Cooks Network: VEGETABLES

I know, I know. But for as weird-sounding as salmon burgers are, they are so extremely good.
We’re talking crispy outsides, flaky insides, and a perfect golden color, not to mention lots of nutrition, THANK YOU SALMON.

They are also easy to make and require (usually) minimal, if not zero, grocery shopping, assuming you keep a decently stocked pantry. I love, love, love these crispy pan-fried little guys.

And as if the salmon burgers weren’t good enough already to eat on their own (which, um, they are), I need you to make this slaw to serve your salmon burgers in/on/around. It is nothing fancy – just a shredded cabbage, yogurt, herbs, garlic, and vinegar situation, but paired with the salmon burgers? the crispy-salty-tangy combo is an ON POINT combo. Plus, again with the super nutrition. Plus Sugar Free January friendly.

Dill isn’t really in season at the moment, but I do love to have these burgers with a little dill. You can usually buy it at the grocery store in those little plastic clamshells that cost too much. Know the ones I’m talking about?

But if you’re not super excited about the expensive-winter-dill-in-a-clamshell situation, you can use 1) freeze-dried dill, which I keep in my spice collection year-round, and 2) any other fresh herb! I made a version of these with parsley and cilantro when I didn’t have any dill, and mwah. They were still totally delicious.

Dill would still be my first choice, but as with all my favorite recipes, you can play with that a little bit.

And now for the big question. Do you use canned salmon? Subtext: is it gross?

Answer: Yes, I use canned salmon. Fresh salmon that you’ve already cooked would also work if canned salmon is too weird for you. But I’d like to take a moment to assure you that it is very possible to find non-gross canned salmon if you do a little searching and are willing to spend a little extra for higher quality. I really like Wild Planet canned salmon which I buy at Whole Foods. It is caught in Alaska, and Wild Planet prioritizes sustainability and conservation of marine ecosystems with all their products. Not sponsored, just a superfan. You can also buy it here on Amazon. And because it’s canned, you can just keep it in your pantry and have it at the ready whenever you need a literal 15-minute lunch or dinner.

God bless pantry meals.

INSTRUCTIONS

For the Salmon Burgers: Flake the salmon apart. Mix all burger ingredients together and form into 3 large or 4 medium patties. Heat olive oil over medium heat, ideally in a nonstick skillet. Fry the burgers for a few minutes on each side until golden brown and crispy. Place on a paper towel lined plate and sprinkle with salt.

For the Slaw: Mix all slaw ingredients together. Taste and adjust.
Serve: Serve up those hot salmon burgers on a bed of creamy slaw. I top mine with a dollop of extra yogurt and a swizzle of oil and more herbs. Can’t stop me.

NOTE

Breadcrumbs are important here. Panko gives a really nice texture whereas whole wheat breadcrumbs would be a good choice if you want to skip the refined grains. If you use a seasoned breadcrumb mix, reduce the amount of salt in the burgers by about 1/2.

For the salmon, you could use leftover steamed, poached, grilled, baked, whatever kinda salmon. If you don’t have any cooked salmon handy, use canned salmon! That’s what I usually do. I would recommend looking for a brand of canned salmon that is caught in the US. I really, really like Wild Planet for quality canned salmon.

If you happen to have a jar of Sunshine Sauce in your fridge, use that to make the slaw! Just mix cabbage with yogurt, add some Sunshine Sauce, and polish it off with a little dill. Super yummy.
The burgers will keep pretty well in the fridge (~3 days) or freezer (~3 months). When you’re ready to eat, pop them in a nonstick skillet to reheat because it will retain crispiness! The slaw, however, is best eaten right away. It probably has one day max in the fridge once it’s been mixed up.

Gluten Free: We tried three different GF options – almond flour, crushed Chex cereal, and GF oats. All three turned out to be great substitutes, but we liked the smooth texture and flavor of the almond flour version the best. Almond meal would work just as well too.

