Burst Cherry Tomato Sauce with Greek Olives

Burst Cherry Tomato Sauce with Greek Olives

Ingredients

¼ cup olive oil
1 shallot, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 pt fresh cherry tomatoes
cracked black pepper (to taste)
sea salt flakes (to taste)
¼ cup chopped Italian parsley
cup sliced kalamata olives

Directions

Heat olive oil in a 12″ skillet over low heat. Add shallots and cook, stirring, until softened and fragrant but not browned, about 2 minutes. Add garlic & cook another minute. Increase heat to medium and add tomatoes, salt & pepper. Cook, stirring to coat, until tomatoes begin to burst, about 4 minutes.
Smash some of the tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon to start to create a sauce. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until a chunky, thickened sauce develops, add the parsley & cook 10–12 minutes. Stir in the olives at the last few minutes of cooking time.
Taste and adjust seasoning.
Serve over pasta.

~ Marla Meridith

Recipe: Sheet Pan Gnocchi with Brown Butter & Summer Veggies

Recipe: Sheet Pan Gnocchi with Brown Butter & Summer Veggies

Ingredients

1 lb refrigerated or shelf-stable store bought gnocchi
3 shallots, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 ½ cups sliced zucchini (1/2 inch slices)
10 oz grape or cherry tomatoes cut in half
1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernals
¼ cup olive oil
½ fresh lemon, juiced
1 stick salted butter
salt & pepper to taste
sliced fresh basil

Directions

Pre heat oven to 425˚F with the rack in the middle. Line a 18×13″ sheet pan with tin foil. Slice all the vegetables making them fairly uniform in size so they cook evenly.

Place the gnocchi, chopped shallots, garlic and vegetables onto the sheet pan. Toss with the olive oil, lemon juice & pepper. Spread the mixture in a single layer on the pan, this will ensure it all cooks evenly. Roast for 25-30 minutes, tossing half way through cooking time. Gnocchi should be golden and starting to crisp, most of the tomatoes have burst, and shallot is golden.

While the gnocchi is cooking. Place the butter in a small, light colored skillet over medium heat (slicing it will make it melt more evenly) Bring to a boil, mixing frequently, the butter will froth then the bubbles will subside. Continue cooking and stirring, brown flecks will appear. Another prompt to stop cooking is a delicious nutty aroma. If the butter turns black it has cooked too long. Be sure to watch (and smell) carefully. Immediately transfer the brown butter to a glass bowl or pitcher so it stops cooking. Be sure the brown flecks transfer over as these add the wonderful flavor you are looking for.

Drizzle the brown butter over the roasted gnocchi & vegetables. Toss again before serving. Add more salt and pepper to taste. Top plates with fresh basil.
Refrigerate & store in an airtight container if you happen to have any leftovers.

~ Marla Meridith

Recipe: Ultimate Campfire Skillet S’mores

Recipe: Ultimate Campfire Skillet S’mores

Ingredients

11 oz (1 bag) semi-sweet chocolate chips
11 oz (1 bag) butterscotch chips
7 oz shredded, sweetened coconut
cup half and half
10 oz (1 bag) marshmallows
graham crackers for serving

Directions

Over the Campfire

Set a metal rack a few inches over your campfire. Line a 10 inch cast iron skillet with foil and melt the butter. Evenly layer in the chocolate chips, butterscotch chips and coconut. Drizzle in the half and half. Top with a generous layer of marshmallows. Tent with another piece of foil and cook for 6-10 minutes until the marshmallows are gooey. Remove skillet from the flame. Using a propane torch, brown the marshmallows to your liking. Serve with graham crackers.

Over the Grill

Preheat the grill to medium high and follow the directions above.

Baked in the Oven

Preheat the oven to 400˚ F. Place the butter in a 10″ cast iron skillet. Melt the butter in the oven. Remove the skillet from the oven. Evenly layer in the chocolate chips, butterscotch chips and coconut. Drizzle in the half and half. Top with a generous layer of marshmallows. Bake for 6-8 minutes or until the marshmallows are golden brown.

~ Marla Meridith

Recipe: Grilled Brie with Tomatoes and Basil

Recipe: Grilled Brie with Tomatoes and Basil

Ingredients

2 wedges brie cheese, or 1 large round
1 pt grape tomatoes, quartered or 1 pound ripe tomatoes diced
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
¾ tsp salt and more to taste
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup chopped basil ribbons, chiffonade
1 loaf sliced rustic baguette or pita chips
balsamic glaze and shaved parmesan for topping

Directions

Tomato Basil Salad

Combine the tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, balsamic vinegar, salt pepper and basil in a large bowl.

