Roasted Brussel Sprouts

My journey with brussel sprouts started about a year ago when my neighbor brought me a large stalk of them she had purchased at the farmers market and couldn't finish off. At the time, I had no idea what to do with them. Enter Google. :)  So many recipes I found seemed to want to cover them with sugar or a creamy sauce, but I really wanted something that would show off their actual flavor (since I didn't know what that was).  I decided to stick with a more basic recipe and just roast them...and they were fantastic!  I was delighted to see them back out at the farmers market last week.  Whether you buy them by the stalk or pre-cut, I hope you enjoy them as much as me.  Don't be afraid to let the outer leaves get nice and dark.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Cut large sprouts in halves or quarters.  Toss in a bowl with olive oil, sea salt, and fresh cracked pepper.  Spread onto a baking sheet.  Bake about 10 minutes or until you see the outer leaves start to turn dark and crispy, giving the pan a toss every few minutes to turn some of the sprouts over.

Stuffed Portabellas

This is a great recipe that is very adaptable to your tastes and creativity!  If you don't want to make homemade bruschetta (see my recipe here), try the pre-made mix from Trader Joe's.

2 large portabella mushrooms
1/3 cup ricotta cheese
1 cup raw spinach, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup bruschetta
1/3 cup mozzarella
salt and pepper to taste



Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove stems from mushrooms and brush with a dry cloth to clean.  In a frying pan, saute spinach with garlic and a bit of olive oil.  Once spinach is wilted, transfer to a bowl and mix in the ricotta cheese, salt and pepper.  Lay mushroom caps upside down on a baking sheet and fill with cheese/spinach mixture.  Top with bruschetta and mozzarella.  Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Guacamole

I LOVE guacamole!  Until about a year ago, we used to make it with the store-bought seasoning packets when I finally realized it wouldn't be that hard to make it from scratch.  After experimenting for a while, this has become our winner recipe.

• 3 avocados
• 2 tsp lime juice
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp garlic
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp dried cilantro
• 1 small tomato, diced (optional)

Peel and remove pits from the avocados, saving one of the pits.  Mash avocados in a bowl until there are no large chunks left.  I usually use a potato masher or a fork.  Add remaining ingredients and mix well.  Place the pit in the bowl with the guacamole and refrigerate until you are ready to serve.  The pit will help keep the guacamole from browning as quickly.

Baked Apple Chips

These are such a great snack!  They disappeared so fast that I'll be making a double recipe from now on! They are easy to make but require a lot of baking time. Baking them in the oven doesn't quite compare to using a dehydrator if you have one, but this was a decent substitute to satisfy me.  Mine turned out a bit chewy in the flesh and crispy on the edges, and that is fine with me.  If you really want them crispy I'd suggest turning them over after the 2 hours and putting them back in for additional baking time.

2 apples
1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp gr. cinnamon
parchment paper

Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Core apples and slice paper thin (use a mandolin to slice the apples if you have one--it will make the job go quickly). You do not need to peel the apples. Technically, you don't even have to core the apples if you don't have an apple corer, but I prefer not to be eating the seed bits. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and lay out apple slices in a single layer. You may need two baking sheets depending on the size of your apples and your baking sheet. Combine sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and sprinkle over apple slices. Bake for 2 hours or until golden and edges are crispy. Let cool and enjoy! You can store any leftovers, but be warned they will lose some of their crispiness in a Tupperware.

Tortellini Soup

I got this recipe from my mother in law and I love it because it is so simple yet so delicious!  It is also extremely forgiving if you want to use more or less of a particular ingredient to fit your needs or tastes.  For instance, I have added more tomatoes and tortellini to make it stretch farther when we have company.  I also don't worry about it if the bunch of spinach or bag of tortellini I buy differs in size from the recipe.

2 Tbsp olive oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups chicken broth
6-8 oz tortellini
14 oz can of diced tomatoes, with juice
10 oz fresh spinach, coarsely chopped
8-10 fresh basil leaves, chopped
grated Parmesan cheese

In a large pot, saute minced garlic in oil for 1-2 minutes (careful it can burn fast).   Add chicken broth and bring to a boil.  Add the tomatoes and bring to a simmer.   Add tortellini for recommended cooking time.  Add spinach and basil, cook until wilted.  Serve with Parmesan cheese on top. Serves 4.

Bruschetta

Bruschetta is one of my favorite appetizers to order and I'm amazed I've never tried making it at home until now.  I read a variety of recipes before deciding how I wanted to make it and let me tell you there are some opinions on making Bruschetta! Apparently, some feel strongly about everything from how you pronounce it (Brushetta or Brusketta) to the bread you use to whether you mix the garlic in with the tomatoes or rub it onto the bread.  I say do whatever fits your taste!  I really enjoy the flavor of garlic so I mixed my garlic into the tomato mixture but if you want a lighter touch of garlic you can simply rub a clove or two on the toast while it is still hot so it melts into the bread.

