Category: Quick Meals

Heirloom Tomato Soup

An easy to make delicious summer soup packed full of tomato goodness.

Ingredients

2 pounds heirloom tomatoes peeled and seeded¹

2 T butter

1 T olive oil

1 medium sweet onion diced

3 cloves garlic minced

1 t sugar

1 T salt

1/4 C  packed rough chopped basil

1 jalapeno diced

1 t tomato paste

2 C chicken or vegetable broth

3/4 C cream or half and half

Directions

Heat butter and olive oil into a 2 3/4 quart or size 20 Le Creuset® until melted. Add onions and saute until tender or about 10-15 minutes.

Add garlic and jalapeño and saute until fragrant.

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Add tomatoes, sugar, basil, salt, broth and stir. Bring ingredients to boil than simmer for about 30 minutes.

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Remove from heat  and puree using immersion blender.

Serve with cream on the side.

Notes

1 I blanch the tomatoes in boiling water for about a minute or two. Pull them out using slotted spoon and immerse in iced water. Peel and then cut tomatoes in half to deseed. I used heirloom tomatoes but any fresh tomatoes will yield similar results.

Greek Salad on Lavash with Tzatziki Sauce

A delicious combination of Greek inspired dishes served on a flatbread. It is bursting with flavor and texture from both the creamy, chunky tzatziki sauce and the salty, acidic Greek dressed salad.

Ingredients

Lavash

1 lavash(9 inches by 12 inches)

1 T olive oil

3/4 C Tzatziki Sauce

1/2 C feta cheese crumbled

Greek Salad Ingredients

1/2 C English cucumber diced

1/2 C tomato diced

1/3 C shallot or red onion sliced thin

½ C red or yellow pepper diced

1 T mint chopped

3 T Kalamata olives chopped

2 C baby romaine

1/3 C Greek salad dressing

Directions

Serves 2 or 4.

Preheat oven to 420º F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

Flatbread Prep

Place flatbread on baking sheet and paint both sides lightly with olive oil.

Transfer to oven and bake about 2 minutes per side and remove from oven and cool.

Salad

Combine all salad ingredients except romaine and toss with dressing and set aside to marinate.

Assemble the Lavash

Place the flatbread on large serving platter.

Spread tzatziki sauce onto lavash.

Combine the marinated salad vegetables with the romaine and toss to coat. Spread the salad over the tzatziki flatbread.

Sprinkle with feta and cut the lavash into two or four pieces.

Serve

Note:

This is a favorite luncheon dish. Easy to make. My cousin also said she uses whole wheat pitas in place of the whole wheat flatbread that I use.

 

 

Yogurt Waffels

A light fluffy textured waffel crispy on outside and soft on the inside. They do not get soggy after adding maple syrup.

Ingredients

 1 ½ C flour

2 t baking powder

2 t baking soda

Pinch of salt

3 eggs

1 ½ C yogurt¹

1 t vanilla

3 T butter melted

Directions

Preheat waffle iron to medium setting  Serves 6

Mix dry ingredients together in medium bowl and set aside

In small bowl add eggs, yogurt, and vanilla than whisk.

Add egg yogurt mixture and butter to flour mixture and mix until incorporated. Do not over mix.

Spray top and bottom irons with PAM or lightly brush with melted butter. Ladle waffle makers recommended batter amount into the iron, Cook until golden brown about 6-8 minutes. Remove and serve with maple syrup or berry toppings.

Note:

¹Any yogurt can be used. I use plain Greek yogurt.

I do not add sugar. Maple syrup or berry toppings provide the sugar element.

These waffles can be frozen and reheated in a microwave or toaster.

Curly Kale Salad and Hummus on Lavash/Flatbread

This is a busy day for the family as we have birthday parties and two basketball competitions that require our participation. We need a delicious but satisfying lunch. A crispy lavash/flatbread painted with lemon hummus and topped with a flavor packed curly kale salad.

Ingredients

Lavash

1 lavash(9 inches by 12 inches)

1 T olive oil

1/2 – 2/3 C hummus

Salad

1 bunch curly kale

Dressing

1/2 cup olive oil

5 garlic cloves minced

1/3 cup Parmesan Reggiano grated plus 1/4 cup  set aside

1/3 cup lemon juice

2 t Dijon mustard

6 ounces fresh raspberries or blackberries¹

1/3 C spiced pecansSugar Spiced Pecans

Salt and pepper

Directions

Serves 2 or 4.

Preheat oven to 420º F.

Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

Salad Dressing

Pour into bowl,  lemon juice, minced garlic, mustard and cheese and combine. Stream in olive oil while vigorously whisking until emulsified. Pour into salad bottle and set aside.

