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Tasty

Mediterranean Meal

September 9, 2013

I was looking for a “healthy” summer dinner that I could put together in under an hour… 4 courses later and with MANY minutes to spare, dinner was on the table!
Greek Meal

Menu:

Halomui Salad

The salad is easy to whip up… I did the following:

  1. Cubed half a watermelon.
  2. Tear about 15 leaves of mint onto watermelon.
  3. Top with 3 slices of grilled halloumi cheese (you want grill marks and will get some yummy, melty cheese)
  4. Squeeze juice of one lemon onto salad.

Giant BeansThe beans are from Trader Joe’s and great warmed up straight out of the jar… I mean I spent hours slaving on them… oh wait…

Watermelon SaladWe also sliced and grilled zucchini on kebabs on the grill while the cheese cooked… a super delicious, light and tasty meal!

Tasty

You Say Tomato…

September 4, 2013

Farmers MarketAnyone who knows me knows I hate tomatoes… so how could it be that I’m buying tomatoes ON MY OWN ACCORD lately?! Enter – heirloom tomatoes.  Something about them is so appealing, and the sweetness of them makes it hard to deny how tasty a summer treat they are!  Here is how I’ve been enjoying the produce lately…

Roasted Tomato Crostini

Honestly I’ve been making roasted tomatoes weekly and enjoy them over ricotta and sprinkled with basil.  I tried a fun variation this weekend of a crostini lightly brushed with a garlic clove and topped with warm goat cheese and a balsamic reduction.

How to Roast Tomatoes:

  1. Wash cherry tomatoes (can do with any kind, but I like smaller, sweet ones)
  2. Spread out on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil (optional)
  3. Sprinkle with salt and pepper (Maldon sea salt will change your life)
  4. Roast at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or so (keep an eye on them, because it depends how many you use/how hot your oven gets, etc. – you want them blistered but not burnt)

Caprese

I also love a great caprese salad.  Want to elevate it? Substitute mozzarella for buffala mozzarella or burrata (your life will be changed).

Caprese Salad

  • Sliced heirloom tomatoes
  • Sliced basil leaves
  • Mozzarella cheese
  • Balsamic reduction/olive oil
  1. Slice tomatoes
  2. Season with salt and pepper (once again, I HIGHLY recommend Maldon sea salt)
  3. Tear pieces of basil and sprinkle atop tomatoes
  4. Place a portion of cheese on top of tomatoes (you can slice mozzarella into smaller pieces, burrata can be torn in half and served in the center)
  5. Drizzle with balsamic reduction and/or olive oil.
Tasty

Farm to Fork

August 28, 2013

Breakfast Tostada

Step 1: Chop Swiss Chard – saute stalk separately from the greens with garlic, salt and olive oil

Assemble 1st layer: Swiss Chard

Assemble 2nd layer: Lentils (rinse canned lentils and warm on the stove or microwave) – you also could use black beans

Step 3: Chop sweet potatoes and saute with chopped onion, garlic and olive oil (add herbs if you wish!)

Sweet Potatoes Assemble 3rd layer: Sweet Potato Mixture

Sweet PotatoAssemble 4th layer: Eggplant (saute chopped eggplant or any other squash you like)

EggplantStep 5: Fry eggs

Assemble 5th layer: Top eggs with chopped heirloom tomatoes and basil

TomatoStep 6: Enjoy!

089The joy of this meal is you can use whatever you have in your fridge/garden/kitchen – an “everything but the kitchen sink” type of meal if you will… get creative!  This is also a great meal to top with your favorite hot sauces… mine being the green Tabasco 🙂

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Tasty

Poolside Lunch

August 26, 2013

By now everyone knows my obsession with spending my time by bodies of water… namely my parent’s pool.  I try to bring over food for the fam whenever I swoop their chaise lounges (a rental fee if you will), so quick but tasty meals are key.

I made these Turkey Burgers while my sister whipped up this amazing Orzo Veggie Salad. I pickled the veggies in the morning and added a splash of peach balsamic vinegar over the patties before cooking them (not in the recipe but added a little extra flavor).  J also put some shredded white cheddar on them which didn’t hurt either.

135Fed and poolside yet again in under 30 minutes!

Tasty, Travels

Cooking Class

August 22, 2013

*There has been some issues with my website transition, so please click here for the full post!

I was excited to check off the 2nd item on my Summer To Do List (slow and steady wins the race… right?), when J and I were lucky enough to attend a cooking class hosted by one of our good friends!  The class took place at a local Italian restaurant – Il Fornaio, and we had a blast drinking great wine, spending time with friends and learning to make gnocchi! Here were some of the highlights:

I had no idea gnocchi was so easy! Here is how we made ours…

Gnocchi Recipe

  • 2 large russet potatoes
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • pinch of salt
  1. Boil potatoes like you are going to make mashed potatoes (45 minutes or so or until they are tender)
  2. Once they are ready, strain and put them through a ricer and let them cool to room temperature
  3. Create a mound of potatoes and hollow out the center (make a little crater)
  4. Pour egg and flour into center of mound and start folding dough until well incorporated (don’t over knead)
  5. Once mixed (should feel like a soft pillow and only takes about a minute), roll dough into a thick log and cut into one inch sections
  6. Roll each section into a skinny rope and using a butter knife slice into bite size/gnocchi sized pieces
  7. Pick up each gnocchi piece with your thumb and index finger, holding it on the cut sides. Place it on the end of the fork closest to the handle and roll it in a forward motion to the front of the tines.  Repeat on all pieces.
  8. Boil the gnocchi about 2 dozen at a time (don’t crowd!). After they float to the surface, count 20 seconds, lift them out with a skimmer/strainer.
  9. Add some reserved pasta water to a frying pan and then add whatever sauce you are going to coat your pasta with.  Warm it up and add pasta to coat.  Enjoy!
  10. I also would recommend pan frying them in olive oil after boiling them to create a crunchy bite, then adding to sauce (Note: I’ve never done this… I just think it would be a good idea*)