What's For Dessert: Individual Peach Crisps

We picked up a bagful of peaches at the grocery store over the weekend, but for the life of me, I never think to eat a piece of fruit during the day. However, pair the idea of fresh fruit with dessert, and I'm in! Rather than make a large fruit crisp (which I then furtively eat for the rest of the week), I opted to make just two servings this time around. I think these would make a rather elegant dessert option for a dinner party or summertime picnic. Served with a little scoop of ice cream -- what could be better?

Individual Peach Crisps

makes 2 servings

2 peaches, peeled, halved, and cut into slices

3 tablespoons rolled oats

3 tablespoons light brown sugar

1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, chilled

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Combine the oats, brown sugar, flour and spices in a small bowl. Mix with a fork to combine. Cut in the butter until small pebble-sized pieces form. Set aside.

3. Layer the peach slices into two oven-safe 6-oz ramekins. (One peach per ramekin.)

4. Sprinkle the topping over the top of the peaches until they are completely covered.

5. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until the fruit is bubbling and the topping has browned.

6. Allow to cool for a few minutes.

7. Serve a la mode.

Cocktail Hour: Pomegranate Citrus Martini

For today's cocktail hour, I gave D full rein to make me whatever his heart desired. We picked up a few juices at the grocery store this past weekend, and D opted to add 'em together to make his creation. I've got to say, the result was quite delicious! (And full of antioxidants and vitamin C to boot!)

Pomegranate Citrus Martini

makes 1 cocktail

ice cubes

1 oz Grey Goose vodka

1 oz Pom 100% pomegranate juice

2 oz Simply Lemonade

sparkling water

1. Chill a martini glass in the freezer.

2. Add ice cubes to a cocktail shaker. Add in the vodka, pomegranate juice, and lemonade. Shake together.

3. Pour into the chilled glass. Add in a "glug" of sparkling water.

4. Serve.

What's For Dinner: Black Bean and Roasted Sweet Potato Burritos

Tonight's dinner is based on one of our favorite dinner entrees at Sweet Melissa's, the local vegetarian cafe. Though their version comes covered in cheesy goodness, I opted to make our burritos dry. Serve alongside some homemade guacamole and tortilla chips, and you've got yourself a meal!

Black Bean and Roasted Sweet Potato Burritos

makes 2 servings

For the seasoned rice:

1 cup jasmine rice

2 cups water

1/2 tablespoon taco seasoning

For the roasted sweet potatoes:

1 large sweet potato, washed and peeled

olive oil

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

2. Slice the sweet potato into 1" cubes.

3. Place the cubes in a glass baking dish.

4. Drizzle about 2 teaspoons of olive oil over the potato cubes. Toss to coat.

5. Season the cubes with cumin and chili powder; toss again to coat.

6. Bake in the oven for about 40 minutes, tossing every 10 minutes. The sweet potatoes are done when they are lightly browned and fork-tender.

7. Remove from the oven and let cool.

For the sweet potato-black bean filling:

roasted sweet potato cubes

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

juice from 1/2 a lime

1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, rinsed

1. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the cooled roasted sweet potatoes with the black beans, juice of half a lime, and cilantro leaves. Stir gently to combine.

2. Place in the fridge until ready to use (or use immediately).

To make the burritos:

2 flour tortillas

seasoned rice

roasted sweet potato-black bean filling

shredded mozzarella

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. Place the tortillas on a microwave-safe plate, cover with a damp paper towel, and microwave for 45 seconds to warm them (and make them more pliable).

3. Place about 1/2 cup of rice and 1/2 cup roasted sweet potato-black bean filling in the center of the tortilla. Top with the shredded mozzarella.

4. Fold the top and bottom of the tortilla in, then fold/roll in the sides. Spray the folded burrito with cooking spray then wrap in aluminum foil.

5. Place on a baking sheet.

6. Repeat the above steps for the second burrito.

7. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes.

8. Remove the aluminum foil and cut diagonally down the middle. Serve immediately.

What's For Dinner: Asian Coleslaw

Cold salads are the perfect antidote to a hot summer day. Tonight's dish combines a few different coleslaw blends, green onions, some ramen noodles, toasted almonds, and an Asian-inspired dressing. This salad is even better 24-hours later when all the ingredients have had time to meld together. Yum!

