Tuesday: Zucchini-Quiche Crusted Pizza

 

Here's a great recipe for those of you that have an OVERWHELMING amount of zucchini this summer in your garden. The crust to this pizza has a "quiche" like texture...soft and fluffy. Our family loves pesto, so I brushed some on before adding the topping. This recipe can easily be made gluten-free. Just replace the all-purpose flour with Bob's Red Mill all-purpose gluten-free flour.  Delicious!

Pizza Recipe
6 servings

3 cups of shredded zucchini (about 1 1/2 to 2 medium sized zucchini)
3 eggs
1/3 cups of all-purpose flour or all-purpose gluten-free flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups (8oz) mozzarella cheese, shredded (I used part-skim to cut down on calories and fat)
1-2 roma tomatoes, halved and thinly sliced
1/2 cup red onion, sliced
1/2 cup green bell pepper, sliced
1/4 cup pesto, store bought or homemade 
Try this link for pesto recipe:  Yummy Pesto  

1. Preheat oven to 450* F. Place shredded zucchini over a colander and squeeze it with your hands to drain all the moisture out. 
2.In a large bowl, mix zucchini, eggs, flour and salt together. Spray a 12 inch pizza pan with cooking spray. Spread the mixture over pizza pan and bake for 8 minutes. 

3. Reduce heat to 350* F. Brush crust with pesto.

 4. Sprinkle cheese.

5. Add topping.

6. Bake for 15-20 minutes until cheese is melted and golden. 

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Plan and Prep Ahead

Here are some helpful techniques to make life a little easier once dinner time hits. These tips will especially help those that work full-time and don't have a lot of time to prepare dinner.

~Chop veggies ahead of time.
~Grate cheese and keep refrigerated until time of use.

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Who likes to CHANGE IT UP? 

~Try grating a different cheeses like monterrey jack, gouda or swiss 

~Add smoked sausage or chorizo to pizza.

~Slice up some roasted red bell pepper instead of tomato. 

~Replace green bell pepper with corn kernels . 

~Instead of pesto use a tomato sauce base. 
~Use chopped sun-dried tomatoes instead of fresh.

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Wednesday: Mediterranean Salmon Wrap with White Bean Hummus and Watermelon

 

This is a yummy, quick and healthy meal that you can serve for either lunch or dinner. If you are in a hurry, make the salmon mixture ahead of time, and store in the fridge. Also, another time saving tip is to buy store bought hummus instead of making your own...my favorite store-bought is Trader Joe's Tuscon White Bean Hummus. Don't let the huge list of ingredients scare you with this one, you probably have a lot of the stuff already on hand.

Salmon Wrap Recipe
4 servings
 

2 (5oz) cans of salmon, well drained
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives, chopped
1/4 cup red onion, diced
2 TB olive oil
1/2 tsp lemon peel, grated
2 TB lemon juice
12 romaine lettuce leaves, thick ribs removed
4 whole wheat tortillas
1/2 cup bottled roasted red pepper, sliced (or make your own...1 red bell pepper under broiler for 10 minutes, let cool in a plastic bag for 15 minutes, peel off skin)
8 TB Hummus (see recipe below)


1. In a bowl, combine salmon through lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. 

 2. To make each wrap, spread 2 TB of hummus on tortilla (or skip this step and just use it as a dip on the side), place 3 lettuce leaves on top, add salmon salad. Top with a few red bell pepper slices and tomato. 

 3. Fold the tortilla about an inch over each end of the filling, roll up. Serve with orange slices or cut up watermelon. 

White Bean Hummus Recipe 

1/4 cup chopped green onions

2 TB fresh lemon juice

2 TB tahini (sesame-seed paste--see more about it below)

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp cumin

1/8 tsp salt and black pepper, each

1 (19 oz) can of cannellini beans or other white beans, rinsed and drained or use 2 1/3 cup homemade beans (Want to know more about homemade beans? Check out this link Homemade Beans  )
1 garlic clove, peeled

1. Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor, and process until the mixture is smooth. Serve inside of salmon wrap or on the side. Store the leftover hummus in fridge for only 3-4 days, or you can freeze it up to a month.

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Plan and Prep Ahead

Here are some helpful techniques to make life a little easier once dinner time hits. These tips will especially help those that work full-time and don't have a lot of time to prepare dinner.

~Chop veggies ahead of time.
~Mix salmon mixture up ahead of time, and keep in fridge until ready to use.
~Make hummus ahead of time and keep in fridge for up to 4 days.

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Who likes to CHANGE IT UP? 

~Try adding grated parmesan cheese to the salmon wrap. 

~Instead of salmon try tuna.

~Add roasted or thawed corn instead of tomato and bell pepper.

~Replace parsley with cilantro. 

~Chop up some green onion instead of red onion.
~For a different flavor try lime instead of lemon. 
~Stuff salmon mixture into a pita instead of tortilla and add some crumbed feta or goat cheese on top.

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Thursday: South-of-the-Border Vegan Burger with Orange Slices

 

There is no bland flavor with this burger, not when they have a hint of chipotle chile in adobe sauce! If you or your kids don't care for a spicy kick, you can opt for the milder green chili version. I altered the vegetarian times recipe a little because the burgers didn't stick together very well the first time we made them, and kept falling apart. Add a little flax seed meal to bind them better and stick them in the freezer for a short time, and that did the trick! They are great with toasted english muffins or your favorite bread roll. Stick a couple leaves of lettuce in there and some avocado and your burger is complete!

