I kid you not. I walked out of an exercise class a couple weeks ago at the gym to find a man selling flavored olive oils. In. The. Gym. He had pieces of baguette to sample each kind and everything. Don't get me wrong. I'm not complaining. As a blogger, this was awesome. The food literally came to me!
I sampled several of the different types (he also had a reduced balsamic glaze that was to die for), and ended up settling on a trio of basil, garlic, and lemon-infused oils. At that point, I had a new mission. How I was going to use these for dinner?
I know the flavors in this dish are a little summery, but fall doesn't officially start until tomorrow. I can proudly say that this dish is entirely my creation, and it turned out quite well if I do say so myself, although it's hard to go wrong with the tomato-basil-pesto combination.
I started by drizzling the tomatoes with garlic and lemon oil, salt, and pepper and roasting them in the oven to concentrate their flavor. The idea and taste were spot on, but I can tell you do as I say, not as I do. First, I highly recommend lining your pan with parchment paper and not foil. Secondly, keep a close eye on those critters. I cooked mine for a bit too long. Nonetheless, the tomatoes were amazing. I could have eaten them alone for dinner!
The pesto I used in here is a recipe I made and froze last year from America's Test Kitchen's The Best Light Recipes. I'll have to share that sometime as well. My husband has since decided to pull up the basil forest growing in our backyard garden, so I may have to wait until the new plant grows a little more.
Hope you enjoy this!
Printable Recipe
Roasted Tomato Basil Pasta
Ingredients:
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tsp. garlic-infused olive oil, divided
2 tsp. lemon-infused olive oil, divided
salt and pepper
8 oz. whole wheat pasta
1-2 Tbsp. basil pesto
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 cup fresh basil, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Place the halved cherry tomatoes on a baking sheet lined with parchement paper. Drizzle with 1 tsp. of each olive oil and salt and pepper. Roast until the tomatoes have started to dry. This was about 25-30 minutes in my oven, but if you want them to be more like sun-dried tomatoes, this will take longer.
Boil water and prepare pasta to al dente preparation according to package directions. Drain.
In a large skillet, add the remaining 1 tsp. of each oil, the pesto, and the lemon juice. Add the pasta and stir to coat each of the pieces. Let the pasta "cook" in the skillet for a few minutes. Add the prepared tomatoes, basil, and feta cheese. Heat through and serve with a small sprinkle of feta cheese.
I always seem to miss the foodie holidays... Pi day, national pancake day, etc. I really need to get up with it a little more because it always looks like a lot of fun to participate in these days. One thing that I do know is that today is the first day of spring, so here is a "springy recipe"
to celebrate :)
Side dishes are something I don't plan for very well... I usually will do okay with having a side of bread with soup but for most meat and casserole-type dishes, I really don't do sides. There are a couple of reasons behind this: 1) I'm already making the main dish and don't want to have to work too hard on another aspect of the meal and 2) I don't want sides that are loaded with calories. It has been a little while since I have made this, but this asparagus recipe meets both of those qualifications. Quick, pretty simple, and it clocks in at 69 calories a serving (4 servings).
I've talked before about how much we like asparagus, and this recipe is no different. My only swap was feta for goat cheese, as I am not the biggest goat cheese fan. Be sure to use a vinegar you really like here as the balsamic flavor is quite prominent (a bonus in my book). Enjoy!
(Printable Recipe)
Asparagus with Balsamic Tomatoes
Adapted from Cooking Light April 2011
Ingredients:
1 lb. asparagus, trimmed
2 tsp. olive oil
1-1/2 cups halved grape or cherry tomatoes
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. crumbled feta cheese
1/2 tsp. black pepper
Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add trimmed asparagus and cook for 2 minutes. Drain immediately and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add tomatoes and garlic; cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the balsamic vinegar, and cook 3 minutes. Mix in salt. Arrange asparagus on a serving platter on on individual plates. Sprinkle with feta and black pepper.
Amongst the ways this little blog has changed our lives, one of the biggest is our willingness to try both new dishes and new ingredients, especially new vegetables. Prior to blogging, I can honestly tell you that my vegetable repertoire consisted of whichever common varieties were available in the frozen bags at the grocery store. I had certainly had the standard corn, peas, carrots, green beans and broccoli, but had never ventured out into the world of other veggies. Even asparagus was relatively new to me when I started blogging.
