My husband has been helping a friend of his build a house, which means most of his nights and weekends are spent there, away from home. After three or four days of only seeing him for maybe an hour before he goes to bed, I tend to get a little cranky. I then insist he’s mine for a night, or a Saturday, whichever comes first. When he’s gone, however, I make myself food—comfort food—that I enjoy, but I probably wouldn’t get him to touch. For example, I love goat cheese, but the mere mention of it makes my husband crinkle his nose. Same with blue cheese and feta and scallops and crab. Love, love, love them all, and he hates, hates, hates them all. To be fair, we have the opposite relationship with beef… In any event, I came up with these quesadillas because a. I wanted something with goat cheese. b. I wanted something quick and easy. c. I wanted something autumn-y.

In a surprising turn of events, I made myself one of these little quesadillas for lunch while hubby was home for a day last weekend, and I got him to try a slice. He said they were damn good quesadillas. Hmmm. That doesn’t mean I have to start eating beef, does it?

Ingredients:

a combination of red and yellow sweet bell peppers (1 per quesadilla is a safe bet)
goat cheese (chévre)
fresh thyme
balsamic vinegar
fresh ground black pepper
part flour/part cornmeal tortillas (if you can find them; they’re new from Mission)
butter

Guidelines:

Roast your peppers. How? Place them under a broiler until the skin is blackened all over, rotating frequently. Remove from broiler, and place in a paper bag, or in a bowl with a towel draped over it, and let them sweat for 25-30 minutes. Once they are cool enough, peel the blackened skin off, remove the stem and seeds, and cut the peppers into strips.

In a sauté pan, toss the peppers with fresh thyme, fresh ground pepper, and a splash of balsamic vinegar. Heat until most of the balsamic vinegar has evaporated.

Butter one side of two tortillas.

Spread goat cheese on the unbuttered side of one tortilla.

In a medium pan, place the buttered side of one tortilla on the pan’s surface. Top with the roasted pepper mixture. Place the other tortilla over the top, butter side up, and cook on medium heat, flipping as necessary, until the top of each tortilla is golden brown and the goat cheese is warm.

Let cool briefly and cut into wedges.

My husband and I recently drove to Colorado (yes, again; we seem to do this 2-3 times a year, which is why we’re moving back there!), and for the trip, I packed the car full of goodies. Into the cooler went Naked smoothie drinks, snap peas, baby carrots, garlic and herb dipping spread, sandwich makings, apples, cheese, and an assortment of breakfast/protein bars. A few of those bars happened to be Lara Bars, and one of them was their Key Lime version. It contained dates, cashews, almonds, coconut, and lime juice. I couldn’t believe it. That’s it? Just five ingredients?! Totally raw and with no preservatives? How nice! But it was basically just a date bar, and I’m really not a fan of dates. In addition to being a high glycemic food, I just don’t find dates that tasty. I gave the bar a try though, and it was good. Too much to eat at once, but good. Surprisingly good. Good enough that I wanted to make my own version, in the form of need-a-quick-pick-me-up sweet bites. This is what I came up with.

Ingredients:

12 oz. fresh dates
¼ cup key lime juice
¼ cup sliced or slivered almonds
¼ cup shredded coconut
1 tsp. vanilla
pinch of salt
sprinkle of Chinese Five Spice (optional)

Guidelines:

Pit the dates.

In a food processor, combine all of the above ingredients. Pulse until a semi-smooth texture is achieved. If your mixture isn’t as smooth as you’d like, try adding a bit more key lime juice. Honestly though, I wouldn’t worry about. Date and almond chunks just add to the texture.

Spread the mixture into a lightly oiled bread pan. Freeze or refrigerate for several hours, then score the bars by running a knife down the center length-wise, then cut the bites into desired widths.

For best results, keep chilled. The bites are sticky, and room temperature bites are even stickier! If you don’t like the stickiness, try adding some oat flour into the mixture. I haven’t tried this, so I can’t vouch for the results. If you try it, let me know how it works.

I love that time of year when August is just shy of rolling into September. The days are still plenty warm, but they’re getting shorter, and you know that if you blink, you’ll miss the last of summer. It’s also the time of year when a lot of crops are ready for harvesting. On these evenings, my husband and I always rush out to the tomato plants to see what we can devour. If the pickings are slim, we take turns eating what’s ripe, but it’s always fun to find a nice handful of ready-to-eat fresh off-the-vine cherry and grape tomatoes. This recipe was inspired by those evenings, and the changing seasons, and, of course, freshly picked tomatoes.

I like to serve this salsa with pork adobo tacos, but it’s also tasty on plain corn chips.

Ingredients and Guidelines:

For a small bowl, combine the following:
2 cups assorted cherry and grape tomatoes, halved (if you can, use a combination of yellow, red, orange, purple, and green tomatoes)
1 tomatillo, finely diced
½-1 jalapeno, finely diced
3 tbsp. red onion, finely diced
small handful cilantro, chopped
2 tbsp. lime juice

Mix well. Set aside for 20-30 minutes to let flavors marry.

It’s not uncommon that I get strong, undeniable urges for red curry dishes. Usually, this is not a problem, as our local Thai food restaurant makes the most addicting red curry on the planet. I’m at the point of believing it contains illicit drugs, it’s that addicting! But, as sometimes happens in small towns, the owners, who also serve as the cook and wait staff, decided to take a vacation. For the entire month of July! I know, right?! One whole month without their cooking. Sigh. Oh, yeah, I can make curry, too. But I like theirs a lot, and I particularly like not having to cook. But finally, toward the end of July, I broke down and made my own red curry dish with ingredients I had on hand. It hit the spot, and it was stupidly easy. Try it out, and see for yourselves.

Ingredients:

*Note: Adjust according to the number of people you will be serving. This serves 2-3.

½ lb whole wheat spaghetti
½ lb shrimp
½ red pepper, sliced
1-2 tbsp. red curry paste
3-4 tbsp. lime juice
¾ cup pasta water (reserved from cooking spaghetti)
fresh basil
peanuts
olive oil

Guidelines:

Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Reserve ¾ cup of the cooking liquid before draining the noodles.

In a large skillet, cook shrimp in a tbsp. or so of olive oil until pink, about 3-5 minutes, depending on size.

Add the red curry paste and lime juice. Stir to combine and coat the shrimp.

Add the red pepper and cook until just softened, but still crisp, about 3-5 minutes.

Add the pasta water. Stir to combine.

In a large bowl, mix the noodles with the shrimp and red curry sauce. Top with slivered fresh basil and chopped peanuts.

I got the idea for this pan sauce from Rachael Ray. She made a similar version, but used it with gnocchi. Check out her recipe here. I opted for a tri-colored, cheese-filled tortellini as it seemed more summery, and thus lighter, than the heavy, potato filled gnocchi. I really like the colorful pasta, too. I’ll give the gnocchi a try in the fall or winter, when it’s cold out and the body is craving something dense to fill it up.

Aside from caramelizing the onion(s), this is a quick and easy dish. Caramelizing the onion(s) takes about 40-45 minutes (at least it does for me; can anyone do it quicker? Rachael Ray claims it takes twenty minutes…). Otherwise, the pasta cooks in eight minutes, and everything else is garnish. Still, pretty simple dish, right? Mighty tasty, too.

Ingredients:

1 package fresh tri-colored, cheese filled tortellini (the small will feed 2 people, and it’s what I based this recipe off of)

1 extra large (or 2 medium) sweet onion, such as Vidalia or Walla Walla
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
a handful of fresh parsley, chopped
a couple splashes of white wine
Parmesan cheese, to desired amount
olive oil
fresh ground pepper
salt (for pasta water)
*1/2 cup pasta water

*Before you dump your pasta into a colander, scoop ½ cup of the liquid out of the pot. Reserve.

Guidelines:

Thinly slice your onion. In a large skillet, set to medium heat, add a couple tablespoons of olive oil. Add your onions and garlic and cook until caramelized, which means to cook until the onions reach a deep, brown color. You may have to adjust your heat down if the onions are browning too fast, or blackening along the edges. You may also add a dash of water if this happens.

Bring your pot of generously salted pasta water to a boil. Add tortellini and cook according to package directions. This usually takes 8-10 minutes, depending on brand and amount. *Before draining your pasta, reserve ½ cup of the pasta water.

Once the onions are nearly caramelized, add a couple splashes of white wine, along with the parsley. Add the pasta water, and cook until reduced about ½.

Toss everything in a large serving bowl, grate Parmesan cheese over the top, and add fresh ground pepper to taste.

Panzanella is a bread salad traditionally made with tomatoes and seasoned with olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, garlic, and fresh basil. Many recipes also call for fresh mozzarella and onion. In this recipe, I put a Greek spin on panzanella by using artichoke hearts, feta cheese, fresh parsley, lemon zest, and a Kalamata olive bread. I loved it so much the first time, that I craved it for a full two weeks before I broke down late one night, went to the store, and bought all the ingredients to make it again. My husband and I ate that, and drank a glass of Ponzi Pinot Noir Reserve, for dinner at eight o’ clock. It was divine. And now that I’m typing this recipe up, I’m craving it again… Will the cycle ever end? I kind of hope not!

*Note: If you can’t find olive bread, use any country-style crusty bread and throw some Kalamata, or Green olives, into the artichoke mixture.