Asian Coleslaw (printer-friendly version)

makes 6+ servings

For the coleslaw:

10 oz package broccoli coleslaw

5 oz cabbage coleslaw

small bunch of green onions, chopped

1 packet ramen noodles

1 package vegetarian ramen noodles (I used Dr. McDougall's "Chicken Flavor" Ramen Noodles)

4 oz sliced almonds, toasted

For the dressing:

1/4 C toasted sesame oil

2 T red wine vinegar

1 T light brown sugar

1/2 T spice packet from vegetarian ramen noodle package

1. In a large bowl, combine the coleslaws, chopped green onions, and toasted almonds. (To toast the almonds, heat a large skillet over medium heat, then toast the almonds in the dry skillet for about 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent burning.) Crush the ramen noodles into large chunks and stir them into the salad. (I also added in the noodles from the vegetarian ramen noodle package, though I took out the corn kernels.)

2. Combine the dressing ingredients (sesame oil, red wine vinegar, brown sugar, and spices) in a small bowl and stir with a fork to combine. Add more seasoning to taste.

3. Add the dressing to the coleslaw and mix thoroughly.

4. Chill in the fridge for 20 minutes, or until ready to eat.

* Note, if it isn't important to you that this dish is vegetarian, go ahead and use two packages of regular ramen noodles and add in the spice packets to the dressing, rather than using the vegetarian ramen noodles and spice packet.

(adapted from a recipe in the Nonagon Cookbook)

What's For Lunch: Yogurt, Muesli, and Berries

Lately for lunch I've been eating single-serve Chobani greek yogurt -- perfect for portion control, and enough space at the top of the container to add in a scoop of muesli and a handful of fresh berries. I've been alternating between vanilla and plain flavors -- when eating the plain, I do add in a small spoonful of honey to sweeten it up a little bit.

Cocktail Hour: Pineapple Pete

TGIF! What better way to toast the weekend than with a cocktail (or two) . . . am I right? The Pineapple Pete is a cocktail created by D (and, um, named by me) from some ingredients we had on hand. Nice fruity taste and a little fizz from the limonata.

Pineapple Pete

makes 2 cocktails

ice cubes

4 oz San Pellegrino limonata

1 oz organic pineapple juice

1 oz Grey goose vodka

lime slice

1. Chill two martini glasses in the freezer for a few minutes.

2. Shake together the pineapple juice and vodka in a cocktail shaker filled with ice.

3. Pour into a chilled martini glass. Add in the limonta.

4. Garnish with a slice of lime.

And, for today's bonus cocktail, something a little less fruity . . .

Black Russian

makes 1 cocktail

ice cubes

3/4 oz kahlua

1 1/2 oz Grey Goose vodka

1. Fill a short glass with the ice cubes.

2. Top with the kahlua and vodka.

3. Drink up.

What's On The Side: Blueberry Syrup

This recipe was inspired by a recent episode of Ask Aida in which Aida made blueberry syrup by combining together blueberries and maple syrup. I decided that for my blueberry syrup, I would combine blueberries with simple syrup (sugar and water) plus a few other ingredients, so that it could be used for more than just a pancake topping. Ironically, the first meal we used the blueberry syrup for was pancakes -- ah well. However, I think this blueberry syrup would also make an excellent topping for ice cream or yogurt and as an easy mix-in for a smoothie or milkshake. Hmm, and perhaps an addition to a cocktail, too?

Blueberry Syrup

makes 2 cups

1/2 cup raw sugar

1/2 cup water

1 pint blueberries

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

juice from 1/2 a lemon

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1. Heat the water in a medium-sized sauce pot over medium-high heat. Stir in the sugar.

2. Bring the mixture to a boil. Add in the blueberries, vanilla, lemon juice, and lemon zest.

3. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let simmer for 15-20 minutes.

4. Stir in the cornstarch and let thicken. Serve immediately or let cool.

5. Any leftover syrup can be stored in the fridge in a closed container.

Pizza with Caramelized Onions, Roasted Eggplant, Roasted Zucchini, Tomatoes, and Goat Cheese

Making pizza is an easy meal option, especially when you have a pre-made crust on hand. For tonight's pizza, I first roasted some eggplant and zucchini slices and then added them atop the crust, along with some leftover caramelized onions from last week's pizza, a few slices of tomato just bought at the farmers' market, and a generous sprinkle of goat cheese.