All of that brings me to this soup. While the vegetables in here do not get too exotic, I can certainly say there was a time when cooking with kale, fresh cabbage, and broccoli rabe would have been way outside my comfort zone! As you would expect, the bread in here soaks up much of the extra liquid leaving you with a soups that packs a hearty punch while managing to stay pretty light.
I have to admit that the health factor was one of my primary reasons for choosing to make this recipe. Lots of vegetables in a hearty dish. What I didn't expect was how much we would really enjoy this. I knew it would be good, but not this good. My husband has been talking about it all week and basically ate all the leftovers himself. If you're looking for a way to warm up or maybe lighten up after a heavy Valentine's Day meal, I would highly recommend this soup. Enjoy!
(Printable Recipes)
Ribollita (Italian Bread Soup)
Found on MyRecipes.com, Recipe from Cooking Light
Ingredients:
3 cups, crusty whole wheat bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
cooking spray
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup celery, chopped
6 cups water, divided
1 pkg. (6 cups) kale, stemmed, leaves chopped
6 cups chopped cabbage
4 cups broccoli rabe (can substitute regular broccoli)
2 cups Yukon gold or red potato, peeled, cubed into 1-inch cubes
1 cup thinly sliced carrots
1 (14.5oz) can chopped tomatoes with fluid
2 (15oz) cans cannellini beans, rinsed, drained, and divided
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
1/2 cup shaved or grated fresh Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Place 3 cups bread on a baking sheet and lightly coat with cooking spray. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes or until toasted, stirring occasionally. Remove from oven; cool.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and celery to pan; saute 5 minutes. Add garlic, and saute 1 minute. Add 5 cups of water and next 6 ingredients (through tomatoes). Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until greens are wilted, stirring occasionally. It will seem like the greens will never wilt. Stir it occasionally. They will cook, just slowly. Mash 1 can of beans. Add mashed beans and remaining 1 cup of water to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 35 minutes or until potato and carrot are tender.
Stir in bread, remaining can of beans, salt, thyme, oregano, and red pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 10 minutes. Ladle about 1-1/2 cups of soup into bowls. Sprinkle each with 1 tablespoon cheese.
Eggplant. That word may still be enough to strike a fair amount of fear into this household. If you've read my blog over the past couple of months, you may know that our garden gave us a fair number of eggplant from late summer into fall. Too many. Enough that I was actually considering leaving a bag of them on my neighbor's doorsteps! Our plants have since died out in the cooler temperatures so this may be one of the last eggplant recipes that you see from me for awhile.
The basic idea for this dish comes from Isabelle of Crumb, however I pre-cooked the eggplant based on a recipe from Cook's Illustrated. In CI, they explain that cooking with eggplant has 2 problems: 1) It has a fair amount of water that when baked, will water down your dish, and 2) It's full of air pockets that will soak up any oil that is used in the dish. Their solution? Wrapping it in paper towels and pre-cooking it in the microwave for a few minutes before adding it to the dish. The cooking time collapses the air pockets, leaving no room for the oil, and the paper towels will soak up any extra water. Makes perfect sense, and it is so easy that I may never make an eggplant dish without first doing this step.
Out of all the things that we
made with our eggplant, this dish is my favorite. The ingredients are
pretty unassuming - eggplant, pasta, a homemade tomato sauce, and fresh
mozzarella, but the combination is stellar. Good enough that I'd even
consider planting another plant again. Well, maybe in a few months. Just
remind me at that time that it is not a good idea to grow 6 plants of 1
type of vegetable for only 2 people :)
(Printable Recipe)
Eggplant Parmesan Pasta Bake
Adapted from Crumb and cooking methods from Cook's Illustrated
Ingredients:
1 medium eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 lb. whole wheat rigatoni, ziti, or penne pasta
1 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 can (14oz) low-sodium diced tomatoes with juices
1/4 cup dry red wine
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. dried basil
generous pinch red pepper flakes
about 1/3-lb. fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Toss eggplant with the salt in a large bowl. Line surface of a plate with a double layer of paper towels or coffee filters. Spread eggplant in even layers over filters. Microwave eggplant, uncovered, until dry to touch and slightly shriveled, about 10 minutes, tossing once halfway through to ensure that the eggplant cooks evenly. Let cool slightly.
