EatingWell Wednesday - Tomato & Provolone Sandwich

Continuing on my EatingWell recipe tomato obsession, I decided to the try the Tomato & Provolone Sandwich . My daughter is crazy for tomatoes and found shopping for this recipe particularly fun as we were looking to buy Heirloom aka 'Ugly' Tomatoes. This is a great sandwich for a refreshing kick on a summer afternoon.



What are your favorite types of Tomatoes?

By the way, when you pick up the August edition of EatingWell, flip to the Editor's Letter and see who has a cameo :)

Basil Vinaigrette

You may recall the basil pesto that I made recently but I had not shared with you what else I did with that pesto. Yes, you can freeze some and use some as a spread but you can also use it in a vinaigrette.

I grabbed a few teaspoons, placed then into a mini-processor, added a few tablespoons of red wine vinegar and pulsed it until it was well emulsified. Smart eh? You can then add more vinegar, oil and mustard until it is the consistency and flavor you desire.

What else could you use pesto to make?

Lime Chipotle Shrimp wrapped in Prosciutto di Parma & Giveaway!

Since the frozen shrimp were on sale yesterday, I picked some up and knew immediately that I was going to use the Saucy Mama Chipotle Lime Marinade. When I got home and told my hubby what I had planned, he asked if I could wrap it in bacon. I told him that I could do better than that, so I went to the store today and picked up a few super thin slices of Parma Prosciutto.

I also had planned on grilling the shrimp however, Tropical Storm Danny caused me to wimp out and use the oven. I am glad I did as I can now share it as a year-round recipe.

Ingredients:
16 shrimp (21-25 raw), remember to keep the tail on (I forgot)
3 Tablespoons Saucy Mama lime chipotle marinade
8 slices thin Prosciutto di Parma
12 cherry tomatoes
4 Skewers (I had metal but can also use wooden but soak them first)

1. Place thawed shrimp and sauce into a bag, mix well and marinade for 5 hours (or whatever time you have)

2. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees

3. Place a slice of the prosciutto flat on the cutting board and cut in half lengthwise.

4. Wrap each piece of shrimp with one half slice of the prosciutto and thread onto the skewer. Repeat for 4 pieces per skewer placing a tomato between each shrimp.

5. Place a baking rack into a baking sheet (my trick for crispiness and even cooking) and place the 4 skewers on the rack. Bake for 5 minutes, flip the skewer over carefully and bake 5 more minutes. If you want you prosciutto even crispier, then broil for 1 minute each side but do not overcook the shrimp.



What did you say? You want some of this marinade also? No problem because I am giving 2 bottles away. To enter for a chance to win, you are required to do four things (make sure you leave a separate comment for each of your entries).

Note: Entries that do not follow all of these requirements will not be considered. U.S. Only. Contest ends Monday, September 7th.

1. Become a fan of the Savor the Thyme Facebook page. I know it needs work but join in!
2. Follow Savor the Thyme (see right sidebar).
3. Follow @savorthethyme on Twitter.
4. Post these messages on Facebook and/or on Twitter and leave comments here, linking to your messages:
GIVEAWAY! Enter for a chance to win a @savorthethyme (2 winners) http://is.gd/2IkgR PLS RT

EatingWell Wednesday: Mexican Grilled Corn on the Cob

Forgive me for skipping EatingWell Wednesday last week but I was out of state and out of sorts. At any rate, I had a number of corns on the cob that I needed to use up and was not sure what to do with them besides the old boil and butter. Although I do love my corn that way, I took a quick trip to EatingWell.com and guess what? The image of grilled corn was right in front of my eyes with the title 'Mexican Grilled Corn'. Sold.

I knew immediately it was meant to be since was already going to be grilling some bison burgers (I will share the new recipe once I perfect it). I must admit that I was a bit thrown by a recipe with mayonnaise as part of a corn topping but I had everything we needed and I was intrigued by sprinkling cheese on the corn. Please note that I used non-fat Greek style yogurt in lieu of the regular type.

Although the kids stuck with the buttered version since they were already thrown off by the grill marks, my hubby and I enjoyed this Mexican grilled corn treat. I found that we did not need to sue a tablespoon of the topping as the recipe dictated and and remember to be light with the cheese since we are all watching our figures. Wink. Wink. Oh, this recipe will definitely impress guests..

Sauces made Simple

Friends often ask me 'what do you do to change up the basics?' or 'what else can I do, quickly, to my chicken/fish/steak?' Often my responses are spices and sauces. I find myself most often playing with pan sauces but had set a goal for myself this year to branch out a bit and so when I found this great article titled 'Sauce made simple' in the April edition of Cooking Light magazine, I knew this was a hint to get going on the sauces. Please do not let some of the fancy names such as bechamel or aioli throw you off--all of you singletons and moms can do this!

I know, some of you might say 'Aren't most sauces unhealthy?' As cooking light points out "Even rich, buttery sauces, such as bearnaise or beurre blanc, have a place in a healthy diet. Just think strategically about the foods with which you pair them. Choose steamed vegetables, fish, shellfish or other lean meats to keep total saturated fat within reasonable limits."

Cooking Light has many great sauce recipes online but I will share two in this post: red wine reduction bechamel. Since so many of my lovely friends also enjoy wines, I will start of with this Red Wine Reduction Sauce which would be great with beef, veal, venison or duck. Grab a pre-made jar of beef demi-glace to have on hand make this an even quicker option.

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Cindy Barr
Ingredients
1 cup full-bodied red wine (such as cabernet sauvignon)
1/4 cup finely chopped shallots
2 tablespoons Beef Demi-Glace
3 thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation
1. Combine first 5 ingredients in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook until reduced to 3 tablespoons (about 10 minutes). Strain mixture through a sieve over a bowl; discard solids. Add butter, stirring constantly until smooth. Stir in salt and pepper.

Bechamel Sauce (great for chicken, beef, casseroles and vegetables)

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Cindy Barr
Yield
1 1/3 cups (serving size: about 2 1/2 tablespoons)

Ingredients
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
Dash of freshly ground white pepper
Freshly grated nutmeg (optional)

Preparation
1. Place butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat; cook until butter melts, stirring occasionally. Add onion to pan; cook 10 minutes or until tender (do not brown), stirring occasionally. Sprinkle flour over onion; cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Gradually add milk to flour mixture, stirring with a whisk until smooth; bring to a simmer. Simmer 10 minutes or until thickened, stirring frequently. Strain mixture through a fine sieve over a bowl; discard solids.

3. Stir in salt, pepper, and nutmeg, if desired. Serve immediately.

More sauce can be found here, just scroll down the page for the sauce category.