Category Archives: Vegetable Main Dishes

Mushroom + Onion Pizza with Simple Tomato Sauce

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Tell me, who doesn’t love pizza?

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When we can, we have bonfire get-togethers at my mom and dads house. We have my friends, my brothers friends, family, family friends, anyone who can come.

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They are always so much fun. There are always several games of bocce ball, can jam, and a new favorite, ping pong. There are plenty of good drinks to go around as well as good food. For a while, we would do what we call “gourmet mountain pies.” We would make mountain pie combos like veggies with feta, fresh raspberries with sweet cream, and apricot with walnuts and Gorgonzola cheese. Yes, they are as good as they sound.

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Lately though, we’ve been going the easy route and ordering a bunch of pizza. The normal favorites are buffalo chicken, Philly cheesesteak and pepperoni, but lately, my brother and his friends have been obsessing over mushroom and onion pizza. I tried it, and really love the combo too!

sauce

It’s not often that I crave red sauce on pizza. I love it, I really do, and I would gladly eat red sauce pizza at any time. But it seems that when I’m making pizza I put maybe just some olive oil and garlic as the sauce, or some pesto.

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But, I’ve been thinking, and I really wanted to create a super simple red sauce that I could easily make anytime the red sauce craving hits.

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This sauce is so simple and also customizable. I put 1 tablespoon of sugar in it to add just a touch of sweetness, but I know that a lot of people in my family like sweet red sauce so I would say just add more sugar! Add things, don’t add things, exactly to your taste. The process is easy and simple but make the flavor just for you.

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I know I’ve talked a bit about not having a food processor, but I now have one (thanks mom!). That is what makes this sauce so easy. I don’t think that my particular blender would have worked for this because it doesn’t have high enough power, but if you don’t have a food processor, and feel that your blender would work, you could try that.

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Also, I highly suggest the mushroom + onion combo. And I highly suggest cooking your veggies for this pizza in wine. O yes. It is so great. But, for all the non-mushroom lovers, still try the sauce, and still cook your toppings of choice in wine. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. 🙂

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Ingredients
This is enough for one pizza
1 prepared pizza crust (I used a pre-made one from market)
1 large onion
2 cups mushrooms
Olive oil
White wine
1 – 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese
Parmesan cheese for topping, if desired
For the sauce:
3 large tomatoes
6 oz. tomato paste
2 large garlic cloves
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
1/2 tablespoon dried basil

For the sauce, add the tomatoes, tomato paste and garlic to a food processor. Process on high, until the sauce is smooth, with only very small chunks.

Add the sauce to a pot over medium heat on the stove. Add the brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, salt, oregano and basil and stir and bring to a simmer. Let the sauce cook, over low heat, while you prepare the rest of the pizza.

Preheat the oven to 400*.

Chop the mushrooms and slice the onion. Add about 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil to a pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the onions and let cook about five minutes, until softened and slightly browned. Add the mushrooms, stir a cook for several more minutes. With the heat still on medium-high, add a good splash of white wine to the veggies. It should simmer and evaporate pretty quickly with the high heat. Add another splash, if desired, and again let it cook away.

Spoon the sauce on the prepared pizza crust. I used about 4 ladle-fulls of sauce, but use as much as you prefer. Top the sauce with cheese. I used about 1-1/4 cup of mozzarella but use as much as you please and your favorite type. Top the pizza with the veggies. I then sprinkled a small amount of grated Parmesan on top of the veggies.

Bake the pizza in the oven for 10-20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and crust is done. My crust was baked and ready to go when I topped it, but got soggy from the sauce so needed 20 minutes to bake. Use your judgement on cooking time depending on your crust.

Enjoy!

Squash + Corn + Onion Cabbage Wraps

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I’ve got another little cabbage wrap recipe to share with you!

words

These shrimp + veggie cabbage wraps were so delicious, but they do involve a bit of work to prepare. These ones, just as good, require less work. They come together easily but still have amazing flavor.

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onions

Let me tell yow how easy these are.

corn

Make some quinoa. Quinoa is so simple. It’s like rice, but takes less time. Rinse quinoa, boil quinoa, cover and let cook for 20 minutes. That’s it for the quinoa.

quinoa

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While that’s happening, if you have a grill, grill the corn. If you don’t, like me, broil or roast the corn in the oven. If you broil it, it doesn’t take long at all.

