Tomato Risotto: Cooking with Tessa Kiros

What’s Going on Today: Packing for return to NYC, building last few sand castles on the beach.

Naptime Goals: Reading on the balcony, gather up toys to pack in the diaper bag for the flight.

Tonight’s Meal: Tomato Risotto, Salad

It seems appropriate to kick-off my Cooking with Tessa series while on vacation. If you’ve ever read one of her books you’ll understand that Tessa’s approach to cooking is very similar to mine. She is an accomplished professional chef (I am not a professional, but I feel like one when I cook from her books), busy wife and mother of two. It is clear through her writing and photographs that she is constantly fitting great food into family life and I am simply in awe for her capability to do so.

I’ve been cooking from her books for quite some time, and this is one of my favorite dishes. It’s not a stretch to say that I make this at least twice a month, so it only makes sense that I share this recipe first. 

I chose to make this during our stay in Florida because it is so easy and delicious. Though my daughter has been taking long naps on vacation, (there is nothing like fresh air to tire a kid out!), I’ve been using that free time to relax myself. Therefore, when it comes to make dinner each night I stick to menus that are light, delicious and easy to assemble. In this case I made the Risotto and salad right before dinner time and served some fresh fruit for dessert. 

Note: I plan to continue Cooking with Tessa on a bi-monthly basis, giving you a background on her and her work, sharing favorite recipes and fun tidbits along the way. Enjoy!

Tomato Risotto

Adapted from Apples for Jam by Tessa Kiros

½ red onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, smashed

Pinch red pepper

2 large basil leaves, torn

1 c. Arborio rice

4 T. olive oil

3 c. vegetable broth

1 c. crushed tomatoes, with juices

2/3 c. fresh mozzarella, cut into small cubes

½ c. Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

1. In a wide heavy bottomed pan heat the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic, cook for 5 minutes, or until light and golden. Add the red pepper flakes and rice, cook for one minute more.

2. Next, add ½ c. of the tomatoes, 1 ½ c. hot broth and 1 of the torn basil leaves. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then, add the remaining tomatoes, broth and basil and cook for 10 more minutes, until risotto is fully cooked.

3. Scoop out the smashed garlic and discard. Stir in the mozzarella and Parmesan. Serve with extra Parmesan and drizzle of olive oil. 

Naptime Notes:

Naptime Recipe Variation & Ideas: Risotto is one of best kinds of flexible meals. You can add, or subtract, almost anything from it and still have a delicious dish. In this case you could consider adding different herbs, chopped vegetables or even some crumbled sausage. Have fun with the flavors!

Naptime Stopwatch: On vacation I was able to make this in 30 minutes from start to finish. Serve it hot, or make it ahead and reheat it when you want to serve it.

Naptime Notes: This is a great dish for both children and adults. Everyone in the family loves it, it even makes a great first course at a dinner party.

Tomato Soup Florentine

My Day So Far: Unpacked from Cooperstown trip - no more traveling for a while! Grocery shopping, romp at the playground - it's warmed up just enough to play outdoors (hurray!)

Naptime Goals: Make a yummy pot of Tomato Soup Florentine to eat for the next two nights. Catch up on laundry and mail (ack - Christmas shopping bills have arrived!!)

Tonight's Meal: Tomato Soup Florentine, grilled cheeses on the panini maker.

Parenting Lesson of the Day: Mr. Potato-Head is easily one of the best toys ever invented.

I am beat after our whirlwind trip to Cooperstown last week. Between driving to Cooperstown, Syracuse, and back to New York City, I am ready to hang up my driving gloves for a little bit. Upon returning Sunday I was in the mood for bowl of comforting, healthy Tomato Soup Florentine. A restorative and nourishing meal, it was just the thing to welcome us home after a hectic week on the road.

There are many recipes tomato soup available and this happens to be my favorite. My mother first made it for me years ago and I was instantly hooked. At the time she served it I had just returned from college after a particularly rigorous fall semester. Perhaps it was the special feeling of comfort it imparted, but I have associated this soup with all good, warm feelings ever since.

