CABBAGE AND EGG FIESTA BOWL

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Cabbage and egg may sound like an odd pairing, but this dynamic duo is unbelievably delicious. My Cabbage and Egg Fiesta Bowl is a tasty and unique way to enjoy cabbage for breakfast, topped with salsa, avocado, cotija cheese and sour cream. Served for brunch, this dish is best enjoyed with a spicy Bloody Mary.

For a fast weekday breakfast, sauté cabbage in advance and reheat with a quick scrambled egg. In less than five minutes, you can have a healthy breakfast that tastes like one you would enjoy on a lazy weekend.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small head cabbage, cored and shredded
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon salt
4 eggs

Toppings:
avocado slices
sour cream
cotija cheese, crumbled
salsa

Directions:

  1. Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a large non-stick skillet. Add cabbage, cumin, chili powder and salt. Sauté for 8 to 10 minutes, until tender and lightly browned.
  2. Place cabbage in a large bowl and set aside. Whisk eggs in a small bowl, add to skillet and scramble, stirring slowly with a spatula until cooked through. Return cabbage to skillet and stir to combine.
  3. Spoon cabbage and scrambled egg mixture equally in four bowls, add toppings and serve.

Servings: 4

Loaded Salmon Mashed Potatoes

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Enjoy the flavors of a stuffed baked potato with this dish, but with the velvety smoothness of mashed potatoes. These creamy spuds are topped with baked salmon, farm-fresh kale and crunchy bacon.

This meal has a beautiful plate presentation, perfect for entertaining. Turn it into an elegant appetizer by serving smaller portions in martini glasses. You could even make a mashed potato bar and let guests select from these topping and others, like pulled pork, roasted broccoli and smoked gouda.

Ingredients:
1 pound salmon filet, cut into 4 pieces
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon salt, divided
½ teaspoon ground white pepper, divided
1 lemon
4 medium potatoes
1 tablespoon butter
¼ cup skim or low-fat milk
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large bunch kale
4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Season salmon with oregano, ⅛ teaspoon salt and pepper and place in a baking dish. Zest and juice lemon, drizzling both evenly on top of salmon. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until salmon is cooked through.
  2. Leaving the skin on the potatoes, scrub well and cut into 2-inch pieces. Add potatoes in a large pot and add enough water to cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook for about 20 minutes, until fork tender.
  3. Drain potatoes and return to the pot. Add butter, milk, ¼ teaspoon salt and pepper and mash to combine. With a hand mixer, blend until velvety smooth.
  4. Remove stems from kale and roughly chop. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, add kale and 2 tablespoons water. Sauté for 4 to 5 minutes, until wilted. Season with ⅛ teaspoon salt and pepper.
  5. Scoop the mashed potatoes onto four plates and top each with equal amounts of sautéed kale. Remove skin from salmon and add a slice on top of potatoes and kale. Top with bacon crumbles and serve.

Servings: 4

Cucumber and Tuna Salad Bites

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This is my go-to, refreshing appetizer or patio lunch on a hot afternoon or evening. If you keep your pantry and fridge stocked with tuna, olive tapenade and yogurt, you can whip up a quick batch of these whenever you have fresh cucumbers in your CSA or growing in your garden. I have enjoyed many delicious cucumbers from Sustainable Harvest Farm in my weekly produce share this summer and this has been one of my favorite ways to enjoy them.

Ingredients:
1 (4 ounce) can solid white, no salt-added, Albacore tuna in water
2 tablespoons plain non-fat Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons olive tapenade
¼ teaspoon salt
1 large cucumbers, sliced

Directions:

  1. Drain tuna and flake with a fork in a medium bowl.
  2. Add yogurt, mayonnaise, olive tapenade and salt. Stir to evenly combine.
  3. Use a small ice cream scoop or spoon to add dollops of tuna salad on each slice of cucumber.

Grilled Fish Tacos with Kohlrabi Slaw

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Nothing reminds me of the beach more than grilled seafood, and this recipe will have you day dreaming about your last vacation. I added a refreshing and slightly crunchy kohlrabi slaw to these fish tacos, which was inspired by the beautiful purple produce that arrived in my farm share from Sustainable Harvest Farm. Pair this with your favorite tropical beverage as you bring the taste of the beach to your backyard. I like to enjoy mine with a mojito or margarita and start the meal with chips and salsa.

