Category: Veggies

Orzo Salad with Grilled Zucchini & Red Peppers

One of the things I love about summer is the BBQs and fresh foods. While so many pasta salads are made with mayo or Italian dressing, I like to mix it up a bit. I’ve made this pasta salad a couple of times, varying both the veggies and herbs that get mixed in.

Orzo Salad with Grilled Zucchini & Red Peppers

Adapted from Fine Cooking No. 80 (p. 36, 39)

Serves 6-8

Ingredients for the Rosemary Oil

  • 1 c. extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 sprigs rosemary, leaves stripped off and minced
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced

Combine all ingredients in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Let cook about 5 minutes, until the flavors fused and the oil is bubbling (let oil bubble/sizzle 2-3 minutes).  Set aside to cool. Extra oil may be stored in a glass jar in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Ingredients for the Salad:

  • 2 red bell peppers
  • 1 1/4 lb. zucchini
  • 5+ Tbs. rosemary oil
  • kosher salt and black pepper
  • 1 Tbs. red wine vinegar
  • 3/4 lb. orzo pasta (or fregola or other small pasta)

Grill the Veggies: Heat grill to medium heat.

Note: If you’re using a grill basket to grill the veggies, its easiest to cut into 1-inch chunks before grilling. If not, slice both peppers and zucchini into quarters.

Toss veggies with 2 Tbs. oil, 1 tsp. kosher salt, and 1/2 tsp. black pepper. Grill until veggies have nice grill marks and are tender, tossing as necessary. Remove from heat.

Make Pasta Salad: Cook pasta according to instructions. Drain.

Toss grilled veggies, pasta, red wine vinegar, and remaining 3 Tbs. rosemary oil. Add additional rosemary, oil, salt, and pepper to taste.

Serve cold or at room temperature.

Roasted Green Beans with Lemon, Pine Nuts & Parmigiano

This green bean salad was quick and easy. It’s easy enough to change up the recipe according to your taste and season – more/less lemon, different nuts or herbs, etc. My husband and I had the green beans as our only side with the Barefoot Contessa’s Indonesian Ginger Chicken, and it was perfect for the two of us. It’s definitely a recipe that I’ll be making again and again. Enjoy!

Roasted Green Beans with Lemon, Pine Nuts, & Parmigiano

Adapted from Fine Cooking 82, pp. 55

 

Ingredients:

  • 1/3 lb. fresh green beans, rinsed well, stem ends trimmed
  • 4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
  • extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1-1/2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest (1 lemon), plus 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
  • Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
  • 1/3 c. pine nuts
  • 1/4 c. coarsely grated or shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano
  • 1 tsp. coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preheat the oven to 450°F.

In a large bowl, combine green beans, garlic, and lemon zest. Sprinkle in pepper and salt to taste. Toss with olive oil until just coated (2-4 Tbs.)

Spread the beans on a rimmed baking sheet and roast in the top third of the oven for 10 minutes. Stir, and continue roasting for another 10-15 minutes. Green beans and garlic will be slightly browned.

While green beans are roasting, toast the pine nuts, either on a rimmed baking sheet or in a small skillet, for about 5 minutes, until slightly browned.

When green beans are done, transfer to a bowl or serving dish.

Option 1 to Finish: Toss with lemon juice and another 2 tsp. of olive oil. Sprinkle with pine nuts, Parmigiano, and parsley.

Option 2 to Finish: Skip the lemon juice and olive oil and toss with pine nuts, Parmigiano, and parsley.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Vegetarian Chili

I always seem to struggle at lunch time. I’m not a sandwich person and I’m pretty picky about my leftovers. If I was home for lunch, I’d have more options… turkey burgers, stir-fries, homemade pizza…. pretty easy stuff that just tastes better when you make them on the spot.

I decided to try my hand at chili this week, healthified since I’m trying to eat less junk and to get back in shape. This one was inspired by a friend of mine, with lots of veggies. Its one of those meals that I think I’d throw just about any veggie or bean I had on hand into, such as my mushrooms that were left over from quesadillas and taco night.

Vegetarian Chili

By Books n’ Cooks

Ingredients for the Chili Seasoning:

  • 1 Tbs. chili powder
  • 1 tsp. ground cumin
  • 1 tsp. dried oregano
  • 3/4 Tbs. kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
  • 1 tsp. dried minced onion

Ingredients for the Chili:

  • olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed or chopped
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 red or green pepper, diced
  • 1 c. diced mushrooms
  • 1-12 oz package veggie protein crumbles (I used Smart Ground Mexican Style)
  • 1 can diced tomatoes
  • 1-28 oz. can crushed tomatoes

In a medium saucepan, heat a teaspoon of olive oil. When hot, add onion and sauté until soft.

Add all other ingredients and simmer for 30+ minutes, stirring occasionally, until flavors have fused.

Serve with a cheddar or Mexican cheese blend.

BB’s Sausage-Stuffed Mushrooms

Since I didn’t have any dinner party plans, I made this for a little appetizer for my husband and I one night before a late dinner. It was tasty although I was surprised that my husband preferred my traditional cheese-stuffed mushroom recipe to this one. I completely thought he would have opted for the sausage version!

I did use cream cheese in place of mascapone cheese in this recipe – I never really use mascapone and didn’t think I’d have the time to plan another menu-item around the ingredient to use it up. The cream cheese worked just find as a bonding agent.

The only thing I would recommend with this recipe is that you very finely chop the sausage after it is fully browned. I chopped mine up with a spoon as I would normally do, but when it came time to mix the ingredients, I found that the sausage chunks were still too large.

Stuffed Mushrooms

Source: The Barefoot Contessa

Prep Time: 15 minutes     Cook Time: 50-60 minutes

Yields: 6-8 servings

Ingredients:

  • 16 large white mushrooms
  • 3 Tbs. olive oil
  • 1 1/2 Tbs. Marsala wine or sherry
  • 3/4 lb. sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
  • 6 scallions, white & green parts, minced
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 2/3 c. panko crumbs
  • 5 oz. mascarpone cheese  (I used cream cheese)
  • 1/3 c. grated Parmesan
  • 2 1/2 Tbs. minced fresh parsley
  • salt & pepper

Preheat the oven to 325F.

Remove stems from mushroom caps. Mince stems and set aside.

Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add sausage, breaking up into small chunks with a spatula or wooden spoon.

When completely browned (about 10 minutes), add mushroom stems and Marsala/sherry. Cook for another couple minutes.

Add scallions and garlic, and cook for another couple minutes. Be sure to stir so the mushrooms, scallions and garlic are getting warmed.

Stir in panko. When combined, add mascapone or cream cheese and stir until cheese has melted and the mixture is creamy.

Remove pan from heat and stir in Parmesan and parsley. Salt & pepper to taste.

Allow to cool slightly before filling the mushroom caps with the sausage mixture.

Arrange mushrooms in a baking dish that holds the mushrooms snugly against each other.

Bake for 50 minutes, until stuffing is cooked and browned. If your stuffing hasn’t browned after 50 minutes, broil for a few minutes.