Pizza Pocket (aka Calzone)

Adam loves calzones. So, whenever I want to make a simple meal that I know he'll love, I go right for them. Calzones are great because there is a never-ending list of stuffers. I made the dough with the usual recipe (you can find it in any number of my previous posts), but you could certainly use a pre-made dough, such as the one Trader Joe sells. This time the dough was half whole wheat to make them a little healthier. I filled the lucious pockets with slightly steamed broccoli, sun-dried tomatoes, and mozzarella cheese. After folding them over and tightly sealing them, I topped them with cooking spray and a bit of Garlic and Wine seasoning from the Melting Pot. Garlic salt would be a great substitute. I baked them at 450 for 15 minutes until they were golden brown. I served them with tomato sauce for dunking. Next, Adam and I devoured them!

Cooking Light Does It Right

This meal comes a complete menu suggestion in Cooking Light. I cannot take any credit for putting it together, but I will take credit for making it delicious! We had a lot of leftover herbs in the fridge, so we went on a search to find herbaceous recipes. And that we did. The main recipe calls for shrimp, but we used scallops and tofu as the proteins instead. The simple tomato bruschetta and grilled asparagus served as the perfect accompaniments. Way to go, Cooking Light!


Italian Herbed Shrimp Kebabs (Cooking Light, July 2008)

1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
2 Tbs. water
1 garlic clove
4 tsp. extravirgin olive oil, divided
24 peeled and deveined jumbo shrimp (about 1 1/2 lbs.)
1 zucchini, cut into 20 (1/2-inch-thick) slices
cooking spray
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper

1. Prepare grill to medium-high heat.
2. Place first 6 ingredients in a blender or small food processor; add 2 tsp. oil. Process until smooth. Transfer basil mixture to a medium bowl. Add shrimp; toss well to coat. Let stand at room temperature 15 minutes.
3. Thread 6 shrimp and 5 zucchini slices alternately onto each of 4 (12-inch) skewers. Drizzle kebabs evenly with remaining 2 tsp. oil. Place kebabs on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 3 minutes on each side or until done. Sprinkle evenly with salt and pepper.


Tomato Bruschetta

Grill 4 (1 1/2-oz.) slices country-style sourdough bread 1 minute on each side or until lightly toasted. Remove bread from grill; rub one side of each bread slice with cut sides of a halved garlic clove. Combine 3/4 cup chopped tomato, 2 Tbs. chopped fresh basil, 1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar, 2 tsp. extravirgin olive oil, and 1/4 tsp. salt. Top each bread slice with about 3 Tbs. tomato mixture.

Sweet Pea

I've come across this recipe a few times, each time thinking that I would love to make. The only problem is that Adam doesn't like peas--or so he thought. So, when he pointed out this recipe, I jumped at the chance to make. This chilled pea soup with a mint pesto is absolutely fabulous. The mint pesto really gives a kick to the sweet pea puree. With a little dollop of sour cream, this soup tantalizes your taste buds.


Chilled Pea Soup with Mint Pesto (Cooking Light, May 2005)

1 tsp. butter
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1 1/2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups 1% low-fat milk
1 (14-oz) can fat-free less-sodium chicken broth [or veggie]
1 (1-lbs.) package frozen green peas, unthawed
6 Tbs. Mint Pesto
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
mint sprigs (optional)

1. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Sprinkle flour over onions, and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in milk and broth. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly; cook 3 minutes or until slightly thick. Add peas; cook 5 minutes.
2. Place half of pea mixture in a blender. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure lid on blender. Place a clean dishtowel over opening in lid (to prevent spills). Process until smooth. Strain pureed pea mixture through sieve into a large bowl, pressing mixture with a spatula. Discard solids. Repeat procedure with remaining pea mixture. Stir in Mint Pesto, salt, and pepper; cover and chill. Garnish with mint sprigs, if desired.

Mint Pesto
2 Tbs. pine nuts
2 small garlic cloves
4 cups loosely packed fresh mint leave (about 2 oz.)
1/2 cup (2 oz.) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup water
1 Tbs. extravirgin olive oil

1. With food processor on, drop pine nuts and garlic through food chute; process until minced. Add mint, cheese, salt, and pepper; process until finely minced. With processor on, slowly add water and oil through chute, and process until well blended.

24 on the 24th!

faFor my birthday, I decided that it would be extremely fun to have a wine tasting. Everyone brought a bottle of wine to share. We created a score sheet and rated the wines on a 1 to 5 scale. At the end of the night, we chose the best red and the best white and awarded them prizes. To go along with all of the wine, we made some spectacular hors d'oeuvres. All in all, a pretty perfect birthday celebration!


With a wine tasting, you must have cheese. We created a simple cheese plate with a stilton, blue cheese, brie, and pepper jack along with crunchy crackers and crispy grapes.


We also made deviled eggs with capers and parsley. Simply boil the eggs for 15 minutes, drain, and place in ice-cold water. Peel, then scoop out the yolks. Mix the yolks with a healthy portion of mayonnaise, a bit of mustard, capers, chopped parsley, and salt and pepper. Once the yolk mixture is mixed together, transfer the mixture into the egg whites and sprinkle with more chopped parsley.


