Peach "Chicken"

We have just about finished off the last of the peaches.  So, this will be the last peach recipe for a while.  I was a little skeptical about this one.  It is an interesting mix of ingredients, but the end result is phenomenal.  You will need:

4 Quorn "Naked Chik'n Cutlets", grilled
4 peaches, skins and pits removed and quartered
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1-2" piece of gingers, peeled and minced (or grated)
1 shallot chopped (I substituted 1/2 of a medium sized mild white onion)
3/4 C vegetable broth
2/3 C peach preserves
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp hot sauce (more or less depending on preference)
Salt & pepper

Grill the chicken.  Melt the butter over medium heat in a sauce pan.  Add the peaches and lemon juice.  Cook until softened and golden , about 10 minutes.  Removed from heat.  Meanwhile, in a saute pan, warm the olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add the shallot and ginger.  Cook 2-3 minutes.  Add the peach preserves, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Continue to cook for about 4-5 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly.  Place the chicken and peaches on a platter and pour the sauce over the top.

Peach Smoothie

I am continuing with the peach theme (mostly because we still have a ton of peaches in the fridge).  This is a great recipe to try if you want a quick and healthy snack or dessert for you or the kids.  I used peaches for obvious reasons, but you could substitute just about any fruit you'd like.

2 peaches, halved with pits removed
1/2 cup skim milk (or soy milk)
1/2 nonfat plain yogurt
1-2 cups nonfat vanilla frozen yogurt, depending on how thick you like it
1 tbsp agave nectar (increase or decrease to taste)
1 cup ice, optional

Place all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth.  If your fruit is hard, chop it into smaller pieces to make it blend easier.

Peach Cobbler

In an effort to use up some more peaches, I started searching for a cobbler recipe.  Who doesn't love peach cobbler!  Little did I know it was this easy to make.  I chose to make my cobbler in 8 individual ramekins, but you could use a single, 3 quart baking dish instead.

4-5 peaches, peeled and cut into 1" pieces
1 cup sugar, divided
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1 1/2 cups milk (I use almond milk)
1 tsp vanilla
5 tbsp butter
ground cinnamon (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Place peaches, 1/2 cup sugar, and water in a medium sauce pan and stir to combine.  Place on stove and bring to a boil.  Reduce to simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Meanwhile, place the butter in the 3 quart baking dish (or divided among individual ramekins if using) and place in oven until melted.  Mix together flour and remaining 1/2 cup of sugar.  Slowly add milk and vanilla, stirring constantly to avoid clumping.  You should have a smooth batter.  Pour the batter into the hot dish with the butter.  Do not stir it together.  Spoon the peaches over the top, and finally pour over the remaining syrup.  Sprinkle the top with cinnamon if desired.  Bake in oven for 35-45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.  The dough will rise up over the fruit while cooking.  Allow to cool 5-10 minutes before serving.  Serve with vanilla ice cream if desired.  You can always make this dessert ahead of time, and pop it back in the oven for about 5 minutes to warm it up before serving.

Cinnamon Pancakes with Peach Topping

This past weekend I went to a peach festival in Queen Creek.  We came home with enough peaches to feed an army!  So, I have been trying to come up with some creative ways to incorporate this delicious fruit into our meals.  This recipe took only 10 minutes to prepare and the kids loved it!

For the pancakes:

I used boxed pancake mix and mixed it according to directions.  To it, I added 1 tsp vanilla and 1 tsp ground cinnamon.  Cook according to directions.

For the topping:

4-5 fresh peaches, pealed and cut into 1"pieces
1/2 cup sugar (you can substitue 1/3 cup agave nectar)
1/2 cup water

Combine all ingredients in a medium sauce pan.  Place on the stove and bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  I spooned the peaches on top of the pancakes and drizzled some of the remaining syrup over them.  Finally, I topped with some whipped cream.