Pizza with Caramelized Onions, Roasted Eggplant, Roasted Zucchini, 
Tomatoes, and Goat Cheese
(printer-friendly version)

makes eight servings

For the caramelized onions:

1 medium onion, cut into 1/4" slices

2 T olive oil

1. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced onions.

2. Stir occasionally during the first 15 minutes of cooking. The onions will soften and become translucent.

3. During the next 10 minutes of cooking, stir the onions about every minute or so to prevent them from sticking to the skillet bottom and burning.

4. The caramelized onions are done once the onions are lightly browned; the entire cooking process should take about 25-30 minutes.

For the roasted eggplant and zucchini:

1/2 eggplant, sliced thinly

1 zucchini, sliced thinly
olive oil

fine sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

dried rosemary

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Brush a rimmed baking sheet with olive oil.

3. Use a mandolin to thinly slice (lengthwise) half an eggplant and zucchini. Place on the prepared baking sheet.

4. Drizzle the slices with olive oil.

5. Season the slices with sea salt, black pepper, and dried rosemary.

6. Roast in the oven for 10-15 minutes, or until the slices are slightly browned. Carefully flip the slices halfway through the baking time.

To assemble the pizza:

1 pizza crust

olive oil

fine sea salt

dried rosemary

caramelized onions

roasted eggplant slices
roasted zucchini slices

1 tomato, sliced thinly
goat cheese

1. Use a pastry brush to evenly coat the crust with the oil.

2. Season the crust with sea salt and dried rosemary.

3. Cover the crust with alternating slices of roasted zucchini and eggplant.
4. Generously spread the caramelized onions over the pizza crust. Next, add a layer of sliced tomatoes. Finally, top with crumbled goat cheese.

4. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes. (A longer baking time will lead to a crunchier crust.)

5. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before serving.

What's For Dinner: Baked Penne

Baked penne is probably one of my favorite recipes that I like to put together when I can't think of anything else to eat. All you have to do is cook up some pasta, stir it together with some ricotta and mozzarella cheeses and pasta sauce, bake it for awhile in the oven, and voila!, dinner's ready. For tonight's baked penne I opted to include some fresh ingredients by harvesting some basil leaves from our herb garden and tossing in a handful of cherry tomatoes as well. Simple and done in less than an hour -- can't be much easier than that!

Baked Penne

makes 8 servings

16 oz (- 2 C) penne pasta (I used Barilla Plus Penne)
sea salt

15 oz part-skim ricotta cheese
1 jar pasta sauce (I used Barilla tomato and basil sauce)
2 cups shredded mozzarella
1 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
6 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Bring a large pot of water to boil. When the water begins to boil, add a healthy pinch of salt to the water. Cook the pasta according to the manufacturer's directions.
3. Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, stir together the ricotta cheese, 1 C of pasta sauce, mozzarella, and torn basil leaves. Gently stir in the cherry tomato halves. Season with freshly-ground black pepper.
4. Add enough pasta sauce to cover the bottom of a 3-quart round glass baking dish.
5. Spoon about half the pasta mixture into the baking dish. Cover with pasta sauce. Add another layer of pasta.
6. Cover the top of the pasta with the remainder of the pasta sauce and some shredded mozzarella.
7. Put the lid on the container or cover with aluminum foil.
8. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
9. Remove from the oven and let cool for five minutes before stirring.

What's Baking: Cherry Crumb Cake

We had a ton of cherries sitting in the fridge, so I decided to use them in a coffeecake recipe before they ended up past their prime. The most time-consuming part of this recipe was pitting the cherries; since I don't have a cherry pitter, I opted to slice the cherries in half and remove the pits by hand. It took a while, but since I was just going to quarter the cherries anyway, the end results didn't have to be pretty.

Cherry Crumb Cake
makes 8 servings

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 stick(1/4 cup) unsalted organic butter, softened
1/4 cup raw sugar
1 egg
2/3 cup skim milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups chopped fresh cherries
1/4 cup lemon juice (1/2 lemon)
1 teaspoon lemon zest

For the topping:
1/4 cup raw sugar
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsalted organic butter
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medim-sized bowl. Stir together with a whisk.
3. Cream together the butter and sugar using an electric mixer. Beat in the egg, milk, and vanilla.
4. Slowly add in the flour mixture to the wet ingredients.
5. Stir in the cherries, lemon juice, and lemon zest.
6. Spoon the batter into a greased 8"x8" glass baking dish.
7. Make the crumb topping by combining together the sugars and flour. Use a pastry blender to cut in the butter. Stir in the cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.
8. Spoon the crumb mixture on top of the batter.
9. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
10. Cool on a wire rack.

