WDW and something even more yummy

It's almost summer!  

I always enjoy all the summer produce, especially from our little homestead.  

Right now we are harvesting lots of apples, strawberries, zucchini, beets, and herbs... soon there will also be cucumbers, TONS of tomatoes (we planted 18), green beans, plums and peaches.   

We also receive an organic farm box weekly, and I am always so amazed at how much produce just two people go through!

I thoroughly enjoy all the beautiful creations God has given us and especially love making our meals revolve around gorgeous produce!

Here's an easy summer meal made possible by the MOST AMAZING dressing.  I love all the ingredients, but the "secret" ingredient is this:

The dressing can be whipped up quickly in your blender.
It lasts for 2-3 weeks in the refrigerator.

 

The BEST Tahini Lemon Dressing

Ingredients

•  1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup tahini
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• the juice of 1 lemon
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce, liquid aminos, or gluten-free tamari 
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 tablespoon raw sesame seeds
• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves

Method

1. Toss all ingredients into a Vitamix, food processor, or standard kitchen blender.
2. Blend until well combined and smooth.  Add more water if necessary to thin.
3. Store in a glass jar in the refrigerator. Use within 2-3 weeks

 recipe source:  http://frugallysustainable.com/

This dressing is great on salads, but also as a sauce for hot food too. It's especially great on bbq chicken.

Last night I sauteed some garden zucchini and put it atop a bowl full of quinoa (I love Costco's frozen quinoa & kale!)

Then, I poured a generous amount of the dressing on and topped with fresh garden chives.

A masterpiece -- so simple and delicious, plus fast!

But, you know what's even YUMMIER than this?

My little granddaughter  :-) 
She's 7 weeks old now and I could just eat her up!

Meatless Mondays returns!

Summer is a great time for light, meatless meals.  Produce is abundant and screaming to be the star of the show. 

Last week, due to the garden and farm box, I had much produce piling up!  I knew I needed to be strategic and plan meals around what we had, before it went bad.  It breaks my heart when I waste produce. 

So, I spent some time perusing some of my favorite Giada de Laurentiis cookbooks (I have them all; love her recipes!)  a great cookbook called Sprouted Kitchen that a friend loaned me (Sprouted Kitchen is also on my food blogroll), and also my Vitamix cookbook for some new smoothie ideas.

Turns out, I fell in love with all these new dishes I tried.  Hope you enjoy them, too!  I still have some more recipes on my "to try" list, so stay tuned.

Leftover watermelon from Father's Day 
became this refreshing drink*:

Watermelon smoothie: 

1 1/2 cups watermelon chunks, seeds removed
(note: I prefer the seeded variety watermelon, vs. seedless. They have much better texture & flavor. I don't mind cutting around the seeds- it's worth it. Sprouts has them.)

1 kiwi fruit, skinned and halved

1 date, pitted

1 cup ice

Throw in the Vitamix and blend 45 seconds {from the Vitamix cookbook}

*I highly recommend drinking this on a warm day, preferably poolside with a good book :-) It feels like a bit of paradise.  :-)

Farm box heirloom + garden tomatoes 

became this easy and to-die-for soup:

Roasted Tomato Soup
{Sprouted Kitchen} 

2  lb. Ripe Tomatoes (about 4 Large Tomatoes)
1 Medium Yellow Onion
3-4 Garlic Cloves
1 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tsp. Sea Salt
Fresh Ground Pepper
1 Tbsp. Chopped Parsley
1 1/2 Cups Low Sodium Vegetable or Chicken Broth
2 Tbsp. Organic Tomato Paste
1/4 Cup Heavy Cream or Half and Half, optional
Fresh Oregano + Basil for garnish, optional
Crostini or Bruschetta slices
Mozzarella Cheese (or other)

Preheat the oven to 350. Cut the tomatoes and the onion into wedges. Use your finger to push out some of the seedy parts of the tomatoes. Spread them on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle the salt, a generous amount of pepper, the chopped parsley and gently toss it with your hands. Tuck the garlic cloves somewhere in a tomato, so they don't burn. Roast on the middle rack for 30-40 minutes until the tomatoes have broken down and reduced to about half their size. Remove and cool slightly. 