Kohlrabi Slaw Ingredients:
1 medium kohlrabi
2 tablespoons cilantro, roughly chopped
1 lime
1 tablespoon sorghum or honey
2 teaspoons olive oil
¼ teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon salt

Grilled Fish Taco Ingredients:
1 pound skinless mahi mahi filets
2 teaspoons olive oil
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon white pepper
¼ teaspoon salt
8 small wheat or corn tortillas
1 lime

Additional Topping:
1 avocado, peeled, seeded and cubed
Cotija cheese, crumbled
Sour cream

Directions:

  1. Peel and grate kohlrabi and place in a medium bowl. Add cilantro, juice from lime, sorghum, olive oil, chili powder and salt. Stir to evenly combine. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
  2. Place mahi mahi filets on a plate and brush with olive oil. In a small bowl, combine cumin, chili powder, white pepper and salt. Rub seasoning onto fish.
  3. Prepare an outdoor grill to medium-high heat. Grill the fish for about five minutes and then carefully turn the fish over and cook for another five minutes, until flaky and cooked through.
  4. With a fork, flake fish into large chunks. Drizzle with juice from lime and serve in tortillas topped with kohlrabi slaw and additional toppings of choice.

Servings: 4

Garlic Scape Pesto

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If you love garlic, you’ll love my take on a traditional pesto using garlic scapes instead of basil. For a quick dinner, add a couple of tablespoons pesto to cooked pasta and top with grilled or sautéed shrimp. Whip up a simple and delicious appetizer by spreading this pesto over baguettes slices and topping with sautéed mushrooms. Serve it up for breakfast in an omelet with black beans and spinach. The possibilities are endless and this pesto freezes well to use in future meals.

Ingredients:

10 garlic scapes
½ cup walnuts, toasted
⅓ cup cotija cheese, crumbled
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
freshly ground salt and pepper
⅓ cup olive oil

Directions:

  1. Trim garlic scapes at the base of the bulb, discarding the tops. Roughly chop the long stems. Place garlic scapes in a food processor fitted with the metal blade.
  2. Add walnuts, cotija cheese, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Slowly add the olive oil while processing until the ingredients are well blended.
  3. Serve or freeze. To freeze, fill mini-muffin tin cups ¾ full and place in the freezer for 30 minutes to an hour. Remove and store pesto in a freezer-safe container until ready to use.

Grilled Chicken and Cornbread Salad with Buttermilk Ranch

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Move over croutons, cornbread tastes better with this hearty salad. Garlic lovers will love the sautéed garlic scapes along with tangy ranch, crunchy bacon and buttery lima beans. It’s a perfect meal to make with leftover cornbread and grilled chicken. If you have extra cornbread, store it in the freeze and defrost for future salads.

Salad Dressing Ingredients:
⅔ cup plain, low-fat Greek yogurt
¼ cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic scapes or green onion
½ teaspoon dried dill
¼ teaspoon white pepper
⅛ teaspoon salt

Salad Ingredients:
2 teaspoons olive oil
3 tablespoons garlic scapes or green onion, sliced
1 large head green leaf lettuce, leaves separated and torn
Cornbread, prepared
1¼ pound chicken breast, grilled
1½ cups lima beans, prepared from fresh, frozen or canned
8 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled

Directions:

  1. In a small bowl, combine Greek yogurt, buttermilk, vinegar, garlic, green onion, dill, pepper and salt. Whisk until well combined. Cover and refrigerate salad dressing until ready to serve.
  2. Heat oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic scapes or green onion slices and sauté until lightly browned.
  3. Place an equal amount of lettuce on four plates and add a slice of cornbread in the middle. Top each plate with ¼ of chicken, lima beans, bacon and sautéed garlic scapes. Drizzle with ranch dressing and serve.

Servings: 4

Shrimp and Kale Quesadilla

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Kale is one of my favorite vegetables, because it is so versatile and delicious for breakfast, lunch and dinner. For a quick meal with a Mexican twist, sautéed greens pair perfectly with pinto beans, fast-cooking shrimp and cotija cheese. If you’re not serving four, reheat kale mixture the next day and serve for breakfast with a fried egg on top. Add a warm corn tortilla to the bottom of the dish for a different take on huevos rancheros.

Ingredients:
1 bunch kale
1 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons water
1 (15.5 ounce) can pinto beans
1 teaspoon taco seasoning
8 ounces raw peeled and deveined shrimp
4 (8-inch) flour tortillas
4 ounces cotija cheese, crumbled

Directions:

  1. Remove stems from kale and roughly chop leaves. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add kale and water and sauté until wilted.
  2. Drain and rinse beans and add to the skillet with the kale. Add taco seasoning and stir to combine. Push the kale mixture to the edge of the skillet with a spatula and add shrimp the center of the skillet. Sauté until shrimp are pink and cooked through.
  3. Lay tortillas flat and add ¼ of kale, bean and shrimp mixture to one side of each tortilla. Top with 1 ounce of cotija cheese and fold in half.
  4. Lower heat to medium and place two quesadillas in the large skillet and cook for about three minutes on each side. Flip and continue cooking for another minute or two until both sides are golden brown. Continue cooking remaining quesadillas. Cut into four wedges and serve.