Meanwhile, boil water to cook the pasta. Cook al dente, as directed by the package. Drain and rinse under cold water when finished cooking. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and browning, about 8-10 minutes. Add eggplant and cook 2-3 minutes until warmed through. Add the tomatoes with juices, red wine, oregano, basil, and red pepper flakes to the eggplant mixture. Cook uncovered for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste the sauce and add salt and pepper if needed. Add the pasta and stir to combine. Pour into a prepared 1-quart baking dish. Distribute the sliced mozzarella over the pasta and then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Bake for 20 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is starting to brown. Let sit for about 5 minutes before serving.
Day 2 of soups for Christmas. This is one of the other recipes that my brother made last week while he was visiting. It is a little similar to this soup recipe that I posted last year in that it contains both sausage and red wine, but the soups are distinct enough that I am considering them different.
Of all the things on my blog, my soups are probably one of the things that we "repeat" the most at home. You other bloggers know what I am talking about. The "are we having something new again for dinner" syndrome. This soup is definitely up with the others in flavor, and that is considering that we really like all of the soups posted here. Given the fact that my brother served us this during the same meal as the chocolate-chip toffee cheesecake, I would certainly say we had a great meal!
Similar to the minestrone, the pasta in this soup will soak up some of the liquid as it sits. Just add extra broth to your preference when you reheat it. This one also calls for red wine, but it can be substituted for the beef broth if you prefer. Enjoy!
(Printable Recipe)
Italian Sausage Soup with Tortellini
Adapted from allrecipes.com
Ingredients:
1 lb. sweet Italian chicken/turkey sausage, casings removed
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
5 cups beef broth
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup red wine
1 can (14.5) oz. diced tomatoes, drained
1 cup thinly sliced carrots
1/2 Tbsp. fresh basil leaves, tightly packed
1/2 tsp. ground oregano
1 (8oz) can tomato sauce
1-1/2 cups quartered zucchini
8 oz. fresh whole wheat tortellini
3 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
Shredded Parmesan cheese (optional)
In a large Dutch oven, brown the sausage, crumbling as you cook it. Remove the sausage from the pan and drain the fat.
Add the onion and garlic to the pan and saute until the onion begins to soften. Stir in beef broth, water, wine, tomatoes, carrots, basil, oregano, tomato sauce, and sausage. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Skim fat from the soup if necessary (should be very little if you use chicken/turkey sausage). Stir in zucchini and parsley. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Add tortellini during the last 10 minutes. Serve hot with Parmesan cheese.
Crockpot directions: Cook the sausage as directed. Place all ingredients except tortellini and Parmesan cheese in the crockpot and cook on low for 8-10 hours. Cook tortellini separately on the stove according to package directions and add just before serving. Serve hot with Parmesan cheese.
It has been almost two weeks since I have posted on here. I have my reasons (solid 19 day stretch at work), but it is what it is. We're all busy. I am currently on day 14 of 19, and I promise that I will try to be better. We have certainly still been eating, so I should keep posting :) In a peace offering for my absence, I am offering up this recipe from Mel's Kitchen Cafe.
While it may be a little hard to offer you a serving of this dish in person, I am not kidding when I tell you this recipe rocks. In her post, Mel talks about wanting to dream about this dinner forever. I am with her! The ingredients themselves seem fairly basic, something that would be the makings of your standard weeknight meal. I am not sure if it is one ingredient that stands out or if it is the combination of these ingredients together, but the finished dish is hands down one of the best dinners we have made (I say we because my husband actually made this dish, although I have to get some credit as I picked out the recipe).
My take on this one: Just make it. Please! And call me when you do, as I'll be over for supper as soon as I get off work :)
(Printable Recipe)
Cheesy Basil Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe and from Cook’s Country Cookbook: Rediscovering America’s Home Cooking
Ingredients:
1 cup part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup minced basil, divided
2 Tbsp. heavy cream
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
3 garlic cloves, minced
salt & pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (on the thicker side in order to stuff them)
3 Tbsp. lowfat mayonnaise
1 cup whole wheat Panko bread crumbs
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. In a medium bowl, combine the shredded cheese, 2 tablespoons of the minced basil, cream, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons minced garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
Cut a pocket in the thickest part of the chicken breast. Stuff with cheese mixture and seal using a toothpick to help close the slit if necessary. Transfer the stuffed breasts to a 9x13-inch pan and spread the tops evenly with mayonnaise.