(adapted from a recipe in the Joy of Cooking cookbook)

What's For Dinner: Lazy Greek Pasta Salad

Sometimes I'm just not in the mood to make everything from scratch. Case in point: my lazy Greek pasta salad. This recipe came about after purchasing a container of Greek salad from the deli for a picnic over the weekend, but then I never got around to actually eating any! Whoops. So, instead of letting the salad fester in the refrigerator, I decided to toss together a quick pasta salad. For the pasta, I opted to use Barilla Pasta Plus, which is enriched with protein and omega-3s. I also added in an extra tomato and some kalamata olives to top it all off.

The ingredients:

1/4 lb Greek salad from the deli (or chop and toss together tomatoes, red onions, black olives, cucumber, and feta cheese)

2 C cooked pasta

olive oil

To make the salad:

Toss the cooked pasta with about a teaspoon or so of olive oil. Add in the Greek salad, and stir to combine. Chill in the fridge for at least a half an hour.

{Greek salad from the deli}

What's For Dinner: Whole Wheat Pizza with Caramelized Onions, Roasted Tomatoes, and Goat Cheese

I was inspired to make this pizza after another recent happy hour visit to Salt in Boulder. This time around, D's mom was with us, and along with our cocktails, we shared two appetizers -- a plate of flatbread and homemade hummus, and the flatbread of the day, which happened to be topped with goat cheese, tomatoes, and basil pesto. Soo good! I kind of wimped out a little bit with my version, however, as I cheated and used a store-bought whole wheat crust. I really ought to have made my own flatbread, but for some reason making my own dough always seems a bit daunting to me! Regardless; I think this pizza came out really well, and I would totally make it again. Next time, for sure, though, I will make my own flatbread. No more excuses!

Whole Wheat Pizza with Caramelized Onions, Roasted Tomatoes, and Goat Cheese

makes eight servings

For the caramelized onions:

1 medium onion, cut into 1/4" slices

2 tablespoons olive oil

1. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced onions.

2. Stir occasionally during the first 15 minutes of cooking. The onions will soften and become translucent.

3. During the next 10 minutes of cooking, stir the onions about every minute or so to prevent them from sticking to the skillet bottom and burning.

4. The caramelized onions are done once the onions are lightly browned; the entire cooking process should take about 25-30 minutes.

For the roasted tomatoes:

2 medium tomatoes, sliced

olive oil

balsamic vinegar

fine sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

dried rosemary

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

2. Cut the tomatoes into even slices. Place on a rimmed baking sheet.

3. Drizzle the tomatoes with olive oil. Scootch the tomatoes around on the baking sheet a little bit to make sure both sides are coated with the oil.

4. Drizzle balsamic vinegar over the tomatoes.

5. Season the slices with sea salt, black pepper, and dried rosemary.

6. Roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the slices are slightly shriveled.

To assemble the pizza:

1 whole wheat pizza crust

olive oil

fine sea salt

dried rosemary

caramelized onions

roasted tomatoes

goat cheese

1. Drizzle olive oil over the pizza crust. Use a pastry brush to evenly coat the crust with the oil.

2. Season the crust with sea salt and dried rosemary.

3. Generously spread the caramelized onions over the pizza crust. Next, add a layer of roasted tomatoes. Finally, top with crumbled goat cheese.

4. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes. (A longer baking time will lead to a crunchier crust.)

5. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before serving.

What's For Dessert: Strawberry Shortcake

The inspiration for this dessert was another direct result of reading Bon Appetit at the hair salon the other day; however, the nutritional statistics for their mixed-berry shortcake recipe left a lot to be desired. Not one to be daunted, a quick Internet search resulted in a shortcake recipe from Cooking Light with much more acceptable (for me, at least) calorie and fat counts. A recipe from Vegetarian Times provided an additional idea to substitute drained nonfat yogurt for some of the whipped cream, which also helped to cut the fat count down a little bit, too.

