A Great Summer Dinner: Balsamic Grilled Summer Vegetables with Basil Quinoa Salad

Finished product!

 Yet another great recipe on Pinterest...

Balsamic Grilled Summer Vegetables with Basil Quinoa Salad

This is a super easy recipe with lots of flavor! A few tips I'd like to add:

1. Some toasted pine nuts can add a lot of flavor to the quinoa. I used about 1/4 cup and toasted them in a dry frying pan. A note about toasting these nuts - DO NOT walk away from the pan! They can burn quite easily. In fact, I'm sad to say that I burned my whole first batch. For those of you who have never purchased them before, they can be quite pricey so definitely not something you want to risk wasting.  Many thanks to a dear friend (AS) for the wonderful pine nuts!

Toasting the pine nuts. Second ("un-burned") batch.

Veggies (before the oven). Fresh basil and some mozz.

2. Although we do own a grill I am TOTALLY inept at using it so I broiled the veggies in the oven. 500 degrees for about 6-7 minutes did the trick. I coated the pan with some cooking spray ahead of time. I also opted to add the pearlini mozzarella (upper right of the photo) in order to get in some additional protein.

Some tips not directly related to the recipe....

Shocking, I know, but there are many days when I just don't feel like cooking. What helps?

First, a glass of wine always seems to make the cooking process much more enjoyable and for some reason the "treat" of having a glass of wine helps prevent me from picking at things around the kitchen while I'm cooking! Some good music goes a long way as well - helps to relieve the stress of a long day. Huge fan of Pandora Radio

 but  I find that putting on some good music helps get me motivated! I'm a huge fan of Pandora Radio!

Italian table wine glasses. Love these! Got the whole set from Fishs Eddy in NYC one of my favorite stores!

Recipe of the Week - The Best Veggie Sandwich...Ever!

I am a HUGE fan of the Mediterranean Veggie sandwich from Panera. Here's the description from the Panera website:

Mediterranean Veggie 

Zesty Peppadew™ piquant peppers, feta cheese, cucumbers, lettuce, tomatoes, onions and cilantro Jalapeño hummus on our Tomato Basil bread. 

 The great thing about this sandwich is that it's super easy to make. You can purchase the tomato basil bread from Panera for about $4.50 per loaf. It's a large loaf so if you don't use it all you can freeze it and thaw it out in a few months or share it with friends/neighbors if needed. I recommend getting it sliced thin. Red onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, goat cheese and lettuce are all easy-to-find ingredients. The peppadew peppers are a little harder to come by but you can find them in the fresh pepper or olive bar at finer groceries such as Whole Foods (and likely Fresh Market). If you can't find them the sandwich is still super yummy without it. If you've never made your own hummus - no worries! Simply buy some plain hummus and mix it in a food processor with fresh cilantro and a jalapeno and voila! cilantro-jalapeno hummus! 

In case you're wondering, no, the bread is NOT whole wheat but that's OK. Although preferred, not every grain we eat has to be whole wheat. In my opinion, the bread really makes a huge difference with this sandwich but you can feel free to try it out with other options.

Recipe of the Week - Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

Pizza is somewhat of a staple in our house. Shocked? Actually pizza can be a very quick, easy and HEALTHY meal when not loaded down with a lot of unhealthy ingredients. We always have the ingredients to make a very basic cheese pizza in the house because most ingredients are relatively non-perishable (if stored in the right way).

The recipe for the dough came from a good friend of mine (Greta). 

Ingredients
2 packages rapid rise yeast
2 cups warm water
~2 cups all purpose flour
~2 cups whole wheat flour
~1.5 Tbs. sugar

Instructions
Dissolve sugar in water and sprinkle yeast on sugar water mixture. Let sit for ~20 minutes (the mixture will foam and look frothy). Slowly mix in equal parts all purpose and whole wheat flour until a nice dough forms (you want it to not be sticky). Coat a clean bowl with cooking spray and let the dough rise for an hour (if time, punch the dough down and let it rise a second time).

Note: You CAN make the dough with all whole wheat flour if you prefer but the taste and texture are considerably different.

Once the dough has risen at least once roll out the dough on the counter. We usually brush the dough with an olive oil mixture containing the oil, garlic, oregano, basil and a pinch of salt.  Top the pizza with a think layer of sauce (if you prefer) and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese (add some parm if you prefer). We usually top ours with lots of fresh veggies (frozen veggies work well also) or add fresh basil and tomato. I made a pizza recently with goat cheese, arugula and pears so you can mix it up. The one below is a basic tomato with mushrooms (one of my favorites). Enjoy!

Recipe of the Week - 8.26.11

I went to a party this week where the host made several versions of Shepherd's Pie (a regular, a vegan and a vegetarian). All were fabulous! I had never had Shepherd's Pie before so this was a new experience. I found a recipe in my new cookbook using sweet potatoes and thought I'd give it a try!

Sweet Potato and Broccoli Shepherd's Pie
Source: The 12 Best Foods Cookbook by Dana Jacobi

Ingredients
2 lbs sweet potatoes
1 tsp freshly grated ginger
1/2 tsp five-spice powder
2 tsp salt, divided
freshly ground pepper
1 large egg white
3 cups broccoli florets + 1 cup broccoli stems, thinly sliced crosswise
1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1.5 cups ricotta cheese
1/4 cup crumbled feta
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 tsp dried oregano
2 Tbs. dry breadcrumbs
1/4 cup freshly graded parmigiano-reggiano cheese

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Bake the sweet potatoes until they are soft. When cool enough to handle, peel the sweet potatoes and place their flesh in a mixing bowl. Add the ginger, five-spice powder and 1/2 tsp of he salt. Mash with a fork until the potatoes are creamy. Season with pepper and mix in the egg white.

3. Steam the broccoli florets and stems until tender. Place them n a bowl and season with the lemon juice and 1/2 tsp of the salt.

4. Place the ricotta, feta, buttermilk and the remaining 1 tsp salt in a food processor. Whirl until the mixture is smooth (~2 minutes). Add the oregano and pulse to distribute evenly. Season the mixture with pepper.

5. Coat a deep 1.5 quart heatproof casserole dish with cooking spray. Spread half the potato mixutre oer the bottom of the baking dish. Sppon half the cheese mixture over the sweet potatoes. Arrange the broccoli on top of the cheese. Cover the broccoli with the remainin cheese mixture. Cover the cheese wih the remaining sweet potatoes. Sprinklwe with the breadcrumbs. Cover the top of the casserole with the parmesan cheese.

6. Bake the pie uncovered for 30 minutes until it is bubbling around the edges and hot in the center. Remove from oven and let sit 20 minutes before serving.

Rating and Tips
OK all so this hasn't happened in a while but this one was a TOTAL flop. I admit that I made a few substitutions on the spices but I still don't think that can account for how bad it came out. Texture was OK but the flavor combos were downright awful! You win some and you lose some I suppose!

Recipe of the Week - August 19th, 2011

Whole Wheat Linguine with Arugula and Edamame
Source: 12 Best Foods Cookbook


Ingredients
2 cups shelled edamame
8 oz whole wheat linguine
1 Tbs EVOO (divided)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
8 cups coarsley chopped arugula
S&P to taste
2/3 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Directions
1. Cook the edamame in boiling salted water until they are crisp-tender (about 3 minutes). Remove them to a bowl with a slotted spoon.
2. Add the pasta to the same water and cook according to package directions. Drain the pasta in a colander, drizzle with 1/2 tsp of the oil and set aside.
3. In a large, non stick skillet, heat the remaining oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook 15 seconds. Mix in the arugula, coating it with the oil and cook until wilted (about 2 minutes). Mix in the edamame and remove the pan from the heat. Add the drained pasta, stirring until it is warmed through and season to taste with S&P.
4. Divide the pasta and vegetables among 4 shallow pasta bowls or dinner plates and top with equal amounts cheese. Serve hot or at room temp.

Ratings and Tips
4 out of 5, excellent dish although not very flavorful, adding some fresh lemon rind would be a nice accent, I used a mix of arugula and spinach because that was all that was available in the store, I also used generous amounts of garlic (about 4 cloves), Romano cheese instead of Parmesan was also a good choice b/c it is a little more flavorful (in my opinion)

Recipe of the Week - August 12, 2011

Hi all - Sorry for missing the recipe post last week and being a bit late this week!

This recipe is from my favorite cookbook!

Cumin-Seared Chicken with Pineapple-Mint Salsa
Ingredients
1 tsp. ground cumin (I used 2-3 tsp.)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground red pepper (I used 1/4 tsp.)
4 (6-oz) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (I used tenderloins)
cooking spray
1.5 cups cubed pineapple, finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
2 tbs. rice vinegar (I subbed apple cider vinegar)
2 tsp. grated peeled fresh ginger (I used 3-4 tsp.)

Directions
Combine cumin, salt and red pepper; sprinkle evenly over chicken. Heat in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chicken; cook 7-8 minutes on each side or until done. While chicken cooks, combine pineapple and remaining ingredients; toss gently to blend. Serve with chicken.

TIPS: I used the food processor to chop the onions. You could also use it to chop the mint as well. For this recipe, it's worth it to buy fresh pineapple. It's a little more money and a bit more time to chop it up but it's well worth it. Plus, you'll have extra pineapple so you can eat the rest during the week as a snack.

Served this with...