Poblano Potato Salad

Memorial Day weekend is just about here, which means the summer picnic and grilling season is upon us.  Here is a great recipe to spice up your ordinary potato salad into something really special.  I got this recipe from FoodNetwork.com from chef Marcela Valladolid.  It can easily be made vegan with just a couple substitutions:

2 lbs baby red potatoes, scrubbed clean with skins on
3 ears fresh corn, husks and silk removed
2 poblano peppers, charred - skins and seeds removed, and chopped
1/2 C green onions, chopped
1/4 C cilantro, chopped
1/2 C sour cream (can substitute Soy Supreme sour cream)
1/4 C mayonnaise (can substitute Soyanaise or other soy mayo)
Salt & pepper to tatse

Cut potatoes into 1/2" pieces.  Place in a pan, cover with cold water, sprinkle with salt, and bring to a boil on stove.  Cook until just softened but not mushy.  Remove from heat and run under cool water to rinse.  Meanwhile, preheat grill on high.  Place corn and peppers directly on top.  Allow peppers to cook until blackened, rotating to cook all sides.  Rotate the corn occasionally until browned on all sides.

Remove corn and peppers from grill.  Allow the corn to cool for about 10 minutes.  Then, with a sharp knife (I find a serrated knife works best), cut the corn off the cobs.  Place the potatoes, peppers, corn, green onions, and cilantro in a large bowl.  Add sour cream and mayo.  Gently stir to combine.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Allow to chill in fridge covered for at least 1-2 hours before serving.

Grilled Focaccia with Sun-Dried Tomato Aioli

I like to keep a package of frozen white bread in my freezer.  It is useful in a variety of recipes.  One of them is grilled focaccia.  This is very easy and even more tasty!  You can always make the dough from scratch.  But, this is a nice and easy short-cut :-)

1 loaf frozen white bread, thawed
1-2 tbsp olive oil
salt
1 tbsp white flour

Preheat the grill on high.  On a smooth surface, sprinkle the flour.  Knead the dough into a round ball.  Begin to roll out the dough into large circle, much like a pizza.  You will want the dough to be about 1/2" thick.  Brush oil on one side of the dough and sprinkle with salt.  Place the dough directly on the grill surface, oil side down.  Brush the top with oil.  After about 1 minute, rotate the dough clockwise about 90 degrees.  Continue to cook for about 2-3 minutes, or until golden brown on the bottom.  Flip the dough over and cook for 2-3 more minutes.  Rotate 90 degrees, cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, and remove from the grill.  Cut the bread into triangles and serve with aioli (see recipe below).
*The amount of cooking time will largely depend on the heat of the grill.  You want to continue to move the bread to avoid burning it while it cooks through.

Sun-Dried Tomato Aioli

1/2 C mayo (you can use light mayo or soy mayo as well)
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1-2 cloves fresh garlic
1/4 C sun-dried tomatoes (packed in olive oil)
salt and pepper to taste

Place all ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth.  That's it!  This sauce is great for dipping the bread into, in place of mayo on burgers or sandwiches, and to dip steamed artichokes into. 

Asparagus & Gruyere Ravioli

I love shopping at Costco.  Their grocery products are high quality and delicious.  So, I try to stock up whenever I can.  Today, just about everything I made for dinner came from Costco.  However, you could easily put this dinner together with items from your local grocer.  From start to finish, this meal took 30 minutes to prepare and cook.  It was a hit with the entire family.  Hope you enjoy it!

For the Ravioli:

1 package Asparagus & Gruyere Ravioli from Costco (or your favorite ravioli)
12oz grape tomatoes, sliced in half
1-2 cloves garlic, minced (or a heaping tsp jarred garlic)
1 tsp dried basil or 2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 C dry white cooking wine or vegetable broth
salt & pepper to taste
Shredded paresan cheese, optional

Cook the ravioli according to package directions.  While they are cooking, heat up the oil in a saute pan over medium heat.  Add the tomatoes and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Add the garlic.  Cook until the tomatoes just begin to soften.  Add the wine (or broth) and reduce the heat.  You want the liquid to just barely boil for about 5-8 minutes.  Place the ravioli on a plate and spoon the sauce over the top.  Shred some parmesan if desired.