Warm the broth and stir in the tomato paste to dissolve. Add the all of the ingredients from the roasting pan into the broth and let it gently simmer for 5-10 minutes. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup in the bowl, or with a food processor or blender. The soup should be smooth, with some texture. If you don't like any texture at all, you could run it through a fine mesh sieve. Return it back to the pot, and add the cream to taste, if using. Taste for salt and pepper.

Serve with some toasted bread, or broil a few slices with a piece of mozzarella on top. Garnish with fresh chopped basil and oregano, if desired.

Farm box corn, + a very ripe mango and avocado 

inspired this flavorful fresh salad:

 

Grilled corn salad

Not really a recipe, since it can't turn out wrong!

I used:

4 ears sweet organic white corn, brushed with evoo, s&p, and grilled lightly

1 mango, diced

1 avocado, diced,

a tablespoon or two of chopped red onion

a good handful of chopped fresh cilantro

homemade vinaigrette (I like Marie's at Proud Italian Cook) 

Dress the salad lightly, you don't want to mask the flavor party going on here.

{I'm thinking sweet cherry tomatoes would be a great sub for the mango!}

Zucchini and bell peppers 
became this over the top delicious entree:

 

Giada's Orzo Stuffed Peppers

1 (28-ounce) can Italian tomatoes (I used 1 15 oz can diced tomatoes and 1 15 oz can fire roasted tomatoes, undrained)
2 zucchini, grated
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint leaves (this makes the dish -don't leave out!)
1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano, plus more for sprinkling
1/4 cup good extra-virgin olive oil
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 cups chicken or veggie broth (I used a combo)
1 1/2 cups orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
6 sweet bell peppers (red or yellow)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Pour the tomatoes into a large bowl and break apart using a pair of kitchen shears or your finger tips (I just used the Vitamix, on very low speed).  Add the zucchini, mint, cheese, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.

Meanwhile, bring the chicken broth to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add the orzo and cook for 4 minutes. The orzo should be only partially cooked. Strain the orzo, reserving the broth.  Stir the orzo into the vegetable mix to combine. Transfer the warm chicken broth to a 3-quart baking dish.

Cut peppers in half length-wise and remove all ribs and seeds. Cut a very thin slice from the base to help the peppers stand up, if you need to.

Place the peppers in the baking dish with the warm chicken broth. Spoon the orzo mixture into the peppers. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil, sprinkle the top of each pepper with cheese and continue baking until the cheese is golden, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, carefully transfer the orzo stuffed pepper to a serving plate.

Meatless Mondays - Giada's Roasted Vegetable Penne

Before I begin, today is my Emma's 19th birthday, and I want to give a little shout out to her in Thailand!  Happy Birthday to the sweetest girl on earth, with LOTS of love from your momma.  Can't wait to see you Thursday and hug you!  

Well, I must say, this week's Meatless Monday is absolutely delicious!  It's Giada de Laurentiis' Roasted Vegetable Penne and it's a WINNER.  Even though it's a cinch to make, I do want to warn you that it dirties practically every pot in the kitchen... but trust me it's so worth it!  You can make it early in the day and pop it in the oven when you're ready to eat.  I love dishes like that - there aren't many out there that don't contain cream of mushroom soup.  :-)  I think this dish would be great for easy summer entertaining and would please practically anyone.

I followed the recipe to a T, but there is a lot of flexibility here.   It would be a great way to use up odds and ends veggies, and I'm sure you could substitute out the cheese for another melty type. 

