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A Life From Scratch.

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Grilled Zucchini Caprese

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Happy Meatless Monday everyone! 

What better way to keep it meat free then with a beautiful dish to highlight the best of the summer produce. This grilled zucchini caprese does just exactly that. Elegant in the most simple of ways, this makes a perfect side dish or main dish if you are trying to keep things meat free.

The best part? What you see is what you get. Zucchini, which you quickly grill over medium heat. Then on top goes some melty mozzarella. Follow it up with some sliced up summer tomatoes (heirloom are the best). And you end it all with freshly chopped basil, a drizzle of olive oil, salt, and some balsamic glaze. I keep things easy here and just grab some at the store but you can totally make a glaze yourself at home.

Could not be easier, more delicious, and let’s be honest, pretty! I made this one for cooking club which is always a time to try and impress and it was a hit all around.

Get this one going for your next gathering or a meat free dinner this week. Crusty bread on the side would be a nice addition. I so hope you enjoy! 

GRILLED ZUCCHINI CAPRESE
Recipe from A Life From Scratch

INGREDIENTS:

Two zucchinis, sliced 2cm thick or so lengthwise
olive oil
salt & pepper
sliced mozzarella
two summer tomatoes
handful of fresh basil
balsamic glaze, store bought is just fine

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat your grill to medium heat. Prep your zucchini with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Grill for a few minutes on each side, until there are nice char marks but zucchini still has a strong texture.

Remove from grill and add mozzarella. Top with sliced tomatoes, sprinkle on the basil, salt and pepper. Drizzle the glaze on top and serve.

Summer spinach salad

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It doesn’t get any prettier than this for Meatless Monday does it? I could just dive right in. And I have, oh I have.

There isn’t a more simple way to show off all the beautiful fresh summer produce than this summer spinach salad. Chop everything up and layer on top of a bed of spinach. You get to pick what you want here. I went with peaches, avocados, raspberries, kiwi, and strawberries but anything goes. Cherries would be a fun addition as well or watermelon. For cheese I went with feta although blue cheese would kickass (I just have a lot of blue cheese haters in my life….I KNOW….it’s beyond annoying). And then of course the world is your oyster with nuts….anything goes. I toasted up some chopped up walnuts.

This is a beautiful dish to entertain with, especially since you can make the salad dressing (poppyseed) ahead of time. I also chop everything up and layer a few hours before and just pop in the fridge. Come party time just give everything a healthy drizzle of dressing and gently toss.

It doesn’t get more summer than that, does it? This could be my entire meal or it would pair perfectly for our favorite grilled chicken for a crowd. Enjoy!

SUMMER SPINACH SALAD
Recipe from A Life From Scratch

INGREDIENTS FOR SALAD:

6 large handfuls of spinach
two peaches, chopped up
large container of raspberries
container of strawberries, cut up
4-5 kiwis, peeled and cut up
cup or so of walnuts, toasted
container of feta
two avocados, peeled and diced

INGREDIENTS FOR DRESSING:

1/3 cup olive oil
3 TBS apple cider vinegar
2 TBS honey
1 TBS poppy seeds
salt & pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Place spinach on a large platter and layer fruit, nuts, and cheese on top according to photo.

Whisk together dressing ingredients. (Can be made a few days in advance). Lightly pour over salad before serving and gently toss together.

Pearl couscous with roasted tomatoes

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Happy Meatless Monday friends!

I always feel so proud of myself when I can deliver an actual real true Meatless Monday. More often than not I cheat, and add the meat, but this week I’m staying on course. No meat in this pearl couscous recipe, thank you very much. Do I get a medal? I sort of feel like I should.  

What this recipe does offer is all the flavor. Summer tomatoes are everything, and I love a good roasted one. Mix them up with briny olives and plenty of freshly chopped herbs. Think parsley, mint, and basil. Oh yes, this one has a lot going on. The dressing is kept simple with lemon and olive oil and everything comes together in a lovely dish that works perfectly as a meal on it’s own or served as a side next to some grilled chicken or sausage at your next gathering.

Meal prep friends, this is also a great one to prep on Sunday for the week ahead, or on Friday for busy sport weekends. You can store the dressing on the side if you’d like, although the pearl cous cous really soaks it up nicely. No soggy salad here.

Enjoy!

PEARL COUSCOUS WITH ROASTED TOMATOES AND OLIVES
Recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen

TOMATOES:

2 pints (1 1/2 pounds) grape or cherry tomatoes
3 large garlic cloves, left unpeeled
Few springs of fresh thyme, chopped up
1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for tomatoes
1/4 cup warm water
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

COUSCOUS:
2 1/4 cups pearl couscous
1/2 cup Kalamata or other brine-cured black olives, pitted and chopped up
1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
1 teaspoon chopped fresh basil

DIRECTIONS:

To begin, roast tomatoes. Heat oven to 375. Halve tomatoes arrange, cut sides up, in 1 layer on a large rimmed baking sheet. Add garlic and thyme to pan and drizzle both tomatoes and garlic lightly with oil. Sprinkle with salt. Roast in middle of oven until tomatoes are slightly shriveled around edges, about 45 minutes or so. Let cool.

