Tag Archives: vegetarian

Heirloom Tomato Gratin

When I was a kid, I wouldn’t eat (or entertain the idea of eating) fresh tomatoes. I was okay with tomato sauce but would gag when I would see my dad eat a sliced tomato with salt, pepper, and nothing but a fork. I didn’t even want a tomato to touch my food. I remember when I started liking tomatoes – I was at lunch eating a veggie burger, forgot to ask for no tomato and didn’t even think to look under the bun before chowing down. My first instinct was Eww, tomato! But as I rushed to swallow it down, I realized it actually added a juicy, brightness to my burger. And from that day on, I have been eating fresh tomatoes. I’m not at a point where I will bite into a tomato like an apple or shove an entire cherry tomato in my mouth but I’m happy that I’ve come a very long way from that childhood gag reflex.

Heirloom Tomato Gratin is a dish that, when I was younger, I could have never envisioned myself making, let alone eating. I’ve seen a basket of heirloom tomatoes in my store the past few times I’ve been in there and decided now was the time to make this summery dish. Heirloom tomatoes are sliced and layered with softly cooked sweet onions and topped with a textured mixture of bread crumbs, salty parmesan cheese, and fresh thyme. I used whole-wheat panko crumbs but try regular panko or simple bread crumbs. I cut the recipe in half and followed the measurements per the recipe but found I need only about half of the bread crumb/cheese mixture. So use your judgment and stop when you think you have enough. Once baked, the tomatoes are sweet and accented nicely by the orange-scented onions, salt and pepper. A perfect light summer meal.

The ingredients:

Preheat oven to 425°F. Rub the inside of a baking dish with garlic, then coat with oil (I used chopped garlic so I left it in the dish).

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, approximately 12 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in the orange zest, orange juice and honey.

Spoon half of the onion mixture in the bottom of the prepared dish and spread to cover the bottom. Arrange the tomatoes over the onions, layering slightly. Season with salt and pepper and repeat another layer.

Combine the bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, thyme and remaining olive oil in a bowl and sprinkle over the tomatoes.

Bake 15-20 minutes until golden brown and bubbling.

Additions: None

Omissions: None

Substitutions:

Whole-wheat panko crumbs

Overall Rating: Like It

Source: Woman’s Day Magazine

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.