INGREDIENTS

Salmon Burgers

12-14 ounces cooked salmon

2 eggs

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs, like chives, parsley, or dill

a squeeze of lemon juice

olive oil for pan-frying

Cabbage Slaw

1 head green cabbage, finely shredded

1 cup plain Greek yogurt

2-3 tablespoons white distilled vinegar (more to taste)

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 cup chopped fresh herbs like chives, parsley, or cilantro

a drizzle of olive oil

NUTRITION INFORMATION

Serving Size: 1 (298 g) Servings Per Recipe: 4

Calories 479.4 Calories from Fat 118 25% Total Fat 13.2 g 20% Saturated Fat 2.9 g 14% Cholesterol 158.2 mg 52% Sodium 621.5 mg 25% Total Carbohydrate 47.2 g 15% Dietary Fiber 3.3 g 13% Sugars 7.7 g 30% Protein 40.8 g 81%

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02:28 1 comments

I was trying to squeeze the last bits of daylight into my photos, taking pictures on the back patio. It was close to sunset, and the dusky blue light sat cool and muted on my (finally) ready to photograph potato wedges. I briefly glanced up and looked toward the back of the yard, near my garden. The choir in my mind sang a glorious major chord as I saw honey-colored beams peeking over the fence, bathing the far half of the yard in a deliciously warm glow. Oh brother. I knew what I had to do. One large wooden photo background, a cutting board filled with herbs in progress, bowls, measuring spoons, and the like, all needed to make it, stat, to the other side of the yard. The neighbors probably question my sanity. In my twenties, I cared about this a bit, but not so much anymore. I’m beginning to understand the reason for the sequined hats and carefree attitudes of those twice as old as me–at a certain point, one just can’t take as much time to care about appearing foolish when it is magic is happening on the other side of the yard! I balanced all my props, food and accoutrements on my photo background and carried them topsy turvy style to the prime location.

Liz Gilbert, although I was already well on my way to the deep end, this is partly your fault. You wrote a little book about creativity and inspiration called Big Magic that has only served to amplify my spontaneous and wild creative urges. I heard your voice in my head saying, “If inspiration is calling from the other side of the yard, get thee to the other side of the yard!” When seduced by inspiration, I create big messes, almost unknowingly and frenetically. When I wake up from my altered state, I see my creation, and all the creative shrapnel, and almost don’t know what happened.

In my last post, I shared a recipe for the Lemon-Herb Cashew Sour Cream Dip I’m utterly addicted to. I love to dollop this dip on everything– breakfast hashes, crackers, veggies, and even eat it by the spoonful (don’t judge me!). I must make a confession. I’ve been withholding the recipe that this dip was created for–these Roasted Barbecue potato wedges. I love this dip so much on its own that I thought it deserved its very own post.

These spiced potato wedges come together very easily, and make a great side or party appetizer. I love the combination garlicky, smoky wedges with the cool herby dip. Do you have smoked paprika in your spice cabinet? I love to add it into my spice mixture for anything I want to add a savory smokiness to–veggie crumbles for taco meat, corn on the cob, pan fried tempeh, and many other things.

It might be inconvenient at times, but I believe it’s infinitely worth it to say yes to the magically golden light on the other side of the yard, yes to the frenetic messes that appear as a side effect of creative reverie, yes to deciding to photograph a recipe at 6 pm when daylight hours are melting away, yes, yes, yes to the cheap little thrills that make life more colorful and exciting, and by all means, yes to roasty potato wedges with dip!

Roasted Barbecue-Spiced Potato Wedges with Lemon-Herb Cashew Sour Cream Dip

INGREDIENTS

2 pounds medium yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch thick wedges
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon paprika
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Lemon-Herb Cashew Sour Cream Dip for serving (optional), recipe here

PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 425˚.

On a baking sheet, toss the potatoes with the olive oil, spices, salt and pepper. Arrange in a single layer.

Bake for about 40-45 minutes, or until the bottoms of the potatoes are golden and crispy. Use a stiff spatula to pop the potatoes off the pan using a firm scraping motion. Serve while hot with the dip.

NUTRITION INFORMATION

Serving Size: 1 (105 g) Servings Per Recipe: 4

Calories 124.8 Calories from Fat 53 43% Total Fat 6 g 9% Saturated Fat 3.4 g 16% Cholesterol 14.9 mg 4% Sodium 37.6 mg 1% Total Carbohydrate 16.6 g 5% Dietary Fiber 1.6 g 6% Sugars 1.9 g 7% Protein 2.1 g 4%

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Baked Mozzarella Chicken Rolls: easy, delicious, and beautiful with fresh basil and a delicious tomato sauce. This meal has summer dinner written all over it. So, my sister. Remember her? Think scones and fruit pizza.