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Chop the squash. I cut each of mine in half, long-ways, and then chopped it from there. Also, slice the onions and peel the garlic. Into a pan: olive oil, garlic and onion. Cook and then add the squash. Cook some more, add the corn and then taste-test one of the best veggie dishes ever.

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Blanch the cabbage. It’s simple, really. Don’t be afraid to do this.

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Pile ingredients onto cabbage, roll, then dig in. Eat, then repeat. It’s that simple!

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This simple summery meal is delicious, healthy and takes no time at all. Enjoy!

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Ingredients
2 cups water (or stock of your choice)
1 cup quinoa
Olive oil
1 large garlic clove
4 large spring onions
2-3 cups chopped squash
2 ears of corn
Cabbage leaves, one per wrap
Soy sauce, optional

Start with the quinoa. Rinse one cup of quinoa thoroughly in a fine mesh strainer. Add the rinsed quinoa and water (or stock) to a medium pot over high heat. Bring to a boil, stir once, cover and turn heat to low. Let quinoa simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until all water is absorbed and quinoa is light and fluffy.

While quinoa is cooking, brush two ears of corn with olive oil. Place under the broiler for 5-10 minutes, or until golden brown. Alternatively, grill the corn. Once the corn is down, let cool then remove the kernels from the cob.

Also while quinoa is cooking, add about 2 tablespoons olive oil to a large pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook for a few minutes. Add the onions and cook over medium heat for about 3 minutes, or until onions start to get soft. Add the squash and cook for about 10 minutes, or until squash is soft or at the tenderness you prefer. Once done, add corn and remove from heat.

To blanch the cabbage: Prepare a large bowl of ice water and set aside. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Place the cabbage leaves into the boiling water and blanch for about 1 minute. Remove the leaves and place into the ice water. I did two leaves at a time, but you may do more depending on the size of your pot. Pat the leaves dry with paper towels.

To assemble the wraps, place a blanched cabbage leaf on a plate. Top with quinoa, a drizzle of soy sauce, if preferred, and the veggies. Fold over the bottom edge of the leaf and then fold in one of the sides. Begin rolling and tucking in the other side as you roll. It may be messy while eating.

Enjoy!

Roasted Corn + Pepper + Bean Sliders

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I’m reminded once again how much I love making veggie burgers.

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I just love making a big batch to enjoy with Greg for dinner, and then having enough to make lunch for each of us for days.

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I usually keep it uncooked in a container, and then cook the burgers when I’m readying lunch.

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These particular ones were sliders for us, but could totally be bigger if that’s what you want. We went with sliders because we received some awesome challah sliders from Wild Flour Bakery at market. They were so good, and made these burgers even better. The sliders didn’t last long.

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rolls

These veggie burgers are utilizing the first sweet corn of the summer. I think about ears of sweet corn all year long, but when I eat it for the first time each summer, it’s like I forgot how amazing it really is. The corn in these burgers was my first this year and I just could not get enough. I never want veggie burgers without sweet corn again.

skillet

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We topped these sliders simply. Just some cheese. That is not typical around here. We usually have more toppings on burgers than actual ingredients in the burgers. But, for this one, I wanted the patty to be the star. With a slice of melty cheese, it was, in such a great way.

sliders

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This is a great, simple summer recipe. It utilizes fresh veggies and really has very few extras. I hope you enjoy these as much as we did!

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Ingredients
Olive oil
2 ears of corn
1 red bell pepper
1 jalapeno pepper
1 medium onion
3 medium celery stalks
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 can white beans
1 can black beans
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 egg
3/4 cup breadcrumbs
Slider rolls
Cheddar cheese, for topping

Start with the corn. If you have a grill, I suggest grilling the corn. I don’t have a grill, so I broiled my corn. I lightly brushed each ear with olive oil, set it on a baking sheet and put it under the broiler for several minutes, until slightly charred. Once the corn is done, let it cool and then remove the kernels.

Finely chop the peppers, onion and celery. Place about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the minced garlic and stir. Add the peppers, onion and celery. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until veggies are just soft. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a large  mixing bowl, mash the black and white beans with a potato masher or a fork. Add the onion powder, egg, breadcrumbs, cooked veggies and corn. Stir well, to combine everything.

To make sliders or burgers, shape bean/veggie mixture into patties and cook in a pan over medium heat until crispy on each side and heated through. I used olive oil to cook mine. Serve on rolls with cheese or go bunless!

Enjoy!

Shrimp + Rice + Veggie Cabbage Wraps

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I am so excited!

WORDS

Because these wraps are seriously the best ever!