Normally, I would have made this with Roma tomatoes but I was enticed by the beautiful color of the Kumatos at the grocery store and decided to try those this time.  I toasted some fresh homemade bread that my husband made.  It was wider than most baguettes or French loaves and we used 10 slices so if you use a skinny loaf you'll probably need closer to 15 slices. I also like to really load on the tomatoes so if you like less topping then you'll need more toast slices.

• 5 small tomatoes
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• pinch of salt
• pinch of black pepper
• 10-15 slices of baguette, French or Italian bread

Chop tomatoes and place in a mixing bowl.  Combine tomatoes with minced garlic, basil, olive oil, red wine vinegar, onion powder, salt and pepper.  Slice 10-15 pieces of bread (15 if your loaf is narrow, 10 if your loaf is wide).  If desired, brush lightly with olive oil or melted butter. Toast for a few minutes in the oven. Remove toast from oven and top with tomato mixture.

Spinach & Mushroom Quiche

I made this quiche for breakfast with some lovely friends this morning and it turned out great!  The texture was nice and light. It was so flavorful--the perfect savory dish to go with a tall glass of orange juice. I started with this recipe as a guideline but made changes to fit my own tastes: Spinach Quiche.  I love that you can be flexible with this recipe--you could use whatever types of veggies and cheese you prefer.  I combined some muenster with Kraft's triple cheddar shredded cheese.

9-inch pie crust
2 Tbsp butter
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp minced onion
6 oz spinach, chopped
4 oz mushrooms, chopped
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
4 eggs
1 cup milk
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Lay unbaked pie crust out in a 9-inch pie dish. Melt butter in a frying pan over medium heat.  Add garlic and minced onion and cook for 1 minute.  Add chopped mushroom and spinach and saute 3-5 minutes until spinach is wilted and mushrooms start to brown.  Add most of the cheese, reserving 1/4 cup for later, and mix well.  Pour vegetable and cheese mixture into the pie crust. In a mixing bowl, whisk eggs and milk. Add salt and pepper to taste and pour over the vegetable mixture in the pie crust. Bake for 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup cheese over the top.  Return to oven and bake another 30-40 minutes until the top is golden and the eggs are set.  Let rest 10 minutes before serving.  Makes 6 servings at 241 calories per serving.

Quinoa Patties with Kale

I've decided to go gluten-free over the next month to see if it alleviates some issues I've had, so you're going to see some G-Free recipes on here.  I found this recipe on this gluten-free blog, which was adapted from Heidi Swanson's Super Natural Every Day, and it was delicious!  You can do so many things with this recipe!  We drizzled lemon juice over them and ate them with some avocado.  My husband also ate his as an open-faced sandwich on some garlic toast.  I think next time I'll try making a dijon vinaigrette dressing to pour over them.  They'd also be great with spinach or mushrooms mixed into the patties.  I made some slight modifications to the recipe this time so here is what I did:

• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups water
• 4 eggs, whisked
• 1/3 cup parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tsp minced onion
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 2 cups steamed kale, chopped
• 1 cup oats (the recipe called for breadcrumbs, but I couldn't find gluten-free ones)
• olive oil

Prepare quinoa by boiling it in the water until the water is absorbed.  Let quinoa cool slightly and then mix with whisked eggs, cheese, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, kale and oats/breadcrumbs.  Let mixture sit for a few minutes.  Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large frying pan.  Pat together patties from the mixture and place in the frying pan to cook.  Let the patties cook about 7 minutes on each side or until they are golden brown and crispy on the top and bottom.  Serve with the garnish of your choice!  This serves about 4 people. If you are cooking for less, I'd make the desired amount of patties and then refrigerate the mixture (rather than making all the patties and then refrigerating them), as suggested by the blog I read.

Stuffed Tomatoes

These were a bit tricky, but really tasty!  I modified a recipe my friend pinned on Pinterest: http://uktv.co.uk/food/recipe/aid/511633 to make it simpler.  The hard part for me was scooping the pulp out of the tomatoes without destroying them.  I think I'll try using a grapefruit spoon next time to see if the serrated edges help.

Tomatoes
2 large beefsteak tomatoes
Olive oil
1/4 cup chopped mushrooms
3-4 cups fresh chopped spinach
1 clove garlic
1 tsp lemon juice
pinch of thyme
Salt & pepper to taste
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Dressing
Pulp reserved from tomatoes
3 tsp olive oil
1 tsp white vinegar
1/2 tsp dijon mustard*
Pinch of basil

*Gluten free dieters: make sure your mustard doesn't contain gluten!

