Beef and Sun-dried Tomato Pita Pizza

Dinner tonight was originally planned as a grill-out meal, but the rain kept us inside. This is the rainy-day-no-grill version.

This recipe has been adapted from Bobby Flay's recipe featured in The Athlete's Palate Cookbook.

Prep time: 20 minutes + 4 hours marinating time
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Makes 8 servings

Ingredients.

• 8 whole wheat pitas
• 1 beef tenderloin (8 ounces)
• 1 head garlic + 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1/2 cup + 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup cooked white beans (I used a mixture of navy beans and pinto beans)
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme (I used about a teaspoon of dried, ground thyme)
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 6 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and julienned
• 4 roasted shallots, thinly sliced*
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon honey

*I didn't realize that the shallots were supposed to be roasted until I got to the point where I was supposed to mix them with the tomatoes (that'll teach you to read the recipe all the way through first...). I preheated the oven to 425 degrees F, coated the peeled shallots in a little olive oil, and laid them on a roasting pan. Then I popped them into the oven for about 20 minutes (while the steak was in the pan) and sliced them when they were out and slightly cooled. It was kind of tricky-let's just say they didn't want to slice nicely. Also, this was a lot of shallots, and I'd definitely use less next time.


Directions.

• Marinate the beef with the head of garlic in 1/2 cup of the olive oil for 4 hours or overnight. Place the tenderloin in a large frying pan and cook on medium-high heat on both sides for about 6 minutes (each side), or less if you'd like the beef more rare. Let the tenderloin rest for a few minutes, then thinly slice.
• Puree the beans, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, 2 remaining garlic cloves, lemon juice, and thyme in a food processor until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste if necessary. Mix together the tomatoes, shallots, remaining tablespoon of olive oil, vinegar, and honey.
• Place the pitas in the oven on a low temperature for a few minutes before serving. This will allow them to warm up and toast slightly without burning.
• Spread each pita with a thin layer of bean puree, sliced beef, and tomato chutney. Serve immediately.

The pizza was very flavorful, even though we didn't grill the beef. The lemon and sun dried tomatoes provided almost a tangy taste, while the honey helped make things sweet. A word to the wise, don't eat this one on a first date. We ate a while ago but I still feel like I have garlic breath.

Our portions were filling, but this meal would be good paired with a spinach salad if you were craving something green.

Per Serving: 460 Calories          16 G Protein          48 G Carbohydrates          24 G Fat

Rigatoni with Chunky Vegetable Sauce

Hey there, little coaster.

I'm not really a fan of the word "chunky", but that's what the recipe says.

I've made a pasta sauce similar to this before, but this one is super-easy and really tasty. I found the recipe in a March 2011 issue of Food Everyday by Martha Stewart. Another magazine that was recycled to the art room! Thanks fellow JJH teachers-not only are you providing valuable art materials for my classes, but you're also providing me with dinner ideas.

The recipe serves 6, and takes about 30 minutes to make. Not bad for a week night.

Ingredients.

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 2 medium zucchini, diced
• 1/2 pound mushrooms (cremini or button mushrooms, or whatever you can find at the grocery store), quartered
• 2 garlic cloves, minced*
• 1 can (28 ounces) tomato puree**
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves, coarsely chopped
• 1 pound rigatoni

*We have recently started buying frozen garlic from Trader Joe's-it comes in frozen cubes (1 cube=1 clove) and it's so easy just to pop out of the tray and into the pot or frying pan!

**I could only find small cans, so I had to buy more than one. Guess it just depends on where you shop


Directions.

1. In a medium pot, heat oil over medium-high. Add onions and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add zucchini and mushrooms and cook until vegetables soften slightly, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add tomato puree, sesason with salt and pepper, and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to a rapid simmer and cook until zucchini is crisp-tender (oxymoron?), about 8 minutes. Stir in oregano
2. Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water; drain pasta and add to sauce, tossing to combine. Add enough pasta water to create a sauce that coats pasta. Serve immediately

Per serving: 390 cal; 6 g fat (1 g sat fat); 14 g protein; 71 g carb; 5 g fiber

If the pasta itself isn't enough for you, add a salad and some really good Italian bread, and enjoy! Oh, and don't forget to top your pasta with some grated parmesan cheese like we did. If only fresh parmesan wasn't so expensive...

A Healthy(er) Quiche

Spinach-Mushroom Quiche

Tonight's recipe is another one from Rachel Ray's Everyday Magazine (the same September 2009 issue). Tracey Seaman is credited for the recipe. 

The magazine claims that "Change is good". This quiche is better for you for a few reasons...
"Replace a butter-based pastry crust with one made of shredded potatoes to slash calories and saturated fat"
"Go heavy on vegetable filling, instead of bacon and cheese, to load up on nutrients, including fiber"
"Add extra egg whites and use fewer yolks than a traditional quiche for more lean protein"



Hey look. It's Isaac making a crazy face.