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This idea started at market on Sunday. I asked a fellow market worker what she was going to do with the cabbage that we were both taking home. I had originally planned on making a batch of slaw to have throughout the week. She said that she wasn’t sure what she’d do with hers, but she usually uses cabbage leaves as wraps.

I thought about that for a little and as I was looking over what I got at market, this idea began to develop.

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Then I made carrot and cucumber salad. And then I thought that would go perfect in my little wraps. And then, I read about this new-to-me way to prepare shrimp. And then I saw a bag of rice sitting in the pantry.

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The idea was complete, now I just needed to execute it.

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Let’s talk about this.

salad

The carrot and cucumber salad is, like I said yesterday, wonderful on its own, but in these wraps, it is just perfect. You could put any veggies in these wraps, but I do really suggest the carrot + cucumber peanut salad.

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The shrimp. I always prepare shrimp the same way. I usually cook them in a little olive oil on the stove on high heat. I read this new method in Martha Stewart Living magazine and it intrigued me. I wanted to branch out my shrimp cooking methods and I thought that this would be the perfect opportunity. The simple steaming method is just perfect for these wraps. It is unbelievable how much amazing flavor shrimp have when they are cooked with nothing else. You have got to try this method (described below in the recipe).

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I blanched the cabbage leaves for this recipe. Blanching the cabbage is super easy and turns out perfect to act as wraps. The leaves get soft but still retain a bit of stiffness and roll perfectly around the rice, shrimp and veggies. And, I noticed that once rolled, the leaves kind of stick together, keeping everything rolled very tight. It’s perfect!

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These wraps have a sweetness from the shrimp, an earthiness from the rice, a crunch and freshness from the veggies and cabbage. They are a wonderful summer meal, but we liked these so much that I can see us eating them all year long. Greg said last night, after eating five of these, that he thinks he may want these at least once a week now. I can deal with that! 🙂

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If you are looking for something light and healthy, that will make you feel great after eating, something summery and refreshing and something so delicious that you will be dreaming about it, this is it. I hope that you enjoy these cabbage wraps as much as I did.

Ingredients
Cabbage, 1 leaf per wrap
Rice, I cooked one cup of rice
Shrimp, in shells, plan for about 2 per wrap
This carrot + cucumber peanut salad

Cook the rice. Have the carrot + cucumber peanut salad ready. Click the link above for the recipe.

To cook the shrimp: Bring about 1 inch of water to boil in a large saucepan. Once the water is boiling, add the shrimp (in shell) to the pan. Turn off the heat, put a lid on the saucepan and let sit for three minutes. After three minutes, the shrimp will be cooked through. Drain and let the shrimp cool.

Once cool, peel and devein the shrimp. To devein shrimp, I simply cut a line down the back of the shrimp and use a toothpick to remove the waste. Rinse the shrimp once it is deveined and cut each shrimp in half.

To blanch the cabbage: Prepare a large bowl of ice water and set aside. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Place the cabbage leaves into the boiling water and blanch for about 1 minute. Remove the leaves and place into the ice water. I did two leaves at a time, but you may do more depending on the size of your pot. Pat the leaves dry with paper towels.

To assemble the wraps, place a blanched cabbage leaf flat on a plate. Place a couple of spoonfuls of rice in the center. Place a couple of pieces of shrimp on top of the rice. Finish it with a spoonful of the carrot cucumber salad. Fold over the bottom edge of the leaf and then fold in one of the sides. Begin rolling and tucking in the other side as you roll. It should stay together well while you are eating.

Notes:
-If you don’t want to cook/peel/devein your own shrimp, do it your own way and skip the section on shrimp above. Any shrimp would be great in this.
-Our wraps stayed together well, so if you roll in right, yours should too. One was overstuffed and did fall apart a bit, but they generally should stay together very well.

Shrimp and Roasted Pineapple Quesadillas with Simple Peanut Sauce

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More quesadillas!

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These ones are quite different from the first. But equally as delicious. I’m in love with both.

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I recently had a strong craving for peanut sauce. I think I have made it once or twice before, but it’s not a regular thing I eat. So when I got a craving for it, I decided to give it a try.

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You know how a lot of Asian-inspired dishes and sauces call for a bunch of ingredients that you never have on hand? That is how it is for me. Well, I decided to try a very simple peanut sauce, using just ingredients that I probably already had or would use the entire thing of in this recipe. I hoped the sauce would still taste delicious without buying all the extra things, and guess what? It did!

