Category Archives: Vegetarian

Egg Salad Sandwich

March 5, 2021

This recipe for our favorite classic egg salad sandwich was originally published way back in 2010 (yes I’ve been posting for over a decade!). I’ve refreshed it with a photo and a few slight modifications (most notably a link to my new method of hard-boiling eggs by steaming them). My husband loves egg salad- especially with a dusting of paprika- and every one of my kids will eat this without a fuss which is always a victory!

Because egg salad is all about the eggs, I think you should keep it simple. This is how egg salad should be done: gently chunked eggs, light on the mayonnaise (notice I’ve included a lighter alternative), chives for kick, and a splash of lemon to freshen it up.  Serve it piled high on toasted whole wheat over a slice of smooth butter lettuce.

Egg Salad Sandwich

INGREDIENTS

8 large eggs
1/4 cup mayonnaise (or part mayo and part plain Greek yogurt)
fresh chives, chopped
squeeze of fresh lemon juice (about 1/2 tsp.)
salt and pepper, to taste
paprika, to garnish (optional)
white or whole wheat bread, lightly toasted
butter lettuce leaves

DIRECTIONS

1. Place the eggs in a large pot and cover with cold water. Place over high heat and bring to a boil. Immediately remove from the heat, cover, and let sit 10 minutes undisturbed. Remove the eggs from the water and rinse in cold water or set in a bowl full of ice water until cooled. Crack and peel each egg and place in a medium sized bowl. *OR try this steaming method which has become new my favorite!

2. Add the mayonnaise and a splash of lemon juice. Mash with a fork into bite-size chunks. Stir in the chives. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

3. To assemble the sandwich, place lettuce on one slice of the toasted bread. Top with some of the egg salad mixture, sprinkle with paprika (optional), then the second slice of bread. Repeat with the remaining sandwiches. Slice and serve. 

Makes 4 sandwiches.

(Adapted from 101 Cookbooks)

Pesto Veggie Flatbread Pizza

February 16, 2021

As promised, here is my favorite easy veggie pizza! While it can be made on homemade pizza dough, I often opt for our favorite flatbread crusts from Trader Joe’s. And I always keep a jar of Costco’s basil pesto on hand (it freezes well!). You can mix up the veggies but this is our favorite combination, inspired by a favorite at our local pizza place: chopped baby spinach, cremini mushrooms, sliced tomato and black olives. And then, of course, lots of cheese!

Pesto Veggie Flatbread Pizza

INGREDIENTS

flatbread pizza crust (or pita, naan, pizza dough, etc., our favorite flatbread crusts pictured above are from Trader Joe’s)
basil pesto (we love the Costco brand, or homemade)
chopped baby spinach
sliced cremini mushrooms
thinly sliced tomato
sliced black olives
freshly grated mozarella cheese
freshly grated Parmesan and/or Pecorino Romano
crushed red pepper flakes, for serving (optional)

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Place flatbread pizza crust (or pita, naan, etc.) on a large baking sheet. (Or if making pizza dough, prepare it according to recipe directions.)
  2. Top the pizza crust with a thin layer of pesto, a bit of mozzarella cheese, some spinach, mushrooms, slices of tomato, and black olives, Top with more mozarella cheese and sprinkle with Parmesan and/or Pecorino Romano.
  3. Bake in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes until the crust is crisp and the cheese is golden and bubbling. Slice and serve with crushed red pepper flakes (optional).

Stovetop Shells and Parmesan

January 7, 2021

I’m not a huge fan of boxed mac and cheese but I have 3 kids and a husband who get really excited about it. They especially love Annie’s brand white shells and I’ve been determined to make my own without all that cheese powder. This is Smitten Kitchen‘s version and it’s just perfect! I used a fun twisty pasta I found at Trader Joes but shells or macaroni are totally great here. And I went with a combination of Parmesan and Pecorino but white cheddar would also be delicious and classic. I’ve included ingredient amounts for a single serving (which can be easily doubled, tripled, etc.) and also the quadrupled version to feed a family (as pictured above).

Stovetop Shells and Parmesan

INGREDIENTS

to serve 1-2:
kosher salt
4 oz. dried pasta, such as shells or macaroni or another small twisty shape
2 tsp. salted or unsalted butter
2 tsp. all-purpose flour
1/2 cup low-fat or whole milk
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup (1-oz.) finely grated parmesan or pecorino cheese (I used half of each, white cheddar would also be delicious)

to serve 4-6:
kosher salt
1 lb. (16-oz.) dried pasta, such as shells or macaroni or another small twisty shape
2 Tbsp. + 2 tsp. salted or unsalted butter
2 Tbsp. + 2 tsp. all-purpose flour (you’ll be fine with 2 Tbsp. if you don’t feel like measuring exactly)
2 cups low-fat or whole milk
freshly ground black pepper
2 cups (1-oz.) finely grated parmesan or pecorino cheese (I used half of each, white cheddar would also be delicious)

DIRECTIONS

  1. Bring a small-to-medium (or large, if you making the quadrupled recipe) pot of very well-salted water to a boil and add your dried pasta. Cook it until firm tender, then drain.
  2. Return pot to stove and melt butter in the bottom. Using a spoon or whisk, add flour and mix until it disappears. Add milk, a tiny splash at a time, stirring constantly so no lumps form. Season with 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt and many grinds of black pepper. Bring sauce to a simmer. Cook, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes.
  3. Remove from heat and stir in grated cheese until combined. Add drained pasta, stir to evenly coat. Scoop into a bowl (okay, I won’t tell anyone if you don’t) and finish it with more black pepper and salt, to taste.

(Adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

Arugula, Beet, Goat Cheese, and Avocado Salad

November 20, 2020

Another beet salad… this time with arugula, goat cheese, and avocado. Because they all go so well together and everyone in my family will happily eat their beets like this! This salad also includes sweetened dried cranberries or cherries and toasted walnuts (both optional- I was out of walnuts but would add them next time for more crunch). A tangy shallot-honey-balsamic vinaigrette finishes it off.

You can roast your own beets (instructions provided below) or buy them pre-packaged for convenience (and less mess). I didn’t included measurements for the salad ingredients because they’re customizable to taste. Use more or less of something if you love it or don’t. I added much more avocado than the orignal recipe calls for and used less than half of the vinaigrette on a salad for our family of 4.

Arugula, Beet, Goat Cheese, and Avocado Salad

INGREDIENTS

beets, cooked according directions below and diced (I used packaged pre-cooked* beets from Trader Joes)
baby arugula
walnuts, toasted, coarsely chopped (optional)
sweetened dried cranberries or dried cherries (optional)
avocado, peeled, pitted, and cubed
soft fresh goat cheese, coarsely crumbled

Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3 Tbsp. shallots, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp. honey
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

  1. Line a baking sheet with foil. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
  2. Whisk the vinegar, shallots, and honey in a medium bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in the oil. Season the vinaigrette, to taste, with salt and pepper. Toss the beets in a small bowl with enough dressing to coat. Place the beets on the prepared baking sheet and roast until the beets are slightly caramelized, stirring occasionally, about 12 minutes. Set aside and cool. (*If using pre-cooked beets, you can just toss the diced beets in a bit of vinaigrette before dressing the salad and adding them to the salad.)
  3. Toss the arugula, walnuts, and cranberries in a large bowl with enough vinaigrette to coat. Season the salad, to taste, with salt and pepper. Mound the salad atop 4 plates. Arrange the beets around the salad. Sprinkle with the avocado and goat cheese, and serve.

(Adapted from Food Network)

Dahlia Bakery’s Tasty Tomato Soup

September 29, 2020

My favorite treat in Seattle comes from Tom Douglas’ Dahlia Bakery (or LOLA their Mediterranean inspired restaurant across the street). They have tiny donuts (more like a beignet) that they serve hot with sweetened mascarpone and marionberry dipping sauce. They’re incredible! Everything I’ve tried at both restaurants has been delicious. And of course I have the Dahlia bakery cookbook. It has a recipe for the Dahlia donuts which I’ve yet to try (probably because I know I’ll never be able to replicate the original and I live close enough, so why bother?!) but I have made- and loved!- their tomato soup recipe.

I thought this soup was just perfect as written. Though I did use half and half instead of cream because I had it around. And while it won’t be quite as rich, it’ll save you a few calories. Use high quality whole or crushed tomatoes for the best flavor. Soup needs a lot of salt so don’t be shy and season it generously to taste. I didn’t make the brown butter croutons because I was serving it alongside grilled cheese (perfect for dipping!) but next time I definitely will. They sound divine.

Dahlia Bakery’s Tasty Tomato Soup

INGREDIENTS

Tomato Soup:
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, smashed with the side of a knife and peeled
5 cups canned whole tomatoes in juice (I used Cento brand, can also use crushed tomatoes)
1 cup water
2/3 cup heavy cream (I used half and half, heavy cream will make it richer)
1 1/2 -2 tsp. kosher salt (adjust to taste)
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper (adjust to taste)
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (adjust to taste)
1/4 tsp. celery seed (I used celery salt)
1/4 tsp. dried oregano or 1/2 tsp. finely chopped fresh oregano
1 Tbsp. sugar

Brown Butter Croutons:
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
4 slices rustic bread, crusts removed, cut into 3/4- to 1-inch cubes (30 to 36 cubes)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

fresh basil, for serving (optional)

DIRECTIONS

  1. Heat the butter and olive oil in a large saucepan and sauté the onion and garlic until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, water, cream, salt, red pepper flakes, celery seed, oregano, and sugar. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer and simmer for 15 minutes.
  2. Remove from the heat and puree in batches in the container of a blender. Return the soup to the pot and reheat to a simmer, seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.
  3. Meanwhile, to make the brown butter croutons, preheat the oven to 350°F. Heat the butter in a small pan over medium heat and cook, stirring often, until the butter is golden brown and aromatic, about 3 minutes after the butter melts. Remove from the heat. Put the bread cubes in a bowl and pour the brown butter over them, tossing to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper and toss again. Spread the bread cubes on a baking sheet and place it in the oven. Bake until the croutons are toasted and golden, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the pan from the oven.
  4. Serve the soup hot, garnished with the croutons and fresh basil (both optional).

(Adapted from The Dahlia Bakery Cookbook: Sweetness in Seattle)