Strawberry Shortcake

makes six servings

1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons raw sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt

3 tablespoons unsalted butter (chilled), cut into small cubes

3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk

For the biscuits (adapted from this Cooking Light recipe):

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

2. Spoon flour into a measuring cup, use a knife to level the flour and pour into a medium-sized mixing bowl.

3. Add the sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt to flour. Use a whisk to combine the ingredients.

4. Drop in the cubes of butter; use a pastry blender, knives, or fork to cut the butter into the flour mixture. Continue until it resembles coarse meal.

5. Pour in the buttermilk and stir to combine; the dough will be sticky.

6. Dump the dough onto a floured work surface. Knead the dough a few times. Roll out the dough into a 9" circle. Cut out 2 1/2" circles and place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray.

7. Bake in the oven for 12 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown.

8. Remove from the oven and place the biscuits on a wire rack to cool.

For the fruit:

16 oz organic strawberries, rinsed, hulled, and quartered

1 teaspoon raw sugar

1. Toss the strawberries with the sugar in a medium-sized bowl. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to use.

For the citrus whipped cream (adapted from this Vegetarian Times recipe):

1 cup nonfat organic plain yogurt

1/3 cup heavy cream

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon orange juice

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

1. Line a colander with cheesecloth. Place it over a bowl to collect the liquid. Place the yogurt in the lined colander and allow it to drain for at least half an hour. Discard liquid when ready to use.

2. Whip the heavy cream in the chilled bowl of an electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks form.

3. Gently fold in the thickened yogurt, orange juice, vanilla, and powdered sugar.

4. Store in a closed container in the fridge until ready to use.

To put it all together:

1. Slice a biscuit in half.

2. Place one half of the biscuit cut-side up on a plate.

3. Spoon a healthy portion of the strawberry mixture on top of the biscuit.

4. Add a dollop of citrus whipped cream atop the berries.

5. Top with the remaining biscuit half.

6. Serve as-is, or top with halved strawberries and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

What's Baking: Muesli

Once again I ran out of granola, so time to try a new recipe! At this point I just improvise and add in whatever sounds good. Since I often douse my morning yogurt and granola parfait with a healthy shake of ground cinnamon, I decided to add a little to this granola recipe. Because I didn't add in any fat to this recipe, the granola turned out a bit dry and is less clumpy than the other versions I have made. In fact, I think the resulting granola would make for a great bowl of muesli, served up with a bit of organic skim milk.

Muesli
makes about 6 cups

2 cups rolled oats
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 cup almonds, roughly chopped
1/2 cup pecans, roughly chopped
1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/4 cup toasted wheat germ
1/2 cup ground flaxssed
1/3 cup clover honey
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups dried cranberries
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
organic canola oil spray

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place the oats, shredded coconut, almonds, pecans, and sunflower seeds on a rimmed baking sheet.
3. Bake in the oven for 4-6 minutes, or until the coconut is lightly toasted. Stir about halfway through the cooking time.
4. Remove from the oven and pour into a large mixing bowl; decrease the oven temperature to 325 degrees.
5. Add the wheat germ and ground flaxseed to the mixing bowl and stir to combine. Stir in the dried cranberries and cinnamon.
6. Combine the honey, brown sugar, and vanilla to a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat until the mixture begins to boil. Remove from the heat and pour over the oat mixture in the mixing bowl. Stir to combine.
7. Spray a 9"x13" glass baking dish with cooking oil. Spoon the granola into the baking dish and press down.
8. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the granola is golden brown.
9. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
10. Once cooled, use a fork to break apart the granola and store in a container with a tight lid.

What's For Dinner: Tapanade Pasta with Roasted Vegetables

The other day whilst at a hair salon in Fort Collins, I opted to page through the July issue of Bon Appetit magazine rather than pick up one of the many gossip rags laying around. The following recipe for a pasta salad was the first to catch my eye. Following my hair appointment, I took a quick spin around the aisles of Whole Foods to pick up the ingredients I didn't have on hand at home, and tonight I put the dish together. Though touted as a "side dish," I think this dish is much better suited as an entree. I was hungry and thus ate it soon after putting it together, however, I will be enjoying the leftovers as a chilled dish. Though the original recipe only calls for fresh cherry tomatoes, I decided to amp up the veggies by adding in some zucchini and yellow squash that D and I picked up at the Laramie farmers' market. I also opted to roast the veggies to intensify the flavors.