In a medium bowl, combine the bread crumbs, remaining garlic, remaining basil, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture over the chicken breasts, pressing lightly to adhere.
Toss the tomatoes with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and pepper to taste. Arrange the tomatoes in the baking dish in and around the chicken. Bake until the crumbs are golden brown and the chicken is cooked through (registering 165 degrees on an instant read thermometer), about 25 minutes. Serve immediately.
I was talking to my mom the other day, and she was telling me that they are absolutely getting a bumper crop of tomatoes off their 3 plants right now. It hasn't gotten cold enough there to kill off the plants yet, and the plants are churning out tomatoes like crazy. Sounds like my eggplant plants!
I spotted this dish several months ago when Natalie posted it on her blog, Oven Love, but I think it is quite appropriate right now with the change in seasons. While it is a lighter take on macaroni and cheese, there is certainly enough cheese and carbohydrates in here to land it squarely in the comfort food category. The summer link comes through the tomatoes - just in case you have the same bumper crop that my parents do :)
It has been several weeks since we made this dish, and in looking through my pictures, I am thinking that I want to add it to the menu again soon! Natalie suggests making it in individual ramekins, however I didn't have enough small ramekins for the entire dish, so I simply made it in a large casserole dish. In changing it to a larger dish, I would do 2 things differently next time. One, add more tomatoes. I love how roasting tomatoes brings out their flavor, and I definitely could have done with more tomatoes in here! Two, roast the tomatoes for a little longer. Since the tomato slices were only roasted in the oven for 20 minutes, they were still pretty soft. I wouldn't want to take them all the way to "dried" tomatoes for this dish, but I think I would rather have them somewhere in the middle between soft and water and fully dried. This may fully be a personal preference, so I'll post the recipe below as written and let you decide. Enjoy!
(Printable Recipe)
Lighter Macaroni and Cheese with Roasted Tomatoes
Adapted from Oven Love and Martha Stewart
Ingredients:
6 small vine-ripened tomatoes, cut into 24, 1/4-inch thick slices
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1-1/2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves, plus extra for sprinkling
coarse salt and pepper
1/2-3/4 cup whole wheat panko bread crumbs
1 Tbsp. butter
1 lb. elbow macaroni (whole wheat if you'd like)
2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
5 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
pinch nutmeg
pinch cayenne
1 tsp. ground mustard
2 cups milk (I used skim)
4 oz. (1-1/8 cup) reduced-fat (NOT non-fat) sharp cheddar cheese, grated
4 oz. (1-1/8 cup) sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1 oz (about 1/2 cup) Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spread tomatoes in a single layer on 2 rimmed baking sheets. Drizzle each sheet with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Sprinkle each with 1/2 teaspoon of thyme, and season with salt and pepper. Bake until tomatoes have softened, about 20 minutes. Leave the oven on.
Bring a large pot of water to boil over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of salt and pasta to the water. Return to a boil and cook pasta until al dente (about 2-3 minutes less than called for on the box). Drain and run under cold water to stop cooking. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.
Whisk 1/2 cup of stock into the flour in a medium bowl. Set aside. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in nutmeg, cayenne, ground mustard, remaining 1/2 teaspoon of thyme, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Add milk and remaining 1-1/2 cups of stock. Whisk in flour mixture. Bring to a boil, whisking frequently. Reduce to a simmer. Cook 8 minutes, whisking frequently. Add cheeses, cook, stirring until melted. Pour over macaroni and stir to combine.
Arrange the tomato slices to cover the bottom of a large casserole dish. There should be a few slices left. Carefully pour the macaroni over the tomatoes. Top with any remaining tomato slices. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and thyme. Bake until golden brown and bubbly, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately.
His mom has a tatoo that says, "Son"... When in Rome, they do as he does... If he says, it's not you, it's me. He's lying... Anyone else always cracked up by the Dos XX most interesting man in the world commercials? I love them...