Gorgeous veggies about to go in the oven

Giada's Roasted Vegetable Penne

2 red peppers, cored and cut into 1-inch wide strips

2 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1-inch     cubes

2 summer squash, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1-inch cubes

4 cremini mushrooms, halved (I used 10)

1 yellow onion, peeled and sliced into 1-inch strips

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon salt, divided

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided

1 tablespoon dried Italian herb mix or herbes de  Provence

1 pound penne pasta

3 cups marinara sauce (I prefer Rao's)

1 cup grated fontina cheese

1/2 cup grated smoked mozzarella

1 1/2 cups frozen peas, thawed

1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus 1/3 cup for topping

2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

On a baking sheet, toss the peppers, zucchini, squash, mushrooms, and onions with olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and dried herbs. Roast until tender, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook for about 6 minutes. Since you will be cooking the pasta a second time in the oven, you want to make sure the inside is still hard. Drain in a colander.

In a large bowl, toss the drained pasta with the roasted vegetables, marinara sauce, cheeses, peas, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Using a wooden spoon, gently mix, until all the pasta is coated with the sauce and the ingredients are combined.

Pour the pasta into a greased 9 by 13-inch pan. Top with the remaining 1/3 cup Parmesan and butter pieces. Bake until top is golden and cheese melts, about 25 minutes.

Meatless Mondays - main dish salads with grains

Now that it's summer, I like to serve main dish salads for dinner on the patio.  When we were in Hawaii, I ordered a salad at a restaurant and it had quinoa tossed in with the greens.  It sparked an idea!  Instead of meat as the protein, why not throw in protein-rich grains, seeds, or legumes like quinoa or lentils?  

I also recently had a yummy southwestern lentil salad from the Whole Foods salad bar and I wanted to experiment with lentils.   I don't know about you, but I wasn't accustomed to cooking with them much.  I have come to learn that they are quite nutritious - they contain about 30% protein, and have fiber, folate, and B vitamins (if you sprout them they are even MORE nutritious).    And, if you add in some brown rice, you will have a complete protein.  I have been enjoying the convenience of the cooked lentils from Trader Joe's (in a box, in the fridge section by the salad greens), and I just purchased some dry red lentils to work with.  


Pictured above is a super easy salad made with brown lentils.  The ingredients are:


-chopped baby kale (love this; found it at Whole Foods - in a large plastic box by the other salad greens)
-pre-cooked brown lentils (TJ's)
-orange segments
-avocado chunks
-diced red bell pepper
-chopped fresh cilantro

And I think brown rice, chopped red onion or scallions, and some sunflower seeds would be an improvement.   This was an afterthought  :-)


The dressing was simply lime juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, and a little cumin & chili powder.

Basically, if you have "greens and a grain" you can pretty much add anything, and it's hard to go wrong!  Last week we had some ripe nectarines, so I made basically the same salad adding those, some nuts, and dried fruit.  I like to make a fruity balsamic vinaigrette for salads with fruit.

If you have small children, you're probably wondering how this could be eaten by them for dinner!  Instead of tossing the ingredients into a salad, I would suggest deconstructing it and putting little piles of each of the ingredients onto a plate - and let little fingers serve themselves.   It's good for kids to actually taste each food by itself anyways.  Or a small bowl with lentils, brown rice, and some very finely chopped greens tossed in (something that can be eaten with a spoon) would work as well.  If it's still not enough, just add some cheese chunks or an apple/banana with a nut butter!   


Enjoy being creative with your summer salads! 

Meatless Mondays - Grilled Veggie Sandwich and Quinoa Salad

I adore veggie sandwiches. From the classic avocado, tomato & sprouts on grainy bread, to a hot one filled with grilled veggies, I could eat them every day. 

And I absolutely adore quinoa! Quinoa is a recently discovered ancient grain. It is a complete protein, supplying all 9 essential amino acids, plus is a good source of magnesium, folate, and phosphorus. I like to cook a bunch at a time, because I'll eat it for breakfast (drizzled with some raw honey and almonds - yum), lunch, or dinner. I find it the perfect thing to toss anything and everything into. I just use whatever is around... from diced fruit to diced veggies, nuts, seeds, you name it.  I tend to prefer something sweet, a fresh fruit such as a diced mango or some blueberries, some dried fruit, some kind of fresh herb and some nuts for crunch.  Add a light dressing and you have a fast, delicious side or even a meal. 

