Garlic Flatbreads

Super yummy! This recipe is taken from The New Vegetarian Grill by Andrea Chesman.

1 Tablespoon active dry yeast

3/4 cup warm water 

3 garlic cloves

4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup plain yogurt

Extra virgin olive oil

1. In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in the water and set aside until it bubbles.

2. In a food processor fitted with a steel blade, finely chop the garlic.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl.  Add the flour and salt and process briefly to mix.  Add the yeast mixture and the yogurt and process until a soft, knead-able dough forms.  Turn out onto a very lightly floured surface and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic.  Place in a large, lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled in bulk, about an hour.

3. Prepare a medium fire in the grill.

4. Divide the dough into 8 balls.  Lightly oil a work surface.  Pat one of the balls into an oval.  Roll out as thinly as possible.  Brush both sides with olive oil.  Stack on a plate as you finish rolling each ball of dough. 

5. Place 2 or more flatbreads on the grill.  Grill until the bottoms are browned and the tops begin to puff up, about 2 to 3 minutes.  To avoid scorching, check the bottoms after 1 minute and move to a cooler spot on the grill if the breads are cooking to fast.  Flip the flatbreads and grill for 1 to 2 minutes more, until golden with brown spots.  Remove from grill and stack in a basket to keep warm while you continue to grill the remaining flatbreads.  Serve immediately. 

Tabouli

This is such a great recipe..it tastes great and it's easy and fast to make.  It is taken from The New Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen.  You can prepare Steps 1 and 2 as much as a day or two day in advance.  The flavors get deeper as it sits around.

1 cup dry bulgur wheat

1 1/2 cups boiling water

1 to 1 1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup olive oil

2 medium cloves garlic, crushed

black pepper, to taste

4 scallions, finely minced (whites and greens)

1 packed cup minced parsley

10 to 15 fresh mint leaves, minced (or 1 to 2 Tbs dried mint)

2 medium-sized ripe tomatoes, diced

1. Combine bulgur and boiling water in a medium-large boil. Cover and let stand until bulgur is tender (20 to 30 minutes, minimum)

2. Add salt, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, and black pepper, and mix thoroughly.  cover tightly and refrigerate until about 30 minutes before serving.

3. About 30 minutes before serving, stir in remaining ingredients and mix well. Serve cold with warm wedges of lightly toasted pita bread.

Peanut Butter Chip Chocolate Cookies

This recipe calls for peanut butter chips but I prefer to use President Choice mini peanut butter melts.  This recipe is from The Winnipeg Free Press Recipe Swap Favorites by Ilana Simon.

1 cup butter

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

2 cups unsifted all-purpose flour

2/3 cups cocoa

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups peanut butter chips

Cream butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla until light and fluffy.  Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture.  Stir in peanut butter chips.  Chill until firm enough to handle.

Shape small amounts of dough into 1-inch balls.  Place on ungreased baking sheet and flatten slightly with fork.  Bake at 350F for 8 to 10 minutes.  Cool 1 minute before removing from cookie sheet onto wire rack.

Makes about 6 dozen, 2 1/2 inch cookies.

Creamy Dijon Chicken Salad in a Pita

All I can say is YUM!!  You can prepare the salad a day in advance.  Fill the pita breads just before serving.  This recipe is taken from The Complete Light Kitchen by Rose Reisman.

Creamy Dijon Chicken Salad in a Pita
6 oz boneless chicken breast
1 cup diced plum tomatoes
3/4 cup green bell pepper
1/3 cup chopped green onion
3 Tbsp chopped black olives
1/3 cup crumbled light feta cheese
1/4 cup low-fat sour cream
2 Tbsp light Mayonnaise
1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tsp dried tarragon or basil
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp minced fresh garlic
pinch freshly ground black pepper
2 large pita breads
lettuce


1. Preheat grill or grill pan to medium-high and spray with cooking oil.  Grill the chicken, turning once, until cooked through and no longer pink in the center, about 12 minutes.  Remove from the grill, cool and dice.
2. Stir the chicken, tomatoes, green pepper, green onion, olives and feta together in a bowl.
3. Combine the sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon juice, tarragon, mustard, garlic and black pepper in another bowl, mix well.  Pour the dressing over the chicken mixture and toss to coat.
4. Cut the pita breads in half and line the pockets with lettuce leaves.  Divide the filling among the pitas (about 3/4 cup per half).  Serve immediately. 

Chicken Parmesan

This recipe is adapted from The New Best Recipe Cookbook by Cook's Illustrated.  I use my own marinara sauce (recipe on the blog) and I also melt mozzarella cheese on top.   The recipe I have included is for the breaded chicken cutlets used.  This recipe is taken from the same cookbook. I always serve my chicken Parmesan with egg noodles.  Super easy and very filling!

