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Garlic Naan Flatbreads - A duo: Pesto/Tomato/Mozz & Mushroom/Mozz/Truffle

Thoughts and Inspiration

Who doesn't love pizza?  I had some leftover garlic naan from the previous night's dinner - so of course why not throw some cheese on there with your favorite fix-ins and turn them into delicious flat-bread pizzas!?  The first one is a pesto/tomato/mozzarella and the second one is a mushroom/mozzarella/truffle.  Enjoy and as always, make it your own and be creative!

Ingredients for both Flat-breads

2 garlic naans

2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

Fresh mozzarella (I used medallions that I cut in half lengthwise) - the amount totally depends on how cheesy you like your pizza

Pesto Flat-bread

2 Tbsp pesto

1/2 Roma tomato, thinly sliced

Kosher salt

Mushroom Flat-bread

1/4 cup shredded mozzarella

5-6 button mushrooms, chopped or sliced

1 tsp olive oil

Sprinkle rosemary and thyme

Salt and pepper to taste

1 Tbsp white truffle oil (or any flavor infused oil - basil or garlic perhaps)

For the mushrooms: Saute mushrooms in 1 tsp olive oil on medium heat until cooked through (about 5-6 minutes).  Sprinkle seasoning and remove from heat.

Heat oven to 350F.  Place garlic naans in oven for 3 minutes.  

Assembly:

Pesto Flat-bread - Spread pesto evenly over naan.  Top with tomato slices, fresh mozzarella and a sprinkle of Kosher salt.

Mushroom Flat-bread - Sprinkle 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella evenly onto naan.  Top with mushrooms and fresh mozzarella. 

Place flat-breads into 350F oven for 3-5 minutes (until cheese starts to bubble).  For mushroom flat-bread, drizzle 1 Tbsp truffle oil immediately after taking out of oven.

Cut into 4 pieces and enjoy!

Sprinkle crushed red pepper is desired.

Pesto Flat-bread

Mushroom Flat-bread

Finished product!

Pocket-less Chickpea Wrap

 

Thoughts and Inspiration

A Saturday afternoon light lunch, still tasty and satisfying... what to make what to make?!  
My hubs and I love hummus-like spreads - that is where the base of this wrap stems from!  Throw on a couple veggies, garnish, fold and we are ready to eat!

Time: 15 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients for Chickpea Puree
15.5oz can chickpeas, drained and washed
4 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp fresh parsley
1/2 lemon, juiced
2 Tbsp pickle juice from jarred jalapenos
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
Salt to taste

Other Ingredients
*4 flatbreads - I used Kontos Greek Lifestyle Flatbread
1 zucchini, shredded (separate into 4 portions)
1/4 white onion, sliced thin
4 tsp cherry pepper spread (hot) - I used the Cento brand
Drizzle balsamic glaze (see picture) - I used the Trader Joes brand (Cento also has a great one)

Combine first set of ingredients (chickpea puree) all together in a food processor.  Pulse until combined - you can make this as smooth or as chunky as you want (I kept mine a little chunky),

Assembly:

Heat flatbread in oven for 2-3 minutes at 300F just to warm.  

**Place 1-2 Tbsp of chickpea puree on flatbread and spread all around.  On one side of the flatbread spread 1 portion of shredded zucchini, a couple onion slices, 1 tsp cherry pepper spread and finish with a drizzle of your favorite balsamic glaze.  Fold in have and enjoy!  Repeat for other 3 flatbreads.

*Note: Use any type of pocketless pita bread.

**Note: Spreading the chickpea puree all over the flatbread helps 'glue' the wrap insides together.

Quinoa & Red Lentil 'Porridge' with Veggies

Thoughts and Inspiration

This is another one pot meal.  As always, I wanted to make something that my husband and I could take to lunch that wouldn't require too much effort.  It is a meal in itself and you can definitely have this for dinner as well!

I use canned tomatoes in the recipe, along with some frozen veggies to save time.  This dish has got a punch of protein from the lentils, edamame and quinoa.

Red lentils cook differently (in my opinion) than green lentils.  They are definitely softer in texture and sort of melt away into the dish.  So don't expect to be biting into the lentils here, rather the quinoa and lentils combine into a porridge-like consistency.

Ingredients
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 red onion, diced 
1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced and diced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
*1/2 cup Trader Joes frozen Soycutash
3/4 cup Trader Joes frozen mixed bell peppers (or you can use fresh)
14.5 oz can fire roasted tomatoes (I used Hunt's)
2 cups vegetable broth
2 cups water
**3/4 cup red lentils
**1/2 cup quinoa
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp McCormick Grill Mates Roasted Garlic & Herb Seasoning
1 tsp crushed red pepper
2 tsp dry parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

In a soup pot saute onions, mushrooms and garlic in olive oil on medium heat for about 5-6 minutes.  Next, add in all frozen vegetables and saute for an additional 3-4 minutes.  Stir in tomatoes, broth, water, lentils and quinoa.  Bring this all to a simmer - once it has reached a simmer place a lid on pot and continue to simmer (not boil) for about 15 minutes.  Add in all spices mixing gently and simmer (uncovered) for 5 more minutes (try a spoonful to make sure lentils and quinoa have cooked through - if not, simmer an additional few minutes).  When serving garnish with parsley and a little crushed red pepper... and maybe even a few shavings of Parmesan!
 

*Note: You can easily substitute with 1/4 cup frozen corn + 1/4 cup frozen shelled edamame

**Red lentils and quinoa generally have similar cooking times anywhere between 12-16 minutes.

Hello Panzanella, Meet Spinach Salad

Thoughts and Inspiration

So where did this salad idea stem from?...

Let's see... my husband despises, and I mean really despises cucumbers.  Can you believe that?!  I mean who doesn't love cucumbers?!  They are so crisp and sweet and delicious!  He's really funny about it too, because he actually loves pickles!

Anyway, so this salad is sort of a play on a traditional panzanella... it's a panzanella meets a spinach salad.  I throw in corn to add a little sweetness that is missing by eliminating the cucumbers.  Enjoy!

Salad Ingredients

1 loaf crusty Italian bread, cut into cubes
Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Salt and pepper
8oz. package white mushrooms, sliced
1 Tbsp olive oil
6 slices vegan bacon (cooked according to package and chopped)
7-8oz bag baby spinach
¼ red onion, sliced thin
¼ cup corn
½ cup grape tomatoes, slice lengthwise
**2 hard boiled eggs, sliced

Dressing Ingredients
3 Tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp champagne vinegar
1 tsp sugar
½ tsp dijon mustard
1 dash salt

*Pre-heat oven to 275^oF.  Take bread cubes and lightly drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.   Crisp in oven for about 25 minutes.  Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. 

Whisk all dressing ingredients together in a bowl and set aside.

Cook mushrooms in 1 Tbsp olive oil on medium heat for 5-6 minutes until cooked through.  Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.  At this time, cook bacon according to package, allow to cool, and cut into pieces.

In a large salad bowl combine all ingredients together with spinach; slowly drizzle in dressing, tossing everything together in coat.

Serve in a bowl and top with a couple slices of hard boiled egg.**
 

*Note:  This can be done ahead of time.
**Note:   I didn't do this, but a traditional spinach salad would call for hard boiled eggs.  For those of you that are strict vegan/vegetarians, leave this out.

Chickpea & Lentil Salad with Sumac

Thoughts & Inspiration

I obviously cook with lots of lentils and various legumes.  Lentils are a good source of protein for a vegetarian and they are hearty/healthy.  They have great texture (depending on how long you cook them) and can be dressed with pretty much any flavor that you like!  This is a quick and simple salad that you can do lots with.  Use it as a base and add in your favorite ingredient, or simply enjoy this as is!

Time: 20 minutes

Lentil and Chickpea Salad Ingredients

1 cup green lentils, cooked (+ 2 garlic cloves)

1 15 oz. can chickpeas, drained and washed

6-7 radishes, sliced thin and chopped

1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped

1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped

Lemon Dressing

1 lemon, juiced

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp Champagne vinegar

1 clove garlic, minced fine

*1 tsp Sumac berries

Salt and fresh pepper to taste

For the dressing:  In a medium bowl, whisk together all ingredients until well combined. 

Cook lentils according to package but add in my twist for some extra flavor: while cooking add 2 slightly mashed garlic cloves to the water (this adds a hint of flavor to the lentils).  Once lentils are cooked, allow to cool.

Mix lentils, chickpeas, radishes and herbs with dressing.  Toss to combine.

Optional: This tastes great with some feta and cherry tomatoes mixed in!

*Sumac is a spice that has a tangy lemony flavor.  If you can't find this you can make a substitute... 1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper + 1/4 tsp lemon zest + 1/4 tsp paprika

Asian Vegetable Salad

Thoughts & Inspiration
I made this salad on a weeknight and it's absolutely hearty enough to be a meal.  It has an Asian peanut soy dressing that has great flavor with lots of fresh vegetables.  I've been on an Asian flavors kick lately so this was very satisfying!  A little ginger and garlic with peanut butter... I mean who wouldn't love that!?

Time: 20 minutes     
Serves: 4

Salad Ingredients
4-5 oz baby spinach
2-3 oz Romaine
1/4 cup grated Daikon radish
3/4 cup broccoli, florets
*1/3 cup broccoli stem, thinly sliced (preferably with a mandolin)
3/4 cup asparagus, chopped into 2 inch tips
1 tsp olive oil
6-8 oz shitake mushrooms, sliced
1 zucchini, ribboned (using a mandolin, slice zucchini lengthwise to create ribbons)
2 cups of water
1 cup of ice + 1/2 cup water

Dressing
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 Tbsp peanut butter
1 Tbsp honey
1 tsp lime juice
1 tsp sambal oelek
1 garlic clove, grated (or very finely minced)
1 tsp ginger, grated
1 tsp black sesame seeds
1 tsp white sesame seeds

Optional: Chopped peanuts or Cilantro leaves

For the dressing:  In a medium bowl, whisk together all ingredients until well combined. 

Boil 2 cups of water in a sauce pan.  Quickly blanch asparagus tips, broccoli florets and broccoli stems for just one minute.  Drain immediately and place into ice/water for a few minutes to stop cooking.  Drain from ice water and place into large salad bowl.

In a saute pan heat olive oil and add sliced shitake mushrooms.  Saute for 4-5 minutes on medium heat until cooked through.  Remove from heat and add into salad bowl.

Add the remaining ingredients to the salad bowl along with the dressing and toss to coat.

*Note: Cut the broccoli threads off of its thick stem.  Using a mandoline, slice the stem into thin rounds.  See picture below.

Drunken Chipotle Mushrooms and Spinach

Thoughts and Inspiration

This was an old recipe on mine that I dug up and re-tested and sort of re-invented.  If you decide to use Marsala wine the dish will have a slight bit of sweetness to it... If you decide to use red wine the dish will have a more bold flavor.  I generally tend to use Marsala when making this, but as always... make it your own!  I feel that the sweetness from the Marsala wine compliments the red cabbage really well too!

Time: 20-25 minutes

Serves 3

Ingredients
Garlic infused oil**

Basil infused oil**

1/4  red onion, thinly sliced

4 ounces (1/2 package) white button mushrooms, sliced

4 ounces (1/2 package) cremini mushrooms, sliced 

8 oz (1 package) shitake mushrooms, sliced 
4 cloves garlic, minced

1 chipotle pepper (in adobo sauce), chopped

1 Tbsp adobo sauce (from the chipotle peppers)
1/2 cup marsala wine or dry red wine

15 oz (1 bag) baby spinach, washed

1/4 cup red cabbage, shredded
1/4 cup tomatoes, chopped
Salt to taste

In a sauce pan heat 1 Tbsp each of the oils on medium heat.  Add the onion slices and let sweat for about 4 minutes.  Add in all mushrooms, along with garlic and saute for 5-6 minutes.  Stir in the chipotle peppers, adobo sauce and wine.  Place lid on pan and let simmer for about 5 additional minutes.  Once the liquid has reduced, add in entire bag of baby spinach and red cabbage.  Stir until baby spinach has wilted.  Season with salt according to taste.  Serve on top of your favorite grain of choice!  (I made a mix - 1/2 cup of farro and 1/2 cup of Trader Joe's Brown Rice Medley)

**Note:  If you do not have garlic or basil infused oil, use regular olive oil (will taste just as amazing).  I purchased the garlic infused oil from Trader Joes.  The basil infused oil I made myself.  Simply take 1/2 cup of olive oil and add 2 Tbsp of dried basil to the oil.  Allow oil to sit for about 1 hour before use.  The infused oil stays good for use for an extended period of time.