Almond-Coconut Rice
Ingredients

1 (10-oz) pkg frozen whole-grain brown rice (I used regular brown rice)
1/3 cup slivered almonds (I used sliced almonds)
3 Tbs. flaked coconut
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/8 tsp. salt

Directions
Cook rice. While rice cooks, heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high eat. Add almonds and coconut; cook 2 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; add rice, cumin and salt, stirring to blend.

TIPS: Be careful not to burn the coconut - it burns easily!

Rating
This recipe was amazing! 5 out of 5 Super easy and very tasty - an excellent blending of flavors. Definitely a make-again entree!

Recipe of the Week - 7/29/11

Addictive Sweet Potato Burritos
Source: AllRecipes.com

You can find the recipe here.

Rating and Tips
While I wouldn't call these burritos "addictive" they were pretty good.
Followed the directions but went heavy on the spices - as I usually do!
Definitely worth a try!

Recipe of the Week - July 22, 2011

Bean Lasagna

Source: Heart to Health Cookbook

Ingredients

2 medium onions, chopped

4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped  

½ - ¾ pound mushrooms, sliced

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

2 teaspoons oregano

1 teaspoon basil

¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped

½ teaspoon salt

1 (16 oz) can kidney or pinto beans, drained

½ cup liquid drained from beans

1 (16 oz) can tomatoes, crushed

8 oz uncooked lasagna noodles

3 cups low-fat cottage cheese

4 oz. part-skim mozzarella cheese, grated

2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

Directions

1.      To make the sauce, sauté onions, garlic and mushrooms in oil with oregano, basil, parsley and salt.

2.      Stir often.

3.      When onions are clear, add the drained bean liquid and simmer 5 – 10 minutes.

4.      Add beans and tomatoes. Cover and simmer 30 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring often.

5.      While the sauce is simmering, cook lasagna noodles according to the package directions. Rinse in cold water to prevent sticking. Drain well.

6.      Assemble lasagna in a lightly oiled 9/13 inch dish using 1/3 sauce, 1/3 noodles, 1/3 cottage cheese and 1/3 mozzarella. Repeat layers until all ingredients are used.

7.      Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and bake.

8.      Bake at 375 for 30-45 minutes.

Rating and Tips

Stay Tuned!

Recipe of the Week - July 15, 2011

Falafel Pitas with Cucumber-Yogurt Dressing

Source: Cooking Light

Source: Cooking Light

You can find the recipe HERE.  

Rating and Tips

Stay Tuned! 

Recipe of the Week - July 8, 2011

Beany Gazpacho
Source: Cook for Good (one of my favorite foodie bloggers!)

Makes 4 main-dish servings, 1 1/4 cup each.

Ingredients

1 clove garlic
2 pounds fresh tomatoes
2 cups cooked kidney beans, drained
1 green pepper
1/4 onion
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon apple-cider vinegar
1 teaspoon chipotle hot sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt

Method

1.  Peel the garlic. Set up your food processor with the cutting blade or use a blender. Turn the machine on and drop the garlic in while the blade is turning. Turn the machine off after the garlic is minced, in just a second or two.
2. Decide if you want smooth soup or if you want to reserve some chopped vegetables and beans for garnish. If you do, dice and set aside about a quarter cup each of the tomatoes, onions, and green pepper in the following step. Also set aside a quarter cup of beans.
3. Cut stem and any bad spots from tomatoes. Cut into quarters and add to machine. Add beans. Peel onion and put 1/4 into machine, reserving rest for another use. Rinse pepper, remove stem end and seeds. Cut into about 8 pieces and add to machine. Add remaining ingredients except any garnish.
4. Process ingredients until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings. For best taste, refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.
5. To serve, top with garnish if desired. Refrigerate for up to four days if not serving right away.

Tips and Notes (from the recipe author)

• This soup may also be heated on a stove or in a microwave and served hot.
• When tomatoes are not in season, use a 28-ounce can of diced tomatoes in place of the fresh ones. The version made with canned tomatoes tastes best hot.

Rating and Tips

• 5 out of 5
• This was an excellent dish. Cool and refreshing - great in the middle of  heat wave!
• I added lots of hot sauce!
• We served it with some whole grain Italian bread.

Recipe of the Week - July 1, 2011

Baked Ziti and Summer Vegetables
Source: Cooking Light

Source: Cooking Light

 Click HERE to find the recipe.

Rating and Tips
3 out of 5

• The veggies held up very nicely - not soggy at all the first night. Reheating the next day was a different story however.
• I cut out the squash and added more zucchini and the onions I cut very coarsely.
• Cutting out some of the mozz and replacing it with some Romano or Parmesan gave it some kick.
• I couldn't find any whole wheat rigatoni so I settled for penne.

Not as pretty as the Cooking Light picture!