She gets all the credit for this recipe. Well, no. The lovely Gina from Skinny Taste gets first and foremost credit, with honorable mention going to Pinterest for putting the recipe in front of my sister’s friend’s mom’s face who then printed it and gave it to my sister.

But my sister gets secondary credit because she’s the one who introduced me to this incredibly easy, healthy, and completely gorgeous recipe idea. And ultimately I guess I will take the credit for eating seven of the chicken rolls.

Kristin (ma sista) made this while we were up at the cabin a few weeks ago and it was a hit before it even made its way to our plates. She came rounding the corner holding a jumbo pan of baked goodness and just one look at all that chicken, cheese, sauce, and fresh basil was enough to make us all fall in love/grab at the chicken with our hands while still in the pan/fight for the cheesy strings on top. Ahem.

Bjork especially loved this down-home baked chicken dinner. So much so that I had a sudden shameful sometimes-vegetarian wife moment where I realized that his typical dinner fare as of late consists of lentil burgers and squash curry and the occasional bowl of cereal. I said to myself: Lindsay, you need to feed this man crispy, cheese-soaked saucy chicken. Like, yesterday.

But fear not, veg lovers! Even though this is baked chicken paradise, each chicken piece is actually stuffed with my very own favorite power veggie: spinach. Very delicate baby spinach, chopped and just very lightly wilted with some garlic and olive oil, just to make ya feel green and happy on the inside. And if you must, a little cheese and bread crumbs and sauce and more melted cheese along with that will be accepted.

My mom would call this recipe “putzy” and it is, in fact, putzy. You have give each piece of chicken some special TLC and your hands will be a complete ugly raw-chicken disaster by the time it’s all said and done. But the payoff = your dinner, which is a beauty queen featuring incredible textures and summer’s very best colors. And your family will think you are some kind of culinary genius, because, in reality, you are.

So here’s how things happen. You first roll that spinach with a little ricotta and Parmesan cheese inside a piece of chicken. Hold on to it cause it might try to slip away from ya or the spinach might come sneaking out the edges. Come on, now. Commit to not losing any of that yummy, creamy filling. Roll the whole thing in egg whites and seasoned whole wheat bread crumbs. I will not send the food police if you use white bread crumbs, but forget health benefits – the whole wheat crumbs have a rich brown color that makes the whole thing pop. Worth it.

At this point you’re going to ask: am I doing this right? If you’re making a total mess, then yes. Arrange all 8 of the chicken pieces in a normal sized pan. If I was making this for a real family, I’d have put the other three in the sides of this little pan. But I was cooking for a food blog and got all weird about turning a few pieces sideways. Hey! They’re cute! And you’re a mess. Go wash your hands.

While the chicken bakes, cut a few slices of fresh Mozzarella. Fresh, peeps. I mean the stuff that’s pure white, sold in big hunks, completely mild and delicious, and melts like a dream.

If you don’t eat a few extra pieces of cheese during this step you are a not human.

Ding! Chicken’s done. Top it with sauce and cheese and melt it to give it the final crown of Mozzarella glory.

Final step: fresh basil.

Layer the leaves, roll them up into a tight bundle, and cut thin slices at a vertical slant to make “ribbons.” Sprinkle the ribbons over the whole pan of melty, cheesy, baked Mozzarella chicken rolls and watch the color party happen right in front of your eyes.

The fresh basil, the tomato sauce, the creamy spinach bursting out of the seams, the Italian herb smells that will waft out of your open windows and make your neighbors wonder if they can come for dinner, AND the happy nutrition stats? It’s all there.

Would someone please outdo me with some kind of homegrown tomatoes made into homegrown sauce, because how amazing would that be?
I think I want a garden.

INSTRUCTIONS

Prep the chicken: Cut the chicken into 8 pieces and pound the pieces until they are thin (for quick cooking) and have expanded in surface area (for more filling). Place the breadcrumbs in a shallow bowl with 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese and set aside.