Kale Prep

Remove kale ribs, wash and spin and tear into bite size pieces or if in a hurry rough chop. Transfer to large bowl.

Flatbread Prep

Place flatbread on baking sheet and paint both sides lightly with olive oil.

Transfer to oven and bake about 2- 3 minutes per side and remove from oven and cool.

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Assemble

Salad

In large bowl containing kale, add salad dressing and toss to coat kale leaves. Season with salt and pepper. Then add 1/3 C parmesan and gently toss.

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Spread flatbread with hummus.

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Top hummus with salad.

Dress with berries, pecans, and cheese.

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Serves two or four.

 

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Notes:

¹I use the berries in the salad that are on sale.

Organic kale and berries are in season now. There is such an abundance that most of the markets have fresh produce on sale regularly.

 

Hummus Pizetta with Cucumber Tomato Salad

Addictively tasty healthy food.  That’s what toasted lavash with lemon hummus and tomato cucumber salad is.  Crunch. Yum. Pick up the crumbs.  Repeat.

Ingredients

1 lavash(9 x 12 inch)

1 T olive oil

2/3 C hummus *

Salad Ingredients

1/2 C cucumber diced

1/2 C tomato diced

2 T shallot diced

1 T mint chopped

2 T Kalamata olives chopped

Dressing Ingredients

1/2 t salt

Pinch of pepper

1/3 C white balsamic vinaigrette plus 2 T set aside

Last Ingredient to Add

2 C Little Gem (baby romaine) lettuce **

Directions

Serves 2 or 4.

Preheat oven to 450º F.

Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

Make Salad

Chop and prep all salad ingredients.

In small bowl, combine all salad ingredients (except romaine).

Set aside.

In a container, combine salad dressing ingredients and toss.

Make Dressing and Dress Vegetables

Make white balsamic vinaigrette.

Add 3 tablespoons of  dressing to vegetables and marinate for 1 hour. Set aside.

Flatbread Prep

Place flatbread on baking sheet and paint both sides lightly with olive oil.

Transfer to oven and bake about 3 minutes per side and remove from oven and cool.

Assemble

Spread flatbread with hummus.

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Add romaine to marinated salad mixture and toss.  More olives could also be added.

Add mixture to flatbread and drizzle 1-2 tablespoons of dressing on top.

Cut and serve.

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Notes

* I use lemon hummus or caper hummus in this recipe.

** If I am out of romaine, I use arugula. This changes the crunch factor and the taste profile.

This is a favorite luncheon meal–vegetables and protein on lavash.

Southwest Lavash (Flatbread) Pizza

Use lavash as a flatbread to make  fun fresh pizza salad that has great flavor and a light texture.  This recipe is great for cutting carbs and making veggies more fun to eat.

Ingredients

1 lavash flatbread (9 x 12″)

1/2 C chèvre

1/3 C mozzarella

1/2 – 3/4 C black bean corn salsa

1 tomato diced

1/4 C black olives sliced

1 shallot thin sliced

1/4 -1/3 C cilantro sliced

1/2 C lettuce fine sliced

1/4 C sour cream

1/4 C cheddar shredded (optional)

Directions

Serves 2 for lunch

Preheat oven 450º F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine veggies:

Mix tomatoes, shallots, olives, and cilantro in small bowl and set aside.

Make pizza:

For sauces, the flatbread is prenaked.  For a soft cheese spread, you can prebake or move to the next step.  For prebaking, place flatbread on baking sheet and apply thin coat of olive oil to both sides. Bake for 3 minutes and turn over and bake for another 3 minutes.*  The flatbread should crisp and somewhat flexible.

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If prebaked, remove flatbread from oven. Otherwise, gently spread chèvre (or other soft cheese) and then sprinkle mozzarella on the flatbread. Bake for 3-4 minutes and remove from oven.

Add the black bean corn salsa and then the tomato mixture to the prepared flatbread. Sprinkle the lettuce and sour cream to finish dressing the pizza. (If desired, add shredded cheddar cheese.) Cut into quarters and serve.

Notes

* With cheese, I may not prebake the flatbread.  For sauces, prebaking is important since sauces can make flatbread soggy. I recommend experimenting to find what works for you.

Blackened chicken, cod, or halibut can be added.

Do not add so many ingredients that the flatbread breaks from the weight of the toppings.

Cloud Eggs

 

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Whipped egg whites coddling a yolk. A different approach to traditional bacon and egg breakfast.

Ingredients

Eggs

Directions

Heat oven to 350º F    Foil cover baking sheet

In small bowl separate white from yolk. Place yolk in small bowl. I used the hand method of separating the two.