This recipe claims that per serving, there are 352 Calories, 6 grams of saturated fat, 5 grams of fiber, and 18 grams of protein.

Serves:4        Prep: 45 minutes            Bake: 25 minutes

Ingredients.

• 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 yellow-fleshed potatoes, such as Yukon gold (about 12 ounces)
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• salt and pepper
• Two 5-ounce containers baby spinach
• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 3 ounces Swiss cheese, shredded
• 2 large eggs plus 2 large egg whites
• 2/3 cup milk

Directions.

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 9-inch glass pie dish* with 1 teaspoon olive oil. Using a food processor fitted with a shredding attachment**, shred the potatoes; transfer to a large bowl and stir in the onion, cornstarch, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
2. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the potato mixture, flattening it into a 10-inch layer, and cook until the bottom is golden, about 10 minutes. Loosen, then invert onto the pie dish and mold into a crust. Bake about 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, preheat the skillet over high heat. Add the spinach and 1/4 cup water and cook, stirring until wilted; drain. Squeeze out any excess water. Chop the spinach.
4. In the same skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 6 minutes. Add the spinach; season with salt. Spoon half of the spinach mixture into the cooked crust, add the cheese, then top with the remaining spinach mixture.
5. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg whites, milk, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Pour into the pie dish and bake until set, 20 to 25 minutes.

*We don't own a glass pie dish (who knows why), so we used a small rectangular Pyrex dish. It didn't look as nice but it cooked just the same.
**We also don't own a food processor, so Isaac grated the potatoes with our stand-up hand grater-it wasn't that time consuming.

This meal was light and savory. You could really taste the egg and potatoes, and it wasn't overwhelmed by cheese or other spices.
Hopefully I'll own a pie dish before we make it again.
The only thing tonight's breakfast-for-dinner meal was missing was a tall glass of O.J.!

If you don't have orange juice, drink the next-best thing-chocolate milk! Pay no attention to the glass.

Creamed Spinach and Ham Sandwich

Tonight's recipe is brought to you from the supply closet in my art room.

I have stacks of old magazines that have been donated to me or were already in my room when I got there. Most of the time they're used for collages or projects, but everyone once in a while I find something good and bring it home. Occasionally the kids will be cutting out pictures or text from a magazine and I'll see a recipe and cut it out. They think I'm a little strange. This time I grabbed an issue of EVERYDAY with Rachel Ray (November 2009). There's a giant sandwich on the front that intrigued me into delving further into the rest of the 'zine.

Isaac picked out this recipe-Creamed Spinach and Ham Broilers on White. This is a messy, open-faced sandwich that was quite heavy, both physically heavy and very filling! We cut the recipe in half since it originally makes 4 servings. I'm giving you the halved version. If you want more you'll have to practice those multiplication skills. Or just addition. It'll be easy.

Makes: 2            Prep: 20 minutes           Cook: 35 minutes

Ingredients.

• 5 ounces spinach
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2, 3/4-inch-thick slices white bread from a "large country loaf" *
• 1/8 cup finely chopped onion
• Salt and pepper
• 1 1/2 tablespoons flour
• 1 1/8 cups milk
• 1/8 pound thinly sliced smoked ham, preferably Black Forest
• 1 tomato, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup grated gruyere cheese

*Isaac made his own "crusty white bread" in our bread machine earlier today. It's very hearty and good for slicing thick. I'll post the recipe if you request it


Directions.

1. Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. In a large pan, cook the spinach and 2 tablespoons water over medium heat until wilted, about 5 minutes; drain and transfer to a small bowl, reserving the saucepan. Let the spinach cool, then squeeze out the excess water; finely chop.
2. In the reserved pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Brush the bread slices on both sides with half of the melted butter and arrange on a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet (I just sprayed the baking sheet with cooking spray). Toast in the oven until golden, about 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, add the onion tot he butter in the saucepan and season with salt and pepper; cook stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the flour and cook over low heat for 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk and bring the mixture to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thick and creamy, about 10 minutes. Reserve 1/4 cup of the sauce. Add the spinach to the remaining sauce in the pot and season with salt and pepper.
4. Preheat the broiler (I set ours on the low setting). Divide the creamed spinach among the toasts and top with the ham and tomato slices. Top with the reserved white sauce and the cheese.** Broil until the cheese is bubbly, about 10 minutes.

**For me, the creaminess of the spinach was plenty and I really didn't need to top the sandwich with the remaining sauce. It's basically a gravy, and was a little too heavy for my liking. Next time I'll add more spinach and a little less "cream"

Check out that broiling action

Just a little bit messy