Grilled Veggie Quesadillas

One of our favorite family meals = Grilled Veggie Quesadillas. I can buy all the ingredients I need at Aldi on the cheap. In fact, this dinner usually makes it into our weekly rotation, no matter what. So, for Cinco De Mayo this year, I thought I’d get a few fun ingredients to kick them in overdrive. I also picked up a quesadilla grill basket for the long outdoor eating season ahead.

I guess I should note first that we loved this dinner so much, I actually forgot to snap photos of the finished product. Oops!

GRILLED VEGGIE QUESADILLAS

To make this dinner, I planned ahead. I roasted the following veggies at 375 degrees F for around 45 minutes. Of course, you can grill your veggies first and then assemble -- but weeknights sometimes require a little forward thinking if we want to cook out. I found it helpful to cut veggies into large chunks and then cut them smaller once they were roasted/cooled.

• Cauliflower
• Poblano peppers
• Onion
• Portabella mushrooms
• Use whatever you like, though!

From there, I had some small stone ground corn tortillas that I piled with a layer of veggies. I’ll be honest: I don’t think the tortillas I used were great on the grill. You have to like them almost chip-like crisp in the end. Kind of sharp. They still taste amazing, but when we make these again, I’m going to use softer flour tortillas.

Pile like so . . .


After the veggies comes the CHEESE.

I used a seasoned taco mix I found at Wegmans.


From there, add another tortilla on top. Alternatively, you can use larger tortillas, pile up half with toppings and fold into a crescent. Either way, you’ll load your into the quesadilla grill basket. Secure the top. I was amazed and how well it held everything in place. Brush with a little olive oil.

Then place on your grill --  you’ll want the cover closed -- for several minutes (around 5 -- depending) on each side until lightly browned. The cheese will be melty. The veggies nice and hot. Seriously, we started munching on one before we got everything to the table.

Slice and enjoy!


We served ours with some Roasted Tomatillo + Corn Salsa I made last August and had frozen. Also some Greek yogurt and lots of hot sauce. Next time I’ll be sure to snap a finished photo. If they last!

I can’t wait to cook our first pizza on the grill. Seriously. If I lived in a warmer climate, I think I’d be a much happier person. Being outside in the warmth and sunshine makes me feel like an entirely different person. I will certainly cherish these next several months until we’re in the deep freeze again.

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No-Boil Pasta Bake + Food Prep

This is sure to be your new go-to dinner. A while back, I made this awesome Skillet-Baked Cappellini Pomodoro. The cool part about it was that you didn’t need to cook the noodles before tossing it in the oven. Well, I tinkered and improved on this meal to bring introduce more veggies (we usually roast some with our usual meal prep on Sunday afternoon) and improve the overall flavor.

Here it is!

NO-BOIL PASTA BAKE
Takes just 10 minutes to toss together, 1 hour to cook.

What you’ll need . . .

• Thin spaghetti noodles
• Jar of spaghetti sauce (or homemade)
• Low-fat ricotta (or maybe tofu ricotta?)
• Shredded mozzarella
• Spinach or other greens
• Roasted veggies (any will do)
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup water

Method . . .

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Get out a 9 x 13 glass casserole dish (or other baking dish of similar size).
2. Spread a thin layer of spaghetti sauce on the bottom of the dish. Then a layer of the thin noodles. Add some of the roasted veggies (we used butternut squash), spinach, and dots of ricotta. Cover with more of the sauce. There are no right or wrong measurements.
3. Repeat with another layer in the same way, but this time cover with the rest of the sauce and top with as much cheese as you wish. Some Parmesan works well too. 
4. Then pour in some water where your pasta isn’t covered by sauce. Just a little here and there is all your need.
5. Place in your oven covered by tin foil and bake for 45 minutes. Then remove the foil and cook for another 15 minutes.

Meal Prep

And here are some other foods I prepped for us this week!

Slow Cooker Applesauce -- with Honey Crisps.

Honey WW + Flax Loaf -- with some oats tossed in.

Simple vegan breakfast muffins -- recipe tomorrow!

Homemade Almond Milk -- using the French Press Trick!

Roasted Carrot + White Miso Soup

What foods did you prep this week? 

We’re trying to dig deep into our cupboards and freezer drawers to have another $10 grocery week, which I’ll write about very soon. Basically, we’re avoiding buying lots of groceries and trying to use up what we already have hanging around -- only heading to the store for bananas, milk (for Ada), and other essentials.