Tapanade Pasta with Roasted Vegetables (printer-friendly version)

makes 4 servings

For the tapanade:

1 clove garlic, peeled

3 cups green olives, roughly chopped (one 6 oz can will do)

3 tablespoons capers, drained

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1/4 cup olive oil

1. Place the garlic clove in the bowl of a food processor and chop.

2. Add 2 cups green olives, capers, dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, and crushed red pepper to the food processor. Pulse 6 times to roughly chop the ingredients.

3. Slowly pour in the olive oil until a coarse puree forms.

4. Place the tapenade into a small container with a lid and stir in the remaining one cup of olives.

5. Cover and place in the refrigerator.

For the roasted tomatoes, zucchini, and yellow squash:

1 medium zucchini, rinsed and dried

1 medium yellow squash, rinsed and dried

12 cherry tomatoes, rinsed and dried

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon balsamic vinaigrette

1 teaspoon dried oregano

fine sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

2. Cut the ends off the zucchini and squash and then chop into 1/2" rounds. Place into a large bowl.

3. Halve the cherry tomatoes and add to the bowl.

4. Add in the olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette; stir gently to combine.

5. Add in the oregano and season with salt and pepper.

6. Pour the veggies into a 9"x13" glass baking dish. Make sure all the tomatoes are placed cut-side up in the dish.

7. Roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes. Flip the zucchini and squash midway through the cooking time.

8. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

To Put it All Together:

8 oz pasta (I used penne)

fine sea salt

8 fresh mozzarella balls

olive oil

fine sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add in a pinch of sea salt and the pasta. Cook the pasta according to the manufacturer's instructions.

2. While the pasta is cooking, cut the fresh mozzarella into quarters. Set aside.

3. When the pasta is finished cooking, remove from the water and drain. Place the drained pasta in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle about 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil over the pasta, and stir to combine. Allow the pasta to cool, stirring occasionally.

4. Add in the roasted vegetables to the pasta; stir to combine. Stir in about 3 tablespoons of the olive tapenade. Add in the mozzarella and gently toss to combine all the ingredients.

5. Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

(adapted from this recipe in Bon Appetit)

What I'm Snacking On: Cherries

One of the best things about the summer season is all the fresh produce that you can find. Although our goal would be to buy produce as locally as possible, here in Laramie that typically means heading to the "local" grocery store. Luckily in July through September, we are able to hit up our town's farmers' market every Friday afternoon, but aside from fresh eggs and some meat products, most other products, including the majority of fresh produce, come from northern Colorado. However, if that's as local as we can get, we'll take it!

These cherries were picked up during a recent trip to Whole Foods; I have already used some in a few salads and I may just have some thoughts on doing some sort of chocolate-covered cherry treat, and quite possibly there might be a cherry pie or cherry kuchen coming out of my kitchen in the near future. And of course, cherries make an excellent snack -- helping to fuel future cherry-inspired recipes!

What's For Dinner: Vindaloo, "Cowboy-Style"

Tonight's dinner is the result of a recent get-together in Boulder. While looking for spices to use in the making of a marinade for some salmon, my friend Amanda showed me a vindaloo spice that she had picked up at the Savory Spice Shop. Though it wasn't quite right for the dish at hand, the scent of the spice, a tongue-twisting combination of turmeric, cinnamon, garlic, fenugreek, salt, brown mustard, coriander, cumin, ginger, cayenne, cardamom, black pepper, and cloves, was quite intoxicating.

The next time I was in Boulder I decided to pop into the spice shop to pick up my own bottle of this spice combination. Lucky for me, just beneath the spice display were baskets stuffed with recipes -- and one just happened to be for vindaloo. Since we've still got a bit of a freezer full of game meat, I decided to use antelope meat in my dish. Though I think the meal turned out well, I think next time around I'll marinate the antelope meat in the vindaloo paste overnight to really soak it full of flavor (and hopefully kick out some of antelope's gamey/sagey flavor). Obviously, if you do not have antelope in your freezer, you can substitute whatever meat you have an hand; I think tofu would work well as a replacement, too.

Vindaloo, "Cowboy-Style" (adapted from this Savory Spice Shop recipe)

makes 4 servings

4 tablespoons vindaloo paste (equal parts vindaloo spice, olive oil, and water)

16 oz antelope steaks, cut into 1" cubes

1 1/2 cups chopped onion (just over 1/2 of a medium onion)

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 package frozen vegetables (I used a blend with carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower)

3 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

3/4 cup water

1/2 cup plain organic yogurt [optional]

1. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium-sized skillet over medium heat.

