Week 94: Roasted Vegetable and Goat Cheese Pitas

Do you know what happens when you roast veggies?  They become sweetly delicious?  And when you pair it with some goat cheese?  SWEET + SALTY = Match made in heaven.

I originally wanted to make my own pitas, but alas, I didn't have enough time for all that dough-rising business, so I bought some at the grocery store.

This was an easy and delicious meal, that was just was good leftover!

Year of Yum Rating: 4 STARS

INGREDIENTS
2 small zucchini, sliced

2 small yellow squashes, sliced
1 large portobella mushroom, stem removed and sliced
1/2 red onion, sliced thick
1 cup chopped broccoli florets
1 T olive oil
2 T balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
fresh crumbled goat cheese
whole wheat pitas

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 425 and line a baking sheet with tin foil or parchment paper.


Scatter veggies over baking sheet and then drizzle olive oil and vinegar over all and toss well. Sprinkle with salt.

Roast for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, heat pitas then slice and stuff each with 1/4 cup goat cheese. When veggies are done, stuff into pitas and eat warm.

Recipe courtesy of Eat, Live, Run

Week 68: Grilled Fontina, Mushroom, and Sage Sandwiches

Good news: I haven't dropped off the face of the Earth.

Bad news: A few of our recipes have gotten forgotten in all the craziness that's been going on.

Can I make it up to you with a WHOLE LOT OF MUSHROOMS? Let's hope so, because that's what you're about to get...

Year of Yum Rating: 4 STARS

This was really delicious. Unfortunately I didn't really feel like eating at the time, so I may not have given this yummy sandwich a very fair shot. I should probably try making it again soon. Just to be fair...

INGREDIENTS
3 Tablespoons butter (2 melted)
1/2 pounds mushrooms (cut into thin slices)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
4 teaspoons chopped fresh sage (or 1 1/4 teaspoons dried sage)
8 slices bread
1/2 pounds fontina (this cheese was HEAVEN in my mouth)

DIRECTIONS
1) In a large nonstick frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the butter over moderate heat. Add the mushrooms, salt, pepper, and dried sage, if using, and cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the fresh sage, if using. Put the mushrooms in a bowl and wipe out the pan.

2) Using a pastry brush, coat one side of 4 slices of the bread with half of the melted butter. Put them, buttered-side down, on a work surface. Top the bread with the cheese and then the mushrooms. Cover with the remaining 4 slices of bread; brush the tops with the remaining melted butter.

3) Heat the frying pan over moderately low heat. Add the sandwiches and cook, turning once, until golden, about 2 minutes per side.



This recipe even came with a wine recommendation! How fancy! Try a crisp, dry, Italian white, such as Soave, Frascati, or pinot grigio to refresh your mouth after every bite of this flavorful sandwich.

Week 49: Grilled Cheese with Apples and Broccoli Soup

I already love grilled cheese, but adding the tartness of Granny Smith apples to the sandwich made it that much yummier! I originally had wanted to make parsnip soup to go with our sandwiches, but I had a little parsnip drama, so I found a broccoli soup recipe instead. I wanted a soup recipe that was a little lighter, and less creamy. It got its creaminess from a potato.

Year of Yum Rating: 4 1/2 STARS for the Sandwich, and 3 1/2 STARS for the soup

INGREDIENTS

Sandwich:
bread of your choice
cheddar cheese
Granny Smith apple
butter

Soup:
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped (about 3/4 cup)
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1 medium Yukon Gold potato, peeled and cubed
4 cups fresh broccoli, including stems, chopped
2 cups low-sodium, fat-free chicken or vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups nonfat milk

DIRECTIONS
Heat oil on medium heat in a soup pot or Dutch oven. Gently sauté onion and celery for 3-4 minutes, until onion is softened. Add potato and chopped broccoli, followed by the broth and milk. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes, until vegetables are tender.

Allow soup to cool slightly, then transfer to a blender in 2-3 batches, and blend until smooth. Return soup to pot and heat gently until ready to serve. In the meantime, make your delicious sandwiches.

Week 48: Ground Beef Pitas

Abby got this recipe from "Real Simple" magazine. I was thrilled at this choice, because I have been craving red meat (hamburger specifically) like nobody's business. Mixed with the Mediterranean flavors, it was delish.

My only complaint is that it was a little dry. We thought maybe we should have heated the pitas up before we assembled them. Also, the meat might have been a little on the dry side, but we wanted to make sure it was cooked all the way through.

YOUR complaint, on the other hand, will be this: I have no pictures. I forgot my camera when I went to Abby's house yesterday. The new plan was to take pictures of leftovers, but I forgot to bring my camera to school today also! Something that you also might find offensive is the fact that I don't have the EXACT recipe to share with you, so I'm just going to tell you what I remember.

Whoa, I'm a mess.

For more (read: better) information, visit the original recipe on the Real Simple website.

Year of Yum Rating: 4 STARS

INGREDIENTS
1 lb. ground beef
hummus
pitas
red onion
flat leaf parsley
olive oil
salt
pepper
dried oregano

DIRECTIONS
1) Make 16-ish little, baby patties with the ground beef. Season with salt, pepper, and oregano.
2) Cook those little guys in a pan over medium/medium-high heat, a couple of minutes each side, probably.
3) Spread hummus on your pita. As much as your little heart desires.
4) Fill with red onion, parsley, and your cute little beef patties.
5) Eat it.

Brilliant, I know. I should write cookbook.