Remove tomato stems and blanch tomatoes by boiling them in hot water for 1 minute.  Then place them in a bowl of ice water and set aside.  This step will make it much easier to peel the tomatoes later on. In a frying pan, heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil.  Add chopped mushrooms and spinach and cook 3-5 minutes until spinach is wilted and mushrooms are tender.  Add garlic, lemon juice, thyme, salt and pepper.  Remove from heat.  While the mushroom/spinach mixture cools, remove the tomatoes from the bowl of ice water.  Peel skin off of the tomatoes.  Cut off the top of the tomatoes about 1/3 of the way from the top.  Carefully scoop tomato pulp and seeds out of each tomato and reserve pulp in a separate bowl for the dressing.  Now that the mushroom/spinach mixture has cooled some, add ricotta and parmesan cheese and mix well--reserving a small bit of the parmesan for later.  Fill the tomato bottoms with the cheese/mushroom/spinach mixture.  Press the tomato tops back on the stuffed tomatoes and sprinkle tops with the remaining parmesan.  Grease a baking dish with olive oil and place the tomatoes in the greased dish.  Bake for 20-30 minutes at 325 degrees.  While the tomatoes bake, whisk together the dressing ingredients in a small bowl.  Remove tomatoes from the oven when the cheese mixture looks melted.  Serve hot with dressing drizzled over the tomatoes.

Lemony Lentils & Kale

This dish has become one of our vegetarian favorites!  It is fresh, flavorful and hearty. I found the recipe here: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/lemony-lentils-with-kale/detail.aspx.  I omit the onion from the original recipe since I can't eat onion, but I'm sure it would be delicious.

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 carrot, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 pound lentils
• 1-14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1 bunch kale, stems removed and leaves chopped
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced

*Gluten free dieters: make sure your spices do not contain gluten.

Heat oil in a skillet.  Cook carrot until softened. Add garlic, thyme, salt, black pepper and red pepper; cook one minute.  Add lentils, tomatoes (and juice), and chicken broth into skillet.  Cover and simmer until lentils are tender, about 40 minutes.  Add kale, lemon zest and lemon juice.  Cook until kale is wilted, about 5 minutes. Serves 4.

Creamy Tomato Soup

We've been wanting to try homemade tomato soup for a while. I got hooked on Trader Joe's tomato soup last year because it was so much yummier than the can. Craig found a great recipe from King Arthur Flour and I made a few small changes.  This was so simple and inexpensive that I think I have a new favorite! You can read the King Arthur recipe here: http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/creamy-tomato-soup-recipe.  It makes about 4 bowl-sized servings.  It is definitely a creamy tomato so if that isn't your thing you can use less of the evaporated milk.

1 28-oz can tomato purée

1/2 tsp basil
1 tsp onion powder or minced onion

dash of thyme
dash of black pepper
3 Tbsp flour*
a scant 2 cups chicken broth
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 Tbsp sugar
1 12-oz can evaporated milk
1 tsp salt

*Gluten free dieters: substitute cornstarch for the flour.

In a large saucepan, combine the tomatoes, basil, onion, thyme, and black pepper. Bring the mixture to a simmer, and cook for 5 minutes.  In a small bowl, combine the flour and broth, whisking till smooth, and add this mixture to the soup, stirring until well incorporated. Cover and simmer slowly for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the baking soda (the soup will foam up briefly; don't worry, but be sure it's in a big enough pot), the sugar, the milk and the salt. Heat, stirring, to a bare simmer. Serve hot. Serves 4.

Salsa

I love chips and salsa. Who doesn't? In an effort to try and get some of that freshness that salsa always seems to have in the restaurants, I decided to try making my own and it's become a regular in our home. It's super quick to make, and it's pretty easy to keep the ingredients on hand. I will warn you that the quality of tomatoes you use makes a difference in the flavor. I tried to get away with buying the value brand and we could definitely tell the difference. Now I just watch for when the better brands are on sale and stock up. I make this in the blender, but I'm sure a food processor would work well (we just don't have one). I would rank this as medium in spiciness but you could certainly make it more mild by leaving out the tabasco or add some jalapenos to make it hotter.  Fresh cilantro makes it better too, I just don't always have it on hand.

1 can diced tomatoes (14 oz)
1 can Rotel (or any brand tomatoes with green chiles)
1 tsp honey
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 heaping tsp dried cilantro
1/4 tsp cumin
1 tsp lime juice
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp minced garlic
few splashes of tabasco

Blend briefly to mix well, but don't over blend or it will liquefy too much. *Gluten free dieters: make sure your spices do not contain gluten.

Veggie Sandwich

I tried this new recipe for lunch today and thought I'd share!  It was delicious, but also a bit messy so I ate it as an open faced sandwich with a fork and knife. It would be really good in a wrap as well.  I adapted this from the recipe here: http://www.ezrapoundcake.com/archives/16580 based on what I had in my kitchen.  The amounts below were what I used for one sandwich.  I made extra of the veggie mix and am saving it for another day.

Bread of your choice, toasted
1 Tbsp plain greek yogurt
dash of onion powder
dash of garlic salt
slice of pepper jack cheese
1/4 cucumber, diced
1/4 tomato, diced
1/3 avocado, diced
salt and pepper to taste
pinch of cilantro
splash of lime juice

Mix yogurt, onion powder and garlic salt in a small bowl and spread on toasted bread.  Add slice of pepper jack cheese (you could substitute another cheese but the pepper jack gives the sandwich good flavor).  Mixed chopped cucumber, tomato and avocado in a bowl with salt, pepper, cilantro and lime juice.  Spread veggie mix over bread and enjoy!