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Roasted Asparagus + Hummus Toasts

Our most recent trip to Aldi was yet again $108. I'll get into the specifics in another post this week. Sort of strange how that worked out, as we didn't buy the same stuff the time around -- yet we had another huge cart for $108. Also figured into that number were some items we took to a cookout this weekend.

My favorite items this week? The hummus and italian bread!

We're sort of bread snobs and usually only make our own or buy from Wegmans or local bakeries. But when I saw this round, I figured we should give it a try. Ends up that it's absolutely perfect for grilling! It's hearty and GIGANTIC and taste great.

And so do these toasts/sandwiches. Everything you see if made from Aldi food!


// WHAT I USED:

• 4 gigantic slices of Italian bread
• Four flavors of hummus -- my favorite is the green (jalapeño)!
• Some block Pepper Jack cheese, shredded
• 4 sauces: Ranch dressing, hot sauce, BBQ sauce, and salsa
• Roasted asparagus spears*

// HOW I ASSEMBLED:

1. I roasted the asparagus spears using the directions below.
2. I toasted the bread in a standard toaster first. This required having half the slice stick out the stop and rotating a couple times until lightly golden.
3. Then I turned the oven to its broil setting, spread the hummus on the slices of bread and topped with some cheese. I let broil until browned and bubbly.
4. Then I put the sauces on each -- there was no flavor matching. I just did it at random.
5. Then I put the spears atop each slice and cut the toasts down the middle.

// ROASTED ASPARAGUS SPEARS

• Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Get out a rimmed baking sheet.
• Wash and cut ends off your asparagus spears. Then drizzle with a tablespoon or two of olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Place in the oven for 15-20 minutes, then flip around and cook another 15 minutes. You'll likely want to roast again until you start to see some deep brown marks. Possibly 45 minutes or more in all.
• Asparagus should be somewhat limp and crisp (weird, but true) when you take them out of the oven.

So, another day -- another delicious sandwich (Stephen topped his with arugula). You could easily adapt this "recipe" to make the whole thing on the grill as well! Just grill your asparagus first, lay a bit of foil down so your bread doesn't burn and do everything as detailed above . . . just on an open flame.

Now I'm hungry!

More #unsponsored ALDI recipes/posts:

• A whole + HUGE cart! $108!
• Zucchini Burgers Recipe -- vegan + gluten-free
• What $77 Looks like at Aldi
• Fresh Orange Wakeup Smoothie -- 19 grams of protein!
• Slow Cooker Cheesy Potato Soup -- lots of hidden veggies!
• A month of groceries = $291!
• The FULL THREAD of Aldi posts...

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Roasted Carrot Soup + White Miso

I've been digging simple soups and dishes recently for a variety of reasons. They are usually inexpensive. They typically mix together quickly and require little effort. They don't make for much cleanup either. And simple foods can be super flavorful -- just take this carrot soup, for example.

5 core ingredients = dynamite.

ROASTED CARROT SOUP with WHITE MISO
Vegan. Makes 4-6 servings.

What you'll need . . . 

• 8-9 large carrots, scrubbed + chopped
• 1 large white onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• salt + pepper
• 32 ounces vegetable stock
• 1/4 cup white miso

Method . . . 

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Chop your carrots and onions and place on a rimmed baking sheet.
2. Drizzle with olive oil and spindle with salt and pepper. Then roast for 20 minutes, toss, and roast another 20-30 minutes -- until browned and soft.
3. Place roasted veggies in a blender along with the veggie stock and miso. Pulse until well incorporated (but I left mine a bit chunky). 
4. Return to stove and heat until carrots have fully softened, if necessary/desired. Season more with salt and pepper to taste.

I added the miso in this recipe for flavor, as you guys taught me (via the Sweet Potato + Broccoli Miso Soup) the nutritional benefits can be lost with over-cooking. So, if you're into this recipe for the healthy miso stuff, you may wish to add it once the soup has cooled a bit. And actually, I tried the soup cold, and it's quite good that way.

You may also remember our Carrot Soup with a Kick recipe. It's one of my favorites and DEFINITELY similar to this one, but isn't roasted + has lots of spices at play. However you eat 'em, carrots are a great food to add to your diet.

// COMING UP

Another tasty carrot recipe headed your way this week! It's sort of like these healthy Carrot Brownie Bites meet these Red Velvet Black Bean Brownies. And they have a protein-rich, vegan baby.

Hope you all great a great weekend! Thanks again for all your help with our $550 kitchen refresh. Our open house went well -- but still no offers. We'll see what happens this week, but we're glad we did it now versus waiting much longer.

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Maple Roasted Fingerlings

I don't think the holidays are a time to show off cooking skills. To spend hours toiling away in the kitchen, stressing over getting everything just so. I'd much rather be sleeping in . . . or eating . . . or chatting with family . . . or running the annual 8K on Thanksgiving day.

So, this side is one of those dishes you can just throw together and sort of forget about -- at least for the most part. It's simple, that's for sure, but it's got some flair all its own!

MAPLE ROASTED FINGERLINGS

What you'll need . . . 

• 2 pounds fingerling potatoes (other thin-skinned would work, too)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• Salt + pepper to taste
• Dash (or 7) smoked paprika 
• 1 teaspoon dry basil or rosemary

Method . . .

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. And I'd recommend using a rectangular baking dish (preferably glass).
2. Scrub potatoes until clean + place in your baking dish. In a small bowl, mix together the oil, maple syrup, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, and basil/rosemary (I'd recommend the latter, but I was out!).
3. Dribble mixture over potatoes and toss until well coated. 
4. Bake for 15 minutes, then mix around and return to oven. Repeat until you've baked potatoes 45 minutes to 1 hour. Until browned, but not dried out on the inside.
5. Let cool slightly before serving, and feel free to ladle any of the extra maple mixture on top.

So far, Thanksgiving Brunch is looking pretty tasty -- no? Between soft boiled eggs atop spinach toast, Bittersweet Pumpkin Pie, and now these taters, I think we're off to a good start. But just wait till you see what I have in store for you next!

What way do you lean at brunch -- savory or sweet?

I'd have to say (and I know this seems like cheating), I like a good mix between the two. One of my all-time favorite recipes has got to be Basil Pesto French Toast.

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Simple Pleasures, no. 2

Honeycrisp apple, skinned + sliced thin.
Tossed in melted Earth Balance or butter.
Sugar, spice, and a splash of lemon juice.
Roasted at 400 F for 15 minutes, tossed + repeat.

Who says you need to bake a whole pie or make a big dish of crisp to enjoy soft + warm apples?


I love making this "recipe" on weekends and topping waffles or pancakes or oats. But on weekdays when I need some extra breakfast love, I serve with a nice, thick yogurt (I love Siggi's Orange & Ginger these days).

What's your favorite variety of apples?

(More simple pleasures: no. 1)

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Brunch Sandwich

If I ever open a restaurant, it will be called Brunch.

And I will serve only brunch.

And this sandwich will be the signature item on the menu.

It sounds a lot more complicated than it actually is.

Let's break it down:

• First you'll need to roast one large portabella per sandwich you intend to make. (You can find some handy instructions in this post all about the merits of mushrooms for runners.)
• You'll need slices of tomato and avocado, too. As well as some cream cheese or Tofutti, which is what we had in the fridge.
• The french toast is just slices of sourdough bread soaked in an egg mixture and then cooked over medium-high heat on both sides until browned.
• = 2 whole eggs + 1 tablespoons Chipotle Vegenaise + 1-3 tablespoons almond milk. Whisked.
• (That should be enough to soak 6 to 8 slices of bread or make 3 to 4 sandwiches.) 

Sandwich assembly is quite easy.

Slice everything up nice + thin, then pile on to your liking.

Fold into a sandwich and cut.

You may remember back in my last waffle post that I had intended to give you a waffle sandwich recipe that was of the savory variety. Well, yes. But I never took photos. Anyway, this is pretty much THAT sandwich.

But there's more sandwich deliciousness where this came from.

Stay tuned . . .

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Roasted Veggie + Tomato Hummus

Another kid + adult-friendly recipe today. I think you'll be seeing a lot of these as we attempt to expand Ada's will-eat list. It's not that children can't eat the same foods as adults, but -- well -- really, they can't.

Since I started my love affair with cooking, I've gotten salt and seasonings heavy. Specifically with spice and heat. When I'd attempt to serve Ada some of our favorite foods, I'd quickly realize I shouldn't have added that 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne, for example. Or that glug of Texas Pete. Oops.

But taking the spice and salinity down a notch doesn't mean eating bland, boring foods.

I'm thinking hummus.
Does that sound good to you?

If you don't have tahini in the cupboard (likely the case over here), you can improvise.


A can of chickpeas + a few pulses of the food processor . . .


ROASTED VEGGIE + TOMATO HUMMUS

What you'll need . . . 

• 1/2 cup (heaping) roasted veggies*
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup Pomi strained tomatoes
• 1 can chickpeas, drained
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

* If you don't have roasted veggies on hand (we just eat them ALL the time), simply cut up eggplant, portabellas, bell peppers, onions, etc. into large chunks. Toss in some olive oil and a little bit of salt and pepper and roasted in the oven at 400 degrees F for around 30-40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes until well browned.

Method . . . 

1. In your food processor, toss in your veggies, chickpeas, and olive oil. 
2. As you pulse, add in the strained tomatoes a couple tablespoons at a time until you reach your desired consistency.
3. Store in an air-tight container for up to a week (though ours only lasts a couple days!).

You may remember from the Boozy + Bold Tomato Sauce recipe that I've signed on to take the Pomi challenge. This month's mission? Using Pomi with eggplant -- I think this is a delicious combination!

Do you ever make hummus without tahini? What's your favorite mix?

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Roasted + Herbed Citrus

I didn't intend to take a break last week, but after my post about Training the Mind, my computer decided to act up, and I took it as a sign to disconnect. It's funny how the universe sends messages like that sometimes. Or maybe I'm just lazy.

But I'm back in full force this week -- first with this tasty breakfast side. This "recipe" is so simple, I don't know if you can call it a recipe at all.

Have I ever told you that brunch is my favorite meal? Something about the sweet and savory together. The time of day, too, is when I'm usually the cheeriest (and sun streams into our kitchen, which helps a whole lot).

Yeah. Especially in spring, brunch is king. (I didn't mean for that to rhyme, oops!)

A while back, it seemed like everyone was roasting citrus.

So, that's what I did . . . 


ROASTED + HERBED CITRUS
a flavorful side dish to liven up any meal

What you'll need . . .

• 6 pieces of citrus fruit 
• (Blood) oranges, tangerines, and small grapefruits work well 
• Olive oil 
• Fresh or dried herbs of choice, I used rosemary 
• Kosher salt (or even some sugar), to taste

Method . . . 

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Wash and scrub the outside of the fruit and slice in half. 
2. Place a half in each cup of a muffin tin and drizzle with olive oil. You may also just do this on a regular cookie sheet, but using the muffin tin kept everything upright.
3. Chop fresh herbs and sprinkle liberally onto cut citrus tops. 
4. Add a dash of salt to each. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until plump, sweaty, and slightly browned. 
5. Let cool slightly before serving. Slicing is optional. 
6. Best right away -- got a bit bitter after storage. So, plan a party!

So, hello again and thanks for bearing with me. I have a few NYC-related posts to share this week, including the sights + bites we enjoyed, how to tour NYC on foot (running), etc., and maybe even a surprise or two. Who knows!

And later today I'll be sharing a trip photo-bomb on Writing Chapter Three.

Happy Monday!

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Butternut Squash & Miso Soup

As you know well, my favorite cooking method is roasting. So, without really knowing where I was going with a gigantic butternut squash Halloween night, I cubed it and let it roast. At some point during that hour, I decided the best use for it was in soup.

Yes. A nice, peppery butternut squash soup. Problem: I didn't have any vegetable stock or broth. No soy sauce to speak of either (I use a splash or two to flavor water in a pinch). But I did have half a tub of miso left over from my Miso Stew last week.

And that's how this happened:

BUTTERNUT SQUASH & MISO SOUP

What you'll need . . . 

• 1 large butternut squash, peeled and cubed 
• 1 white onion, sliced 
• 1 clove garlic, minced 
• 1 to 2 tablespoons white miso paste (yellow would work, too)
• 1 can light coconut milk 
• 2 to 4 cans-worth of water 
• Salt, pepper to taste 

Method . . . 

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Place the cubed squash on a rimmed baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper, and roast for an hour, stirring every 10 to 15 minutes.
2. Once that's done, in a stock pot over medium heat, saute your onion and garlic in a tablespoon or two of olive oil for a few minutes. Until the onions are glassy and fragrant.
3. Add in the cubed squash. Then the miso paste. Try to break it up so that it's coating the squash.
4. Then add the coconut milk and water (however much you add depends on how thick you'll want your soup -- we did 3 cans of water). Let cook until simmering. Then simmer for 10 minutes or so.
5. Let cool for 10 minutes and then blend on low until everything is well incorporated.
6. Return to stove over low heat and season with salt and pepper.

My kitchen is so dark these days. I attempted to use my iPad to bounce some light. It helped, but not enough . . .


I may need to dig my DIY Light Box out of the attic with the time change coming up. I'll probably be up there quite a bit this weekend, as I have grand plans to clean the house up and down before Ada's birthday party in 15 days. Not that I'm counting or anything.

Hope everyone is doing well as we head into the weekend. I don't know quite how I feel about the NYC Marathon being held despite the destruction. Well, yes I do. This Time article does a good job of expressing my thoughts.

My in-laws are still without power, so they are coming up tonight. I'm hoping they can get gas to make the trek without waiting in line for hours. Thankfully they had only minimal issues with the winds otherwise. So, we'll take this as a nice, unexpected visit!

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Roasted (Canned) Tomato Soup

When tomatoes aren't in season, we stock up on the canned variety and keep plenty in our pantry. Many soups, stews, sauces, etc. call for tomatoes. They're pretty versatile, too, and we toss them into a variety dishes year-round, well beyond typical Italian fare.

Yesterday, I was craving tomato soup. I've never made it at home before, but it's one of my favorites with a crusty grilled cheese sandwich on sourdough, most preferably. I'm a lover of roasting everything, as you well know, and I've drooled over many roasted tomato soup recipes online -- including this one from Deb at Smitten Kitchen.

So . . .

. . . I set out to make a roasted tomato soup with canned tomatoes, fully accepting that it may flop. But I had the time. Obviously fresh is best, but when that's not an option, I'd definitely say that this recipe yielded some tasty soup in its own right.

To roast, you'll need a rimmed baking sheet and two 1-lb cans of whole, peeled tomatoes -- drained. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. If you've worked with these tomatoes before, you know the insides are often very juicy. I also halved them and took out the seeds. I roasted 3 large cloves of garlic, coarsely chopped, with the bunch.

I drizzled the pan with olive oil and sprinkled with salt and a generous amount of black pepper. Then I let roast for 10 minutes, stirred, roasted another 10, stirred, another 10 stirred, until the pan turned black. That isn't an instruction. That's just what happened and why I decided to take them out when I did. 

By this time, the garlic had browned, so I let everything cool a while and then blended the tomatoes and garlic with a few tablespoons of water.


ROASTED (CANNED) TOMATO SOUP

What you'll need . . .

• Roasted tomato puree (from above)
• 1 quart vegetable broth (low sodium)
• 1 to 2 teaspoons maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 2 tablespoons Earth Balance (or butter)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method . . . 

1. I combined the chunky tomato puree with the ingredients above in a saucepan over medium heat.
2. I turned the heat down to low and let it simmer for 30 minutes, until thickened slightly.
3. I kept tinkering with the spices until I got it just how I wanted it.
4. I then served it with some special pumpkin garlic knots, as you'll see tomorrow.

Have you found creative ways to use canned food? What have you made?

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Slow-Roasted Tomatoes

Things look a little different on the main site -- new banner -- thanks to some fun with Photoshop for the first time in nine long months. But those tomatoes weren't just for show. We didn't slice and eat them fresh either!

If you haven't slowly roasted tomatoes before, you're in for a treat. Just lower you oven temperature, wait a few hours, and enjoy. They taste a lot like sun-dried, but not quite as intense, which I appreciate.

HOW TO:

Preheat your oven to 250 degrees F. Slice enough cherry tomatoes, length-wise, to fill a lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil (1 to 2 tablespoons), sprinkle with salt + pepper, and let roast for 2 to 3 hours -- enough time to watch the Olympic Marathon tomorrow morning. Use immediately or refrigerate for up to a week.

More recipes using these tomatoes later in the week. Till then, take care!

PS: Thanks to all our friends on Facebook who helped us narrow the choices for the new banner. You guys and gals ROCK!

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