Veggie & Sprout Sandwich

So by the title I’m sure you can guess that this recipe is not a very heavy or manly sandwich. However, I’ll have you know that my husband thought it tasted fine! I really liked it because it was light but still filling. It’s perfect for a quick lunch. The sprouts give it a nice crunch and the other veggies give it a little extra volume so you don’t need to add meat. You could easily add some lunchmeat to the sandwich but I think it’s great without. Makes 1 sandwich

2 slices GF multi-grain bread

1 tbsp edamame spread or hummus
2 slices of tomato
4 thin slices of cucumber
¼ cup sprouts (I used a mixture of different kinds)
½ red wine vinaigrette

• Toast your bread slices and let cool while you are cutting your veggies.
• Spread edamame or hummus over bread slices.
• Top one slice of bread with sprouts, cucumber and tomato.
• Drizzle over vinaigrette and top with remaining bread slice.

Gluten-Free Zucchini Scones

I originally found this recipe on Skinnytaste.com. I love this website and have made several of her recipes before – be sure to check it out! She has a few gluten-free recipes but this one wasn’t. I decided to try and make it gluten-free with my own little twists. They turned out awesome!

1 cup zucchini, shredded, water removed

½ cup sun-dried tomatoes finely chopped (I found a tomato/red pepper blend)
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 cup brown rice flour
½ cup potato starch
½ cup tapioca starch
1 egg
¾ cup almond milk
½ tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp xanthan gum
1 cup shredded cheese (I used Gruyere cheese)

• Blend together dry ingredients. Add in egg and milk and mix well.
• Slowly fold in tomatoes, zucchini and cheese. With your hands, mix well in the bowl.
• Pour dough onto a cookie sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Mold into a large circle about 1” thick.
• Bake at 375°F for about 30 minutes or until cooked through and lightly brown.

BLT Wrap with Avocado

How about a quick & easy, portable lunch recipe?? This recipe is so simple that I really shouldn’t even call it a recipe. We just kind of throw it together for a light lunch. The SAD (Standard American Diet) includes lots of bacon. This is just a slight modification to the traditional BLT sandwich that we all love. The exception is this version doesn’t have bread, butter, mayo, etc. You can eat more of it without the guilt! Throw your wrap items into Ziploc bags and put it in a lunchbox. Assemble wrap when you are ready to eat and you are good to go! We like taking this on quick picnics. This makes four servings (two wraps per person).

4 slices organic turkey bacon

8 small leaves of romaine lettuce
1 large tomato, thinly sliced
1 avocado, thinly sliced
Ranch dressing, if desired
Shredded cheese, if desired

• In a large skillet, cook turkey bacon until crisp. Let cool and cut each slice in half to make 8 slices.
• In a lettuce leaf, place one half slice of bacon, tomato and avocado.
• If desired, drizzle on some ranch dressing and sprinkle with shredded cheese.
•  It is best if served immediately, but if you refrigerate your wrap items separately, they will keep for later assembling.  

Brie Peach Stackers

These little treats are awesome. They are a perfect blend of salty and sweet. It makes a perfect side dish to a grilled meat and a small salad. The basil really compliments the balsamic dressing and tomato. The salty brie really brings out the tartness and flavor of the sweet peach. Throwing it all on the grill gives it a little extra flavor as well. They can get a little messy and hard to eat but so worth it!

1 peach, sliced into about ¼ inch slices (peeled and pit removed)

1 tomato, sliced into about ¼ inch slices
6 basil leaves
6 thin slices of brie cheese
Balsamic vinaigrette dressing

• On a grill (or inside on a skillet), cook one side of peach slices for about 2 minutes – just enough to get it a little soft but it will still hold it’s shape.
• Flip peach slices over and top with brie, basil and tomato.
• Close grill lid or cover skillet and cook for abouter 3-5 minutes or until brie is starting to melt.
• Put peach stacks onto a serving plate and drizzle over about ½-1 tsp of balsamic dressing. Serve immediately.

Homemade Veggie Pasta Sauce

Here’s another recipe that came about from our abundance of tomatoes that ripened late. This is also the last week of canning recipes (for now). This pasta sauce is full of chunky vegetables and herbs that make it perfect for any dish. We enjoy it on spaghetti squash, pizza, with turkey meatballs, whatever you’d like! It makes a very versatile sauce!

6 cups ripe tomatoes (I had about 20 medium sized ones)

1 cup eggplant, diced
1 cup green bell peppers, diced
1 cup onion, diced
1 cup fresh mushrooms, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 tsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 tsp fresh basil, finely chopped
1 tsp fresh oregano, finely chopped
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp black pepper
¼ cup white wine vinegar
1 Tbsp olive oil

• Cut stems off of the tomatoes and quarter them. In a large stockpot, bring tomato quarters, vinegar, olive oil, sea salt and black pepper to boil.
• Once tomatoes are cooked until very soft, blend with an immersion blender until desired consistency. 
• Add in diced eggplant, bell peppers, onion, mushrooms, garlic and fresh herbs. Continue boiling until other vegetables are cooked (about 15 minutes).
•  Ladle pasta sauce into prepared jars and finish canning however you’d like.
• This can actually be eaten immediately, but it does taste a little better if it has set for a couple weeks.
• You can also puree your tomatoes before cooking by using a food processor. This would cut out the need for an immersion blender.
• If you don't like your pasta sauce chunky, you can also blend up your other vegetables to your desired consistency.
• We've done this both ways. My son loves spaghetti but doesn't like to "see" the vegetables in the sauce. So I have blended up the vegetables with the tomatoes so he's still getting the extra nutrients but doesn't know what all is in there.

Hubby's Hot Garden Salsa

How about a guest post from my better half? I must brag – my husband is awesome. Great father, great husband, great cook (when he wants to be). He’s hates waste and what better way to use up TONS of garden tomatoes than making salsa. We always make our own batches. He prefers his salsa to make him sweat, nose run, burn his tongue, etc. I like mine to be as spicy as tomato paste. I will say even though his is spicier than I like – it has much better flavor! The “secret” to this is the chili paste. Be warned: it is HOT. And the longer it sits, the hotter it gets. You may need to adjust the ingredients depending on how much you want to make. This particular batch makes about 10 half-pint jars.

10-15 large tomatoes, washed and quartered

3 large jalapenos
1 large onion
1 whole garlic clove
½ cup cilantro
½ cup tomato paste
1 Tbsp vinegar
1 tsp salt
½ chili pepper paste (you can find this in the ethnic food section)

• Make sure all vegetables are washed thoroughly. Place quartered tomatoes, onion and garlic in a food processor. Cut the stems off of the jalapenos and throw in with tomatoes. Yes you read that correctly – leave the seeds and everything.
• Add in cilantro, tomato paste and chili paste. Your food processor should be completely full. If necessary add a few extra tomatoes to fill it up.
• Blend until you get your desired consistency. We like ours smooth so we blended for a while.
• Pour salsa into a large cooking pot and bring to boil.
• Add in vinegar and salt. Cook salsa at boiling for about 10 minutes.
• Pour into clean, prepared canning jars. Seal according to jar instructions.