Sentimental moments aside, two more reasons I am partial to this recipe is because a) it can be assembled with pantry basics and b) it doesn't contain any cream. Like most people, I enjoy a good creamy soup from time to time, but in this case there is no need for it. Due to the slow and steady cooking method, the pureed onion, garlic and herbs blend beautifully with the chicken broth and tomatoes to form a full-bodied soup that lacks for nothing in the flavor department.

Like most great soups, this one is perfect for making during my daughter's afternoon naptime. In fact, the flavor actually improves over time so I recommend making this a few hours, to a few days, before you want to eat it. When it comes to meal time we like to break out the panini maker and whip up some yummy grilled cheeses for dunking in our bowls. (Since paninis can't be made ahead of time I usually hand my daughter her new Mr. Potato-Head and she is happily occupied for the few minutes it takes to grill the sandwich!) If you don't feel like sandwiches, this soup is also delicious on it's own with a side of cheese toast and a green salad. 

Tomato Soup Florentine

Makes 8 cups

1/2 c. onion, finely chopped

3 T. olive oil

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 pinch red pepper flakes

1/4 c. white wine

28 oz. whole tomatoes with juice

2 c. chicken broth

2 T. dried basil or 1/4 c. fresh basil leaves, torn

2 T. sugar

2 T. balsamic vinegar

5 oz. frozen spinach, thawed and dried OR 5 oz. fresh spinach leaves

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and stir until soft. About 4-5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and pepper flakes, cook for 1 minute.

2. Carefully pour in white wine, simmer until almost completely evaporated. Pour in the cans of tomatoes with their juices, chicken broth and basil. Increase heat to medium-high and bring soup to a boil for 1 minute. Then, reduce heat and simmer soup for 10 minutes.

3. Working carefully, puree soup with a hand blender until completely smooth. Or, scoop it into a blender and puree until smooth. When all of the soup is completed return it to the pot and bring it to a simmer.

4. Allow soup to simmer for a few minutes, then stir in the sugar and vinegar. Stir in spinach and allow to wilt. Serve hot with a garnish of cheese.

Naptime Notes:

Naptime Recipe Props and Tips: Need to drain the water from your thawed spinach? Put it in a potato ricer and squeeze until excess water is drained! This soup freezes well, simply put it in a sealed container until you want to eat it.

Naptime Stopwatch: It takes me about 40 minutes to prepare this soup and it makes 9 (nine!) cups.

Naptime Reviews: I've learned to tone down the red pepper when my daughter will be eating it - otherwise we will love it!

Napping with a Stockpile of Tomato Sauce: Emergency Meal #6

Storage space in my New York galley kitchen is precious. Yes, I do have more room than most people in my building since our apartment was recently renovated, but it still isn't much. Like most New Yorkers I store my pots, pans and cookie sheets piled precariously on top of one another in two deep cabinets. All of my plates and glassware are stacked in order to save space, and I nestle my bowls and tupperware in order from small to large.

With storage space at a premium, I must be ruthless when it comes to keeping food. Since I tend to cook with mostly fresh ingredients my apartment size fridge can generally accommodate my purchases. I have a well-edited selection of spices on my lazy susan, a shelf dedicated to essentials like dry pasta and condiments, and a corner for my daughter's snacks. In order to save space I steer clear of store-bought jarred soups and sauces. Instead, I make a lot of them in large quantities and freeze them. Though this sounds inefficient, it is actually a space saver. By making large batches of tortellini soup or tomato sauce I always have some at the ready to thaw, which is just the thing when I am dead tired at the end of the day and need to throw together a quick, delicious meal.


Three weeks ago I returned from our trip to Martha's Vineyard with five loads of laundry and a huge bag of tomatoes. Traveling had been a blast, but with summer coming to a close it was time for me to get back into the swing of things at home base. On our first day back I put my daughter down for her nap and started in on the laundry. Then it was time to start in on the tomatoes.


