Open Faced Egg & Veggie Sami

One week vacation + one week catching up = now having time to cook and blog. Yay!

My boyfriend, pup, and I drove up to Cape Cod for our annual Labor Day week vacation. Last year San Fran, this year Cape Cod. We wanted a super chill, relaxing, stay-in-one-place type of vacation, and that is what Cape Cod delivered. It offered plenty of opportunity to explore, but in a laid back kinda way. Cape Cod must have a hundred different beach spots and every one seems to have a breathtaking view and uniqueness to it. Monomoy Island had crystal blue waters, white sand, and a seclusion that created a feeling of being on a deserted island in the Caribbean. 

Nauset Beach had picturesque cliffs and seal sightings.

Skaket Beach was a great place to watch the sunset. We arrived early and observed dozens of people bringing chairs and setting up on the beach in loving pairs to watch the sun descend into the horizon.

Lighthouse Beach - well, we never made it onto the beach, but several times stopped to take photos from atop the cliffs because the view was so expanisive.

And our last stop for the week was First Encounter Beach. Incredible. We arrived at low tide and were able to walk about a mile out in sand and inch deep water before we found the bay. 

[For more photos of Cape Cod, visit my photography site.]

OK, enough about the views. Let's talk about the food!

We ate a lot of good food. I mean, we were in New England, so we had to eat plenty of seafood! I made sure we had oysters almost everyday (I'm obsessed!), we ate our weight in lobster - Brian even got a four pound one for himself!

[#cellphonepic]

And I even ordered cod at a fancy schmancy restaurant. Toss in some calamari and fish & chips and we had ourselves a proper New England seafood filled vacation!

Two non-seafood items we were obsessed with were the panini at this local to-go food stop, The Corner Store. Brian got the Italian style one with a bunch of meats, provolone, and spicy pepper relish, and I ordered the eggplant one with assorted veggies, hummus, and feta. And by obsessed I mean we stopped there almost every day - even on our way out of town. I don't normally eat bread of any kind, but I made a concession for this delicious, quick and easy food to go when we were in a hurry to get out on the beach. I have to say though, by the end of the week and that last sandwich on the drive home, the sami was feeling a little greasy, a little unhealthy, and giving me indigestion! That's when you know vacay is truly over. Womp womp.

I knew I could make a version of this sandwich at home and make it cleaner, healthier, and less greasy for sure. I decided to do it as an open-faced sami, which eliminates the need for the second piece of bread, limiting the grain intake. And I used Ezekial bread, which historically hasn't give me as many side effects as any other type or brand of bread. The hummus provides protein, but I wanted to kick it up a notch, so I added a fried egg to the top of my sami. 

I have to say, the Corner Store version was pretty damn tasty, but mine was on a whole other level. I actually really like eating healthy food, so when I know something is homemade, I controlled what went into it, and it's hearty and filling, I enjoy it that much more. This sandwich hit all of those notes for me and I hope it does for your as well. Whether you're a vegetarian or meat eater, this open faced sandwich will fill you up and have your taste buds singing!

Let's get makin'!

Open Faced Veggie & Egg Sami

Servings: 1

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

1/2 red bell pepper, sliced into slabs (see photo below)

1/4 sweet onion, sliced

6 1/2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon garlic paste 

1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs

3 slices of eggplant rounds (see photo below)

4 slices of zucchini (see photo below)

1 egg

1 slice of thick bread (I used Ezekial bread)

4 heaping teaspoons hummus (I made some at home using Martha's recipe)

1 tablespoon feta crumbles

1 handful baby spinach leaves

2 slices beefsteak tomato

1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper (FCBP)

1/4 teaspoon pink Himalayan sea salt

Start by pre-heating your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

Place the quartered red bell pepper slabs to a cookie sheet and drizzle with a half teaspoon EVOO and sprinkle with a pinch each of salt and FCBP.

Put the bell peppers in the oven and set the timer to 25 minutes.

Next, place a non-stick pan on the stove over medium heat and drizzle in 2 teaspoons EVOO. Add the sliced onions.

Cook the onions on medium for about five minutes until they become softened, stirring often. Turn the heat to low, sprinkle with a pinch of salt, and cook for another five minutes, stirring often again.

Remove the onions from the heat when they're translucent and slightly browned.

Set aside.

Use the same pans in which you cooked the onions to cook the eggplant & zucchini. Place it back on the stove over medium heat. Drizzle in the remainder of EVOO and all of the balsamic vinegar. Add the garlic paste.