Prep the filling: Chop the spinach and saute it with the garlic and just a drizzle of olive oil for 2-3 minutes or until just barely wilted. Combine the sauteed spinach with the ricotta, Parmesan cheese, and 2-3 tablespoons of the egg whites. Place the remaining egg whites in a separate shallow bowl and set aside.

Assemble the chicken: Oil the bottom of a large baking dish and preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place one piece of chicken on a flat working surface. Put a spoonful of ricotta-spinach filling right in the middle and roll the chicken up so that the edges meet to form a “seam”. Dip the entire chicken roll in egg whites, and then roll it in the breadcrumbs. Place in a baking dish, seam side down. Repeat for the remaining 7 pieces of chicken. Bake for 25 minutes.

Finishing touches: After 25 minutes, the chicken should be cooked through (white on the inside) and browned on the top. Cover the chicken with the marinara sauce and slices of fresh Mozzarella. Bake for another 3-5 minutes or until cheese is melting. Sprinkle with fresh basil.

NOTES

Don’t try to cram all the pieces too close together because if the sides are touching each other, they won’t get crispy. Leaving a little space between each piece allows the breadcrumbs to bake, brown, and crispify perfectly

INGREDIENTS

2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts (8 4-ounce pieces)
1 cup whole wheat Italian style bread crumbs
6 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, divided
5 ounces fresh baby spinach
1 clove minced garlic and olive oil for sauteeing
1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1/3 cup beaten egg whites (I used something similar to Egg Beaters)
3 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
1 cup marinara sauce
fresh basil for topping

NUTRITION INFORMATION

Serving Size: 1 (148 g) Servings Per Recipe: 8

Calories 203.5 Calories from Fat 43 21% Total Fat 4.8 g 7% Saturated Fat 1.5 g 7% Cholesterol 75.9 mg 25% Sodium 301.9 mg 12% Total Carbohydrate 10.6 g 3% Dietary Fiber 1 g 4% Sugars 0.9 g 3% Protein 27.9 g 55%

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Are you ready for this? I’m taking the classic enchilada and giving it a healthy-ish makeover by swapping out the tortilla and carbs for sheets of zucchini made with the KitchenAid® Artisan® Stand Mixer and Vegetable Sheet Cutter attachment.

This is my new favorite kitchen accessory for my beloved KitchenAid® mixer. The ease in which it works definitely earns it a top shelf space in my kitchen. There are no special tricks to using it—just clamp it down and hit the switch. Don’t worry if your first few sheets aren’t perfect, give yourself a break. In fact, quick tip on this recipe, pick up zucchinis that are a bit thicker. It’ll make it easier to get more uniform sheet as you become familiar with the sheet peeler. But, should you get some broken sheets just overlap the the pieces by an inch. The zucchini sheets will be pliable enough to roll and no one will be the wiser.

In fact, my boys prefer this version to the traditional corn or flour rolled enchiladas. It’s a win for all of us because I think rolling these zucchini sheets is so much easier. For the filling, I kept it traditional, but if you have a specialized or killer recipe do the rest of us a favor and share it in the comments section. I’d love to know what spices you use for your sauce. Do you roast your peppers, toast your own spices? I want to know!

Now that you are in the know about the Vegetable Sheet Cutter attachment, can we talk about the possibilities? I have no less than a dozen-plus recipes I want to try. But next up is a butternut lasagna. I can’t wait to share this one, so stay tuned because it’s going to be epic!

PREPARATION

Using the thin blade on the Vegetable Sheet Cutter attachment process the zucchini, saving the cores for the filling of the enchiladas. Take the vegetable sheets and lay them between paper towels to help take car of any extra moisture.

Preheat your oven to 350ºF

Chop up the zucchini cores along with the onion, heat up the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat then add the chopped zucchini core and onion with a pinch of salt and sauté until the vegetables are soft and somewhat translucent, 5-6 minutes. Add the coriander and cumin and cook for a minute more to help bloom the spices then stir in the chicken and 1 cup of the enchilada sauce.