I set aside two of them for a caprese salad for dinner, and got to work with the rest making tomato sauce. Over time I've made up this tomato sauce recipe based on one I found in Bon Appetit a few years ago. I like my tomato sauce to have an intense tomato-y flavor that is not overshadowed by heavy spices and seasonings. I find that a basic marinara is the best thing for me to have in my freezer, that way I can season it later depending on the dish I am cooking.

To prepare the tomatoes I begin by roasting them for about an hour along with some garlic cloves and lots of olive oil. Then I give them a quick blitz in the blender, and put the sauce on the stove to simmer. I also add the roasted garlic cloves, oil from the roasting pan and a little extra tomato paste to intensify the flavor. Once everything has thickened I simply store it in a sealed tupperware and pop it right in the freezer to save for later.


Stockpiling tomato sauce in the freezer is one of my favorite, and most efficient, tools for having dinner at the ready. Just the other day I was in need of an emergency meal and was able to thaw some sauce in a pinch to make Buccatini All'Amatriciana. A little pinch of red pepper, some onion, garlic and pancetta, and voila, dinner was served. Yes, the space in my freezer is precious, but I am confident that storing this sauce is the most efficient, and delicious, way to use it.

Freezer-Friendly Roasted Tomato Sauce
adapted from Bon Appetit a while back
2 lbs tomatoes, cored and halved lengthwise (Plum are best)
3 T. olive oil
1 t. Kosher salt
6 garlic cloves
1/4 c. tomato paste
Yields about 2 cups, recipe can be doubled or tripled

1. Preheat oven to 375. Line a 12x18 jelly roll pan with aluminum foil and set side.
2. Place tomatoes in a bowl and toss them gently with olive oil. Line the tomatoes on a jelly roll pan and sprinkle them with kosher salt. Arrange unpeeled garlic cloves around that tomatoes on the pan.
3. Roast tomatoes for 50min-1hr, or until tomatoes are soft and just beginning to brown.
4. Remove from oven and allow tomatoes to cool slightly. Then place the tomatoes, and any oil from the pan, into a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Squeeze the roasted garlic out of the cloves and drop into the food processor as well. Puree until smooth.
5. Pour puree into a sauce pan and add the tomato paste. Bring the liquid to a bowl and stir often until sauce is thickened. Allow to cool and then place in tupperware to freeze.

Naptime Note:
Naptime Recipe Props: It is hard to go wrong with a stockpile of tomato sauce. There is an infinite number of uses for it, and you can always season it to your liking when you add it to your meal.
Naptime Stopwatch: Aside from the roasting time making the sauce takes about 10 minutes total. This minimal amount of time makes it incredibly worth it when it saves you time later on.
Naptime Reviews: Basic tomato sauce is always a crowd-pleaser. I use this for everything from lasagnas, to pastas to soups. Everyone loves it.

Napping with Edible Vineyard: Sunday Dinner Series #5

It is an unwritten rule in our house that I, Mom, sleep late on Saturday mornings, and my husband rises early with our daughter. When we were on vacation, however, our schedule was thrown off. My husband and I took turns getting up with her each day, allowing the other the luxury of sleeping past 7am. With this schedule of alternating mornings it meant that last Saturday was my turn to get up early. Which is how I came to find myself pushing a stroller into the Tisbury Farmers' Market at the crack of dawn.

It was on that morning, in my groggy state, I realized zucchini season has started in earnest. I couldn't believe the varieties available, and, since it is one of my most favorite vegetables, I ended up bringing home a bag heavier than my own child.

For the remainder of the day I contemplated the different possibilities of what to make with my farmers' market haul. I wanted to create a dish that would draw out the sweet flavors of the zucchini, and perhaps add some of the gorgeous early tomatoes I had on hand. As luck would have it, during my daughter's naptime, I was enjoying my latest issue of Edible Vineyard and discovered a recipe for layered tomatoes and zucchini. It was exactly the inspiration I was looking for, I couldn't wait to get started.


I consider this dish Sunday Dinner Series material because the preparation was time consuming, and the recipe yielded enough food to feed us for several days. I didn't mind how long it took though, the final dish was full of the mouth-watering flavors that only appear when cooking with fresh, seasonal vegetables. I loved the way the nutty breadcrumb mixture added a subtle crunch to the vegetables, which had been softened from the baking.