Place the eggplant and zucchini in the pan and sprinkle with the Italian herbs, and a pinch of each salt and FCBP.

Cook the veggies on the first side for three minutes and then turn over and cook on the second side for three minutes.

Remove the veggies and set them aside.

Let's use the same pan again! Crack the egg directly into the pan.

Cook on the first side for about three minutes, then flip over to cook on the second side. Remove the egg from the pan and set aside.

By now, your red peppers should be done. Remove them from the oven and set aside until ready to use.

Place your slice of bread into the toaster and toast to your preference.

Now, let's assemble our sami!

Slather the hummus onto your slice of bread. Sprinkle the hummus with a pinch of FCBP.

Sprinkle the feta crumbles over the hummus.

Place the roasted red peppers atop the toast over the hummus & crumbles.

 Then layer on the eggplant...

...and zucchini.

Now add the onions.

Couple more layers - hang in there!

Place the spinach on top of the onions:

 Lay the tomato slices on top of the spinach leaves.

 Lastly, place the over medium egg on the very top.

 VOILA!

And remember: you're going to need to use a fork and knife to eat this big guy!

 (Yes, it tasted as good as it looks!)

 I ate it by cutting it in half and then cutting it into bites from there.

 Salute!

Spicy Summer Salad

As summer is winding down, I'm sure so is your appetite for these types of recipes, so I thought I'd get in a last one before summer is officially over! I'm sneaky like that ;-)

This is the last recipe from the cookout my boyfriend and I hosted at our apartment complex's courtyard grilling area.  In my attempt to keep my side dishes at least somewhat healthy, I wanted to create an actual salad that was refreshing, summery, and low-cal.  I'm a huge fan of arugula, as you may have noted, so that was an obvious choice. But I wanted to do something slightly different, so I did a twist on a Mexican-inspired salad. This would actually be great if you threw it in one of those fried taco shell bowls! Though that would do away with the whole 'healthy' aspect. But hey, those things are delish! Go for it!

I kept the dressing super simple and light, but feel free to add some spicy ranch or some salsa mixed with sour cream if you're a dairy eater. (Or you could use some vegan sour cream... the possibilities are limitless!) This salad would be delicious under some sliced marinated steak, chicken, or shrimp if you wanted to make it a full meal. Basically this salad is versatile and your imagination could get seriously carried away. I always support that! Ooh just though of another one! Make the quesadilla from this recipe and throw this salad on top of it. Yum!

OK, let's get spicy!

Spicy Summer Salad

Servings: 6

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

1 16oz can black beans, juice drained

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper (FCBP)

Pinch salt

2 ears yellow corn, shucked

3 handfuls baby arugula

2 peaches, skin removed

Grapeseed or olive oil spray

1/2 jalapeno, seeds removed

Juice of 1 lime

Start by placing a small pot on the stove over medium heat. Add the black beans, cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper to the pot.

Cook the beans with the lid on the pot for five minutes, stirring occasionally.

After five minutes, reduce the heat to low and let simmer another five minutes with the lid on, again stirring occasionally.

Remove the beans from the heat once they have softened slightly and keep the lid off.

Set the beans in the fridge to cool off while you prepare the rest of the salad.

[You can do this at the same time you're cooking the beans.] Place a large pot on the stove half full with water over high heat. Bring the water to a boil and add the corn. (You see four cobs here b/c I used the other two for something else. Pay no mind!)

Cook the corn for a good 20 minutes or until the kernels are fork tender.

Remove the pot from the stove and drain the hot water.

Pre-heat your grill or grill pan to high heat.

While the grill his heating up, prepare the base of your salad.

Add the handfuls of baby arugula and the beans to your serving bowl.

Set aside.

Minimally coat the corn, peaches, and jalapeno with the oil spray.

Place the corn, peaches, and jalapeno on the grill and cook on each side until you see blackened grill marks.

Once the veggies & fruit are grilled on each side, remove them from the grill.

Dice up the jalapeno and add it to the salad.

Cut the grilled peach flesh from the pit and slice the peaches into bite sized chunks and add it to the salad.

For the corn, stand the corn on the fat end on a cutting board and use a sharp knife to cut down the sides so the kernels fall off. Add them to the salad.

Drizzle the lime juice over the salad and toss to coat.

Serve immediately & enjoy!

Salute!