2. Add the meat to the skillet and brown evenly on all sides. Once cooked, remove from the heat and set aside.

3. Cook the frozen veggies in the microwave for about half the required cooking time. (I used a package that you just pop in the microwave -- no muss, no fuss.)

4. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in an electric skillet set to medium heat (about 300 degrees). Add the onions and saute until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the nearly-thawed frozen veggies and stir to combine. Stir in the white wine vinegar and vindaloo paste. Cook for 2-3 minutes, then turn the temperature to low and stir in the seared meat, sea salt, and water.

5. Place the lid on the skillet and simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

6. Simmer uncovered for five minutes. Stir in the yogurt at this point if you would like the sauce to be a bit creamier and/or to cool down the spiciness if it's too hot for your tastebuds.

7. Serve over a bed of basmati rice.

What's For Dessert: Root Beer Floats

Another summertime treat for tonight's dessert. And yet another ingredient sourced from Costco! (And as much as I rave about that place, no, these posts are in no way sponsored by them!) I am a huge fan of lemon (limonata) and orange (aranciata) Pellegrino sodas, and you can buy a flat of them at Costco for a ridiculously low price. (Of course, this means I can never purchase a Pellegrino soda at a cafe now, since I know the $2.50 soda really only costs about 25 cents!) However, a recent trek to Costco was unsuccessful in our search for Pellegrino, and we opted to purchase a flat of Hansen's Creamy Root Beer natural soda (sweetened with cane sugar) instead. On its own, Hansen's root beer tastes rather good, I think -- and this of course means that it can only taste even better with a few scoops of vanilla ice cream added to it, right? Don't worry, I won't keep you in suspense -- the resulting root beer float was delish. I made two small servings and thus only used one can of root beer; if you're feeling a bit more indulgent, serve yourself up a whole can of soda in your root beer float.

Root Beer Float

makes 2 servings

1 can root beer (we used Hansen's Creamy Root Beer Natural Cane Soda)

vanilla bean ice cream (we used Breyer's Smooth and Dreamy Vanilla Bean ice cream)

1. Fill a glass with several scoops of vanilla ice cream.

2. Slowly pour root beer over the ice cream.

3. Repeat for the second serving.

4. Eat -- er, drink -- up!

{mise en place}

What's For Breakfast: Eggs Florentine

This morning, I opted to make a recipe I saw in the latest issue of Women's Health; I mainly was interested in trying the recipe since I had never baked an egg in the oven before, and thought it would be an interesting technique to try out. The cooking time took a bit longer than the recipe indicated (I think due to our elevation), but the final product worked out quite well. I think next time I would cook it a smidge less, if only to have a little-bit-leaky egg yolk; just the way I like 'em.

Eggs Florentine

makes three servings

organic canola oil spray

3 eggs

2 teaspoons unsalted butter

9 oz spinach

shredded mozzarella

fine sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

Dijon mustard [optional]

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Prep three medium-sized ramekins by spraying each with cooking spray.

3. Add 1 T of water to each ramekin.

4. Crack an egg into each ramekin.

5. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet and put in the oven.

6. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the whites are opaque and the cooked egg is just beginning to come away from the side of the ramekin.

7. Meanwhile, melt 2 t of unsalted butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the spinach leaves, and cook until wilted, stirring constantly. Once the leaves are wilted, remove from the heat.

8. Toast the English muffins. Once toasted, add shredded mozzarella to one half and allow to melt. Add some wilted spinach atop the melted cheese.

9. Remove the eggs from the oven. Use a spatula to gently unstick each egg from the sides and bottom of its ramekin. Flip the egg out of each ramekin onto the prepped toasted English muffin half.

10. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

11. Eat atop just one half of the English muffin, or serve as a sandwich; top with Dijon mustard to add a little kick if you so desire.

(adapted from this recipe in Women's Health magazine)

What's Baking: Blueberry-Blackberry Crumble

Tonight's dessert is a riff on the crumble recipe. A recent trip to Costco resulted in my purchase of a ginormous container of blueberries and a large container of blackberries each for a ridiculously low price. And though I've been doing my best to use up the berries in my morning yogurt parfaits, there were still a lot of berries languishing in the fridge. What better way to use them up than in a fresh berry crumble? For this crumble, I amped up the spice combination just a little bit by adding in some nutmeg and ginger to the mix.