Whip the egg white until firm peaks form. Butter the foil. Place whipped whites on baking sheet and tease hole in middle to hold the egg yolk. Bake the white for 5-10 minutes, Add yolk carefully not to break it and cook about 5 minutes. Serve.

Note: 

Changes I would make: add herbs or other seasoning to white while whipping.

I opt out of cloud eggs for a traditional recipe. I would not try this again. Pretty presentation though.

 

Tarte Pizza with 4 Cheese Artichoke Hearts and Sun-dried Tomato

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An easy to make 4 cheese pizza with delicious toppings. It is a no yeast pizza dough that cooks up crispy in 10 minutes or less.

Ingredients

Dough

1 1/4 C flour

3 T cano;a oil

1/4 t salt

5 T water

Sauce

2/3 C creme fraische

2/3 C fromage blanc(can substitute sour cream)

1/4 t nutmeg

Topping

2 artichoke hearts chopped

1/4 C thin sliced red onion

2 sun-dried tomatoes thin sliced

Handful of chopped spinach leaves

3/4- 1  C mozzarella shredded. Apply

1-2 slices provolone diced

3 T grated Parmesan

1/4 C feta crumbles

Salt and pepper

Directions

Oven temperature 550º F Baking sheet 13″ by 18″ lined with parhment paper Appetizer or serves 2

Mix flour,salt and oil until crumbly. Add water until dough comes together. Knead until smooth. COver and rest for 1 hour.

Sauce: Mix in small bowl and set aside

ssemble

Roll  and pat dough until paper thin.  Spread sauce, half of the mozzarella and provolone. Add onions, artichokes, tomatoes. Top with remaining cheeses. Season with salt and pepper.

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Bake about 10 minutes on lowest rack in oven.. Remove, slice and eat. Serve with green salad

Lamb Sandwich with Tzatziki Sauce

Lamb
Tzaziki
Tzaziki on Wheat Bread
Open-face Sandwich

A mouthful of flavors with thin-sliced lamb chop served on rosemary-herb butter toast with a Tzatziki Sauce Recipe spread.

Ingredients

Leftover lamb

4 T tzatziki sauce plus 2 T

4 slices wheat bread

2 T rosemary compound butter

4 lettuce leaves

Avacado slices(optional)

Sunflower or pumkin seeds(optional)

Compound Butter Recipe

1/4 pound butter diced and cold

3 T herbs

Chop herb leaves and place in food processor. Pulse 2 to 4 times. Add butter and pulse until combined. Ready to use. Left over butter can be wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated for other recipes.

Directions

Serves 2

Thin slice lamb and set aside. I had 4 leftover lamb chops.

Spread compound butter on one side of bread. Heat skillet over medium high heat and cook two slices of bread until golden. Remove and cook next two slices and remove.Spread Tzatziki sauce on bread

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Add lamb to skillet toss and place on prepared bread.

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Add avacado, additional sauce, lettuce, and seeds. Serve open faced or close sandwich, slice and serve.

Turkey Sausage Burger with Pretzel Bun

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Kitchen to table meal of turkey sliders on a pretzel bun served with green beans and roasted fingerling potatoes in 30 minutes

Ingredients

1 pound Jennie-O® spicy turkey sausage*

1/3 C panko

1 shallot diced

1 C Mexican cheese blend

1/2 t rosemary finely chopped

4-5 Munster or Havarti cheese slices(optional)

4-5 pretzel buns split

Burger dressings: lettuce, tomato slices, pickles, Tzatziki sauce,mayonnaise, mustard or what ever is available

Sides: roasted fingerling potatoes and green beans

Fingerlings

2 pounds sliced in half and tossed in olive oil

Seasoning of choice

Green beans

3/4 -1 pound fresh green beans

Salt and pepper

Directions

Foil covered baking sheet. Pan with boiler insert. Oven temperature 400º F  Serves 4-5

Fingerlings

On foil covered baking sheet add olive oil covered fingerlings. Season with salt and pepper. Roast turning once about 15 minutes roasting time. Plate and adjust seasoning if needed

Green beans

Wash and destem green breans. Bring about 1″ to 1 1/2″ water to boil in pan with steamer basket. Add beans cover and cook until al dente about 4-5 minutes. Season and plate

Burgers

Place on Ingredients in bowl and combine.

Heat large skillet on medium high heat with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Form turkey mixture into 4 large patties or 5 slider patties.

Place patties in skillet and cook about 8 minutes per side or until temperature reaches 165º F. Add cheese slice if desired  and cook 2-3 minutes.

Transfer burgers to split buns. Serve wth green beans and fingerlings

Note:

* I do not add salt to the turkey sausage as it is already seasoned. I will add other herbs that I have available.

 Good after a busy day with sports and school work.