Set the filling aside and pour 1/4 cup into the bottom of a 2 qt baking dish.

Cut the zucchini sheets into 8” lengths, add 1/4 cup of filling to one end and roll it up. and place seam side down in the pan. Continue until you’ve used up all the filling then pour the rest of the enchilada sauce over the top, sprinkle with the cheese and bake for 20-30 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbly.

Top with scallions and cilantro and serve with sour cream.

INGREDIENTS

3 large or 4 smaller zucchinis
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 large yellow onion
kosher salt to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
3 cups shredded chicken
1 1/2 cups enchilada sauce
2/3 cup shredded colby jack cheese

To serve

green onions
cilantro
sour cream

NUTRITION INFORMATION

Serving Size: 1 (319 g) Servings Per Recipe: 4

Calories 359.8 Calories from Fat 80 20% Total Fat 9.2 g 27% Saturated Fat 2.1 g 15% Cholesterol 74.7 mg 24% Sodium 587.5 mg 27% Total Carbohydrate 27.6 g 15% Dietary Fiber 4.5 g 18% Sugars 5 g 20% Protein 14 g 35%

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Italian Roasted Mushrooms and Veggies – absolutely the easiest way to roast mushrooms, cauliflower, tomatoes and garlic Italian style. Simple and delicious.

I have a simple recipe for you today and that is roasted mushrooms and veggies. I roast veggies like this all the time, on a weekly basis. This time I chose to use gorgeous and delicious cremini mushrooms, cauliflower and tomatoes. If you’ve never had roasted tomatoes before, my friends, this needs to go on your bucket list because it’s the best thing ever. Don’t cut them up or anything, I like to use cocktail tomatoes, and I roast them whole, then as you bite into them you get an explosion of flavor in your mouth, one of my favorite things.

I also added loads of garlic here, and that is whole garlic cloves, they roast nicely and once done you can almost spread them on a piece of bread, like butter, so good. But the roasted mushrooms are to die for, they’re incredible.

The beauty of this side dish is of course its simplicity. All you have to do is toss all the mushrooms and veggies together in a bowl with some olive oil, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. If you don’t have Italian seasoning, all it is is thyme, basil, oregano and rosemary, so if you have those herbs just make your own Italian seasoning. If you want the mushrooms and veggies to have a bit of kick to them add some red pepper chili flakes.

Then just roast everything for about 20 or 30 minutes at 400 F degrees and garnish with some fresh parsley. How much more simple could a side dish get? As I said I make this often, but not only in this combination. I love to use baby potatoes with tomatoes, or onion, peppers and sweet potatoes. The possibilities truly are endless. I usually serve this alongside roasted chicken drumsticks or roasted pork loin or pork chops.

Oh and if your tomatoes burst open while roasting, you’ll want to make sure you get some crusty bread to soak up all that tomato juice all mixed in with the olive oil and herbs. It’s a good thing!

PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 400 F degrees.
In a bowl add all the mushrooms and veggies. Drizzle with olive oil then add Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and toss until well combined.
Dump the veggies to a baking sheet and place in the preheat oven. Roast for 20 to 30 minutes or until mushrooms are golden brown and cauliflower is fork tender.
Garnish with fresh parsley before serving.

Recipe Notes

If you do not have Italian seasoning you can use equal amounts of basil, oregano, rosemary and thyme.
Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.

INGREDIENTS

1 lb cremini mushrooms cleaned
2 cups cauliflower cut into small florets
2 cups cocktail tomatoes
12 cloves garlic peeled
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp fresh parsley chopped

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Amount Per Serving (181 g) Calories 91 Calories from Fat 45 Total Fat 5.01g 8%
Saturated Fat 0.727g 4% Polyunsaturated Fat 0.671g Monounsaturated Fat 3.314g Sodium 122mg 5% Potassium 532mg 15% Total Carbohydrates 9.73g 3% Dietary Fiber 2.5g 10% Sugars 4.09g Protein 4.07g 8% Vitamin A 26% Vitamin C 62% Calcium 3% Iron 6%

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These fun and easy stuffed mushrooms are full of easy barbecue pulled chicken, spicy pepperjack cheese, and fresh cilantro. This post contains affiliate links, which means if you choose to purchase something I’ll earn a small commission at no cost to you.

