Best Quinoa Recipe Ever – Quinoa and Black Bean Burger Sliders

2 Comments | Written on March 7, 2013 at 5:00 am , by Kristina Vanni

Last week we took a bit of a detour with the weekly recipe contest and threw our readers a curveball – quinoa.  This “ancient grain” has suddenly become a trendy ingredient.   We received a wide variety of recipe submissions with creative ways to use quinoa, but one unique preparation stood out to our judges, sliders!

These meatless mini-burgers are made with black beans and, of course, quinoa.  They come with a kick because of a spicy mayo spread as well as a jalapeño and corn salsa.  Believe me, you will want to make these “Quinoa and Black Bean Burger Sliders” this weekend!

Keep reading for the winning recipe…

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Gluten-Free Low-Carb Pizzas

3 Comments | Written on January 2, 2013 at 5:00 am , by Kristina Vanni

By now I am sure we have all recovered from New Year’s merriment and are ready to take on 2013!   If you resolved to eat healthier this year, but don’t want to give up some of your favorite comfort foods, this recipe is for you.  It tastes like an indulgence, but is a guilt-free choice.  Plus, it just happens to be vegetarian, gluten-free, and low-carb!

 Keep reading for a healthy way to enjoy pizza in the New Year!  

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Asparagus, Artichoke and Red Pepper Pizza

No Comments | Written on December 26, 2012 at 5:00 am , by Kristina Vanni

After all the hustle and bustle of Christmas, I am ready for easy family meals the rest of this week.  In fact, this award-winning pizza recipe from the 2012 Pillsbury Bake-Off is also a great appetizer option for serving guests as we approach New Year’s Eve!

Terri Sherman of Palos Heights, Ill., won $5,000 and $3,000 in GE kitchen appliances at the Bake-Off this year for her “Asparagus, Artichoke and Red Pepper Pizza.  The dish is packed with veggies and has a wonderfully crispy crust that I love.

Keep reading for the recipe…

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Spaghetti Squash with Balsamic Vegetables and Toasted Pine Nuts

13 Comments | Written on September 28, 2012 at 5:00 am , by Kristina Vanni

Next time you are craving a big bowl of pasta for dinner, why not try spaghetti squash instead!   It’s very easy to prepare and can even be made quickly in the microwave.  Believe it or not, this hearty meal is vegan, low-carb and even gluten-free!  Even if you don’t haven any dietary restrictions, it is sure to satisfy.   I like that it is packed with colorful veggies and then offers beans for protein and pine nuts for a little crunch!

Keep reading…I think this is a recipe you will want to try!  

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Sweet Corn Cakes with Chickpeas and Goat Cheese

2 Comments | Written on August 30, 2012 at 5:00 am , by Kristina Vanni

If you are looking for a light dish that embraces the beautiful bounty of summer, then this winning recipe is for you!  The judge’s choice in our recent “corn” recipe contest is a vegetarian main dish that is sure to satisfy everyone at the table.  Our winner this week is a retired newspaper writer and also a novelist.  It seems she also has the knack for writing great recipes!  Serve these “Sweet Corn Cakes with Chickpeas and Goat Cheese” along side a fresh garden salad and you can almost taste the sunshine!

Keep reading to see what makes this dish a winner! 

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Summer Squash Saute over Polenta

3 Comments | Written on August 15, 2012 at 5:00 am , by Kristina Vanni

I look forward to the bounty of zucchini and yellow squash every summer.  These are two of my favorite vegetables and I am always looking for new ways to prepare them at mealtime.  This recipe is fast, colorful and just happens to taste great when served with a crisp Pinot Grigio.

Keep reading to see the recipe for Summer Squash Saute over Polenta!

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Secret Recipe Club – Grilled Vegetarian Tostadas

6 Comments | Written on September 12, 2011 at 6:00 am , by Kristina Vanni

I am so excited for a chance to participate in The Secret Recipe Club!

It is a bit like a game of “Secret Santa.”  Each of the participating food bloggers receive a top secret blog assignment.  We visit the assigned blog, browse around, and select a recipe to prepare.  It was so fun to be introduced to a new blog and I am on pins and needles waiting to see who was assigned “The Daily Dish!”

Huge thanks to The Secret Recipe Club hosts, Amanda – Amanda’s Cookin’, Angela – Big Bear’s Wife, Tami -Tami’s Kitchen Table Talk and Tina – Mom’s Crazy Cooking.  More information on the club can be found on the official Facebook and Twitter pages!

For my first assignment as a member of the club, I was given “An Opera Singer in the Kitchen.”  A fabulous blog from Noelle in Michigan!  She says “I love to sing opera and I love to cook. Join me as I experience a new pregnancy and healthy living through vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and more recipes!”

