Fresh Mozzarella, Tomato, and Basil CROSTINI

One of my favorite summer recipes is a mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, basil and olive oil salad. We recently had some leftover crusty garlic bread (I don’t know why, but I hate the word “crusty”) so I made a crostini with fresh mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, basil, and the bread. It was basically the mozzarella and tomato salad on top of garlic-y toasted goodness. Here’s how it turned out:

 

Fresh Mozzarella, Tomato, and Basil Crostini

WHAT YOU NEED:

• French bread, cut into thin slices (however many slices you need)
• A few Tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/4 tsp. minced garlic
• 10-20 cherry tomatoes (depending on how many slices of bread you have), chopped
• Fresh basil leaves
• Sliced fresh mozzarella cheese (I used one slice per crostini)

WHAT YOU DO:

• Brush bread slices with EVOO and sprinkle with garlic. Place on a baking sheet. Broil in the oven for 3-5 mins until toasted.
• In a bowl, mix tomatoes, a drizzle of EVOO, and salt and pepper to taste.
• After bread is toasted, place slices on a serving platter. Top with a slice of mozzarella, then tomato mixture. Garnish with fresh basil.

 

Also check out these meatless options:

Stuffed Baby Bellas

Fresh Pesto

Homemade Ranch Hummus

Wasabi Sesame Soy Cucumber Salad

Feta, Avocado & Tomato Pita “Nachos”

Mango Salsa

Zucchini Pizza Bites

Whole Wheat Noodles with Fresh Veggies

Lemony Smashed Dill Mustard Potatoes

Skinny Creamy Tomato Basil Soup (no cream – Greek yogurt!)

2 ingredient pizza dough

Here’s a pizza dough recipe I tried that has just 2 ingredients: Equal amounts plain Greek yogurt and self-rising flour. I thought there’s no way it could be so easy to make dough, but it worked and the pizza was delicious!

I made a batch with 1 cup of each, and this is what I ended up with:

WHAT YOU NEED:

• 1 c. plain Greek nonfat yogurt
• 1 c. self-rising flour (plus additional for kneading/dusting)

WHAT YOU DO:

• Combine yogurt and flour in a mixing bowl, and stir to combine.
• Dust some flour on a flat surface, and place dough on top. Knead for 5-8 minutes or so.
• Roll out into the shape of crust you need (I ended up with an oddly shaped a rustic looking crust).
• Place on a foil-lined baking sheet sprayed with nonstick cooking spray, and top with your favorite pizza toppings.
• I brushed the crust with extra virgin olive oil, then a thin layer of sauce, and topped it with shredded mozzarella cheese.
• Bake in a preheated 350F oven, for 15-20 mins or until cheese is bubbly.

 

 Need another pizza idea?

Try a BRAIDED one — you can even make 2 and freeze the extra one for later.

 

 

 How about a healthier, low carb, pizza?

 Use zucchini coins instead of crust!

Whole Wheat Noodles with Fresh Veggies

Here’s a show and tell of my lunch. And an easy light meal idea; it’s more of a “no recipe” recipe. 🙂 It has whole wheat pasta tossed with veggies sauteed in olive oil and garlic, sprinkled with soy sauce and lemon juice.

WHAT YOU NEED:

• whole wheat spaghetti (however many servings you want to make)
• a few teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) for sauteing the veggies
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• fresh vegetables, washed, cut and sliced (2-4 cups depending on how many servings you want) — I used asparagus, mushrooms, onions, yellow squash, zucchini, and bell peppers.
• soy sauce
• fresh lemon juice

WHAT YOU DO:

Prepare spaghetti noodles according to package directions.

While noodles are boiling, heat EVOO and garlic in a skillet over medium heat. Add veggies and sautee until tender.

Drain noodles, and place on serving dish. Top with veggies, then sprinkle on some soy sauce and lemon juice to taste. Stir to combine, then serve.

French Onion Crusted Pork Chops

Guess what we had for dinner? Another freezer meal – shocking! Ha. 🙂

This time was French onion crusted pork chops and they were really tasty. I wasn’t sure if they would do ok in the freezer, but they were delicious. Here’s what I ended up with:

recipe adapted from Paula Deen y’all!

WHAT YOU NEED:

• 4-6 boneless pork chops
• 2 packets of onion soup mix
• 1/2 c. Panko bread crumbs
• 2 eggs

WHAT YOU DO:

If preparing right away…

Preheat oven to 400F.

Beat the eggs in a mixing bowl. In a second bowl (or on a large plate) mix together the breadcrumbs and soup mix.

Dip the pork chops first in the beaten eggs, then in the breadcrumb mixture, coating both sides.

Place pork chops on a baking sheet covered with foil and sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Bake for 20 mins, flipping over halfway through.

If freezing for later…

Beat the eggs in a mixing bowl. In a second bowl (or on a large plate) mix together the breadcrumbs and soup mix.

Dip the pork chops first in the beaten eggs, then in the breadcrumb mixture, coating both sides.

Place pork chops in a gallon freezer bag, labeled with a permanent marker, and freeze.

To prepare, thaw overnight in the fridge. Place pork chops on a baking sheet covered with foil and sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Bake at 400F for 20 mins, flipping over halfway through.

Lemony Smashed Dill Mustard Potatoes

OMG you guys — this might be my most favorite potato recipe EVER. I used potatoes from our garden and topped it with chives from our herb pots. It reminded me of a delicious mustard potato salad, but it has no mayonnaise! It’s a “clean eating” recipe and has just a few simple ingredients. Here’s what I ended up with:

recipe adapted from “Tosca Reno’s Eat Clean Cookbook“

Clean Eating Lemony Dill Mustard Smashed Potatoes

WHAT YOU NEED:

• 3 lbs. potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Tbsp. dill mustard
• juice from 1/2 of a lemon
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• chives, chopped (just a sprinkle for topping)

WHAT YOU DO:

Boil potatoes until “fork tender” (approximately 20 mins or so).

Drain then place on low heat to dry potatoes, shaking the pan frequently to prevent burning.

Keeping the potatoes on the stove, add the rest of the ingredients. Use a large wooden spoon to smash everything together, then serve. Garnish with chives.

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Need more potato recipes?

• Secret Ingredient Crack Potatoes
• Loaded Baked Potato Soup
• Cheesy Bacon Ranch Potatoes

Not your Mama’s pork chops and potatoes: 3 ingredient cheesy ranch pork chops served with lemony dill mustard smashed potatoes, and corn on the cob with “corn dog” holders: