Berry Crumble

Today was one of those days you wait for in the Spring.  Sun and a few clouds; great day to work in the yard.  We had some leftover pizza and I made a salad.  My recipe of the day is desert.  The berries are glorious this time of the year.  It also helped they were BOGO!  I did splurge a bit on the blackberries and raspberries-even on sale BOGO, they are always a tad $.  But in this recipe unbelievably worth it! Such a taste of the coming Summer!

Berry Crumble
printable recipe

Filling:
2 lbs. fresh mixed berries of your choice (If using strawberries, hull and cut in quarters)
1/3 c. granulated sugar
1/4 c. flour
1 T. lemon juice
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Topping:
1 c. old fashioned oats
1/2 c. firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 c. flour
6 T. butter, room temperature and cut in pieces

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Butter an 8 X 8 baking dish.
For the filling: Combine the berries, sugar, flour, lemon juice and vanilla into a bowl and mi well.  Add to the baking dish.

For the topping: Add the oats, brown sugar, flour and butter in a medium bowl.  Mix together with your hands.

Sprinkle the topping evenly all over the berries.  Bake for 30 minutes until the crisp topping is lightly golden.

Serve with good vanilla ice cream. 

Sausage and Roasted Pepper Pizza

Welcome to another Junk Food Friday!  This time of the year we are busy putting the garden in and welcoming the outdoors.  Even though it is Junk Food Friday I could not resist making a salad with the fresh vegetables.  However, I did make a pizza which qualifies for a Friday!  What makes this pizza is the roasted garlic.  Simple to do: slice the top of the garlic off.  Place in a square of foil and drizzle with olive oil.  Close up the pouch and put in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.  The creamy garlic will ooze easily out of their husks.  Roasted garlic makes a great appetizer spread on slices of baguette, or added to your favorite red sauce.

Sausage and Roasted Pepper Pizza
printable recipe

1 prepared Pizza Dough
1 head of garlic, roasted
1 c. sauce
2 peppers, sliced in thin strips
1/2 onion, sliced thin
1/2 lb. loose Italian sausage, browned
1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 c. Parmesan
olive oil

Lay the peppers and onions out on a baking sheet.  In a 400 degree oven, roast for 15 minutes until soft and slightly charred.
Squeeze the garlic from the husks and spread on pizza dough.

Top with sauce.
Add the crumbled sausage.

Add the roasted peppers and onion..

Top with mozzarella and the Parmesan.
Drizzle about 1 T. olive oil over the top of the pizza.

Bake 15-20 in a 425 degree oven.

Berry Berry Balsamic Salad

This combination is fantastic!  Lettuce right out of the garden and delicious berries made this, honestly, one of the best salads I have ever made.  AND a food trifecta-healthy, inexpensive and so tasty!  Oh and throw in ridiculously quick and easy!

Berry Berry Balsamic Salad
printable recipe

2 tsp. strawberry jam
1 T. balsamic vinegar
3 T. olive oil
salt & pepper
1-1/2 c. any berries or a combination
4-5 c. mixed greens
A few crumbled slices of Asiago cheese

Dressing:
Mix jam, vinegar and oil in a small bowl.  Whisk until smooth.  Season with salt and pepper.

Layer greens, berries and cheese on a plate.  Drizzle with dressing.

Broccoli Pesto Pasta

Broccoli was very inexpensive this week.  This is a healthy pasta choice on days when you are simply craving the indulgence of pasta.  It is also very simple.  You can switch out the nuts and grated cheese for whatever you have on hand.  The lemon gives it a freshness and brightens the color of the pesto.  In my opinion, this could easily be served chilled for lunch or a picnic.  Honestly I feel like a walking advertisement for healthy eating today-I finished the fruit salad from the weekend for breakfast, ate garden fresh salad for lunch and this healthy pasta for dinner....hmmm, I am thinking ice cream may be in the stars for a snack tonight!

Broccoli Pesto Pasta
printable recipe

15 oz. of pasta, penne, shells or small rigatoni
5 c. broccoli florets
1 garlic clove, grated
1 lemon, zested
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
3 T. sliced almonds
olive oil
3 T. grated parmesan cheese

Cook the pasta according to package directions.
In a medium pan, bring 2 c. salted water to a boil.  Add the broccoli and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.
Drain the broccoli and return to the pan.  mash slightly with a potato masher.

Add the grated garlic and lemon zest.  Stir in the red pepper flakes and the almonds.