There are very few things in this world I love more than barbecue sauce. It’s just – ahhhh. So good. And a splash of BBQ can lend a quick smoky touch and immediate depth of flavor to even the easiest, simplest dishes.

They’re ready to bake in 15 minutes, and require just 5 main ingredients. But the amount of flavor you get from the pepper jack/BBQ/cilantro combination makes them seem much more complicated than they really are

Also, I have a real problem with soggy mushrooms, so here’s a nifty trick to help you keep your stuffed mushrooms roasted to perfection: place a cooling rack on top of a rimmed baking sheet, then place your stuffed mushrooms on top of the rack before baking them. I use an oven safe cooling rack like this one from Amazon!

The cooling rack keeps the mushroom caps elevated, which means they aren’t swimming around in whatever liquid they release as they cook.

The result is a perfectly roasted, much less messy mushroom. (I also use this trick for my Portobello Mushroom Pizzas!)

Just be careful moving the pan around – mushrooms like to roll around a bit on the cooling rack, so move slowly to avoid any flipped-over-stuffed-mushroom catastrophes.

Basically, this combo (awesome, easy, delicious stuffed mushrooms + a kitchen hack to keep them from getting soggy) is a winner. And it will help you look like a total pro in the kitchen even if all you have to work with is half an hour and no patience for actually cooking things. Plus, umm, vegetables + protein = HEALTHY, right?

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat oven to 375 degrees F.
Place a wire cooling rack on a baking sheet and place mushroom caps top-side down on top of the rack.
Salt and pepper mushroom caps to taste.
Place a cube of pepper jack cheese inside each mushroom cap. You may not use all of the cheese, and you may have to cut the cubes up a little smaller depending on the size of your mushroom caps. Just finagle it so that you have pepper jack cheese filling up as much of the mushroom cap as possible!

In a small bowl, mix together shredded chicken and BBQ sauce. Top each mushroom cap with a spoonful of shredded BBQ chicken.

Carefully place baking sheet with stuffed mushrooms into a 375 degree oven for 20-25 minutes until mushrooms are cooked through and cheese is melted.

Remove mushrooms from baking sheet and top with fresh chopped cilantro. Serve immediately.

NOTES

You could also use shredded pepper jack cheese in place of the cubes – I found the cubes to be a little quicker and easier.

Try to use a cooling rack that’s the same size as your baking sheet. I also recommend a rimmed baking sheet like this one (as opposed to a flat cookie sheet).

Move slowly when you’re picking up the baking sheet – mushrooms can roll around on the rack if you’re not careful, so keep an eye on them to avoid any spills!

INGREDIENTS

10 oz. baby portobello or white button mushrooms, cleaned and with the stems removed

salt and pepper to taste

3 oz. pepper jack cheese, cut into small (1/3″) cubes

1 cup cooked shredded chicken

1/2 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

NUTRITION INFORMATION

Serving Size: 4 (72 g) Servings Per Recipe: 4

Calories 150.3 Calories from Fat 63 15% Total Fat 4.5 g 14% Saturated Fat 1.3 g 0,9% Cholesterol 52.2 mg 10% Sodium 199.2 mg 8% Total Carbohydrate 4 g 1% Dietary Fiber 1.4 g 5% Sugars 1.8 g 7% Protein 5.1 g 12%

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This quick and easy pita bread pizza collection is perfect for busy evenings and is great for meal prep! Three different pita bread pizza recipes, including two vegetarian options. A great addition to your meal planning rotation!

You make my heart so warm and fuzzy. I am so blown away by the responses I received after Tuesday’s post. You’ve reaffirmed what deep down, I already knew: That this is a community of amazing people who care deeply, love fiercely, and will stand for no BS.

I am so freaking proud of you and the work you’re already doing to make the world a little bit better. Thank you to the moon and back for sharing your stories with me over the past few days. I love you – madly and truly – and I am so hashtag blessed to know you, whether we’re standing together at a protest or simultaneously drooling over pizza from opposite sides of the country.

Now, is this “real” pizza? Probably not. (Please don’t disown me, friends who actually know anything about Italian food!)