Since her recipes are vegetarian/vegan as well as gluten-free, I wanted to select a recipe that fulfills these dietary restrictions while appealing to a wide audience as well.  This recipe was perfect!  Tostadas are perfect for a quick and easy meal.  When prepared with corn tortillas, vegetarian refried beans and your favorite grilled veggies, it just also happens to be vegetarian and gluten-free.

Check out Noelle’s recipe from her website:

Vegetarian Toastadas

10 corn tortillas
1 avocado, sliced
1 pint sliced mushrooms (your choice)
1 zucchini squash, sliced length-wise
2 cups shredded lettuce
1/2 cup chopped red onions
1/2 lime
salt and pepper to taste
1 can of vegetarian refried beans
Your choice of picante or tomatillo sauce

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place tortillas on cookie sheet, somewhat overlapping. Process takes 10-15 minutes to toast. Check at mid-point and flip tortillas. Toast tortillas until somewhat golden brown.

Meanwhile, grill zucchini and mushrooms and place in a side dish along with the sliced avocado. Warm to refried beans and place in another bowl. Place the shredded lettuce and red onions with the lime and season with salt and pepper in a third bowl.

Assemble: Take a tortilla and spread a layer of beans, avocado, veggies, salad, and top with sauce. Enjoy!!  Serves 2.

Learn more about “An Opera Singer in the Kitchen” through her Facebook fan page and Twitter account!

When I prepared the recipe I made a few minor adjustments.  To make things a bit easier, I started with prepared tostada shells.

Then I spread on the warmed vegetarian refried beans, as the original recipe says.

Next, I piled on the grilled veggies.  Noelle calls for mushrooms and zucchini but I decided to go with zucchini, yellow squash, and red peppers since they were already in my fridge!

That’s the best part of this recipe, you can make it your own to suit your taste or what you have on hand.

Then I added the shredded lettuce. I decided not to use the red onions that are called for in the original recipe.  (My sister and I were excited to enjoy this dish for lunch, and she isn’t a big fan of red onions.)  I am sure they would be great sprinkled on top of the tostada or even grilled along with the other veggies!

Finally, I topped it all off with salsa, avocado slices and a dollop of sour cream.  Right before serving I squeezed a lime over the tostada.  The recipe is fresh, bright and full of flavor.  What a lunch!  Packed with fiber and fresh vegetables, you can’t get much better than that!

A huge thanks to Noelle for posting this great recipe!  I can’t wait until my next “Secret Recipe Club” assignment!

Learn more about “An Opera Singer in the Kitchen” through her Facebook fan page and Twitter account!

To see other great recipes from the Secret Recipe Club members, follow the links below!

Easy Grilled Vegetable Sandwich

1 Comment | Written on July 29, 2011 at 5:00 am , by Kristina Vanni

This recipe is so good it almost makes me want to become a vegetarian.  If it weren’t for bacon….and salmon….oh, and Wagyu beef…then there’s all those great chicken dishes.

On second thought, I probably won’t ever be a vegetarian, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t still enjoy a great veggie recipe like this one every once in a while!

Note:  This falls under the category of “Tar-jay Gourmet“  (English translation:  Target Gourmet).  Meaning you can get all of the ingredients for this gorgeous dish at your local store.  I live directly across the street from a Target store in LA and do my grocery shopping there most days of the week.  If you ever stop by, I am the crazy lady who brings her own shopping cart.   No, really…here it is…

(Note the stellar zebra stripes)

I am always worried they are going to think I am planning on stealing something when I roll in with my own cart and start filling it with groceries.  So far the security guys haven’t accosted me and I have saved countless plastic bags from a landfill fate!  Eco-friendly and law abiding, that’s my motto.

Shopping list:

-Red Pepper

-Zucchini

-Yellow Squash

-Ciabatta bread

-Hummus (I used the classic version here, but feel free to jazz it up with other flavors!)

GRILLED VEGETABLE AND HUMMUS SANDWICH

1 red bell pepper

1 zucchini

1 yellow squash

Olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

14 ounce loaf Ciabatta bread

10 ounce container prepared hummus

Slice red pepper, zucchini, and yellow squash into long, thin strips.  Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste.  Grill vegetables about 2 minutes on each side.  Slice ciabatta loaf in half lengthwise and brush both sides with olive oil.  Place cut side down on the grill to warm the bread.  Remove the vegetables and bread from the grill.  Spread hummus on the cut side of the grilled ciabatta bread.  Arrange grilled vegetables on top of the bread to assemble sandwich.  Top with the other half of the ciabatta, slice and serve.