So, all that said, this is one of my favorite pairings. For this sandwich, I grilled some meaty whole portabello mushrooms, thick Vidalia onion slices, and some sliced zucchini. I just brush the veggies with a little olive oil, season with some lemon pepper and grill them up. You could also use red bell peppers, yellow squash, and eggplant is especially delicious grilled. 

For this sandwich I really love a grainy sourdough bread, like Trader Joe's cracked wheat sourdough. I spread both inside slices with some goat cheese (hummus would be great, too), layer on the veggies, and toast it on a stovetop skillet until golden brown.  

For the salad, really there is no recipe. Tonight I searched the pantry and fridge and came up with the following: a finely diced apple, chopped dates, chopped pecans, fresh cilantro, and green onion. I tossed it lightly with a splash of peach balsamic vinegar and olive oil, and seasoned with a bit of pink Himalayan salt and freshly ground pepper. SO good!

Meatless Mondays - "Chipotle" inspired salad

I LOVE Chipotle salads!  I always order the the veggie one, and recently wondered why I never make them at home.  What a great meatless Monday meal... so easy and so delish. I promise you that you will not miss the meat one bit in this hearty dish!  I put mine together vegan, but you could add any other ingredients that you like, really.  Make it your own & have fun!

I began by opening up a can of beans, and warmed them over the stove with a bit of Mexican seasoning - a nice blend I got from Penzey's. 

 I mixed up some guacamole and made some fresh pico.  My guac is ridiculously simple - just mashed avocados, a little salt, and a little pico (since I had it, normally just avocado and salt).  The pico is simply hand-diced tomatoes, sweet white onion, and lots of fresh cilantro.  You could add a bit of fresh jalapeno here, if you like.

 I lightly sauteed some onions and red bell peppers in a touch of olive oil.  I really panic when I'm out of red bell peppers - I adore them!

I put out a big bowl of chopped romaine lettuce and made a basic vinaigrette.  I used lime juice in place of vinegar, a dab of honey, and added a sprinkle of cumin, chili powder, and cayenne.  It was pretty similar to the Chipotle one, if I don't say so.

I also cooked some brown rice, and tossed in a little more Mexican seasoning, olive oil, and fresh cilantro.  I could have just eaten this- yum!

 

Layer on all the goodies, and voila!  Isn't this colorful and appetizing?  Not to mention - healthy! This is a great summer evening dinner that I know we'll be enjoying often.

Meatless Mondays - Spicy Eggs Marinara

Welcome to my new feature, Meatless Mondays!  I hope to inspire you to make meatless meals your family will enjoy.  I'm really doing it for my own benefit...but inviting you along as usual.  Eggs for dinner are always a great idea when you're short on time, forgot to take meat out of the freezer, or just want a meatless meal.

For my birthday in April (it was actually on Easter Sunday this year), Rich made the family an awesome breakfast.  It was so delicious that I asked him to make it again for dinner for me recently.  It is absolutely delish and couldn't be easier.  I must say what really makes this dish amazing is the use of Rao's marinara sauce (you can buy it at Whole Foods), real Parmigiano, and fresh basil. When a recipe is this simple, the finest ingredients are essential. 

I can't wait to have it again soon!  Here's the recipe, in Rich's directions.  :-)

Spicy Eggs Marinara

In a 8 x 8 square ungreased pan, layer:

Warmed Rao's marinara sauce (just enough to cover bottom of pan - about 1/3 large jar) mixed with 2 cloves crushed garlic, and 1 whole jalapeno, seeded and sliced thinly as possible

Crack 4 eggs over the marinara and layer on:

some shaved red onion and 1 garlic clove, sliced thinly as possible.  Sprinkle some freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese on top.

Lightly drizzle some good quality extra virgin olive oil over and

sprinkle freshly cracked pepper over the top of each egg.

Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes.

Broil top for 2 minutes (or until eggs are set)

Remove from oven.

Layer fresh basil leaves over top.

Sink the basil underneath the cheese and eggs.

Serve immediately with crostini toasts.