#1,997: Grilled Zucchini and Eggplant Stacks

This super easy side dish was SO good.  It took no time at all to throw together and even my 10 year old enjoyed eating it with me.  It's quite filling too so this would make a great, healthy side dish to some grilled meat (skirt steak sounds especially appealing!).  This is a perfect summer recipe...especially when you have basil in your garden (and zucchini growing!).  

1 (1½ lb.) eggplant

1 large zucchini

2 tbsp olive oil

½ tsp kosher salt

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

3 oz. fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced

1½ cups tomato sauce (your favorite kind)

10 large basil leaves

Preheat the grill to medium heat.

Cut the eggplant into ½-inch slices (total 12 slices). Cut the zucchini in half crosswise. Cut each half into ¼/-inch slices (total 8 slices).

Lay the eggplant and zucchini slices on a baking sheet. Brush on both sides with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Grill until the vegetables are tender, but not overcooked, about 4 minutes per side for the eggplant and 3 minutes per side for the zucchini.

In the last 30 seconds of cooking, divide the mozzarella evenly between the eggplant rounds. Re-close the barbecue lid and cook for additional 30 seconds, or until the mozzarella is melted.

Lay one eggplant round on each of 4 plates. Top each with 2 tbsp tomato sauce. Next, divide half of the basil between the 4 portions.

Top each with one zucchini slice. Continue stacking in this order, ending with an eggplant round and tomato sauce. Spoon any remaining tomato sauce around each stack.

Serve immediately.

#1,996: Garlic and Lemon Butternut Squash Noodles

Kroger, my favorite grocery store to wander around in the mornings when it is quiet, had butternut squash noodles for 20 cents (you read that right), so I grabbed a few containers for lunches this week.  I found this super easy recipe that ironically had every things I needed on hand (it was meant to be!).  This is so good, I will probably eat it again for dinner.  

1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter

4 garlic cloves, minced

8 cups spiralized butternut squash "noodles"

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Grated parmesan cheese, for serving

In large skillet, heat butter over medium heat. Add garlic and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Add squash, rosemary, salt and pepper; cook 5 minutes or until squash noodles are tender, stirring frequently. Add lemon juice; toss until well combined.

Serve noodles garnished with cheese.

#1,995: Lavender Lemonade

After having lavender lemonade at the Young Living Farm in Mona, Utah, I was excited to come home and try this recipe on my family and friends.  It was so simple to make and personally I really, really enjoy it (and it brings me back to the farm when I drink it).  It's not overly tart, nor too sweet, so it's a perfectly refreshing drink.  Make sure to only use 1 or 2 drops of the Vitality Lavender or it will be way too overpowering.  

6 lemons, juiced

1 lime, juiced

½ cup honey (I used agave)

2 drops Lavender Vitality essential oil

Ice water, about 10 cups

Lavender sprigs, optional

Combine lemon juice, lime juice, honey, and Lavender Vitality in a large glass pitcher.

Add water to taste.  Stir until well mixed.  Garnish with sprigs of lavender.

#1,994: Spicy Black Bean Burgers with Chipotle Mayo

I'll be honest, I wasn't sure I was going to like this recipe. I'm not a fan of spicy and I don't love adobe peppers.  So I thought adding the peppers and the sauce to the burger would make it too hot, and I never thought I'd eat the mayo at all.  This recipe totally proved me wrong!  The burgers were very easy to make and it is definitely even better with the melted cheese AND the chipotle mayo on it!  The original recipe says to serve immediately, but we had these a second time as leftovers, and they were just as good (obviously best fresh, but reheated works too).  

1/2 cup mayonnaise (I used vegan mayo)

2 teaspoons finely chopped chipotle pepper in adobo sauce 

1 teaspoon adobo sauce (from the can of chipotles)

1 small clove garlic, minced (about 1/2 teaspoon)

Pinch kosher salt

FOR THE BLACK BEAN PATTIES:

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 egg

1/2 small yellow onion, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)

1 small clove garlic, finely minced (about 1 teaspoon)

1 cup bread crumbs

2 teaspoons adobo sauce (from a can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce)

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

FOR THE SLIDERS:

16 slider buns or dinner rolls, sliced in half

8 ounces pepper jack cheese, sliced thin

1/2 red onion, sliced

Sliced sweet pickles

Chipotle Mayo:

Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl. Refrigerate in an airtight container until ready to use.