Copy Cat Pasta Salad

I used to live in straight-up the BEST neighborhood in Arlington, VA. My neighbors and I referred to Shirlington as "the bubble." It felt like an oasis from the hustle and bustle of the rest of Arlington and has pretty much everything the modern urbanite needs to survive without having to step foot into the real world. It has serene walking/running/biking/dog walking trails, like 20 restaurants, small shops, healthcare, a gym, hair and nail salons, and a grocery store. I'm getting super nostalgic just thinking of it! It is one amazing neighborhood and I was so happy to be a part of it for over seven years. 

I mention all of this because every now and then when I get nostalgic, I like to recreate one of the meals I used to get in the neighborhood in order to make me feel the warm and fuzzy Shirlington feelings, and the recipe I'm sharing with you today is one of those meals. At the far end of the neighborhood, next door to the famed Carlyle restaurant, there is this little bakery called Best Buns, which boasts some of the best baked goods you'll find in this area. From cupcakes to a plethora of fresh bread to house-made sandwiches and salads, they're food is truly delicious. One of my favorite things to get from Best Buns was their creamy pasta salad. A friend and I were so obsessed with it, we wanted to recreate it at home one day years ago and once we figured out the recipe, I've been making it ever since!

I've made it for myself and to take to parties and it's always a crowd pleaser. As I mentioned in my last post, my boyfriend and I were hosting a cookout at our apartment a couple weeks ago, and I decided to make this copy cat pasta salad recipe for our guests. One of my former neighbors from Shirlington was joining us, so I knew she'd be happy to see a familiar dish on the menu. Since I'm eating much healthier now, I wanted to spruce up the recipe to make it a little more health-conscious, but still delicious! I used brown rice pasta and Vegenaise instead of regular mayo, and it tasted just as good as the original recipe at the store, IMHO. It's all guess work as to what goes into the Best Buns pasta salad, but I think my version is pretty similar taste-wise, even if it is healthier :-) And just a note: if you want to make it completely vegan, leave out the cheese.

OK let's get cookin'!

Italian-Inspired Pasta Salad

Servings: 1 large serving bowl

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

Garlic Aioili

1 cup Vegenaise

4 teaspoons garlic paste

3 teaspoons lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper (FCBP)

Pinch of pink Himalayan sea salt



Add all ingredients to a small bowl.

Stir with a spatula until all ingredients are blended into a sauce.

Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.



Pasta Salad

16 ounces brown rice pasta

1/4 sweet onion, sliced

2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

1 cup garlic aioli

1 handful pitted kalamata olives, chopped

5 strips sundried tomatoes in oil, julienned

5 large basil leaves, julienned

2 handfuls grated parmesan

1 zucchini, sliced length-wise in wedges

1 teaspoon FCBP

3/4 teaspoon pink Himalayan sea salt

Start by placing a large pot filled 3/4 with water on the stove over high heat; bring the water to a boil. 

Once the water is boiling, add the pasta and a pinch of salt. Stir. Follow the instructions on your pasta package for how long it's supposed to cook and set a timer so you can do other things while the pasta is cooking.

Next, place a non-stick pan on the stove over medium heat. Drizzle in 1 teaspoon of the EVOO.

Once the EVOO is slightly heated, add the sliced sweet onion and toss to coat in the oil.

Allow the onions to cook for five minutes on medium, then reduce the heat to low. Sprinkle in a pinch of FCBB as well as sea salt and stir.  Allow to cook until browned and softened - approximately and other ten minutes.



Remove the onions from the heat and place them on a plate covered in paper towels to drain the oil and cool off.

Once the pasta is cooked, drain the water from it and rinse it in cold water. Place the pasta back in the pot you cooked it in.



Pour the garlic aioli over the pasta and stir to coat the pasta in the aioli.

Add the chopped olives, onions, sundried tomatoes, basil, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon FCBP to the pasta...

...and stir to combine.



Next, add in all of the cheese (which is kind of hard to see in this pic, but it's there!)

Stir to combine the cheese with the rest of the pasta salad and then place all of the pasta salad in a serving bowl.

Now to grill the zucchini. Pre-heat your grill or grill pan to medium-high heat.

Next, place the zucchini wedges on a plate and brush with the remaining teaspoon of EVOO. Sprinkle with a pinch of S&P.

Once the grill is heated, place the zucchini wedges on the grill and cook on each side for 3-4 minutes until softened and you can see grill marks.

Remove the zucchini from the grill and let it cool for five minutes. Then dice it up into bite sized chunks.

Add the zucchini to your pasta salad and stir to combine.

Serve immediately and enjoy!





Salute!