A bean dip with crudite is always a good idea. It's simple to make and delicious to eat (not to mention nutritious). Puree 1 can white kidney beans, with a 1/2 cup basil, red pepper flakes, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt to taste. Serve with pita chips and fresh vegetables.


Creamy Mushroom Phyllo Triangles (Cooking Light, December 2007)

These are super yummy and great to make ahead of time (if only I had). They can even be frozen and baked directly from the freezer, just add 7 minutes onto baking time.

3/4 cup dried porcini mushrooms (about 3/4 oz.)
1 lbs. button mushrooms
1 large onion, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 8 oz.)
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 tsp. dried oregano
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
6 oz. 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
1/2 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
24 (18 x 14-inch) sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed
olive oil-flavored cooking spray

1. Cover porcini mushrooms with boiling water in a bowl. Let stand 1 hour. Drain well, chop.
2. Place half of button mushrooms in a food processor; pulse 8 times or until finely chopped. Remove from processor. Repeat procedure with remaining button mushrooms. Add onion to processor; pulse 8 times or until finely chopped.
3. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion to pan; saute 5 minutes. Add button mushrooms; cook until mushrooms are tender and liquid evaporates (about 10 minutes). Stir in porcini mushrooms, oregano, salt, pepper, and nutmeg; cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Add cheese; stir until cheese melts. Stir in parsley.
4. Preheat oven to 375.
5. Working with 1 phyllo sheet at a time (cover remaining phyllo to prevent drying), place phyllo sheet on large cutting board or work surface. Cut sheet in half lengthwise; lightly coat with cooking spray. Fold phyllo piece in half lengthwise to form a (3 1/2-inch wide) strip. Spoon a level tablespoon of mushroom mixture onto 1 short end of strip, leaving a 1-inch border. Fold 1 corner of edge with 1-inch border over mixture, forming a triangle; continue folding back and forth into a triangle to end of strip. Place triangles, seam side down, on baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Lightly coat tops with cooking spray.
6. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes or until golden. Serve warm.


Fig and Goat Cheese Bruschetta (Cooking Light, September 2008)

These were definitely the hit of the party. We were completely out of these (and most everything else) when the party ended. We are continuing to use the remaining fig preserves on toast. It is best with goat cheese though.

1 1/4 cups chopped dried Mission figs (about 9 oz.)
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup coarsely chopped orange sections
1 tsp. grated orange rind
1/3 cup fresh orange juice (about 1 orange)
1/2 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
40 (1/2-inch-thick) slices Fresh bread baguette, toasted (about 8 oz.)
1 1/4 cups (10 oz.) crumbled goat cheese
5 tsp. finely chopped walnuts

1. Combine first 7 ingredients in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until figs are tender. Uncover and cook 5 minutes or until mixture thickens. Remove from heat; cool to room temperature.
2. Preheat broiler.
3. Top each bread slice with 1 1/2 tsp. fig mixture and 1 1/2 tsp. goat cheese. Arrange bruschetta on a baking sheet; sprinkle evenly with walnuts. Broil 2 minutes or until nuts begin to brown. Serve warm.


Vietnamese Summer Rolls (Cooking Light, August 2008)

The recipe has shrimp in the rolls, but I omitted them to make it vegetarian. You could certainly add tofu or avocado for an added punch. I think these were slightly underappreciated at the party. But that's just fine with me, because I got to eat all the leftovers!

Rolls
1 cup thinly sliced Bibb lettuce
1/2 cup bean sprouts
1/2 cup cooked bean threads (cellophane noodles, about 1 oz. uncooked)
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1/4 cup chopped green onions (about 2)
1/4 cup thinly sliced basil
1/4 cup chopped mint
6 oz. cooked peeled and deveined shrimp, coarsely chopped
8 (8-inch) round sheets rice paper

Dipping Sauce
2 Tbs. rice wine vinegar
2 Tbs. fresh lime juice (about 1 lime)
1 Tbs. sugar
1 tsp. chile paste with garlic (such as sambal oelek)
1 tsp. low-sodium soy sauce

1. To prepare rolls, combine first 8 ingredients in a bowl.
2. Add hot water to a large, shallow dish to a depth of 1 inch. Place 1 rice paper in dish; let stand 30 seconds or just until soft. Place sheet on a flat surface. Arrange 1/3 cup shrimp mixture over half of sheet, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Folding sides of sheet over filling and starting with filled side, roll up jelly-roll fashion. Gently press seam to seal. Place roll, seam side down, on a serving platter (cover to keep from drying). Repeat procedure with remaining shrimp mixture and rice paper sheets.
3. To prepare dipping sauce, combine vinegar and remaining ingredients; stir with a whisk. Serve with summer rolls.

Tandoori Twist

I really like to look through the appropriate month sections of the Cooking Light cookbooks to find meals. They typically use more seasonal ingredients, which I always want to take advantage of. While flipping through the July section, I found a recipe for Chipotle Tandoori Shrimp Wraps that intrigued me from the get-go. Adam ate the meal as it appears in the recipe. I simple created a veggie version by substituting tofu slices for the shrimp. The only other aspect of the recipe we changed was that we broiled the shrimp and tofu. We would have grilled them, but we ran out of propane for our grill. Oh well. They were quite delicious regardless!