But this IS pizza-LIKE. So I think it counts.
Also, it involves whole wheat pita bread.
And ALL OF THE TOPPINGS.

And is ready in less than 20 minutes so you can get back to calling your senators and doing your taxes and then getting a little wine drunk while you watch the new Beauty and the Beast trailer 1095019858 times because you’re sick of acting like a grownup.

…Not that I do that.

I’m putting three whole recipes in this post, which sounds a lot more impressive than it is because really, this is not a very recipe-y recipe.

Basically, the instructions are this: Put some stuff on a pita pocket. Cover it with cheese. Bake until cheese melts. Do a happy dance. The end.

BUT BUT BUT: The combinations of these particular quick and easy pita bread pizzas are pretty much wonderful.

There’s a quick margarita pizza (because cheese + basil + tomatoes = everything), a pesto + chicken + parmesan number (yay) and a Greek-inspired pizza that I totally and 100% ripped off from my friend Elizabeth, after she made us something similar a few months ago.

This is the perfect “we-have-nothing-for-dinner” dinner, and it’s easy to make a few different varieties so that everyone gets a couple of unique slices.

…or, y’know, so that you have five different mini pizzas all to yourself. You do you.

PREPARATION

Heat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Lay pita bread rounds in a single layer on a large baking sheet. They won’t rise or expand, so you can place them quite close together on the baking sheet if you need to.

Choose your pizza! You can make all three of the combinations above, or just choose one or two, or add your own favorite pizza toppings! This is kind of a no-recipe recipe, so there aren’t too many instructions.

Top each pita bread round with your desired toppings. If you’re making the margarita pita bread pizza, leave the basil leaves off until AFTER the pizza is baked, and then add them at the last minute so they don’t wilt!

Bake pita bread pizzas at 375 degrees F for 10-15 minutes until pita bread has lightly crisped, toppings are heated through, and cheese has just melted.

Slice pitas into quarters and serve immediately.

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE MARGARITA PIZZA

2 whole wheat pita bread rounds
2 tsp. olive oil
3 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese
10 cherry tomatoes, halved
fresh ground black pepper, to taste
6 fresh basil leaves, for garnish

NUTRITION INFORMATION

Serving Size: 1 (93 g)

Servings Per Recipe: 4

Calories 140.4
Calories from Fat 104

75%

Total Fat 11.7 g

17%

Saturated Fat 4 g

20%

Cholesterol 18.8 mg

6%

Sodium 34.9 mg

1%

Total Carbohydrate 4.7 g

1%

Dietary Fiber 0.8 g

3%

Sugars 1.4 g

5%

Protein 5 g

10%

FOR THE GREEK PIZZA

2 whole wheat pita bread rounds
1/3 cup plain hummus
1/2 cup fresh spinach, roughly chopped
2 Tbsp. sliced black olives
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

NUTRITION INFORMATION

Serving Size: 1 (118 g)

Servings Per Recipe: 6

Calories 176.8
Calories from Fat 121

68%

Total Fat 13.4 g

20%

Saturated Fat 6.5 g

32%

Cholesterol 35.8 mg

11%

Sodium 1025 mg

42%

Total Carbohydrate 5.6 g

1%

Dietary Fiber 1.1 g

4%

Sugars 3.1 g

12%

Protein 9.2 g

18%

FOR THE PESTO CHICKEN PIZZA

2 whole wheat pita bread rounds
1/3 cup basil pesto
2/3 cup cooked shredded chicken
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
fresh ground pepper, to taste

NUTRITION INFORMATION

Serving Size: 1 (65 g)

Servings Per Recipe: 6

Calories 156.3
Calories from Fat 87

56%

Total Fat 9.7 g

14%

Saturated Fat 4.7 g

23%

Cholesterol 45.3 mg

15%

Sodium 200.4 mg

8%

Total Carbohydrate 2.8 g

0%

Dietary Fiber 0.4 g

1%

Sugars 1.1 g

4%

Protein 14.2 g

28%

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Plump juicy and sweet strawberries are the main attraction in this strawberry avocado spinach salad. We’ll top it off with a citrusy poppyseed dressing and voila! Your new favorite spring/summer salad is here.