Ingredients:

½ loaf Kalamata olive bread (or Green olive bread, if you prefer), cut into large cubes
2 tomatoes, diced
1 jar of artichoke hearts, drained and cut in half
feta cheese, to taste
a handful of fresh parsley, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
olive oil
sea salt
fresh ground pepper (optional)
lemon zest

Guidelines:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large ovenproof casserole dish, toss the cubed bread with plenty of olive oil and sea salt. Bake in the oven while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

In a medium skillet, sauté the garlic in olive oil just long enough to release its flavor. Add the tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and lemon zest. Cook until just heated through. Add the fresh parsley and fresh ground pepper (optional).

Remove the bread cubes from the oven. Toss the artichoke heart mixture into the bread cubes. Sprinkle feta cheese over the top, and return the pan to the oven. Bake for about five minutes, just long enough to warm the cheese, or if you prefer your bread crispier, bake until you reach your desired texture.

Serve with herb roasted chicken breasts, and/or a glass of your favorite wine.

Enjoy!

This is a super quick and easy way to make your own barbeque sauce. Homemade barbeque sauce is a great way to control your sodium, sugar, and preservative intake. A lot of packaged barbeque sauces contain MSG and high fructose corn syrup, for example. Plus, homemade just tastes fresher. And you can experiment.

The sauce is shown here as White Barbeque Beans, (which are great for packed lunches, by the way) but you can use this sauce for poultry, ribs, as a French fry dip, etc. If you want to use this sauce with white beans, add 3 cans of white beans to your shopping list. And, if you really want to jazz it up, use a couple swoops of bourbon in lieu of the vinegar. Peach Bourbon Barbeque Sauce. Yummy!

Ingredients:

1 can tomato sauce
¼ cup peach preserves (*Note: You can also use fresh peaches, skins removed, and mashed.)
2 tbsp. red onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
3 tbsp. molasses
2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar (or bourbon, if you choose to go that route)
1 tbsp. cumin
1 tbsp. smoked paprika
1 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped (optional)
olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

Guidelines:

Chop all of your ingredients.

Sauté the red onion and garlic in a bit of olive oil for a few minutes, just to release their flavors.

Add the remaining ingredients and let simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve with whatever suits your fancy.

I played around with this concept for a while. Traditional fajitas on pita? Nah. Too obvious. Fajita seasoned meat with raw traditional fajita vegetables? Closer, but still no go. I wanted something spunky and refreshing. Something that said: summer! Which meant a pita perfect for picnics, camping, lake trips and the like.

I started playing around with what I had in my fridge, and I came up with slaw. Shredded red cabbage, ribbons of spinach, fresh jalapenos, green onions, cilantro, chopped red peppers for that splash of color, and diced red onion, all dressed with a sprinkling of lime juice. Yeah! The slaw is crisp and vibrant, and coupled with the fajita seasoned meat and hearty pita bread, it filled me right up. The best part is, you can make the slaw and cook the meat beforehand, and tote it with you wherever your summer adventures take you.

Ingredients:

1 or so pounds of skinless, boneless chicken, cut into strips
*fajita seasoning (see note below)
1 package pita or flatbread

Slaw:

1 to 1 ½ cups shredded red cabbage
1 to 1 ½ cups fresh spinach, cut into ribbons
½ -1 jalapeno, diced (adjust for heat)
2 green onions, sliced
handful of cilantro, chopped
½ -1 red pepper, diced
2-3 tbsp. chopped red pepper
2 tbsp. lime juice

*A note of fajita seasoning: You can purchase the mix in a package, or, if you prefer to make your own, try this, which is what I use: Mix 1 tbsp. cornstarch, 2-3 tsp. chili powder (adjust for heat), 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. paprika (try it with smoked, if you have it), 1 tsp. sugar, 1 tsp. onion flakes, ½ tsp. garlic, ¼ tsp. cayenne, 2 tbsp. cumin, and 1 chicken boullion cube. You may not need all of it. I used about half for this recipe, and saved the rest. Mix the desired amount in enough water to dissolve the powder. Mix into meat.

Guidelines:

Brown your meat. Once the meat is nearly cooked through, add the fajita seasoning mixed with water, and continue to cook, stirring often, until done.

For the slaw, combine all of the slaw ingredients in a large bowl. Let sit for at least half an hour to let the flavors meld.

If using flatbread, versus stuffing a pita pocket, you may need to gently warm the bread so it doesn’t split upon folding.