Chipotle Tandoori Shrimp Wraps (Cooking Light, July 2006)

1 1/2 cups plain low-fat yogurt, divided
2 Tbs. minced peeled fresh ginger
2 Tbs. minced garlic
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbs. fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. adobo sauce
2 chipotle chiles, canned in adobo sauce, seeded and minced
1 1/2 lbs. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
cooking spray
8 (7-inch) flatbreads (such as Flatout)
1 cup diced peeled mango
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 thinly sliced fresh jalapenos peppers
8 lime wedges

1. Combine 1 cup yogurt, ginger, and next 9 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag; seal bag. Toss well to coat. Marinate in refrigerator 1 hour, turning bag occasionally.
2. Prepare grill.
3. Remove shrimp from bag; discard marinade. Thread shrimp evenly onto 8 (10-inch) skewers. Place skewers on a grill rack coated with cooking spray, and grill 2 minutes on each side or until done. Let shrimp stand 5 minutes. Remove shrimp from skewers. Divide shrimp evenly among 8 flatbreads. Top each serving with 2 Tbs. mango, 1 Tbs. onion, 1 1/2 tsp. cilantro, and 1 Tbs. yogurt. Divide jalapeno evenly among flatbreads; roll up. Serve with lime wedges.

The Most Perfect Pasta Salad

For some unknown reason, we keep receiving Martha Stewart's Everyday Food Magazine. I decided to flip through it and found this amazing looking pasta recipe. It was even better than I had anticipated! The recipe calls for shredded chicken. To make it vegetarian-friendly, we simply omitted the chicken and added sauteed portobella mushrooms and spinach to the mix. The yogurt, raisins, and almonds combine perfectly with the whole wheat pasta, parsley, spinach, and mushrooms to make a satisfying and complete meal.


Pasta Salad with Chicken, Raisins, and Almonds (Everyday Food: A Martha Stewart Magazine, July/August 2009)

coarse salt and ground pepper
8 oz. whole-wheat penne rigate (or other short pasta)
2 1/2 cups cooked shredded chicken
1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1/2 cup golden raisins (optional)
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbs. toasted almonds, coarsely chopped
1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest, plus 2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice

1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente. Reserve 1/4 cup pasta water. Drain pasta, then rinse under cold water to stop the cooking.
2. In a large bowl, stir together pasta, chicken, yogurt, raisins (if using), parsley, almonds, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Thin sauce with pasta water if needed. Season with salt and pepper. (To store, refrigerate, up to 1 day.)

Cobb(ish) Salad

We decided to try out veggie bacon to add some more variety into our veggie diet. From that spawned this idea for a cobb salad dinner. Adam's and mine turned out to be a little different from each other's, but that's what is so wonderful about salads--they can be made for the individual without much extra work. You could make your own salad bar for a crowd by having a big bowl with salad greens and little bowls full of your favorite salad toppings. Here's what we put on our salads:

Mine

hard-boiled egg slices
avocado
veggie bacon pieces
chickpeas
red pepper
red onion
tomato

Adam omitted the chickpeas and added toasted pecans. We each dressed our salad with a honey mustard vinaigrette. Delish and oh so healthy!

Asian Burgers

I certainly did a lot of cooking in July, but not so much blogging. Hopefully, I can catch you up with my wonderful summer food adventures before the summer is over. (Although, the Bay area summer doesn't really happen until September/October.) For a different take on the usual burger, we added an Asian flair. We mixed the meat with soy sauce, pepper, red chile and garlic paste, and a tiny bit of Chinese Barbecue sauce and topped the burger with a crunchy Asian slaw, which also went perfectly with my veggie burger. A nice spinach salad with grilled onions and a sesame vinaigrette served as a wonderful accompaniment.


Asian Slaw Burger Topping

Combine these ingredients in portions to taste. You'll want about a 1/3 of a cup of slaw per burger.

sugar snap peas, thinly sliced on a diagonal
carrots, thinly sliced on a diagonal
red onion, thinly sliced and chopped
splash of rice vinegar
splash of sesame oil
chile and garlic paste
Chinese barbecue sauce


Spinach Salad with Grilled Red Onion Rings and Sesame Vinaigrette (Cooking Light, July 2007)

1 large red onion, cut crosswise into 12 (1/4-inch-thick) rings (about 10 oz.)
2 tsp. dark sesame oil, divided
1 1/2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbs. low-sodium soy sauce
1 Tbs. honey
10 cups baby spinach leaves (about 10 oz.)
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/8 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. sesame seeds, toasted

1. Prepare grill.
2. Combine onion and 1/2 tsp. oil, tossing to coat. Arrange onion on a grill rack; grill 9 minutes or until browned and tender, turning frequently.
3. Combine 1 1/2 tsp. oil, juice, soy sauce, and honey in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk.
4. Place spinach in a large bowl; sprinkle with pepper and salt. Add onions. Drizzle oil mixture over spinach mixture, tossing gently to coat. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.