When it came time for dinner I decided to pair the casserole with roasted local sausages, unintentionally making it a true "locavore" meal. Everyone remarked that the flavors of the savory meat and sweet vegetables played off each other beautifully. I made a mental note that the menu definitely bears repeating this summer. It also made me think I should start waking up earlier on Saturday mornings. Who knows where I could end up next.

Naptime's Baked Zucchini and Tomatoes, with Roasted Sausage
adapted from Edible Vineyard June/July 2009
For Bread Crumb Mixture:
3 T. toasted pine nuts, roughly chopped
3/4 c. unflavored breadcrumbs
3/4 c. grated Parmigiano cheese

For the Vegetables:
8 T. good olive oil
1 yellow onion, peeled and very finely sliced
1 red pepper, cored and thinly sliced
3/4 lb. medium tomatoes, cut in half and thinly sliced
1/2 lb. zucchini, thinly sliced
3 T. sundried tomatoes, finely chopped
Salt to taste

For the Dressing:
2 t. balsamic vinegar
2 t. honey
1 T. fresh mint, chopped
1 T. fresh basil, chopped
Salt to taste

1. Preheat oven to 375. Coat a shallow 2-quart baking dish with olive oil.
2. In a small bowl mix breadcrumbs, cheese and chopped pine nuts. Add 2 t. olive oil and mix well. Set aside.
3. In skillet heat 2 T. olive oil, add the onions and peppers and a pinch of salt. Cook for about 15 minutes, until the peppers and onions are wilted browned. Remove from heat and cool.
4. Spread the pepper/onion mixture onto the bottom of the pan, making sure it coats the pan evening in one layer. On top of this spread the finely chopped sundried tomatoes and 1/2 of the mint/basil herb mixture.
5. In a separate bowl whisk together the vinegar, honey, 1 T. olive oil, remaining herbs and a pinch of salt. Add the sliced zucchini slices and toss to coat.
6. To assemble to the tomato and zucchini slice proceed as follows: At one of the baking dish start arranged alternate rows of zucchini slices and tomato slices, slightly overlapping each other. Every time you finish a row sprinkle some of the breadcrumb mixture over it. Then proceed with the next row. I was able to make three rows of zucchini and two rows of zucchini in my dish, which is about how much you will have too.
7. Once the rows are complete, sprinkle the vegetables with the remaining olive oil and a good pinch of salt. Then sprinkle the remaining bread mixture over it all.
8. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until brown and bubbly.

Roasted Sausage
4 links fresh sausage (chicken or pork sausages work fine with this)

1. Brush each sausage with olive oil and sprinkle with a little fresh rosemary if desired.
2. Place sausages in a shallow baking dish.
3. Place in oven for the last 20 minutes with the casserole.
4. Plate vegetables and sausage together. Serve.

Naptime Notes:
Naptime Recipe Props: Any way to use fresh produce is always welcome in my house. I love this dish because it makes the most of the vegetables flavors, without being overly complicated. Feel free to serve this with chicken, steak, or even on it's own.
Naptime Notes: The total preparation for this dish is almost 2 hours. I saved time at night by pre-chopping the vegetables during my daughter's naptime.
Naptime Reviews: We are all fans of roasted vegetables, which is why this dish was such a hit. My daughter especially loved the roasted zucchini.

Napping in Hollywood

Summer is right around the corner and I can hardly contain myself. Over the next few months farm fields in the northeast will yield copious amounts of produce just begging to be made into fresh, delicious meals. I can't wait to rip open my summer recipe file and start making my favorite warm weather foods including green salads, fresh pesto in pasta, roasted tomatoes and rhubarb tarts. When I really think about it, the number of recipes I have that are dedicated to foods available in June, July and August is simply staggering, and I can't wait to share them all with you. This week, during a freakish ninety degree heatwave, I decided to kick-off my warm weather cooking with one of my favorite light summer dinners. This recipe isn't necessarily made with fresh food from the farmer's market, but it is lighter fare made without any of the common heavy ingredients (i.e. cream and gruyere) I usually cook with during the winter season. For this reason, the dish is lighter in taste and weight, making it easier to stomach during the warmer months when I don't want to eat heavy foods.

