We made this leek soup as a starter dish this week. It was a good way to use up some leftover produce, and we had the rest of the ingredients on hand. I’d recommend adjusting the spices according to your own preferences, the recipe as listed was just a little bland.

Chris says:

Anything to say about this one?

Lisa says:

You mentioned that it was kinda bland, right?

Chris says:

Yeah…

Lisa says:

It was much better after you added those extra spices at the end!

Leek and Tomato Soup
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4 leeks, cut in half lengthwise, then sliced in half moons
1 carrot, shredded
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp garlic granules
2 tbsp whole wheat flour
4 vegetable stock
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1/2 tsp tarragon leaf
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1/4 tsp salt

In a medium pot, saute leeks and carrots in olive oil until tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook briefly, about 30 seconds, stirring. Add flour and cook about 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and add remaining ingredients. Simmer for about 5 minutes. Adjust seasonings to taste.

Serves 4 as a starter

I’ve been wanting to try this “onion pizza” since the day I saw it on The Cooking Ninja’s blog. No sauce, no cheese, just a ton of caramelized onions, some herbs, tomatoes, and anchovies. Simple and amazingly tasty. We love onions, so I knew this would be a hit.

Lisa says:

Holy mackerel it smells good in here.

Chris says:

Actually those are anchovies, and it should smell good — I caramelized four whole onions for this pizza!

Lisa says:

Yum! This is delicious — even with the anchovies!

Chris says:

I thought you would like them; that’s some salty goodness.

(Later…)
Thad and Abbie say:

Why do your clothes smell like onions?

La Pissaladière
—————
(courtesy The Cooking Ninja)
1 pizza dough
4 large onions, sliced (I used 3 yellow, one red)
4 tomatoes, thickly sliced
1 can of anchovies
Herbs de Provence

Preheat the oven to 410F, or use the instructions on your pizza dough. Heat some oil in a pan over medium-high heat and sauté the onions until they start to turn golden brown; sprinkle with salt. On a floured board, roll out your dough into a 12-14″ circle, then move to a pizza pan or baking sheet. Lay the onions onto the dough, then layer with tomatoes, some herbs, and finally, the anchovies. Cook for 25-30 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.

After spending a long weekend in Santa Fe eating tons of Southwestern and Mexican food, we wanted to have a light dinner that didn’t take a lot of time to prepare. I found this recipe in the Weight Watchers Great Cooking Everyday cookbook. We served it with orzo tossed with lemon juice and parsley.

Lisa says:

Yay! Sushi?!

Chris says:

Looks like it, but nope… stuffed chicken breasts! But I’ll put it on our sushi plate set. This was super simple to make, and looks pretty cool.

Lisa says:

Yeah it looks complicated. I like it. You definitely need the tomatoes, they add a lot of flavor. I think it would be pretty bland without it.

Chris says:

Agreed. I do like that filling, though.

Gremolata-Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Tomato Relish
—————————————————-
4 large plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
2 tsp olive oil
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp salt
freshly ground pepper
1 cup packed fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp grated lemon zest
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
4 1/4 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts

To prepare the relish, combine the tomatoes, oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper in a bow; cover and let stand at room temperature.
Preheat the oven to 450. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray. Combine the parsley, garlic, lemon zest, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
Place the chicken breasts between 2 sheets of waxed paper, skinned side down. Pound the chicken to 1/4-inch thickness, using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Remove and discard the top sheet of wax paper; spread the chicken with the parsley mixture. Start with the narrower ends and roll each chicken breast around the filling. Remove and discard the rest of the wax paper.
Place the chicken, seam side down, on the baking sheet. Bake until the chicken is cooked through, 10-12 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes. Slice each breast on the diagonal into four pieces. Serve with the relish.

Serves 4 (Yeah, right. In WW land. Try 2-3)

We’re really enjoying the heirlooms lately, and I wanted to make something that would go well with the tortilla soup we were having as our main course tonight. This tomato salad from Mexican Everyday hit the spot — the dressing had a really unique toasted chile flavor and I just loved the ever-so-slightly wilted green onions on top. Now we just have to figure out what to do with the leftover dressing — it’s too good to go to waste!

Tomato Salad with Queso Fresco, Pan-Roasted Green Onions and Guajillo Chile Dressing
————————————————————————————
3/4 cup vegetable oil, olive oil, or a mixture of the two
2 medium dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
3 garlic cloves, peeled and cut in quarters
1/4 white wine vinegar
salt
6 green onions, roots and outer leaves removed
2 large ripe heirloom tomatoes, sliced 1/4″ thick
1/2 cup crumbled Mexican queso fresco

Pour the oil into a medium-large skillet and set to medium heat. When the oil is warm, add the chiles and the garlic. Turn and stir continually until the insides of the chiles have lightened in color and they are toasty smelling — 30 seconds or so. Remove from the heat.
Transfer the chiles to a blender (leave the oil and garlic in the pan), add the vinegar and a teaspoon of salt. Blend for 30 seconds. When the oil and garlic are cool, add to the blender (set the skillet aside) and puree until smooth. Taste and season with more salt if desired. Pour into a jar and secure the lid.
Return the skillet to medium heat. Brush the onions with a little oil, then lay them in the skillet. Cook, turning regularly, until they become wilted and browned in spots, about 3 minutes. Remove and slice crosswise at 1/4″ intervals.
Arrange the sliced tomatoes on plates, sprinkle with salt, then top with the green onion. Shake the dressing and drizzle over the tomatoes, saving the remainnder for another use. Sprinkle with the cheese and serve.

4 Servings.

Lisa was at the helm tonight and whipped up these delicious crab cakes using a recipe found in Cooking Light. They turned out perfectly: crispy on the outside, hot and steamy on the inside — I loved all the minced green onions in there. We served the crab cakes along with some heirloom tomatoes, pictured, and a mushroom couscous.

Maryland Crab Cakes
——————-
1 pound lump crabmeat, shell pieces removed
1 1/3 cups fresh breadcrumbs
1/3 cup minced green onions
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon 2% low-fat milk
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 egg whites
1 1/3 cups fresh breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
Lemon wedges (optional)

Combine first 10 ingredients in a bowl; stir well. Divide crabmeat mixture into 8 equal portions. Place 1 1/3 cups breadcrumbs in a shallow dish. Dredge crabmeat portions in breadcrumbs, shaping into patties about 3 1/2 inches wide and 1/2 inch thick.
Heat 1 tablespooon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 4 patties, and cook 3 minutes. Carefully turn patties over, and cook 3 minutes or until golden. Repeat procedure with the remaining oil and patties. Serve with lemon wedges, if desired.

8 Servings