I’m sure that it will become one of your all-time favorites in no time!       

Bean and Corn Tomato Soup

Adapted from Quick and Spicy Tomato Soup by Giada De Laurentiis

Serves:  6 servings

Ingredients:

·         3 Tablespoons vegetable oil

·         1 small onion, chopped

·         2 carrots, peeled and chopped

·         1 clove garlic, minced

·         1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

·         ½ cup frozen corn

·         1 (25-ounce) jar marinara sauce

·         5 cups chicken broth or water

·         ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

·         ½ cup pastina pasta (or any small pasta)

·         Salt and black pepper

·         1 Tablespoon sugar

Instructions:

Warm the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat.  Add the onion and carrots.  Season with salt and pepper and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.  Add the beans, corn, marinara sauce, chicken broth (or water), red pepper flakes, pasta and sugar, and stir well.  Bring to a boil, turn the heat down and simmer for 15-20 minutes.  Season with more salt and pepper to taste.  Ladle into bowls and serve.  

Poftă Bună! (Bon Appétit!)