Servings: 4

Scrambled Eggs and Vegetable Panini

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Eggs and vegetables are two of my favorite pairings and breakfast is one of my favorite meals, but this sandwich is not only delicious in the morning. It is also perfect for an easy weekend brunch with a Bloody Mary or for a quick dinner on a night when you would rather read a book than spend time in the kitchen. Spinach and swiss chard make great alternatives to kale and shiitake or white button mushrooms work well in place of the portabella. Enjoy your panini however you choose to make it and whatever time of day you decide to savor this meal.

Ingredients:
8 slices whole wheat bread
2 ounces herbed goat cheese
8 ounces baby portabella mushrooms, sliced
1 medium bunch kale, stems removed
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
½ teaspoon salt, divided
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
4 eggs
2 teaspoons butter

Directions:

  1. Heat panini press to medium-high heat. Spread 4 slices of bread with equal amounts of goat cheese and set aside.
  2. Roughly chop kale leaves. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and sauté for 5 to 6 minutes, until brown and tender. Add kale and water to the skillet and sauté for a couple of minutes, until greens are wilted. Add balsamic vinegar to the sautéed vegetables and cook for another minute. Season with half of the salt and pepper and remove from heat.
  3. Place eggs and remaining salt and pepper in a medium bowl and lightly beat. Melt butter in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add eggs and scramble.
  4. Place ¼ of scrambled eggs on top of the bread slice with goat cheese. Add ¼ of the kale and mushroom mixture on top of the eggs and top with a slice of bread. Working in batches, place two sandwiches on the panini press and heat for about 5 minutes, until cheese has melted and light brown grill marks appear on the sandwiches. Repeat and serve.

Servings: 4

Root Vegetable & Sausage Grilled Pizza

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Sometimes we need to know someone is on our side, cheering for us to achieve our goals or just make it through a challenging season. You can let your family know your are rooting for them with a pizza featuring root vegetables. Serve up this Root Vegetable & Sausage Grilled Pizza for your next family night and finish the evening with fire roasted s’mores or a movie and popcorn.  

Ingredients:
1 medium turnip
1 medium rutabaga
¼ pound ground sausage, cooked
1 pizza crust
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, finely chopped
Garlic and fine herb gurney cheese, crumbled
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

  1. Peel and slice turnip and rutabaga. Steam the two root vegetables until tender. 
  2. Roll and stretch pizza dough to a thin layer, about ⅛ inch thick and 12 to 14 inches in diameter. Prepare the grill for medium-high, indirect heat. For a gas grill, leave one or two burners off and for a charcoal grill, place coals on one side and use the coal free side.
  3. Place crust on the grill (a pizza peel is handy here) and cook for about five minutes, until top of crust starts to bubble and light brown grill marks appear on the bottom. Remove crust from the grill and place on a workable surface.
  4. Brush cooked side of crust with olive oil. Top with turnip and rutabaga and season vegetables with thyme, salt and pepper. Add sausage and desired amount of cheeses.
  5. Return pizza to the grill and continue cooking for about five minutes, until cheese has melted and light grill marks appear on the bottom of the crust. Remove from the grill, slice and serve.

Steak and Potato Salad with Blackberry Jam Vinaigrette

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This is a salad for all the meat and potato lovers in your life, but it is light enough for those who prefer smaller portions of red meat. It’s the perfect meal for couples who enjoy cooking together, since some of the steps require you to be in the kitchen and the other half is prepared on the grill. Complete this stay-home, date-night meal with your favorite red wine and maybe a chocolate dessert.

Salad Ingredients:
16 ounces small potatoes
1 pint cherry tomatoes
8 fresh sage leaves
2 teaspoons olive oil, plus more for brushing onions
16 ounces sirloin steaks, well-trimmed
½ teaspoon salt, divided
½ teaspoon pepper, divided
1 large onion, peeled and sliced ½ inch thick
Spring mix lettuce
2 ounces blue cheese, crumbled

Vinaigrette Ingredients:
2 tablespoons blackberry jam, preferably homemade
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Place potatoes, tomatoes and sage leaves on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon salt and pepper and toss with a spatula to evenly coat. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside until sage leaves are cool enough to touch. Crumble sage leaves over roasted vegetables.
  2. Meanwhile, bring steak to room temperature and season with ¼ teaspoon salt and pepper. Brush both sides of onion with olive oil.
  3. Preheat an outdoor grill to medium-high heat and cook steak to desired doneness. Place onions on the grill and cook for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove both from grill and let rest for a few minutes. Carve steak into thin strips and separate onion rings when cool enough to touch.
  4. Combine dressing ingredients in a mason jar with a lid and shake well to combine. Add desired amount of lettuce to each plate and top with sliced steak, potatoes, tomatoes, onion rings and blue cheese. Drizzle with vinaigrette and serve.

Servings: 4