Burger Recipe
6-8 servings

 2 cups hot brown rice, cooked (simmer 1 cup of brown rice with 2 cups of water for 40 minutes...if you have leftover rice, heat up in microwave before adding to veggie mixture)
1 1/2 TB olive oil
1 onion (1 1/4 cup), chopped
1 red bell pepper (3/4 cup), chopped
3/4 cup (1 medium ear) fresh corn kernels
1 chipotle chile in adobe sauce, minced plus 2 tsp sauce (going mild? From 1 small can of mild chile, chop 1 finely; or skip the chipotle chile all together)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup instant masa harina or yellow cornmeal
2 TB flaxseed meal or if not going vegan use 2 eggs
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1 1/2 TB lime juice (from 2-3 limes)
3/4 tsp lime zest (from 1 lime)
Cheddar cheese slices, optional

1. Over a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper, corn, chipotle or mild chile, adobe sauce, garlic, cumin and salt. Saute 2 minute and then turn heat to low. Cover and cook for 15 minutes or until veggies are soft, stirring once in a while. 
2. Whisk 1/2 cup water with masa harina or cornmeal. Add to skillet mixture, cover and cook on low for 10 minutes more. Remove from heat.  
3. Whisk flaxseed meal with 6 TB of water, and let sit for 5 minutes. Add to skillet and mix well. If using eggs, whisk those together and add to skillet, mixing well.
4. Stir in hot rice, cilantro, lime juice and lime zest. While letting the mixture cool off a little, prepare a baking sheet with wax paper or parchment paper. Wet hands and shape mixture into burgers. Place on prepared baking sheet. Stick in freezer for 15-30 minutes, checking periodically to see if burgers are firm enough.

5. Use a grill pan or skillet for stove top or heat up your grill for BBQ. Brush burgers and skillet or grill rack with olive oil. Grill or cook over medium-high heat 7 minutes on each side until crusty on the outside. Top with cheese if you would like in the last 3 minutes. Serve on top of a toasted english muffin or favorite bread roll with your condiments to your liking, sliced avocado and lettuce leaves. YUM!

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Plan and Prep Ahead

Here are some helpful techniques to make life a little easier once dinner time hits. These tips will especially help those that work full-time and don't have a lot of time to prepare dinner.

~Chop veggies ahead of time.
~Make brown rice ahead of time. 
~Make burgers ahead of time, just don't cook them. Keep in freezer until time of use. 

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Who likes to CHANGE IT UP? 

~Instead of cilantro use parsley or just skip it. 

~Use a different grain like quinoa or millet instead of brown rice.

~Replace lime with lemon. 

~Try a pesto sauce with this burger.

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Friday: Parmesan Noodles with Carrots and Pear

 

Okay...you might be looking at this dinner and saying, "Seriously, this is one of your dinners?" This meal might not seem very fancy, but I thought it might give some parents an idea of how to make a healthy meal quickly without thinking you have to run out and buy fast food if you are short on time. 

My husband and I were invited to a dinner party, and we got a babysitter for the kids. I wanted to make something simple and quick that my kids could have before the babysitter came over. This simple meal is very kid friendly, healthy and nutritious. I mean...come on...what kid doesn't like noodles? :)   Now you are going to tell me...MINE! :) Okay, for those of you that have picky eaters, replace the noodles with your child's favorite whole grain like brown rice, whole grain bread, etc.  Pick a raw veggie that your kid likes; same with the fruit. Voila! 

Question for you: What is your go-to-meal that you serve if you need something quick?

Parmesan Noodles Recipe 

 Whole wheat noodles
Fresh Parmesan Cheese, grated

1. Cook pasta about 7 minutes, or until el dente. Sprinkle fresh Parmesan cheese on top. Add some cut up carrots and sliced pear. Meal in minutes!

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Plan and Prep Ahead

Here are some helpful techniques to make life a little easier once dinner time hits. These tips will especially help those that work full-time and don't have a lot of time to prepare dinner.

~No prepping needed with this one! :)

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Money Saving Tip: Buy Large Instead of Baby Carrots

One of the things I've noticed buying carrots, is how much more expensive baby carrots are than just buying the large variety. To save on money, just slice up the large carrots to whatever length and width that you want, store them in the fridge in an airtight container, and you've essentially made your own baby carrots. 

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Snack Idea: Hmmm...Berry Smoothie or Popsicle?

 

This is one of my favorite smoothie recipes, and it is very simple. Plus, you can mix whatever kind of fruit you want to your liking. Have a ton leftover? Pour the smoothie into Popsicle molds, freeze and have a delicious cold treat available for those hot summer days. There is absolutely no added sugar in these, icky preservatives or words you can't pronounce...just fresh ingredients that make your body feel good!

 

Smoothie Recipe
2 servings

 1 banana

1 cup frozen blueberries
1 cup frozen raspberries
1/4 cup flaxseed meal
1/3 cup nonfat dry milk
  1/4 cup flaxseed or flaxseed meal
1-2 cups apple juice (depending on how thick you like it)

1.Place all ingredients in blender...start out with 1 cup apple juice and add more depending on how thick you like it. 
Double the recipe if you want to use leftovers for Popsicles!

 Pour leftover smoothie into fun Popsicle molds like these from a company called Tovolo. I bought them about 4 years ago and WOW have they become popular at our house. The sticks are super easy for the kids to hold on to, and not too slippery. Here is a picture of my kids enjoying them.

They come with an easy plastic star mat that you stick the popsicle molds into that hold them upright in your freezer. We drink smoothies a lot at our house, so we always pour anything that is leftover into these! Tovolo has some fun molds to choose from. You can purchase them online here...the price is fairly reasonable too!

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Who likes to change it up? 

 ~Try 2 cups frozen peaches instead of berries
~Add 2 cups fresh strawberries and 1/2-1 cup ice for a strawberry banana smoothie.

~Replace apple juice with orange juice
~Use soymilk or cow's milk instead of apple juice. 
~Mix in about 1/2 cup yogurt for a creamier style smoothie.