Serves 4

Love hummus?  Love veggie sandwiches?  Check out these other great recipes from some of my Better Blogger Buddies!

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus from Good Life Eats

Fiesta Rolls from The Empty Nester Gourmet

White Bean and Garlic Scape Dip from Brown Eyed Baker

Roasted Vegetable Sandwich with Chipotle Mayonnaise from Everyday Southwest

Gluten Free Tacos and Slaw

6 Comments | Written on July 25, 2011 at 5:00 am , by Kristina Vanni

You know what’s great about social media?  It’s like one big party and everybody is invited!  Last year I became acquainted with Amy Green from “Simply Sugar and Gluten Free” through Facebook and Twitter.  What a fantastic woman to get to know!  She was even nice enough to contribute one of her recipes to our Top Ten Thanksgiving Dressing list.  Now I am a girl who loves her sugar and gluten, so checking out her website and looking over her recipes opened up a whole new world to me!

Earlier this year Amy came out with a fabulous cookbook by the same name.  I couldn’t wait to give some of the recipes a try!  Instantly I was drawn to the Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos.  Two of my favorite ingredients!  In the book Amy suggests serving them with a Carrot and Jicama Slaw so, of course, I had to make that dish as well.  The result was my first ever sugar and gluten free feast.  Let me tell you…I didn’t miss a thing!

SWEET POTATO AND BLACK BEAN TACOS  *vegan

1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced 1/4 inch

1 tablespoon canola oil

1/2 large onion, diced

1 (14.5 ounce) can black beans, drained, liquid reserved

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon light ancho chile powder

10 corn tortillas

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Optional toppings:

Carrot and Jicama Slaw

queso fresco

light sour cream

salsa

Preheat oven to 200 degrees F.  Place the sweet potato in a steamer and cook for 10 minutes, or until cooked through but still a bit al dente.  Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large nonstick saute pan over medium-low heat.  Add the onion and cook for 5 to 8 minutes, until soft.  Add the beans, cumin, chile powder, and about 1/4 cup of the reserved bean liquid.  Mash some of the beans in the pan and add more liquid as necessary.  Meanwhile, heat a medium nonstick sauge pan over medium-high heat and toast the tortillas until they are warm and a little brown on each side.  Wrap the tortillas in aluminum foil and keep warm in the oven. When the sweet potatoes are cooked but still firm, add them to the beans and stir.   Add more liquid if necessary.  The taco filling shouldn’t be dry, but it shouldn’t be runny either.  Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.  Spoon the filling into the center of each tortilla.   Serve with your choice of toppings.  Serve hot.   Makes 8-10 tacos.

CARROT AND JICAMA SLAW *egg free

2 cups shredded carrot (about 3 medium carrots)

2 cups shredded jicama (about 1/2 medium bulb)

1/4 cup light sour cream

1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt

juice of 1/2 lime

1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon ground red chile pepper

freshly ground black pepper

Place the carrot and jicama in a medium bowl and toss to combine.  In another medium bowl, mix together the sour cream, yogurt, lime juice, cilantro, salt, cumin, coriander, and red chile pepper.  Pour the dressing over the carrots and jicama and mix until combined.  Season to taste with black pepper.  Cover and chill for 2 hours before serving.  Makes about 4 cups.

Calling all bloggers! Are you interested in being featured on “The Daily Dish?”  Let’s chat!  I am looking for fellow food bloggers to showcase every week.  Please email me at Kristina.Vanni@meredith.com and we will talk details.  Looking forward to hearing from you!

Italian Zucchini Pie

3 Comments | Written on July 13, 2011 at 5:00 am , by Kristina Vanni

One of the most beautiful signs of summer is an abundance of zucchini.  Growing up I remember my mom’s garden overflowing with zucchini and enjoying it with dinner most nights of the week.  Sometimes she would come in from the garden with a giant, over sized zucchini and say, “Look, it grew overnight!”

This recipe was the 1980 Grand Prize winner in the Pillsbury Bake-Off and is the perfect way to celebrate this summertime staple.  The dish looks so elegant, but is actually quite simple to prepare.  Pillsbury crescent rolls are pressed into a fluted tart pan to create the beautiful scalloped edge.  I think the secret ingredient is the use of 2 teaspoons of yellow mustard over the crust.  It gives the pie a fantastic zing without being overpowering.  I could enjoy this during a Sunday brunch or as a light meal on the patio during the summer months.  What a way to celebrate zucchini!

ITALIAN ZUCCHINI CRESCENT PIE (click here to view and print recipe)