I first encountered this recipe when I cut it out from an old issue of Self magazine. The original recipe was written by Jennifer Garner, who was on the cover that month. I don't know Jennifer but she seems like a really cool Hollywood mommy, a person I would like to invite over for dinner and a playdate with the kids. Given that she is a cool working mom, and the fact that I see her cooking awesome things with Martha Stewart on a somewhat regular basis, I surmised that her recipe was worth a try. After all, right off the bat I could tell that it was a simple recipe based on quality flavors, perfect for Naptime Chef-ing.

Needless to say, her recipe was an immediate hit with the whole family, although I did have to make some initial adaptations to suit our tastes. The first, and most drastic, change I made to the recipe was switching the main ingredient of shrimp to chicken. I cut out the shrimp due to my extreme aversion to the sea creature. (I will spare you the details regarding why I don't eat it, because, trust me, you really don't want to know.) In any event, my daughter prefers chicken over shrimp as well, so this substitution made the most sense for us. Also, since I usually make this in the spring and summer, I had a lot of fun adapting the seasonings to play with the flavor. Naturally, the fresher the herbs I have on hand, the better the overall flavor of the dish becomes.


Preparing this dish during naptime is quite easy and I recommend doing it if you want to save time in the evening. However, if you don't walk in the door until six-o'clock you'll have no trouble having dinner on the table by six-thirty. The best part about this meal, apart from the simplicity in it's preparation, is the delicious flavor. When we eat it we find that each bite bursts with a rich tomato flavor which is absorbed beautifully by the orzo. The tomatoes are brightened nicely with the fresh herbs and salty feta, giving it a warm salty/sweet taste. I have thought about trying it with different pastas, but I think that might overwhelm the sauce, making it seem more like a spaghetti meal. Best of all, when there are leftovers I eat them cold with a fresh crumbling of feta for lunch the next day. I often feed it this way to my daughter as well, which she loves. I suppose if I knew Jennifer Garner I would call her at this point and say thanks for the great recipe idea. But, since I don't, I will just keep getting excited for the summer cooking ahead.

Naptime Orzo, Tomato and Chicken with Feta - adapted from a recipe by Jennifer Garner
1 c. dry orzo pasta
3 t. olive oil
1 c. onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 c. white wine
1 28 oz. can of whole peeled tomatoes, juices reserved
1 t. dried oregano
1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 t. Kosher salt
1/4 t. crushed red pepper flakes
1 t. fresh basil, chopped
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into narrow strips
3/4 c. feta cheese

1. In a pot of salted boiling water, cook orzo according to directions. Drain, set aside.
2. In a large, deep skillet heat olive oil. Add onion and garlic, cook until soft and translucent. About 5 minutes.
3. Add white wine, boil off alcohol. About 1 minute.
4. Add tomatoes, without the juices. Break the tomatoes up with a wooden spoon.
5. Then, add reserved tomato juice, oregano, pepper, salt and red pepper.
6. Add chicken strips.
7. Simmer for about 6 minutes, until sauce starts to thicken and chicken is cooked through.
8. When chicken is cooked through, add orzo and mix well with the sauce.
9. Stir in fresh basil.
9. When it is all incorporated finish the dish by mixing in feta and serve.


Naptime Notes:
Naptime Recipe Props: This recipe is perfect for Naptime Chef-ing because it is infinitely flexible. You can substitute shrimp for chicken if you'd like, and you can feel free to play with different herbs to adjust the flavoring. Once, in a pinch, I used diced tomatoes instead of whole-peeled and they worked just as well.
Naptime Stopwatch: This dish takes about 30 minutes to make in it's entirety. During naptime you can either make the whole thing, or at least chop the onions. But it is really a simple skillet meal, so you can prepare it very quickly.
Naptime Reviews: This dish is a big hit with my whole family. The flavors are simple and delicous, which even my daughter appreciates!