I saw this recipe for Chipotle Turkey Burgers at the The Kitchen Sink blog, and thought they sounded perfect for a weekend barbeque. I don’t eat beef, so burgers for me are either ground turkey or ground chicken, and if you’ve ever cooked with either, you know they can lack flavor. Plus, patties made from the birds tend to fall apart because they lack the fat content that beef does. This problem is easily solvable by adding fat and moisture back in—good fat and good moisture. (Which we quickly compensate for here by topping the healthy turkey burgers with cheese and bacon. Ha!) Examples of good fat and good moisture: olive oil, fresh herbs, garlic, onions, veggies. You dice these ingredients up small, oh so small, and mix them into your meat before making the patties. The result is a moist burger bursting with flavor. I promise—you won’t miss the beef.

To spice up these burgers, I add adobo sauce from canned chipotle chiles (available in the Latin/Hispanic/Mexican section of your grocery store) directly to the ground meat. I also borrow The Kitchen Sink’s idea for Chipotle “Ketchup.” Her recipe is here. My version is in the guidelines. I’d use this sauce lightly. Too much and it overwhelms the flavors of everything else. Plus, it’s spicy, and if you’re not into heat, it might be too much for you. If you know you won’t dig it, simply leave the sauce off.

Ingredients:

1- 1 ½ lbs turkey burger
1 shallot, finely diced
2 cloves of garlic, finely diced
1 tbsp. olive oil
salt and pepper (to taste)
4 tsp. adobo sauce, divided into 2 tsp. and 2 tsp.
1 tbsp. cilantro, finely chopped
4 oz. sour cream
squirt of lime juice
1 Vidalia onion, sliced into thick rings
smoked cheddar cheese, 2-3 slices per burger
bacon, about ½ lb.
1-2 tomatoes
onion hamburger buns

Guidelines:

Mix the first seven ingredients in a large bowl. Notice that you only use 2 tsp. of the adobo sauce in the meat. Shape the mixture into burgers roughly the same size and thickness. You should have 4-6 burgers.

While the grill heats, prepare the Chipotle sauce. Mix the remaining 2 tsp. adobo sauce with the sour cream and lime juice. Set aside.

If you haven’t already cooked your bacon, get that going, too.

Grill the burgers until done, but still juicy inside. Depending on thickness this doesn’t take long—about 5-7 minutes per side. During the last few minutes of cooking, put the smoked cheddar cheese on top of the burgers. Remove from grill and let rest for a minute.

Grill your thick sliced Vidalia onions, and toast your hamburger buns directly on the grill.

Once everything is cooked, assemble your burgers—bottom bun dressed lightly with sauce, burger with cheese, bacon, onions, a few slices of tomato, top bun dressed lightly with sauce.

Enjoy, and don’t be afraid to get messy!

I haven’t posted a “Brown Bag” lunch recipe in a while, but in attempt to bring the series back, I’m offering you Sundried Tomato Hummus. Hummus is a dip which originated in the Middle East. Its main ingredients are chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans), tahini (sesame paste), lemon juice, olive oil, and garlic. In this version, I omit the tahini and use smoked sundried tomatoes. I also roast most of the garlic cloves, which gives it a milder, sweeter flavor.

If you’re like me and don’t care for chickpeas, try hummus anyway. The chalky texture of the chickpeas, when combined with the other ingredients, disappears, and you’re left with a dish that’s refreshing yet filling. Plus, it’s healthy! If you’re not a big garlic fan, the roasted garlic is less… offensive. There’s less of a chance that you’ll return from lunch and stink up your workplace.

This dip is great served with flatbread (such as pita), and/or fresh veggies. For the brown bag lunch, place several large spoonfuls in a Tupperware container, and send along a baggie with whatever you choose to dip in it. My suggestions: whole wheat pita cut into triangles, baby carrots, cucumber, red and/or green peppers, and olives.

Ingredients:

3 cans garbanzo beans
3 oz. smoked sundried tomatoes (I find these in a bag in the produce aisle near the fresh tomatoes.)
6 cloves roasted garlic (see method below)
2 cloves raw garlic (optional)
handful of fresh parsley, chopped (3-4 tbsp.)
6 tbsp. olive oil
8 tbsp. lemon juice
salt
½ - 1 cup water, for thinning

How to make Roasted Garlic:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the unpeeled garlic cloves in a small baking dish. (Ramekins work perfect.) Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover with foil. Bake for 35- 40 minutes, or until a fork slides easily through the cloves. Let cool, then squeeze the garlic out.

Sundried Tomato Hummus Guidelines:

Rinse and drain the garbanzo beans.

If your sundried tomatoes are whole, coarsely chop. If they are already sliced, you’re good to go.

In a food processor, combine all of the ingredients, starting with the ½ cup water and adding more as needed, and process until smooth. The mixture should be grainy, but not chunky. If your food processor is small, you will have to blend the ingredients in batches. It’s more time consuming, but it works fine, I promise!

Cover and refrigerate. Mix before serving.