Black Bean Burgers:Place beans in a small bow and mash with a fork or potato masher. Add egg, bread crumbs, adobo sauce, oregano, cumin, smoked paprika, cayenne (if using), salt and pepper. Mix well.  Form into one-ounce patties – about 2 tablespoons per patty – by rolling mixture into a ball, packing together firmly, then flattening slightly.

Add the olive oil to a large saute pan over medium heat. Working in batches so that the burgers aren’t too crowded, cook one one side until browned – about 5 minutes, then carefully flip and cook until browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes total.

Remove patties to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain and cool slightly.

Put slider buns sliced-side up on a cookie sheet. Add black bean patties to the bottom halves of the buns and top with cheese. Place under oven broiler until cheese has melted and buns are golden brown, about one minute (depending on your broiler – just watch carefully!)

Remove from oven and slather chipotle mayo on the inside of the bun tops. Top burgers with red onions and pickles, sandwich with the bun top, and secure with a toothpick or skewer. Serve immediately.

#1,993: Mexican Street Corn Salad

So I am having a slight (TMI) issue with corn so I really had to avoid this recipe unfortunately.  But I still made it for my family and made sure to get their reviews/take on this dish.  When I first served it they all thought it was just ok....then it sat in the fridge overnight and it got MUCH better reviews.  My family all agrees, the longer this sits and the flavors blend, the better it is.  Good to know.  :)  We served this as a side dish to burgers, they ate it with tortilla chips, and some threw it on top of their burrito bowls.  As you can see, this dish is super versatile!  Yes, I will definitely make this again!

Also, I looked all over for cotija cheese and couldn't find it, so I subbed out feta.  Cotija would have been better!  (I just didn't have time to run to an authentic grocery store).

Dressing

½ cup plain nonfat yogurt

1 Tbsp lime juice 

1 tsp honey 

½ tsp paprika

¼ tsp cumin

Salad

Splash of oil

4 ears corn about 3 cups, shucked and kernels removed

1 clove garlic minced

2 Tbsp lime juice 

¼ tsp salt

1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed

1 red bell pepper seeded and chopped

½ cup chopped red onion 

½ cup packed fresh cilantro chopped

½ cup cotija cheese, crumbled, can sub feta

Mix all dressing ingredients and set aside.

Heat oil over medium/high heat in a large saute pan then add garlic and corn. Cook about 15 minutes, flipping frequently, until corn begins to char a bit. Gently toss with lime juice and salt.

In a large bowl, combine corn mix, black beans, pepper, onion, cilantro, and cheese. Drizzle sauce over and serve either warm or cold. Perfect over tacos, as a chip dip, or by itself!

#1,992: Balsamic Green Beans

I made this recipe for our family over the 4th of July.  Personally I really enjoyed it and as you can see (sort of) from the photo, I added in some roasted red potatoes (cut into pieces) to make this more of a heartier side dish.  This was good leftover the next day, but after that it was absorbing the dressing too much and getting a bit soft for my liking.  There definitely needs to be more feta in this, but my sister is a feta hater so I tried not to add too much.  

1 lb. green beans

1 cup cherry tomatoes

1/2 small red onion (ugh I totally forgot to add the red onion!)

Optional: Soy feta

{For the dressing}

2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

Salt/pepper

Make the dressing: in a small bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients.

Trim ends off green beans and rinse. Steam (or boil) for about 3-4 minutes until crisp-tender. In a colander, rinse well with cold water to stop cooking, then pat dry. Cut green beans into 1 to 2 inch pieces.

Dice red onion and halve cherry tomatoes.

Place onion and green beans in a bowl. Drizzle dressing over top and toss to coat.

Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour to marinate.

When ready to serve, add in tomatoes and soy feta and lightly toss.