Grilled Brie

Line a 10 inch cast iron skillet or griddle with foil (this makes for an easier clean up.) Place the brie in the center of the skillet. Grill over a campfire or hot grill for 15-20 minutes or until the brie softens and bubbles.

Baked Brie

This is easy to make in your kitchen too! Simply preheat oven to 375˚F with the rack in the middle.

Line a 10 inch cast iron skillet or griddle with foil (this makes for an easier clean up.) Place the brie in the center of the skillet. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the brie softens and bubbles.

Serving

Top the melted brie with the tomato basil mixture. Top with a drizzle of balsamic glaze and shaved parmesan. Serve with baguette.

~ Marla Meridith

Recipe: Creamy Chipotle Sauce

Recipe: Creamy Chipotle Sauce

Ingredients

¼ cup full fat mayonnaise
½ cup full fat sour cream
4 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
¼ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp onion powder
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Blend all ingredients in a food processor or blender until well combined and smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Sauce will last up to one week stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

~ Marla Meridith

Recipe: Homemade Strawberry Pop Tarts

Recipe: Homemade Strawberry Pop Tarts

Ingredients

Pastry Dough
2 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
½ tsp Kosher salt
1 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
½ cup ice water
Strawberry Filling
1 lb fresh strawberries, stems removed and quartered
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 pinch Kosher salt
For Assembly
1 large egg
1 tbsp milk
¼ tsp Kosher salt
1 tbsp strawberry filling for each pop tart
Vanilla Frosting
1 cup powdered sugar
34 tbsp milk
½ tsp pure vanilla extract
food coloring and sprinkles if desired

Directions

Pastry Dough

Place the flour salt and salt in the bowl of a food processor, pulse briefly to combine. Add the butter and water. Pulse until just combined. At this point you should be able to pinch the dough together with your fingers. If it’s too crumbly add the tiniest bits of ice water until the dough just sticks together. Transfer the dough to a large, clean work area. Divide dough into two portions and press into flat disks. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least one hour or up to two days.

Strawberry Filling

In a medium saucepan combine the strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, vanilla and salt. Heat over medium high heat, stirring constantly with a spatula or wooden spoon until the strawberries start to sizzle. Reduce heat to medium low and continue to cook and mix for 10-15 minutes, until the berries release their juices and become saucy. Transfer the strawberries to a heat proof container and let cool to room temperature. Once cool, place in a food processor and pulse until smooth. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Assemble the Pop Tarts

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line two sheet trays with parchment paper or spray with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

Remove the dough one disk at a time from the fridge. Remove the plastic wrap and let the dough sit out a few minutes on a lightly floured work surface. Roll the dough to 1/8 inch thick. With a sharp knife or pizza cutter, trim the dough to 4 X 2 1/2 inch rectangles. Save any scraps and continue to roll until you don’t have enough dough left to continue. Do the same process with the second disk. You should end up with 22 rectangles.

Make the egg wash: whisk together the egg with the milk and salt.

Spread one tablespoon of the strawberry filling onto the center of eleven rectangles. Brush some egg wash on the edges of the dough. Place the other eleven pieces of dough over the ones with the filling. Crimp the edges with a fork to seal the tarts. Using a paring knife, cut three small slits or “X’s” in the top of each pop tart. This will ensure that the pop tarts don’t explode while baking. Place the filled pop tarts onto the baking sheets with and inch in between each tart.

Brush the egg wash on the tops of each pop tart. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool.

Frosting the Pop Tarts

While the pop tarts are cooling make the frosting. Whisk together the powdered sugar with milk and vanilla. Add a few drops of food coloring if desired. Drizzle the frosting over the pop tarts and add sprinkles while the frosting is still runny. Let the frosting set for a few minutes. Serve at room temperature.
Store at room temperature in an airtight container. Enjoy within 3 days.

~ Marla Meridith

Recipe: Baked Cinnamon Apple French Toast

Recipe: Baked Cinnamon Apple French Toast

Ingredients

3 tbsp unsalted butter
3 cups chopped apples (1/2 inch pieces)
2 tbsp light brown sugar
1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon, divided
1 lb brioche or sourdough bread, cut into cubes
8 oz (1 package) full fat cream cheese, cut into cubes
12 large eggs, beaten
1 ½ cups half and half
½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
cup pure maple syrup
½ cup raisins
2 tbsp pure vanilla extract
½ tsp Kosher salt
½ cup chopped pecans

Directions

Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the apples and cook about 5 minutes until fragrant and slightly softened. Stir in the brown sugar and cinnamon. Continue cooking until the sugar has dissolved, about 2 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a bowl to cool.

Butter or spray a 9X13 casserole dish. