Tag Archives: food

Strawberry-Chocolate Paninis

June 1, 2012
Shannon
0 comments
chocolate, dessert, food, sandwiches, strawberries

I’ve been on a little bit of a strawberry kick ever since one day last week when I went to this relatively new eatery in Philadelphia’s Suburban Station called Yoshi which sells – wait for it – yogurt and sushi. The thought of yogurt and sushi grosses out the majority of us but I finally got to a point where I just couldn’t listen to another person rave about the yogurt (not one word on how the individually wrapped sushi is selling) without trying it myself. I grabbed a co-worker and stepped into this vibrant little shop which offered several different kinds of non-fat yogurt (like vanilla, peach, cheesecake, chocolate, and mint) and all kinds of toppings. From Oreo cookies, gummy bears, and peanut butter chips to kiwi fruit, blueberries, and lychee, you can make your treat as good or as bad as you want. I was in a fruity mood so I chose peach yogurt with fresh slices of strawberries. I generally choose other berries to snack on over strawberries but that day, they seemed to go well with the peach frozen yogurt and the whole dessert was fresh, light and tasty. Now, I can’t get enough of those plump little berries.

Since then, I’ve been craving strawberries and bought a pint earlier this week that never seems to end. Looking around my kitchen and noticing some whole-wheat buns that I probably wouldn’t finish and a few ounces of cream cheese that I had nothing to eat with, I decided to make a Strawberry-Chocolate Paninis using my sweet, sweet strawberries as the star of the show. Cream cheese is spread on whole-wheat bread and topped with slices of fresh strawberries and semi-sweet chocolate chips before being smooshed and toasted in a panini press. The cream cheese provides the slightest bit of tang to balance out the sweetness from the strawberries and chocolate. Any kind of bread will do here (like sourdough or French) and dark chocolate could easily be substituted too. My ingredients below made two sandwiches but you can easily double everything to make more. This is a nice little dessert panini that’s perfect for when plain strawberries just won’t do the trick. I mean, who doesn’t like strawberries and chocolate?

Strawberry-Chocolate Paninis (makes 2 sandwiches)

2 whole-wheat hamburger buns or any 4 slices of preferred bread
4-6 medium sized strawberries
2 ounces cream cheese, reduced-fat or regular, preferrably room temperature
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat a panini maker over medium-high heat. Spread 1 ounce of cream cheese onto the bottom sides of each bun. Layer strawberries slices over the cream cheese. Evenly sprinkle the chocolate chips over the strawberries. Top each with the remaining bun halves. Grill sandwiches in the panini press until golden on both sides (about 2-3 minutes). Halve sandwiches and serve.

The ingredients:

Spread 1 ounce of cream cheese onto the bottom sides of each bun.

Layer strawberries slices over the cream cheese. Evenly sprinkle the chocolate chips over the strawberries.

Top each with the remaining bun halves. Grill sandwiches in the panini press until golden on both sides (about 2-3 minutes).

Halve sandwiches and serve.

Tortellini Caprese Bites with Basil Vinaigrette

May 29, 2012
Shannon
10 comments
appetizer, basil, food, pasta, tomatoes, vegetarian

I could probably revolve my entire blog on different caprese recipes. I could happily eat tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil at any time in just about any way possible. Does anyone else feel this way? Most people seem to like tomatoes and mozzarella together so when I went to my friend’s house for a cookout and pool party this past weekend, I decided to bring Tortellini Caprese Bites with Basil Vinaigrette.

Simple cheese tortellini is cooked and cooled, skewered with grape tomatoes and mozzarella balls and bathed in a vinaigrette of basil, olive oil and white balsamic vinegar. Never had white balsamic vinegar? Neither had I. In fact, I didn’t even know it existed. I’m now in love with it. This little appetizer was a big hit and there was nary a skewer left at the end of the hot, sunny day. I used refrigerated whole-wheat cheese tortellini (only because the store was out of regular cheese tortellini) but I believe any flavor would be delicious (such as cheese & prosciutto or cheese & spinach). This simple vinaigrette is a good one to remember for vegetables, salads or pasta as well. Consider taking these vibrant and visually appealing appetizers to your next get-together. They are sure to be a hit.

If you like this, also check out Cherry Tomato Bites.

The ingredients:

Prepare tortellini according to package directions and cool under cold water. Cut grape tomatoes in half and drain mozzarella balls from the water it comes in. On each skewer, thread 1 tomato half, 1 mozzarella cheese ball, another tomato half, and 1 tortellini. Place the skewers in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish.

In a small bowl, whisk vinegar and salt until blended. Slowly pour the olive oil into the vinegar, whisking constantly until well combined.

Stir in basil and freshly ground pepper.

Pour Basil Vinaigrette over skewers, turning to coat. Cover and chill 2 hours.

Transfer skewers to a serving platter, and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

Additions: None

Omissions: None

Substitutions: None

Source: Southern Living Magazine

Vegetarian Tex-Mex Quinoa Bowl

Have you jumped on the quinoa bandwagon yet? Well, I have. And considering my love for rice, using quinoa in place of rice is something I never thought I would agree to. But these days, I have quinoa on hand and rice is nowhere to be found in my cabinet. I still love my rice but quinoa is just so darn good for you that I can’t let myself not eat it. Mixing quinoa with bold flavors, like in this Vegetarian Tex-Mex Quinoa Bowl, is a great way to eat it.

Quinoa takes on the spicy flavors of the taco seasoning very well so even if you aren’t sure if you like quinoa, this is a good way to try it. Mixed with soy crumbles, black beans, corn, tomatoes, and jalapeño, this quinoa bowl is fresh, spicy, and filling. I love the texture and flavor of the soy crumbles in this dish. I started eating soy crumbles when I was a vegetarian but still eat it now in place of meat all the time. Sometimes I even prefer it in certain dishes over meat (like taco salad and Cheeseburger Macaroni Hamburger Helper – seriously!). It’s full of protein and lower in fat, making it a great pairing with quinoa. But if you don’t want to venture into soyland, feel free to use ground turkey, chicken, or beef in place of the soy crumbles. Also, if you keep a fully stocked spice cabinet like I do, consider making your own taco seasoning which allows you to control the salt and spiciness of this dish.

Vegetarian Tex-Mex Quinoa Bowl (makes 4 servings)

Adapted from Cooking Light Magazine‘s Tex-Mex Rice Bowl

1 cup quinoa, rinsed
2 cups water or vegetable broth
non-stick spray
1 12-ounce package soy crumbles (such as MorningStar Farms® Meal Starters® Grillers® Recipe Crumbles™)
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 tablespoons packaged taco seasoning (see note)
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 plum tomatoes, seeded
1 jalapeño pepper, minced
4 teaspoons chopped cilantro

Note: To make your own taco seasoning, mix together 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon onion powder, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin, 1 teaspoon sea salt (optional), and 1 teaspoon black pepper.

In a medium sauce pan, add 2 cups water or broth and quinoa. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 20-22 minutes. Spray non-stick spray into a large skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Add soy crumbles and cook 3 minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup water and taco seasoning and stir for 1 minute. Stir in corn and black beans, cook for 1 minute or until heated. Stir in quinoa, chopped tomato and jalapeño. Top each serving with 1 teaspoon cilantro.