Anyway, one thing those commercials always make think of is Mexican food. We love it in any form. Everything from simple ground beef tacos to the most elaborate enchiladas you can make. The recipe for these beauties comes from Laurie at Simply Scratch. She makes a great pico too! The tacos really require no more work that your average taco recipe. Only a little more time so that the meat has a chance to marinate. The result? Delicious, simple taco perfection. Enjoy!
(Printable Recipe)
Flank Steak Tacos with Cilantro Lime Marinade
From Simply Scratch
Ingredients:
2 lbs. flank or skirt steak
1/3 cup olive oil
1 lime, juiced
1 garlic clove, smashed
2 tsp. honey
1/2 cup cilantro, roughly removed from the stems
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. Ancho-Chili powder (I just used regular)
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
Kosher salt and fresh black pepper, to taste
aluminum foil
10-12 soft flour tortillas
lettuce, shredded or chopped
Monterey Jack cheese, freshly grated
Pico de gallo:
4 roma tomatoes, seeds removed, diced small
1 small red onion, diced small
1 jalapeno pepper, diced finely
1 clove garlic, smashed, peeled and minced
3 green onions, white and green parts sliced
1 handful cilantro, chopped
juice of 1/2 lime
1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
pinch of Kosher salt
few grinds of black pepper
For the marinade, in a mini food processor, place the cilantro, garlic, and lime juice and pulse quickly until chopped. Toss the remaining ingredients up to the tortillas into the food processor and pulse until combined. Place the steak and marinade in a ziplock bag and marinate on the countertop for 30 minutes. Be sure the meat is at room temperature before grilling.
While the meat is marinating, combine all the ingredients for the pico de gallo. Toss to mix. Cover and place in the refrigerator while you finish the tacos.
After 30 minutes, grill the steak for 6-10 minutes on each side over medium-high heat. Remove from the grill and cover with aluminum foil. Let the meat rest for 5-7 minutes before slicing so the juices in the meat can redistribute. Slice across the grain at a slight angle. Warm some flour tortillas, top with desired toppings, and serve with the pico de gallo.
This may be the last pizza recipe in my series, but I am sure it won't be the last recipe we have around here. That's one of the reasons we love pizza so much. You can really top it with any combination of ingredients that you can dream up!
In the year before and right after we were married, we frequented Papa Murphy's quite often. The pizza was good, relatively inexpensive, and made for a quick meal since we spent much of our time studying. Our two favorite pizzas there were the Mediterranean de-lite pizza and the chicken garlic pizza, but since I've been making more and more of our food at home, we haven't had one in quite a while. Not long ago, I ran across this pie on Tammy's Recipes, and thought I'd give one of our old favorites a shot.
While I am not quite sure it was exactly the same as the Papa Murphy's version, this pizza made a really great meal! I didn't make the crust recipe written into Tammy's post as I have been on a mission to find a great homemade whole wheat crust. For me, simply swaping whole wheat flour into most recipes makes my crust recipes really dense. The crust I used here was a new technique that actually worked really well, so it may be finding its way on here after a few more test runs :) Enjoy!
(Printable Recipe)
Mediterranean Chicken Pizza
Adapted from Tammy's Recipes
Ingredients:
1 pkg. or portion homemade dough
1/3 cup light spicy Italian dressing
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. salt
dash black pepper
2 cups shredded part-skim Mozzarella cheese
1-2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, not oil packed
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/3 cup red onion, diced
1 cup (large handful) of baby spinach, torn
1/2 cup cherry/grape tomatoes, halved or quartered
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. If using a pizza stone, place the stone in the oven as it preheats. If using a normal pan, it does not need to be preheated.
Stretch dough out on a piece of parchment paper with your hands. If it springs back, let it sit for a few minutes and try again. Mix together the Italian dressing, garlic, salt and pepper. Spread over the dough. Sprinkle the toppings on the pizza in the order listed.
If using, remove the pan from the oven. Transfer the pizza (while still on the parchment paper) onto the hot pan. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the crust is browned on the bottom and the toppings are hot and bubbly. After baking, let rest for 5 minutes then cut into slices.