Add mixture to the hot pasta.  Drizzle with a few tablespoons of olive oil.

Toss with the parmesan cheese before serving.

Steak Tacos with Grilled Pineapple Salsa, and Sauteed Radishes with Spinach

The bounty of the Summer officially started today!  I picked spinach, radishes and lettuce in abundance.

I made a large traditional tossed salad along with the tacos and radish salad.  Dinner definitely felt like the beginning of summer.

Steak Tacos with Grilled Pineapple Salsa
printable recipe

1/2 lb. bottom round steak sliced against the grain in thin strips
whole wheat tortillas
Queso Fresco
Limes
Lettuce, chopped

Salsa:
4 Slices of Fresh Pineapple, grilled (see yesterday's recipe: Grilled Pineapple) and chopped
1/2 c. red onion, chopped
1 c. chopped tomato
1/2 lime, juiced
1/2 tsp. honey
1/4 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. cumin
pinch of salt

In a large skillet heat a small amount of oil on high heat.  Season the beef strips with salt and pepper.  Quickly stir fry the strips until cooked through.

In a small bowl combine the pineapple, onion, tomato, lime juice, honey, and spices.

Heat a dry skillet on medium heat.  Heat the tortillas one at a time for 15 seconds, turning once.

Assemble the taco with steak, salsa, chopped lettuce and queso fresco cheese.

Sauteed Radishes with Spinach
printable recipe

1 bunch of radishes, trimmed and sliced
1/4 c. thinly sliced red onion
1/2 lemon, juiced
5 ounces of fresh spinach
salt and pepper

Saute the radishes and onion in a skillet with a drizzle of olive oil.

Add the lemon juice, spinach, salt and pepper to taste.

Cook until spinach is wilted.

Salad can be served immediately of chilled.

Grilled Pineapple with Vanilla Ice Cream and Rum Sauce

I had a fridge filled with leftovers from the dinner party on Saturday and the family party yesterday, that I pulled a dinner together with a bit of this and a lot of that!  So I went through my saved recipes to find something to keep my 2014 Challenge of something different everyday.  When I shopped this week, my helpful Produce man at our local Shop and Save, encouraged me to buy a pineapple.  He said I would not be disappointed.  He was so right.  Friends of ours brought us back a bottle of rum from Puerto Rico recently; it combined with a traditional day to fire up the grill, and my fresh pineapple, this recipe was perfect!

Grilled Pineapple with Vanilla Ice Cream and Rum Sauce
printable recipe

1 fresh pineapple
olive oil
2 tsp. butter
1/4 c. Rum
1/4 c. brown sugar
Vanilla ice cream

Cut the top and bottom off of the pineapple.  Slice off the outer skin and slice into 1/2" slices.
With a round (I didn't have one, but my heart cutter was the right size!) cutter remove the center core.

Brush both sides of the fruit with the oil.
On a hot grill, grill the slices 2-3 minutes per side until charred and caramelized.

For the sauce, in a small sauce pan combine the butter, sugar and rum.

Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer until slightly thickened.

Place a pineapple ring on a plate.  Slice into bite size sections.

Top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and drizzle with the rum sauce.

Spinach Artichoke Pasta Salad

We enjoyed a family picnic today.  I was in charge of several things; but none of the recipes were out of the ordinary.  For example, fruit salad, cheese and crackers and more.  I am sharing a salad I made to compliment my Salmon Burgers from last night.  This is really good.  This looks like you spent a ton of time, when really it is mostly made from pantry ingredients.  It is a good choice to serve with a simple entree.

Spinach Artichoke Pasta Salad
printable recipe

1 package of frozen cheese tortellini
1/2 lb. fresh baby spinach
1 (15 ounce) can of artichoke hearts in water, drained and chopped
1 roasted red pepper, dried and chopped
1/2 small red onion, chopped
1 garlic clove
1 lemon zested
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
2 T. red wine vinegar
1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil
1 T. fresh thyme leaves, or 1/2 tsp. dried leaves
Kosher salt and black pepper
A handful of sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, coarsely chopped

Cook the tortellini according to package directions and cool.
Combine spinach, artichoke pieces, red pepper and onion in a large bowl.

Chop garlic.  Add a pinch of salt to the garlic.  With the side of a large knife, mash it into a paste.

In a small bowl combine the garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vinegar.

Whisk in oil, thyme and black pepper.

Add the pasta to the vegetables and toss with the dressing.