World’s Easiest Tomato Soup

My next door neighbor grows organic produce in a green house next door. Seeds from one of his plants must have made it over to my side of the fence because a tomato plant appeared on the side of my house growing next to the electrical meter.

 

My wild tomato plant!

My wild tomato plant!

It was so interesting to me because I never planted it, never watered it, it’s not an area where there’s even a lot of dirt – and yet, it persisted. I let it go to see how large it would get. I ended up with more Cherry Tomatoes than I knew what to do with. Life is full of wonderful surprises!

 

 

 

Wild Urban Tomatoes

Wild Urban Tomatoes

So, what to do with all of these Cherry Tomatoes? Even though it’s Summer here at the beach, it rained quite a bit this month of August. It actually poured a few nights with thunder and dangerous lightening. So soup works – even in the Summer. This recipe is so easy.

 

  • Tomatoes (Cherry or other cut in 1/2 or 1/4s)
  • Filtered water (cover the tomatoes)
  • 1 Clove Garlic
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

 

When life gives you tomatoes...

When life gives you tomatoes…

Put all ingredients in a pot and cover with water.

 

Simmer for several hours adding more water as needed.

 

Add fresh basil if you’d like after cooking. Or, you can also add a pinch of dried Oregano. Some people add bread to thicken the soup. But you can add nothing at all. 

 

I love my little "handblender".

I love my little “handblender”.

Blend to smooth.

 

If your tomatoes have many seeds as mine did, you will need to strain after blending. 

 

My daughter likes me to stir in a little cream or half and half to give the soup a little creamy flavor. 

 

Put in bowls and enjoy! Or, if you’re throwing a party, soup in shot glasses is a great appetizer option when carried around on trays and passed out to your guests. 

 

My Favorite Healthy Summer Snack – Jimmy Buffet & Shark Week

What is better when you’re in the hot sun either poolside or at the beach than frozen, seedless grapes?

 

Frozen Grapes are so delicious poolside or at the beach.

Frozen Grapes – easy, healthy snack option.

I love biting into the cold, sweet and somewhat crispy grape and I love the flavor. So much better than a popsicle! And needless to say, much healthier too.

 

Frozen grapes also make great “ice cubes” for Sangria when you’re on the go for Summer Concert in the Park series like the one we just went to at the Hermosa Beach Pier.

 

 

http://instagram.com/p/rhkarnG4yI/?modal=true

The concert was smartly sponsored by Shark Week – Jimmy Buffet played for free! So many younger kids knew all the words and sang along swimmingly (pun intended). Must have learned the words from their parents.

 

 Posh Spice also eats frozen grapes to stay thin. (But she also said in a different interview that she hadn’t had a brownie in like 20 years or something though. Poor Posh!)

 

 

healthy snack, kids, hollywood, diet, secrets

My Favorite, Easy Vinaigrette

When my husband and I dropped our son off at college in Santa Cruz, California, we were blown away by the local ingredients (e.g. organic produce grown and served on campus) and loved how the student cafeterias featured other local products like salad dressings. We saw beautiful young adults from all over the globe sitting under trees reading books

Organic horticulture grown on campus at U.C.S.C. is served on campus to lucky U.C.S.C. students.

Organic horticulture grown on campus at U.C.S.C. is served on campus to lucky U.C.S.C. students.

and thought…..”How wonderful to be able to just read and learn every day while someone else cooks for you and you get to eat these types of wonderful ingredients!”. Youth may indeed be wasted on the young. 

 

But not all salad dressings are created equal. While there are many dressings in the marketplace that are healthy and free of GMOs, dangerous pesticides and other questionable ingredients, there are many that aren’t. Just pick up random bottles when you’re in the market and read the label. 

 

Not only are homemade salad dressings budget-friendly and quick and easy to make, but you can really taste the salad ingredients. In my opinion, the dressing should enhance the salad itself, not drown it’s flavor. 

 

The other trick that my friend Maura showed me is put VERY little dressing on the salad and be SURE to add Salt and Pepper directly onto the salad itself (not just the dressing). 

 

The trick to a great salad is very little dressing and Salt and Pepper on the greens.

The trick to a dressing a delicious salad is add very little dressing and add Salt and Pepper directly on the greens.

  • 2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
  • 1/2-1 Teaspoon Dijon (or just a small squirt! I don’t usually measure frankly).
  • 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

 

Mix with a fork. Add oil last. No need to add the oil slowly because the mustard will emulsify the dressing together. I also like to add sugar to this recipe when I top a salad that includes fruit.

easy dressing recipe healthy balsamic vinegar california restaurant

 

 

 

 

 

Baked Maple Salmon

The wife of my boss always jokes that she doesn’t cook. Mainly because her husband cooks so often , she has never needed to learn how. One day, per his instruction, she made this recipe. It was one of the best meals I had ever eaten at work or elsewhere. It’s a great recipe to cook for dinner guests so you can focus on socializing instead of prepping a difficult recipe in the kitchen.

 Maple and Herb Salmon.

  • 1 Salmon filet (like available at Costco)
  • Equal parts maple syrup and water (about 1/2 cup each)
  • Dried Dill or Rosemary

 

Smother entire Salmon (can do individual filets as well) with the Maple Syrup & Water solution and a generous amount of Dill or Rosemary so that it is evenly spread on both the top and bottom of the salmon.

 

Bake in foil covered baking dish at 400 degrees F for 30 minutes.

 

Slice and enjoy!

 Salmon Easy Recipe Dinner Party Maple Dill Rosemary Baked