This is a meal that almost did not make it to completion. It was no fault of the recipe itself which comes from Kristin at Iowa Girl Eats. In fact, I really think it is a genius way to showcase some of summer's best produce, and ended up being a great meal in the end!
The fail in this recipe was entirely user error in cooking the rice. See, I have this great microwavable rice cooker from Pampered Chef that I always use to cook my brown rice. If you even cook brown rice, you know that you have to plan ahead a little bit because it is not a quick cooking process, even in the microwave. Well, I measured the rice, measured the water, started it and continued on with cooking the rest of the recipe. When it was time to add the rice, I pulled it out of the microwave only to discover that it was dry. Like dark brown, overcooked, crusty dry. I still have no idea what went wrong. I hate it when something you always do goes wrong and you have no idea why!
I feel like we have really embraced avocados this year. Don't get me wrong. It's not like we didn't enjoy them before, but I never really cooked with them. In fact, I have a funny story regarding my husband and peeling an avocado, but I will spare him the details on here. Now that we are using them, I feel like we are buying them all the time. It has definitely been quite awhile since I have gone to the store without buying at least 1 or 2!
This recipe is the result of an idea that I took from allrecipes.com. The bones of the recipe were good, but it needed a little tweaking to work in our household. This includes the unwritten rule that if it is warm enough to grill, meat will be grilled not baked. I did end up using the broiler to melt the cheese but a couple minutes that it takes cheese to melt under the broiler does not count. The resulting chicken was great! It picked up quite a bit of flavor from the marinade and just gets better when topped with melted cheese and avocado slices. Pair it with a side salad for a great summer meal. Enjoy!
(Printable Recipes)
California Chicken
Original idea from allrecipes.com
Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 Tbsp. lime juice
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. honey
1-1/2 tsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 small avocado, peeled, pitted, and sliced
1 small tomato, thinly sliced
2-3 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, cut into slices
Pound the chicken breasts to an even thickness and place in a ziploc bag. Combine the marinade ingredients starting with the lime juice and ending with the pepper and place into the ziploc bag with the chicken. Place the refrigerator and allow to marinate for 30 minutes to 1 hour. You don't want to leave it too long or the acid in the lime juice will start to cook the chicken!
Preheat the grill to medium-high. Grill the chicken until cooked through. When the chicken is almost done, preheat the oven to broil. After the chicken has been cooked through, place in an oven-safe pan coated on the bottom with non-stick spray. Top each breast with slices of tomato, then slices of cheese. Place under the broiler for 2-3 minutes or until the cheese is melted and just starts to look brown. Remove from the broiler and top with avocado slices. Serve and enjoy!
I know it is ridiculously hot just about everywhere right now, but I still have a love affair with summer. What other time of year is it okay to pile your plate with fresh, in-season produce and call it a meal? I know as the temperature goes up it certainly has me actually craving things like large salads or vegetable combos to get my fill at meal time!
This is a salad that I adapted from allrecipes.com to use some of the produce that we were getting from our garden. The cucumbers and tomatoes in this are all ours! Sadly, our cucumber plants have since burned-out in the heat, but my yellow bell tomato plant is still producing those little guys like they are going out of style! The salad makes a great side to just about any main dish you are serving - think grilled chicken, steak, burgers, brats, heck even a Mexican-themed meal would go here, or you could mix in a grain and call it a meal. Love it! Enjoy!
(Printable Recipe)
Tangy Cucumber and Avocado Salad
Adapted from Allrecipes.com
Ingredients:
2 medium cucumbers, cubed (can peel them or leave it on, your choice)
2 slightly firm avocados, cubed
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
4 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped
2 Tbsp. red onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. salt
black pepper to taste (freshly ground if you have it)
1/4 lemon, juiced (or about 1 Tbsp.)
1 lime, juiced
In a large bowl, combine cucumbers, tomatoes, avocado, and cilantro. Stir in garlic, onion, salt and pepper. Squeeze lemon and lime juice over the top and gently stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
Pizza. Who doesn't love pizza? Seriously, it can be adapted to include just about any topping. It is no secret that we make quite a bit of pizza around these parts (probably at least once a week). Now usually pizza isn't the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about healthier food, but one of my favorite things about making pizza at home is the fact I just mentioned. When you are making it yourself, you can put anything (including healthier ingredients) on your pizza. I would even go as far to say that a homemade pizza with whole wheat flour in the dough, veggies, and a moderate amount of cheese could even be considered healthy.
