Caprese Grilled Cheese

As I mentioned last week, April is National Grilled Cheese Month. Until last week, I had not eaten a grilled cheese sandwich for a decade, but after our experiments last weekend I'm hooked! I made another batch of my broccoli white bean soup from last week to last us through the weekend. This afternoon, I was heating it up and totally craving grilled cheese. I had just bought some yummy Vermont Maplebrook Mozzarella so I decided to use that. The cheese inspired me to make a caprese grilled cheese with some ripe plum tomatoes and fresh basil. It was soooo simple and soooo tasty.

There are many ways to make delicious grilled cheese. My Grandma Jackie is famous for her grilled cheese. As a kid she would just make us sandwich after sandwich. We couldn't get enough. I think it was the combination of a ton of butter and this special press/weight thing she had. It was made of cast iron and super heavy. It was so perfect for making thin, crispy grilled cheese. I don't have one of those but I do have a small cast iron skillet. So to press my sandwich I just put a piece of tinfoil over the top and pressed down with the smaller skillet. It worked perfectly!

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Breakfast Pizzas

I have been on a huge homemade pizza kick lately. Back when we lived in Fenway, we had three different pizza places within walking distance, so we enjoyed our fair share of pizza. Here in Somerville, we haven't yet found our go to pizza place yet. (email me if you have suggestions!) So, I've started to really enjoy making my own and experimenting with all kinds of different toppings. I have always wanted to attempt breakfast pizza, I've seen it done in magazines and always thought it would be so much fun to have bacon and eggs on pizza.

I started with some whole wheat pizza dough that I rolled out into super thin, mini pizzas. To keep things light, I slathered on some tasty ricotta and topped it with fresh herbs. Then I got creative. I used bacon as well as a bunch of other toppings to make each pizza unique. You could add whatever you like to make your favorite breakfast combo. I was thinking next time I'd do some mushrooms and I was even thinking about adding salsa as a topping. I will keep you posted as my experiments continue.

You obviously don't have to eat these pizzas for breakfast. We ate them for dinner while watching some playoff hockey (go Bruins!). I am excited to host a brunch and make these as individual pizzas for my guests.

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Lean on Lamb Supper Club

I was recently contacted by the Tri-Lamb Group to host a Lean on Lamb Supper Club. The Tri-Lamb Group is a collective of lamb producers from the US, Australia and New Zealand which is devoted to raising awareness about the wonderful nutritional benefits of lamb and educating consumers about how to incorporate it into a healthy diet. They sent me some gorgeous lamb shanks and the ingredients to make a fabulous and healthy lamb recipe for myself and some friends.

I was really excited because I don't have much experience cooking with lamb. I grew up eating it at Easter and that's about it. Occasionally I will experiment with it, like my Shepherds Pie last week, but for the most part it's not part of my regular cooking routine. The Tri-Lamb Group very generously provided me with the lamb and ingredients to make the braised lamb shanks, but I was not otherwise compensated for this experiment. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

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Kale, Bacon and Caramelized Onion Calzones

Had another clean out the fridge style cooking dilemma last night. So I decided to use one of my Christmas gifts. My brother Jeff bought me a calzone press, so I decided to make some tasty calzones using some multigrain pizza dough I had just bought. Calzone is such an underrated pizza alternative, especially since I always fold my pizza anyway. Using a little bit of bacon and some tasty caramelized onion for flavor, I also added kale to pack in some healthy vitamins. The combination of these ingredients yielded a flavorful and tasty calzone that wasn't overloaded with calories and salt. These made a fabulous dinner and I loved using the press, which made rolling, measuring and filling the dough a snap! Paired with some zesty homemade pizza sauce for dipping, it was a great meal that made some fabulous leftovers.

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Farro, Kale and Bean Soup

Update: This recipe made the Top 9 Today! I want to thank all of you so much for your buzz. 
 
The week of kale continues! It was FREEZING today. When Craig and I left the house to go to work this morning it was 6 degrees! Winter officially arrived it's not fun. When I got home, I was craving something warm and comforting, like pasta. Unfortunately, despite having a months supply of homemade sauce in my freezer, I had no pasta at all. This is a very rare occurrence. So, I decided to clean out my cabinets and see what I could throw together. I ultimately decided on an Italian flavored soup filled with the healthy trifecta: beans, greens and whole grains. This simple vegetarian soup is filled with nutty farro, creamy beans and kale. It's a great way to make a filling meal that is low in calories while packed with protein and fiber. Topped with some yummy parmesan, it made for a warm and hearty dinner.

Farro takes a bit of time to cook, but this soup is pretty hands off. You basically just throw everything together and let it simmer for a while. You can certainly substitute any type of green you have on hand, escarole or rabe would be really good as well. I am most excited about the leftovers, the flavors will intensify in the fridge overnight. This should keep in the fridge for 3 days.

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Roasted Fresh Tomato Sauce

I took my usual pilgrimage to the farmer's market on Saturday and found lots of signs proclaiming the last crop of heirloom tomatoes of the season. Deeply distressed, I went a bit overboard buying them. That very night, I was out with my friends Rachelle & Steve and they were telling me about this fabulous and simple sauce they make using the gorgeous tomatoes they grown in their garden. They found the recipe on NPR and were really loving its simplicity and fabulous flavor. So, I decided to use the last of my heirlooms to create a roasted tomato sauce.

There are a lot of different ways to do this type of sauce, you could really use any combo of tomatoes, herbs and extras. In the future, I may throw in some mushrooms, zucchini or olives as well. The key is to use some different types of tomatoes. I supplemented my heirloom stash with some roma and plum tomatoes I picked up. In addition to being colorful, the resulting sauce was so flavorful and complex, you could really taste the different varieties and how they added to the sauce.

Best of all this recipe is SIMPLE. Chop, toss and roast. It does take a bit of time, but it's absolutely worth it. I regret not making a bigger batch to freeze.

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Tomato and Fennel Salad

Craig is away on a business trip tonight so I seized the opportunity to make something with fresh tomatoes, since he hates them. I wanted to take advantage of all the tomatoes and herbs available right now and build a healthy salad with a lot of flavor courtesy of some crisp and spicy fennel. And my awesome grandma just sent me a mandolin for my birthday. I have been itching to use it. I got the most amazing paper-thin slices with it. Stay tuned for more mandolin adventures!

This is a great starter or a main course, since the chickpeas add both protein and fiber to the dish. You can also serve it with some arugula or kale if you want to add greens. I threw in some baby bok choy because I love it and had it in the fridge. The dressing is so simple, lemon juice, olive oil and garlic with some fresh parsley.

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Best Bolognese Sauce Ever

Craig came home today and begged me to make a bolognese sauce. I decided to create a version that highlighted a few different meats and some fresh herbs. This is a simple and flavorful sauce that will make your kitchen smell divine. Bacon, sausage and ground beef combine for a complex, meaty, and hearty sauce. Serve over the whole wheat pasta of your choice, I used farfalle, but anything would work well. Top with some fresh grated parmesan and black pepper.

Also, you may have noticed the gorgeous cutting boards I use in many of my photos. They are actually handmade by my grandfather, who sells them on Etsy! Click here to check out his page.

Full recipe after the jump!
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Quinoa Minestrone

In Italian, minestrone literally means "big soup". There is no set recipe for minestrone, it usually consists of a combination of seasonal veggies, beans, pasta, rice, and tomatoes. It is a thick, comforting soup that you can throw together quickly and with a variety of staples on hand. I decided to whip this up for my mom and myself, using quinoa and some organic zucchini. Quinoa makes a great addition to this soup, adding far more protein and fiber than traditional pasta. Further, since quinoa provides complete protein, this soup is a filling and simple meal. Aside from a bit of chopping, this is an easy and quick soup that you will want to eat for days. Sprinkled with some fresh parmesan, it is both comforting and healthy. This big batch will make at least 6 servings and will last about 3 days in the fridge.

Full recipe after the jump.
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Homemade Pasta Sauce

Never eat sauce from a jar again! Making your own pasta sauce is soo incredibly simple. All it takes is a little bit of time and some tupperware containers and you can have a freezer full of pasta sauce to defrost and use whenever you need!

I love pasta and pasta sauce. At any given time, I have multiple containers in my freezer, just in case. A lot of people think I'm insane for devoting time and effort to making something you can easily purchase at the store. I disagree. Homemade sauce tastes so much better than jarred and is far better for you. One cup of jarred pasta sauce has, on average, over 1000 milligrams of sodium! Not to mention high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors, preservatives, additives and fillers. Homemade sauce is a tastier, healthier option and is SO EASY to make. It's also cheaper. This recipe makes at least 4 meals worth. More if you only cook for one or two people. Just cook it up, store the rest in the freezer and enjoy. Save yourself the time, expense and scary additives, just make your own!

See my homemade pasta sauce recipe after the jump.


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