Spicy Red Curry Potatoes

Thoughts and Inspiration

Sunday night is vegetable tofu Pho night for us in the wintery months (my semi-homemade version which will be featured soon).  I noticed that I had a potato that was starting to look old (I had originally got it to make a potato/leek soup which never happened!) so I asked my hubby what kind of flavor I should cook the potatoes into... of course since we were having an Asian inspired noodle soup, he suggested Asian.  ...So I put my thinking cap on for a quick idea which wouldn't require necessarily making a sauce from scratch.

These potatoes are a tasty bite for your tongues!  They are spicy and full of robust flavor!*

Cook Time: 20-25 minutes

Ingredients
2 tsps olive oil

*/**1 large Russet potato, peeled and cubed (about 1.5-2 cups)

1 Tbsp red curry paste + 2 Tbsp water

1 tsp black sesame seeds

1 tsp white sesame seeds

1/2 lime, juiced

2 Tbsp green onions, finely chopped

2 Tbsp basil, chiffonade

In a sauce pan heat olive oil on medium heat.  Add the potatoes, give them a quick stir and cook for 4-5 minutes with lid.  Mix red curry paste with water and pour over potatoes.  Stir well and place lid back onto pan and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes.  Test a potato to see if it is cooked all the way through (if not, adjust time and cook an additional few minutes).  Sprinkle sesame seeds onto potatoes and toss to coat.  When ready to serve, add fresh lime juice and garnished with green onions and basil.


*You can do this exact recipe and sub-out the potatoes for butternut squash!
**Note: Place potatoes in water with a tiny pinch of salt until ready to use to help prevent browning.

Peeled and cubed potatoes

This brand is amazing!!!

Oh So Carrot Soup

Thoughts & Inspiration

With this cold weather, I can't help but just want soup all day long.  This soup is a bowl of sweet/savory comfort - the sweetness from the carrot is perfectly complimented by the tomato and the mild garlic addition.  Enjoy!

Cook Time: 30 minutes   
Total Time: 45 minutes
Serves 4 

Ingredients 

*3 cups baby carrots, sliced in half lengthwise

1 large Roma tomato
3 garlic cloves, halved

4 cups water

2 tsp Herbs de Provence OR 2 tsp Sage (depending on the flavor you want)

Salt

Pepper

Optional: 1/4 cup light cream (to make the soup extra rich and creamy)

Garnish
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Garlic/Herb croutons
A few snips of chives
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil (per bowl) 

In a deep soup pot toss in all ingredients except the herbs, salt, pepper and optional ingredient.  Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer.  Place a lid on pot and simmer vegetables for 25-30 minutes.  After about 25 minutes test a baby carrot to see if your soup is ready – you should be able to slice right through the carrot without any effort.  If so, remove soup from heat and if the carrot isn’t quite ready, simmer for an additional 5 minutes.  Allow soup to cool for 10-15 minutes.  Transfer to a blender and puree the vegetables.  I used my Vitamix and blended the soup for 5 minutes to create a really rich smooth texture.  Pour soup back into pot and stir in your choice of herb, salt and pepper to taste (Optional: You may add cream at this step if desired).  Serve in a bowl with your choice of garnishes. 

*Note: I used baby carrots in this recipe since they are already peeled to save myself time.

Garlicky Braised Kale

Thoughts and Inspiration

This is a great vegetable dish that can be had as a side to a main meal.  You can also use it to make stuffed mushrooms or zucchini boats (just mix in your favorite cheese and stuff your veggie).  Or perhaps just throw it on top of some quinoa, brown rice, farro or bulgur!

Ingredients
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 bunch Lacinato kale (Tuscan kale), cleaned and chopped - about 10 oz.
5-6 cloves garlic, sliced thin
1/2 cup water
Sprinkle crushed red pepper
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large skillet heat olive oil on medium-low heat.  Add the garlic and saute for a minute or two, just until fragrant, making sure it doesn't brown.  Add kale, stir and place a lid on for 2-3 minutes to allow kale to slightly wilt.  Next, add the water, season with salt, pepper and crushed red pepper and cook over medium heat for about 6-7 minutes (with lid on).  Remove lid and cook 2-3 minutes longer to help liquid evaporate.  Transfer to bowl and serve.