Grilled Veggie Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing

So, out of all the (part-time) vegetarians in the world, I probably like vegetables the least of them all. If it's not broccoli or zucchini, I probably won't eat it. Ok, in all honesty I'm better than I used to be but they're still not my favorite. Not to mention the fact that most vegetarian recipes never seem hearty enough for me. Lo and behold, this recipe. It was SO satisfying, so full of flavor, I just could NOT get enough. That's right, I went back for seconds. And it's just veggies!! And an amazing dressing. If you're not a huge fan of blue cheese (unlike me who eats it by the handful) don't shy away from this dressing. It's by no means overpowering, just a flavorful and tangy vinaigrette. I'm so amazed at how good this was!! Looking forward to leftovers for lunch :)

I didn't have fennel and also left out beets due to preference. Used fresh spinach instead of mixed greens and broiled veggies instead of grilling cause it was 110 degrees outside :)
**Also, I grilled the potatoes separately and my kids ate those with ketchup cause they're not so into veggies. Weird, right??

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
9 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for brushing
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese (such as Maytag; about 2 ounces)
2 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise
2 bell peppers (preferably in assorted colors), seeded, quartered lengthwise
1 pound red-skinned potatoes, scrubbed, cut into 1/3-inch-thick slices
1 fennel bulb, trimmed, cut through core into 8 wedges
8 fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed
10 baby beets (about 11/2 inches in diameter), trimmed, scrubbed, halved crosswise
1 large red onion, cut into 1/3-inch-thick slices
1 5-ounce package mixed baby greens

Whisk vinegar, Dijon mustard, and 5 tablespoons oil in small bowl. Stir in cheese. Season dressing with salt and generous amount of pepper.

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat); brush grill with oil. Place all vegetables except beets, onion, and baby greens in large bowl; drizzle with remaining 4 tablespoons oil and toss to coat. Transfer to large rimmed baking sheet. Place beets in same bowl; toss to coat with any remaining oil in bowl and transfer to baking sheet. Sprinkle vegetables with salt and pepper. Brush onion slices with oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill vegetables until slightly charred and tender, about 12 minutes for beets, potatoes, and fennel, turning occasionally, and about 4 minutes per side for zucchini, peppers, onion slices, and mushrooms.

Mound greens in center of 4 plates. Arrange onions and vegetables atop greens. Drizzle dressing over and serve.

Baked String Beans

Ok, so I used to HATE string beans. We get a bag of them pretty often through the produce co-op and I never did anything with them. Then one day I came across this recipe and now I get so excited when I see them that I nearly wet myself (ok, not really).
Here it is!

Rinse and trim beans. Pour a Tbs. or so of olive oil in a rimmed baking sheet, add beans and roll around to coat with oil. Sprinkle beans liberally with salt and pepper and roll again to coat. Bake at 400 for about 10 minutes or so, checking and stirring often to avoid burning. When they are crispy and browned in spots, they're done.

Now find a corner and eat them all in one sitting. I do. They taste like healthy french fries, I kid you not. SO good!!

Strawberry Spinach Salad

This is such a refreshing and delicious salad. Courtesy Triple M.



1 package of fresh spinach
1 1/2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese
1 package of sliced fresh strawberries
cooked bacon, crumbled
Candied walnuts/pecans

Assemble salad, pour dressing just a couple minutes before serving.


Poppyseed Dressing:

1 C sugar
1/2 C apple cider vinegar
1 C salad oil
1 Tbsp poppy seeds
1 tsp dry mustard
1 garlic clove


Toss.

Stuffed Mushrooms

My friend Maggie brought these over for a meal for us...along with so much other yummy stuff it would make your head spin. I'm not even gonna list everything she made for us because it would just make you feel bad about yourself. She's amazing...and so are these mushrooms!

1 8oz package cream cheese
2 slices muenster cheese
2 slices provolone cheese
1/2 large zucchini
1/2 C shredded parmesan cheese
1 garlic clove pressed
2 tsp. Pampered Chef dill seasoning ***
1/2 3oz jar of Hormel Real Bacon Bits
Plain Bread Crumbs
Mushrooms (about a pound)
Let cream cheese soften in a bowl. Shred muenster, provolone and zucchini in Pampered Chef cheese shredder using the smallest barrel. Add remaining ingredients except bread crumbs and mix. Add bread crumbs to desired consistency. You want it to easy form with your hands, not too dry but thick. Wash mushrooms & break out the stem. Roll filling into balls and stuff inside (you can use the Easy Accent Decorator to fill with a pretty design). Bake on 350 until the mushrooms have released their own juices (about ½ hour to 1 hour).

*This would probably be good shaped in a ball and rolled in walnuts or pecans to be served as a cheese ball.

**If you make this ahead of time & refrigerate the seasonings get more pungent giving it a stronger flavor. Sometimes I’ll make it and leave it out on the counter if it’s only a few hours till I cook it!

***You must use the Pampered Chef dill seasoning because it is better than store bought.

Caramelized Onions and other such goodness

So...ever wonder what to do with all those leftover onions from the last co-op or shopping trip rolling around pathetically in your veggie drawer? I have the answer!! Peel the onions and slice them. Heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet and saute the onions, stirring often, until they are soft and brown. This causes the natural sugars in the onion to come out and they are so sweet and tasty! Put them on homemade pizza, burgers (veggie or otherwise), over pasta, or just eat them plain! I make a pig of myself every time I make these.

You can also add sliced zucchini, bell peppers, whole cherry tomatoes, you name it. Wait until the onions have a bit of a head start, then add the other veggies and cook to desired softness. So yummy!