Breaded Chicken Cutlets
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, fat trimmed
1 1/2 cups bread crumbs 
3/4 cup unbleached flour
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon plus 3 /4 cup olive oil


1.  Use a meat pounder, rubber mallet, or rolling pin to pound the chicken breasts to an even 1/2-inch thickness.
2. Sprinkle the cutlets with salt and pepper.
3. Set a large heatproof plate on the rack in the oven, and heat the oven to 200 degrees. Place the bread crumbs in a shallow dish or pis plate.  Spread the flour in a second shallow dish.  Beat the eggs with the 1 tablespoon olive oil in a third shallow dish.  Place a wire rack over a baking sheet.
4. Working with one at a time, dredge the cutlets thoroughly in the flour, shaking off the excess.  Using tongs, dip both sides of the cutlets in the egg mixture, taking care to coat them thoroughly and allowing the excess to drip back into the dish to ensure a very thin coating.  Dip both sides of the cutlets in the bread crumbs, pressing the crumbs with your fingers to form an even, cohesive coat.  Place the breaded cutlets in a single layer on the wire rack and allow the coating to dry for about 5 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, heat 6 tablespoons of the remaining oil in a heavy-bottomed 10 inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking, about 2 minutes.  Lay the two cutlets gently in the skillet and cook until deep golden brown and crisp on the first side, gently pressing down on the cutlets with a wide metal spatula to help ensure even browning, about 2 1/2 minutes. Using tongs, turn the cutlets, reduce the heat to medium, and continue to cook until the meat feels firm when pressed gently and the second side is a deep golden brown and crisp, 2 1/2 to 3 minutes.  Line the warmed plate with a double layer of paper towels and set the cutlets on top; return the plate to the oven.
6. Discard the oil in the skillet and wipe the skillet clean using tongs and a large wad of paper towels.  Repeat Step 5, using the remaining 6 tablespoons oil and the now-clean skillet to cook the remaining cutlets. 
Parmesan Breaded Chicken Cutlets
Follow the recipe for Breaded Chicken cutlets, replacing 1/4 cup of the bread crumbs with 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Ratatouille

This is my most favorite meal ever.  I make it when I cook a red meat dish for my family.  My husband calls it glorified spaghetti sauce and doesn't touch it...more for me I say!  I usually have it with a fresh crusty bun. This recipe was taken from The New Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen.

Ratatouille
3 Tbsp olive oil
4 medium cloves garlic
2 cups chopped onion
1 bay leaf
1 medium eggplant (7 to 8 inches long; 4 to 5 inch diameter), cubed
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp basil
1 tsp marjoram or oregano
1/2 tsp rosemary
1/2 tsp thyme
1 medium (6 to 7 inch) zucchini, cubed
2 medium bell peppers, in strips
fresh black pepper
1 14 1/2 oz can tomatoes

1. Heat olive oil in a deep skillet or Dutch oven.  Add garlic, onion, and bay leaf, and saute over medium heat for about 5 minutes.
2. Add eggplant, salt, and herbs, and stir.  Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the eggplant is soft.
3. Add zucchini, bell peppers, black pepper, and tomatoes. (Break the tomatoes into smaller pieces with a spoon).  Cover and simmer for about 10 more minutes, or until the zucchini and bell peppers are tender.
4. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature - plain, or topped with parsley and/or olives.

Grilled Vegetarian Pizza

This is my favorite pizza.  It takes some work to make but it is well worth it.  The recipe asks to cut the dough in 8 pieces, i just make 2 pizzas on the BBQ. You would think the dough would fall through the grates of the BBQ, but it doesn't.  The crust turns out perfect every time.  I highly recommend that you make this pizza with the basil drizzle, but I have made it without and the pizza is still good.  I use my Kitchen Aid mixer with the dough attachment to make the crust.  This recipe was taken from The Best of HeartSmart Cooking by Bonnie Stern.

Grilled Vegetarian Pizza
CRUST
1 cup warm water
1 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 envelope dry yeast (1 Tbsp)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 Tbsp cornmeal
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp olive oil, divided


TOPPING
1 cup packed fresh basil leaves
3 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup Cherry tomato sauce (see recipe below)
4 oz part-skim mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced


1. To prepare crust, in a large bowl, combine warm water and sugar .  Sprinkle with yeast and let stand for 10 minutes, or until yeast bubbles up.
2. Stir in all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, cornmeal, salt and 1 tbsp oil.  (This can be done by hand or in a food processor.)  If necessary, add more all-purpose flour until dough is still very soft but does not stick to your fingers or counter.
3.  Knead dough for 5 to 8 minutes, form into a ball and place in a large bowl with remaining 1 tbsp oil.  Roll dough in oil,  cover and let rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until dough doubles in volume.
4. Meanwhile, to prepare topping, in a food processor, puree basil, oil and salt.
5. Punch dough down and cut into 8 pieces.  Roll out or stretch each piece of dough until very thin (about 6 inches/15 cm in diameter.) Do not worry if pieces are oddly shaped.  Spray with non-stick cooking spray or brush with a little olive oil.
6. Place dough on a hot grill and grill for 1 to 2 minutes per side.  Reduce heat to low.
7. Top pizzas with tomato sauce and mozzarella, close lid and cook for about 5 minutes, or until cheese bubbles and crust is crispy on bottom (check occasionally to make sure bottom is not browning too much.)  You can also transfer grilled dough to a baking sheet, add toppings and bake in a preheated 400F oven for 10 minutes.
8. Drizzle each pizza with 1 tsp basil oil.  (Freeze any remaining basil oil.)

CHERRY TOMATO SAUCE

Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large, deep non-stick skillet on medium heat.  Add 4 chopped cloves garlic and a pinch of pepper flakes and cook gently for a few minutes until fragrant. Add 4 cups whole cherry tomatoes, 1 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper and 2 tbsp shredded fresh basil and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, or until tomatoes split and deflate and sauce becomes somewhat thick.  If pan becomes dry, add 1/4 cup water.  Makes 3 cups