This is a pizza that I derived by combining two delicious ideas that I found on separate blogs. The pizza "sauce" comes from SnoWhite's Finding Joy in My Kitchen and uses pureed white beans (yes beans) to make a creamy sauce for the base of the pizza. I tasted the "sauce" on its own before spreading it on the pizza and thought that it was a little bit strong (there are 8 raw garlic cloves in this baby), but when combined with the topping ideas from Val's spring vegetable pizza on ValSoCal, the finished pizza ended up with just the right amount of punch.
Thanks to SnoWhite and Val for the inspiration on this one! We've already made it twice, and I am sure this pizza is one that will make our "keeper" list. Enjoy!
(Printable Recipe)
White Bean Vegetable Pizza
Adapted by combining recipes from ValSoCal and Finding Joy in My Kitchen
Ingredients:
Bean Sauce (will make enough for 2 pizzas):
1 (14.5 oz) can Great Northern Beans, drained and rinsed
8 garlic cloves, minced
1-2 Tbsp. milk (I used 2 Tbsp)
1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
Pizza:
1 dough recipe, homemade or purchased
1/2 (12 oz) jar marinated artichoke hearts
1/2 lb. asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
2 cups fresh spinach, torn
2-3 oz Gruyere cheese, shredded (about 3/4 to 1 cup)
1/2 - 3/4 cup part-skim Mozzarella cheese
Place a pizza stone in the oven and preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
For the bean sauce, puree the beans and garlic in the food processor or blender. Add milk until the mixture begins to smooth out. Mix in 2 tsp. of Italian seasoning. Divide in half and save the rest for another pizza. I kept mine covered in the refrigerator for about a week. I am sure the extra sauce would also freeze well.
For the pizza, roll or stretch out the dough onto a piece of lightly floured parchment paper. Spread with 1/2 of the bean mixture to within 1/2 inch of the edges. Top with the artichokes, asparagus, tomatoes, spinach and cheeses. Remove the pan from the oven and carefully transfer the pizza (still on the parchment paper) onto the hot pan. Bake for approximately 12-15 minutes or until the crust and cheese just begin to brown. Cut into slices and serve.
Today, I realized that I have a couple of "kitchen quests" that I am not sure will ever end. Aren't we all looking for that perfect brownie, chocolate chip cookie, or pie crust? I know that I certainly have several recipes saved for each of those things, however around here you can add another one to that list - pizza dough. I have a bread machine recipe that I shared on here over a year ago. It is a great recipe, but it tends to yield more of a "hand-tossed" crust. I still use it every once and awhile, but my husband would prefer one that wasn't quite so thick, especially when I use whole wheat flour. Thus, my quest for a perfect pizza crust began.
Since the "great pizza crust quest" began, we've tried a couple of different recipes. Some of them just did not work for us. Others like this one, have great parts but do not quite meet all my requirements. Nevertheless, this crust recipe is definitely one to keep in my files. The positives include a sourdoughish flavor from the extra storage time, just enough puff on the edges to create that characteristic pizza crust, and a thin, crispy, well-baked interior of the dough beneath the toppings. The downsides - first, it takes some planning since it needs to sit in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours. Secondly, I really wish it was whole wheat. I have struggled with this last requirement in making whole wheat crusts. Whole wheat flour tends to create a denser crust, and I have not found a good way around this. One thing I haven't tried is white whole wheat flour. Does anyone know if that helps?
I am at a bit of a crossroads... Over the last few months, I had saved dozens and dozens of soup recipes. Soup can be such an easy meal and always sounds great while winter is bringing its wrath outside. On the other hand, I now live in Phoenix. It was 87 degrees in today. Not exactly soup weather. Don't get me wrong. I'm certainly not complaining about the weather. We're just going to have soup anyway =)
In reality, this is a soup that would be great in the summer when fresh garden tomatoes are readily available. Not that it was bad when we made it in March. I am among the "tomato soup lovers." It has always been one of my favorites but is just one of those things that I have never tried to make at home. I wish I hadn't waited so long. Roasting the tomatoes before adding them to the soup does add an extra step in preparation but do not skip it. It gives a depth to the flavor that I have never tasted before from any of the canned varieties and absolutely makes this soup. Keep this in mind the next time old-man winter decides he hasn't quite left us yet. Paired with a warm, gooey grilled cheese sandwich, it doesn't get much more comforting than this. Now, I just need to get better at finding ways to make soup more photogenic =) Enjoy!