I served this with steamed artichokes and bread for a very filling and satisfying meal.

Poblano Gratin Potatoes

Almost everyone has had traditional au gratin potatoes.  They are tasty - cheesy, gooey, warm, and comforting.  But, nothing too far out of the ordinary.  However, this recipe that I found takes the traditional and ordinary out and replaces it was spice and bold flavor.  I have come up with a vegan option as well that won't leave you missing anything!

4-5 large Yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed clean and cut in 1/4" slices
3 poblano peppers, charred (I usually do this on the grill) - remove stems, seeds and skin and chop
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
1/2 c Mexican crema (substitute non-dairy sour cream (such as Tofutti Brand) for vegan version)
1/2 c half and half (substitute plain non-dairy milk for vegan version - I use soy or almond milk)
1 tsp salt
3 c shredded jack cheese (substitute Daiya mozzarella shreds for vegan version)

Preheat oven to 400 F.  Spray a 9" round deep dish pie dish (or something similar) with cooking spray.  Mix together the corn and peppers in a bowl.  Arrange the potatoes in an overlapping layer and sprinkle with salt.

Top with 1/2 of the pepper and corn mixture.  Sprinkle about 1 c shredded cheese over the top.  Add the final layer of potatoes, followed by the corn mixture and the remaining 2 c cheese.  Mix together the half and half and the crema and stir until smooth (or the soy supreme and soy milk).  Pour the mixture evenly over the top of the potato layers.  Sprinkle with salt.

Cover tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes.  Remove the foil and continue to bake for an additional 30 minutes.  Allow to cool for at least 5-10 minutes before serving.
(*I made the vegan version for these photos.  The traditional version will appear more browned when finished cooking.)

Cheese-stuffed Mini Peppers

This past year for Easter, we decided to have a scaled down dinner.  So, instead of preparing a large meal, my mom and I made a meal out of appetizers.  We each made our favorites to share with the family.  One of my dishes was this one - cheese-stuffed mini bell peppers.  This is a great dish to serve to a large crowd.  They are very easy to put together.  You can even assemble early, refrigerate, and cook when needed.  And, they are really colorful!  For this recipe you will need:

2 dozen mini bell peppers (assorted colors)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic
1 medium onion, diced
3/4 cup ricotta cheese
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup frozen sweet peas, thawed
1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 F.  Line a baking sheet with foil and coat with cooking spray.  Set aside.  Remove the stems of the peppers, including the seeds.  Set aside.

In a saute pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil.  Add the onions and cook until softened.  Add the garlic and cook for just a minute or so more.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.  In a bowl, combine the cheeses, salt, pepper, and onion mixture.  Add in the peas and basil and combine.  Fill each of the mini peppers with the cheese mixture and arrange on the baking sheet.

Bake for 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the peppers are softened.  Allow to cool for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Fresh Tomato Pasta

I had previously mentioned this recipe that I found on foodnetwork.com (recipe from Giada de Laurentiis), but didn't have pictures to go with it.  So, here is the updated version complete with recipe and pictures!  This is one of my family's favorite meals.  The best part is that it only takes about 10 minutes to put together.  It is so easy and so delicious!  This is a vegan recipe, so everyone can enjoy!

Ingredients:

4-5 large beefsteak tomatoes, sliced about 1/2" thick
8 oz mini-penne pasta (I have used mini ziti too)
1-28oz can diced tomatoes
1-2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped (or a heaping tablespoon jarred garlic)
1/4 cup dried basil (you could substitute oregano)
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup water
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 450 F.  Coat an 8 inch by 8 inch dish (or something similar - I used a rectangular dish) with cooking spray and set aside.  In a food processor, add the canned tomatoes, juice and all, garlic, basil, 1 tbsp olive oil, water, salt and pepper.  Mix until smooth.  Pour the mixture into a bowl and add the pasta.  Stir until combined.  Line the bottom and sides of the baking dish with the tomato slices:

Pour the pasta mixture into the baking dish and even it out.

Layer the remaining tomato slices on top and drizzle with olive oil.

Bake for 1 hour.  Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.