Blueberry-Blackberry Crumble

makes 8 servings

2 cups fresh blueberries, rinsed

2 cups fresh blackberries, rinsed

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 cup raw sugar

juice of one lemon

1 1/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1/3 cup rolled oats

1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder

3 tablespoons dark brown sugar

3 tablespoons turbinado sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

zest of one lemon

1 stick (1/2 cup) of unsalted butter

To make the fruit filling:

1. Combine the berries, sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice in a large bowl. Stir gently to combine. Allow to sit for at least 15 minutes.

To make the topping:

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Set aside.

2. Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Stir with a fork to combine.

3. Stir in the lemon zest.

4. Pour in the melted butter and stir together until small pea-sized crumbles form.

5. Place in the refrigerator for a few minutes before putting together the crumble.

To assemble the crumble:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

3. In a glass 8x8 square dish, add the berry mixture. Spoon in all of the juices over the berries.

4. Use a spoon to cover the top of the berry mixture with the crumble topping. Make sure the top is evenly covered by the crumbles.

5. Place the glass dish on the baking sheet and bake in the oven for 40 minutes, or until the top of the crumble is golden brown and the fruit juices are bubbling.

6. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack.

7. Serve at room temperature or warm the crumble in the microwave for a few seconds. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side.

{berries ready to covered in crumbles}

What's For Dessert: Pineapple-Blueberry Yogurt Popsicles

Given all the fresh berries and fruit juices I've had in the house of late, and the fact that it is finally summertime in Wyoming, I have been dying to make my own popsicles. Unfortunately, up until recently I was unsuccessful in my search for popsicle molds. However, during a recent trip to Denver (and the Cherry Creek Shopping Center) I decided to pop in to Sur la table, and to my delight I found several popsicle molds for sale. (Huzzah!) I opted for the BPA-free star pop molds. Making the mix was easy to do; just whirl together some yogurt, fruit juice, and fresh berries in a blender. The worst part is waiting for them to freeze -- however, the result is definitely worth the wait! I think this just might be the first of many posts about popsicles -- the options are endless!

Pineapple-Blueberry Yogurt Popsicles

makes 6 large popsicles

1 cup nonfat Greek yogurt

2 cups pineapple juice

2 cups blueberries (about 2 large handfuls)

1. Add the yogurt and pineapple juice to a blender. Cover and blend together.

2. Add in the blueberries and blend to combine. I blended for just a short time since I wanted some fruit chunks in the popsicles. If you'd prefer a smoother popsicle, blend the ingredients together for a longer amount of time.

3. Pour the mix into the popsicle molds. (You can refrigerate any leftovers to make a second round of popsicles.)

4. Freeze for at least 4 hours.

Or, if you don't have popsicle molds, the recipe above can also be enjoyed as a smoothie.

What's For Dinner: Pasta with Asparagus and Goat Cheese

For tonight's dinner, I opted to use up the ginormous stalks of asparagus that D and I picked up at the Boulder farmers' market over a week ago. The stalks were still nice and firm -- and tasted delish!

Pasta with Asparagus and Goat Cheese 

makes 4 servings

16 oz pasta (I used gemelli)

large bunch asparagus, ends snapped off, rinsed, and cut into 1-2" pieces

3 oz goat cheese

1/4 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped fine

zest of one lemon

juice from 1/2 a lemon

fine sea salt

freshly ground black pepper.

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. As the water begins to boil, add a pinch of fine sea salt.

2. Cook the pasta according to the manufacturer's instructions.

3. Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, combine the goat cheese, olive oil, rosemary, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Stir together with a fork. Set aside.

4. When 3 minutes of cooking time remains for the pasta, add the asparagus to the water.

5. When cooking is complete, drain the pasta and asparagus; save one cup of pasta water.

6. Add the cooked pasta and asparagus into the mixing bowl with the goat cheese mixture. Stir to combine with a wooden spoon. Add some of the pasta water if the mixture is too dry. Season with fine sea salt and black pepper to taste.

7. Serve immediately. Garnish with more finely-chopped fresh rosemary if desired.

(adapted from this Bon Appetit recipe)