Meanwhile, make couscous according to package directions.

When tomatoes are done, make dressing: Peel garlic and puree with 1/4 cup oil, water, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 pepper, and 1/2 cup roasted tomatoes in a blender until dressing is very smooth. Adjust seasonings to taste.

Mix together cooked couscous, dressing, herbs, tomatoes, and olives. Enjoy! 

Crunchy slaw salad

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Gosh it doesn’t get better than this, does it. Easy summer cooking at it’s finest. This easy crunchy slaw salad is the perfect sidekick to anything you may decide to throw on the grill.

We enjoyed it next to the the most life changing Carnitas made by my dear friend, Julie. Like, I haven’t actually stopped thinking about them. They have been in my dreams and in my real life day thoughts. I’m consumed. I promise you the recipe as soon as I can get my hands on it.

Moving on…..

The slaw salad sat perfectly next to it. Some smoothness from the buttermilk dressing and lots of crunch from the radishes and celery. It was crispy and bright and cool and just the thing for an eighty five degree summer day, post boating and lake swimming of course.

I actually can’t get this whole meal out of my head, and I think it was due to the perfect experience of the overall day and the fact that a meal was made and served to us. My mom and I always joke about this. She can make the exact same recipe but she swears it tastes better when I do and it’s at my home. Food is funny that way, right? So much more than the actual recipe. It’s all about what is going on with it, and more importantly, that it was something that was made for you.

I will be testing out her killer carnitas in a few weeks and can’t wait to compare. I’m guessing I’m going to like hers better.

CRUNCHY SLAW SALAD
Recipe from Smitten Kitchen

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup really well-shaken buttermilk
2 tablespoons mayonnaise (if not thickening up, use a smidge more)
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons finely minced shallot
1 tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoons finely chopped chives
1 pound Napa cabbage, cored and thinly sliced crosswise (4 cups or so. I used already shredded slaw from the store)
6 radishes, diced up
2 celery ribs, thinly sliced diagonally

DIRECTIONS:

Whisk together buttermilk, mayonnaise, vinegar, shallot, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl until sugar has dissolved, then whisk in the chives.

Layer cabbage, radishes, and celery on a large platter. Before serving, gently toss with the buttermilk dressing.

Grilled corn and poblano salad

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Friends.

This recipe.

I’m so addicted it’s not even funny. I’m obsessed, obsessed. I ate it for four days in a row no problem. And I want more. Kind of like the bbq chicken quinoa salad. It never ever gets old. In fact, I swear I crave it more.

This salad has so much goodness going on. Pulled rotisserie chicken, charred poblanos and corn, spinach, plenty of cilantro, orzo pasta, all tossed together with a zippy lime vinaigrette.

Of course, you could leave it meatless and skip the chicken. Or leave it carb free and skip the orzo. You could replace the orzo with rice or quinoa. You can save a step and use Trader Joes fire roasted corn and not deal with charring the corn on the grill. The poblanos you can just roast a bit in the oven. So much versatility, you can really make this one your own in terms of what you want to eat and how much effort you want to put in.

For me, I think next time I would skip making the orzo and just throw in some quick cooking quinoa from Trader Joes. Definitely not skipping the charred poblanas and corn as I love to grill and the flavors were so amazing! 

This one is perfect for meal prep for lunches during the week or for busy sport weekends on the go. I know I’ll be making it over and over again.

GRILLED CORN AND POBLANO SALAD
Recipe adapted from Little Spice Jar

INGREDIENTS FOR SALAD:

1 cup uncooked orzo pasta (or rice, or quinoa, or skip)
3-4 ears of corn, husked
2 small or 1 large poblano pepper
2 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped up
2 cups cooked shredded chicken (rotisserie works great)
1/2 cup freshly chopped cilantro

INGREDIENTS FOR VINAIGRETTE:

1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard powder
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
good squeeze of honey
salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat your grill. Spray the ears of corn with cooking spray or rub with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper then wrap in foil. Cook the orzo pasta (if using) according the package directions while the veggies are grilling. I gave them about 12 – 15 or so minutes on the grill, rotating every once in awhile. Let the veggies cool. Dice the poblanos (remove the skin or leave it on, whatever you prefer). Chop the kernels off the corn.

For the vinaigrette combine the ingredients for the vinaigrette in a bowl and whisk together. Taste, add in more salt/pepper/honey if needed.

In a large bowl, toss together the orzo, corn, poblano, spinach, shredded chicken, and cilantro. Top with desired amount of dressing and serve immediately. For meal prep: portion the salad out into containers, pack the dressing separately and toss right before eating.

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