Just look at all those beautiful strawberries?

I’m crushin’ hard on this avocado strawberry spinach salad situation that comes dressed with a citrusy poppyseed dressing, makes for excellent spring//summer lunches, and quick and easy dinners too. Bright, colorful, and eye-catching, basically all the things I love about a salad other than the most obvious one which is FLAVOR. Ever since the biological clock stuck the big 3-0, it feels like my body craves meals that are packed with nutrition. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll take a brownie or three right afterward because I have the worst sweet tooth that kicks in 10 seconds after I’ve finished eating a meal, but when it comes to the actual meal itself, I need the greens, the goods, and let’s not pretend I’m above it, the dressing.

Guys I can’t stop, won’t stop with this beautiful berry spinach salad!

We’ve got juicy, plump blueberries, buttery avocado, spicy red onions, creamy feta cheese, crisp baby spinach leaves, and sweet strawberries. Toss that all up extra generously with homemade poppyseed dressing and a hint of salt and pepper.

It’s refreshing and oh so filling.

And if you’re questioning the usage of crumbled feta cheese in a salad that’s loaded with sweet berries, hold the phone, think about the way creamy, salty, and rich flavors of that feta will pair with acidy, tangy-sweet berries. I’m telling you this combo just can’t be beaten!

Besides all the most obvious usage of strawberries, like pies, cupcakes, and shortcakes, I wanted to highlight how you can naturally incorporate more fruit into your everyday meals.

And with the weekend about 24 hours away I’m really trying to do this one diet on the weekdays called vegetables + fruits + lean proteins and attempting to keep it real where food doesn’t make me want to hate life. But really I already know when Friday strikes, it all kinda goes flying out the window until Sunday. A salad in one hand and 5 glazed and sprinkled doughnuts in the other, life is all about balance I tell you.

How about we make a deal where weekend foods don’t count? K thanks.

Noteworthy, i’ve made this strawberry spinach salad about 20 times — yes it’s that good. The dressing lasts for about a week in the refrigerator so meal prep it on Sunday’s and enjoy tossing a few ingredients together and calling it lunch on weekdays.

You can even prep this salad in your meal prep contains (these are my favorite) and pack it to go. Or if you work from home, step away from that desk for 5 seconds to toss the contents of your refrigerator into a bowl and drizzle it homemade poppyseed dressing. And when you’re too tired to cook, dice that leftover chicken from the weekend and add it in and make your strawberry spinach salad game stronger. ?? And if you’re summer 2014 was also all about Panera’s Strawberry Poppyseed Salad then toss in a can of mandarin oranges, chopped chicken, and a handful of pecans//almonds//walnuts and sit back and bask in the glory of your mega salad making skills.

PREPARATION

DRESSING: whisk together the juices, mustard, mayo, honey, and poppy seeds. Stream in the olive oil as you whisk until combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

SALAD: Toss all the ingredients for the salad together with desired amount of dressing. Serve immediately.

MAKE AHEAD: salad ingredients can be prepared ahead of time and kept separate from the dressing until ready to serve. Leftover dressing will last for up to 5 days, covered in the refrigerator.

NOTES:

Sometimes I like to add grilled chicken to this salad along with mandarin oranges, pineapple chunks, and chopped pecans for a different twist!

INGREDIENTS

POPPYSEED DRESSING

2 teaspoons dijon mustard
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
2 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons poppy seeds
1 tablespoon EACH lemon juice, lime juice, AND orange juice
1/2 cup olive oil
salt and pepper

STRAWBERRY SPINACH SALAD

6 cups baby spinach
2 cups sliced strawberries
1 cup blueberries
1 large or 2 small avocados, diced
1/2 a medium red onion, sliced
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

NUTRITION INFORMATION

Serving Size: 1 (195 g) Servings Per Recipe: 4

Calories 266.1 Calories from Fat 190 72% Total Fat 21.2 g 32% Saturated Fat 3.7 g 18% Cholesterol 13.1 mg 4% Sodium 295.3 mg 12% Total Carbohydrate 18.6 g 6% Dietary Fiber 5.6 g 22% Sugars 6.2 g 24% Protein 3.5 g 6%

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