(Printable Recipe)
Roasted Tomato Basil Soup
Originally from Baking Blonde. Adapted from Annie's Eats
Ingredients:
3 lbs. ripe tomatoes, halved with seeds scooped out
3 Tbsp. plus 2 Tbsp. olive oil
1-1/2 tsp. salt
1-1/2 tsp. black pepper
2 Tbsp. butter
2 c. onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic,minced
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 can (28 oz) whole tomatoes, undrained
2 c. fresh basil leaves, torn
1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
4 c. low-sodium chicken stock
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Combine the tomato halves, 3 Tbsp. olive oil, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Toss well to combine. Spread out the tomato halves on a large baking sheet lined with foil. Roast the tomatoes for 45 minutes.
In a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat, combine the remaining 2 Tbsp. olive oil with the butter and heat until the butter is melted. Add the onions, garlic, and red pepper flakes to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions have softened slightly, about 7-10 minutes. Add the canned tomatoes, roasted tomatoes, basil, thyme, and chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, uncovered, 40 minutes. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until completely smooth. Alternatively you can use a blender or food processor. If you do, be sure to vent the steam and be careful not to spill the hot liquid!
Basil
Home! I can't believe how good it feels to be able to type that word. I finished up my last clinical rotation for pharmacy school this week. It hasn't quite sunk in yet that I'm done and get to stay, but until it does, I'm just going to enjoy being here =)
I think the hubby must have missed "our" cooking while I was gone because the first three things we made since I've been back are pizza, chocolate chip cookies, and Chinese food in that order (more recipes to follow). I'm certainly not complaining because they've all been good, and it's not just because I've been subsisting on pb&j and lunch meat for the past 3 weeks.
This pizza recipe is one that my husband picked out for dinner from my Cooking Light magazine while I was at a residency interview this week. I received a couple new magazine subscriptions for Christmas, and I have set a goal for myself to make a certain amount of recipes from each issue to help keep things interesting around here. If the rest of them are anything like this recipe, we're certainly going to be eating pretty good this year!
We ended up using the prepared pizza dough from Trader Joe's for this pizza because we were making it on pretty short notice. Their dough is really good, but I'm hoping to get back into the swing of making our own crust from scratch as I get back in the kitchen. Pizza is one of the things that my husband made on his own while I was gone, and he has his crust-baking technique down. It was perfectly browned and crispy enough to support the moister sauce that came with the extra ricotta cheese. The flavor profile is pretty similar to the chicken pesto pizza that I blogged on just a few posts ago, but the ricotta cheese gives it just enough of a twist that it's different. Just looking at the pictures is making me want to make it again. Enjoy!
(Printable Recipe)
White Pizza with Tomato and Basil
Adapted from Cooking Light, March 2011
Ingredients:
1 pkg or recipe of prepared pizza dough (we used TJ's herbed dough)
Cooking Spray
3 Tbsp. pesto with basil
3/4 c. shredded light Mozzarella cheese
1/2 c. part-skim ricotta cheese
2 sliced small tomatoes
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 c. small basil leaves, torn
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place a stoneware pizza pan in the oven to heat for at least 10 minutes.
Roll out a piece of parchment paper large enough to cover the pizza pan. Stretch or roll out the pizza dough to desired shape and thickness and place on the parchment paper. Lightly coat the crust with cooking spray. Spread pesto evenly over the crust, leaving a 1-inch boarder. Sprinkle Mozarrella cheese evenly over the pesto. Dollop ricotta, by teaspoonfuls, evenly over the Mozzarella. Arrange tomato slices and basil over the pizza. Sprinkle with the black pepper.
Remove the pizza pan from the oven and carefully transfer the parchment paper and pizza to the hot pan. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the crust is nicely golden-brown. Slice and enjoy.
Pesto
