Weeklies

I'd say about once a week we have soup and sandies for dinner. A big hit at our house, and so simple and comforting. The grilled veggies and goat cheese go so well together. A great mix of mild and bold flavors. We paired it with tj's roasted red pepper soup, and it was dinner in a snap.



Grilled Veggie and Goat Cheese Sandwich

1 baguette, sliced lengthwise
1/2 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1 cup sundried tomatoes, finely chopped
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 TBSP chopped fresh thyme
2 zucchini, cut lengthwise and chopped into 1/4 inch-thick pieces
2-3 portabello mushrooms (depending on size), sliced
1 cup goat cheese, at room temp
1 1/2 cups baby spinach

Heat grill pan over medium-high heat or preheat grill. Make a dressing out of the olive oil, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, herbs, salt, pepper. Add zucchini and mushrooms and coat with oil mixture. Place veggies on the grill pan or grill and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side until grill marks appear and tender. Put mushrooms in a heated skillet on medium-high and saute for just a few minutes. Take pan off heat just as mushrooms are sauteed. You may need to place mushrooms on a paper towel when done, depending on the amount of oil retained. While the zucchini and mushrooms cook, slice baguette in half and spread some of the olive oil mixture on each side...don't forget to scoop up some of the sundried tomatoes. So much flavor. Spread room temp goat cheese over olive oil mixture. Place the cooked vegetables on bottom half of baguette and spinach on top of vegetables. Pop on the top, cut in fours, and serve... preferably with soup!

Lucky Me.

Best thing about birthday month... so many treats! So lucky to be treated by just about everyone, and had a great month full of parties and goodies. Just a few;

Rainy Day Menu

Yesterday was not only my 12-hour work day, but also a partly-gray-rainy day here.. So whatever we had on our minds for the evening definitely switched over to 'rainy day menu'- Grilled Cheese Sandy & Tomato Soup. However, I certainly lucked out, as this menu was awaiting me, piping hot, when I arrived home. My wonderful husband prepared The Ultimate Grilled Cheese, which I really think will be hard to top. Along with creamy tomato soup with freshly ground black pepper.He gets major points today. Sometimes I do love the rain.

Savory & Sweet Veggie Muffins

Vegetable muffins sounds strange, but I am telling you... Zucchini and carrots make amazing muffins! And this way, when you eat them, you can feel good about it. And with cinnamon and sugar on top... they are a healthy treat.

Zucchini & Carrot Muffins

2/3 cup vegetable oil
3 large egg whites
2/3 cup granulated sugar (I used less)
1/2 cup light or dark brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups finely shredded unpeeled zucchini
1/2 cup finely shredded carrot

Grease and flour 12 muffin cups. Heat oven to 375°.
In a mixing bowl, beat the oil with eggs, sugars, and vanilla extract.
Combine the flour, soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon; add to the wet ingredients; stirring until blended. Fold in the shredded zucchini and carrots.
Fill muffin cups about 3/4 full; sprinkle with cinnamon sugar or granulated sugar, if desired. Bake for 20 minutes.

I almost completely omitted the white sugar (except on top) and used egg whites only. For more of a sweet muffin, add the sugar. And for a more dense muffin, use whole eggs. I used large muffin cups, so mine stayed in the oven for almost 40 minutes... but I think for regular size muffin tins, baking time would be around 20-22 mins. Enjoy.

Pasta & Scallops

Scallops with Wilted Spinach and Arugula

Serves 4

10 large sea scallops- rinsed and dried, tough muscles removed
coarse salt
freshly ground pepper
3 Tbsp safflower oil (it can withstand high heat without smoking)
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced legnthwise
7 oz. (10 cups) baby spinach
7 oz. (10 cups baby spinach
dash of red pepper flakes

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season scallops with salt and pepper. Add 2 Tbsp. oil in the skillet and heat. Add scallops and cook on one side until golden brown, about 7 minutes. Flip and cook until opaque, 30-45 seconds. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb some of the extra oil. Reduce heat to medium, and add the remaining oil to skillet. Add garlic, and cook for 15 seconds. Add spinach, arugula, red pepper flakes and salt and pepper. Cook, tossing often, until just wilted. Transfer to platter, top with scallops, and serve immediately.

Pasta With Spring Herbs

1/2 pound dried pasta, fussilli
1/2 cup roughly chopped mixed herbs (I used basil, Italian parsley, chervil, and tarragon)
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
10 stems asparagus, sliced into small pieces, blanched
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
coarse salt
freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta in a pot of salted water, according to package directions. Drain and add asparagus, herbs (you could also use dill), oil, lemon juice and zest, salt and pepper to taste, and Parmesan. Add more oil and cheese if your pasta seems dry. Serve immediately.

(Adapted from Martha's Living mag)

Fig Jam

This recipe is actually from Giada, and makes a super easy and yummy appetizer. I added some olives and rosemary and salt Marcona almonds, and voila. Easy app 'platter'.



6 cups dried figs, halved
1/2 cup simple syrup*
2 Tbs. brandy
1/4 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts
24 baguette slices
olive oil
1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano
1 large apple (Granny Smith or Braeburn, preferred)
chunk of Pecorino Romano for shaving

*Simple Syrup is so simple! Equal parts water and sugar (I usually use 1 cup). Combine in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, simmer 5 minutes stirring occasionally. When sugar has completely dissolved, take pan off heat and let syrup cool.

Preheat oven to 375.

Combine figs, simple syrup, and brandy in small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then turn off and set aside for 10 minutes or so to plump the figs and to cool slightly. Transfer fig mixture to a food processor. Add hazelnuts and blend, pulsing a few times, til pureed. Set aside.

Place baguette slices on baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Top each slice with 1 teaspoon grated Pecorino Romano. Bake til bread is toasted and cheese is melted and golden- about 7 minutes.

Cut apple in thin slices.

Top each toast slice with 2 teaspoons of fig jam, a slice of apple, and a piece shaved Pecornio Romano.

Sustainable Farming

Happy to report I made another dish with spinach from our OWN garden! Love it.