Recipe of the Week - July 24

Open-Faced Mushroom, Tomato, and Goat-Cheese Sandwich

Source: Cooking Light

Source: CookingLight.com

YIELD: 3 servings (serving size: 1 sandwich)

Ingredients

1/2 teaspoon olive oil

Cooking spray

1 cup thinly sliced onion, separated into rings

1 cup thinly sliced red bell pepper

1 (6-ounce) package portobello mushroom caps, thinly sliced

2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon capers

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

3 ounces goat cheese

3 (2-ounce) slices sourdough bread, toasted

9 (1/8-inch-thick) slices tomato

Preparation

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper; sauté 4 minutes. Add mushroom caps, and sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Remove pan from heat. Stir in the vinegar, capers, salt, and black pepper.

Spread about 2 tablespoons cheese over each bread slice, and top each with 3 tomato slices and 2/3 cup mushroom mixture.

Cooking Light
SEPTEMBER 2003

Nutrition Information

Calories: 410

Calories from fat: 22%

Fat: 10.2g

Fiber: 6.4g

Sodium: 922mg

Rating & Tips 
4 out of 5 

• We used tomato basil bread from Panera which turned out to be an excellent substitution. No, it's not whole wheat, but it's a good every-now-and again treat.
• We used regular mushrooms instead of portobello caps.
• I sauteed the veggies in the vinegar for about 1-2 minutes before removing them from heat and went heavy on the black pepper.

Recipe of the Week - June 17, 2011

Summer Corn and White Bean Soup
Source: Cooking Light

YIELD: 6 servings (serving size: about 1 1/2 cups)

Source: Cookinglight.com

Ingredients

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 cup sliced green onions

3/4 cup chopped cooked ham (about 4 ounces)

3 cups fresh corn kernels (about 5 ears)

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 (15-ounce) cans navy beans, rinsed and drained

2 (14-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

2 (4.5-ounce) cans chopped green chiles, undrained 

Preparation

Heat canola oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions and ham, and cook 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in corn and remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Lorrie Corvin, Cooking Light
JULY 2005

Nutrition Information

Calories: 278

Fat: 5.3g

Saturated fat: 1g

Monounsaturated fat: 2.5g

Polyunsaturated fat: 1.4g

Protein: 17g

Carbohydrate: 42.8g

Fiber: 10.1g

Sodium: 593mg 

Rating & Tips
3 out of 5 stars

• I used frozen corn instead of fresh which was an OK substitution. If you can find it, white shoepeg corn would be a great substitution
• As usual, I wanted some kick and added some cayenne pepper which turned out to be an excellent compliment.

Recipe of the Week - June 12, 2011

I often suggest to many of the clients that I work with to try one new recipe a week. Each week I will post the new recipe I'm testing and will rate the recipe after I prepare it. If you try out the recipe as well I welcome your feedback and input!

Orzo Salad with Spicy Buttermilk Dressing 

Source: Cooking Light

Ingredients

1 cup uncooked orzo

1 cup frozen whole-kernel corn, thawed and drained

Source: www.myrecipes.com

12 cherry tomatoes, quartered

3 green onions, sliced

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1/4 cup low-fat buttermilk

3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, divided

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons light sour cream

2 tablespoons canola mayonnaise

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 peeled avocado, cut into 8 wedges

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Directions

Cook orzo according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain and rinse; drain well. Place orzo, corn, and next 3 ingredients (through beans) in a large bowl; toss. Combine buttermilk, 2 tablespoons cilantro, and next 8 ingredients (through garlic) in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Drizzle over orzo mixture; toss. Top with avocado; garnish with remaining cilantro and parsley.

Cilantro - before...

Barbara Lauterbach, Cooking Light
MAY 2011

Nutrition Information (per serving, 1 3/4 cup + 2 avocado wedges)

Calories: 424

Fat: 15.3g

Saturated fat: 2.3g

Monounsaturated fat: 8.4g

Polyunsaturated fat: 2.7g

Protein: 12.7g

Carbohydrate: 63.8g

Fiber: 10.1g

Cilantro - after!

Cholesterol: 6mg

Iron: 1.8mg

Sodium: 607mg

Calcium: 80mg

Rating
4 out of 5

Tips:

• If you like spicy, add 1/8th tsp. of cayenne pepper for some added kick!
• Go heavy on the veggies. With most any recipe I make if it calls for veggies I always add extra.
• No need to buy buttermilk for this recipe. Make your own. For every 1 cup of milk add 1 Tbs. of lime juice; let the mixture sit for 5 minutes (it will curdle a bit which is OK).
• If you like, serve with a grilled chicken breast. I added some steamed broccoli on the side.
• One of my FAVORITE (and most used) kitchen appliances is my food processor. It makes chopping a breeze and saves so much time. Definitely a worthy investment. Very helpful with the cilantro on this recipe.
  

Final product!