Putting Up With: Tomatoes Two Ways

My "Putting Up With" series is a play on the phrase 'putting up' as a colloquialism for canning.  But in this case, it's particularly apt, because the only way I can put up with (tolerate) tomatoes is when they're canned, cooked or preserved in some way.  

I was a very picky eater when I was younger, but I've learned to tolerate, and even enjoy, some of the things that horrified me as a child.  I now cook with all types of peppers and mushrooms and even occasionally use mayonnaise and beans, all things I couldn't stand a few years ago.  But I've never grown to love raw tomatoes. Both the texture and taste are repulsive to me.  These recipes have helped me use up all the tomatoes I get every week from our garden and my CSA box.  

Bocconcini Stuffed Meatballs

I happened to have some leftover bocconcini (fresh mozzarella balls, packed in water and often sold in a tub in the deli section of the grocery store), so, of course, I decided to stuff them inside some meatballs to see what would happen.  It turned out pretty great!

I served the meatballs with spaghetti tossed with a quick tomato sauce and sprinkled with fresh basil for a very tasty, decadent meal. 

Here's what you need for these crazy meatballs:

Lazy Cabbage Rolls

I can't say cabbage rolls have always been my favourite.  My family has cabbage rolls every year at Thanksgiving and Christmas, along with pierogies, meat sticks (breaded pork skewers), and turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, etc.  With all that deliciousness, the cabbage rolls are not the first thing on my plate.  And they always seemed complicated to make outside the holidays.

But these "lazy" cabbage rolls are pretty easy.  They are actually like mini-meat loafs. The recipe makes a whole bunch so I froze half and cooked them later and it made a fantastic quick weeknight dinner.  

Here's what you need for the cabbage rolls:

Pappardelle with Sausage Tomato Sauce

99% if the time when I make pasta, I use whole wheat noodles.  I've found a wonderful brand that really tastes great.  But whole wheat pappardelle isn't easy to find, and I have to admit I loved the white pasta in this.  But it us just as good with whole wheat! 

The recipe comes from Lidia Bastianich and it tastes fantastic.  It's a little more time-consuming than ideal for a weeknight, but if you make it once you can eat for a week (or refrigerate or freeze the leftovers for next week).  

Here's what you need:

Year End Roundup - Most Popular Posts of 2012

Well, it's hard to believe it's been almost a year since I started this blog.  I thought it would be nice to have a look back at some of the best posts of the year.  First lets look at the most popular posts based on the number of pageviews.  I thought this might take us back to some older posts but 4 out of the top 5 are from the past few months.  

Here are the top 10 most popular Clockwatching Tart posts this year:

#10 
Barbecue Chicken Drumsticks

This post from August shows my special tip for de-skinning chicken drumsticks.  It's simple and really nice for summer.


#9
Chicken & Sweet Potato Hand Pies

I wish this one from October was more popular since it's also one of my favourite posts of the year. It was an amazing discovery that is not too complicated, uses mostly leftovers and worked out great even though I made the mistake of putting hot filling in cold puff pastry.  


#8
Braised Lamb

This one from September is a bit of a surprise. It's really nothing special. Super quick, cheap and easy lamb shoulder chops braised in wine.  But I think it's a little Google magic, as a few of these posts seem to be.  People stumble across them while Googling the ingredients and I guess that's great for me!  Also, the pictures turned out terrific.

#7
Lobster Bisque

This is another one of my favourite meals of the year. The post is from November and I think these are also some of my favourite photos I've taken.  It's not skill, seafood pictures just have this gorgeous colour that brown meat can't compare to. We did freeze the leftovers and they did turn out great the second time around.   



#6
Steak Salad with Mango, Avocado and Jalapeño Vinaigrette

This salad is amazing but the pictures in this post are just brutal. It was in July just a few days before I got my amazing indoor blogging light, but there's no excuse for the sheer amount of crap in the background of these photos.  Try the salad though.  It's a winner.


#5
Saltine Toffee aka Christmas Crack

This is no surprise at all. I shared this post/recipe from December with everyone I know. It has to be made. It is SO amazing. I also changed the title from just Christmas Crack and added the Saltine Toffee for SEO purposes. I hope this will continue to be popular all year round, since there's no specific season for deliciousness.


#4
Turkey Scallopini with Kale in Mustard Lemon Sauce

Another surprise from November. I loved this meal and I raved about it.  Maybe it was popular because it was featured in Clean Eating and they never post their recipes online?  Who knows but it's a healthy, tasty meal that's deserving of 4th most popular post of the year.  (And a great way to make kale!)


#3
Stripetti Squash with Sage and Rosemary

Another triumph of Google.  I assume the people who viewed this post from October were searching "what the heck is a stripetti squash" like I was when we found it at the market.  The recipe wasn't even that spectacular but it was an interesting squash I'd eat again.  The pork we served with it was the real winner.  



#2
Putting Up With: Tomato Sauce (Guest Post)

I have no idea how this post from September became the number two most popular post of the year. We shared it all over but the title is not very Google-friendly so I just don't get how it has twice as many hits as number 3.  But it is a wonderful canning recipe and a great guest post from my amazing husband so I'll take it!  


#1
Crock Pot Pot Roast

Here we are with the most popular post of the year from all the way back in February 2012. It had way more than double the number of hits as the last one.  This is all Google. Somehow I tapped into the search term preferred by weirdos like me and it got searched hundreds of times.  I also entered this post in a Canadian Beef blogging contest so maybe some of the hits came from there.

I was worried about looking back at the pictures for this one in the dead of winter without proper lighting, but it's not that bad.  The amount of junk in the background of the shots is more concerning. At least I've learned that lesson!

Hope you've enjoyed this trip down memory lane.  Soon I'll have a look at my favourite posts of the year so thanks for reading and stay tuned!

Fusilli with Lamb Sausage Ragout

I told you about my delicious lamb sausages from Metzger Meats.  Well, I decided to use the remaining sausages in a pasta dish in place of ground lamb and it turned out great.  

Here's what you need for this quick, easy, flavourful dish.  

1 lb raw lamb sausage or ground lamb
1 bottle passata or strained tomatoes
1 box whole wheat or vegetable fusilli or rotini
1 medium onion
2 garlic cloves
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
2 small zucchini
fresh mint
1/2 cup Greek yogurt or ricotta (optional)

First, sauté the onions, garlic and Italian seasoning in 1 tbsp oil over medium heat for 2-3 minutes until beginning to soften.

Slit the casing on your sausage.

Remove the casing and add the sausage meat to the onion pan.

Crumble the meat with a wooden spoon and brown about 3 minutes.

Dice the zucchini and add it to the lamb, 

Sauté for about 2 minutes, then add the passata.

Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes until thickened.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

I like to use this spatter screen over my tomato sauce to avoid a mess.  You can get them in the dollar store and they are great for avoiding spatters.

Meanwhile add your pasta to a pot of salted boiling water and cook according to package directions.  If you put it in when you add the tomato sauce, it should all be done about the same time. 

Drain your pasta.

And add it to the sauce, tossing to coat.

Chop some mint.

Scoop your pasta into the serving dish.

Drizzle with Greek yogurt or top with ricotta and sprinkle with mint.

I make spaghetti with sausage and tomato sauce all the time, but here the lamb sausage and mint gave it a very different flavour that was really tasty.  If you have lamb sausage or ground lamb on hand, give this one a try!