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This sauce is amazing. It is simple and uses few ingredients. If you’re looking for a delicious peanut sauce that you can simply whip up any night of the week, this is it!

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Let’s talk about the shrimp and pineapple. Greg and I once made shrimp and pineapple kabobs on the grill. They are the perfect combination for peanut sauce. Juicy, plump shrimp + sweet, tangy pineapple + slightly salty peanut sauce = the best ever. And, roasting pineapple takes it to a whole new level of deliciousness.

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Now let’s talk about the cheese issue. Or, in this case, the non-cheese issue. Nope, I did not put cheese in these quesadillas. That is definitely not a usual situation, but if these are done right, it works so well. I promise!

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Greg is the biggest cheese lover ever, so I made him one with cheese. After he tried one with and one without, he agreed that this quesadilla does not need it. There is already so much amazing flavor going on, cheese is not needed!

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So, the only problem with having no cheese in a quesadilla is the sticking together part. They key is the texture of the peanut sauce and being sure to cook the quesadilla long enough.

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Let me explain. If you make these, this is important, or your quesadillas may not stick together! So, the first time I made the sauce, I used 1/2 cup of water to thin it out. The sauce was delicious and a nice texture, but not for these quesadillas. Using 1/2 cup of water made the sauce way too thin for these. It would be a great texture for making peanut noodles or a peanut dipping sauce, but not for these. These quesadillas require a thicker sauce. 1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons of water was the right amount. I started with 1/3 of a cup and needed just a bit more. Now, I will say this. Depending on the thickness/texture of your peanut butter, you may not need that extra 2 tablespoons of water. Or you may need more. My peanut butter was fairly thick but yours may be thinner or thicker. Start with 1/3 cup of water and go from there. I tried to show you the texture of the sauce in the picture right below.

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The other important detail to making these “eatable” is to cook the quesadilla until just crispy. You don’t want it to be crispy to the point of being a hard taco shell but you want it to bend and stick in place once it’s folded over. You want it to be slightly crispy, to hold everything together.

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I made these one night for dinner. The next day, I made them again so I could confirm the recipe and photograph it. When I made them the second time, I only had intentions to take one bite, so that I could get some photographs with a bite taken out of the quesadilla. I had already had lunch. These are so good, that once I took that bite, I thought, there is no way I’m not eating the rest of this. Help! 🙂

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Ingredients
*This is what I used to make two quesadillas. These are easily doubled, tripled, etc.
2 tortillas (I used rice tortillas (gluten free))
Olive oil
6 large shrimp, peeled, deveined and cleaned
1/2 cup pineapple chunks, sliced into thin pieces
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 large garlic cloves, divided, one in the peanut sauce and the other for the shrimp
1 lime, divided, one half in the peanut sauce the other with the pineapple
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons hot water

Preheat the oven to 400*. In a bowl, mix together pineapple, a drizzle of olive oil and the juice from 1/2 of the lime. Transfer the pineapple to a parchment lined baking sheet and roast in the oven for 15 minutes.

In a blender or food processor, combine the peanut butter, 1 clove of garlic, the juice from the other half of the lime, soy sauce, brown sugar and hot water. Blend on high speed until the sauce is completely smooth.

Once the pineapple and sauce are done, begin the shrimp. In a saucepan over medium heat, heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add a minced garlic clove and cook for a minute or two, to flavor the oil. Once the oil is hot, add the shrimp. Let cook on one side for about 2-3 minutes and then flip. Add a couple of spoonfuls of peanut sauce to the pan. Let the shrimp cook completely through. Once the shrimp is done, transfer it to a plate and cut it into small chunks.

To assemble the quesadillas, start with a cast iron or regular skillet. I made mine in my cast iron and it worked perfectly. Place the skillet over medium heat on the stove. Add the tortilla to the pan. Add about 2 tablespoons of peanut sauce to one half of the tortilla. Place half of the shrimp and half of the pineapple on the peanut sauce. Let this cook until the tortilla begins to get crispy. Top the shrimp and pineapple with additional peanut sauce, if desired.

Once the tortilla is slightly crispy and the peanut sauce on the bottom has slightly thickened, fold the tortilla over. Using a spatula, press down on the folded over tortilla to mesh everything together.

Cut in half and enjoy!

Notes:
-The amount for the peanut sauce made one cup of sauce. I had leftover sauce after making the quesadillas. It will keep in the refrigerator for several days. I tossed some leftover sauce with sauteed veggies and soba noodles and it was excellent!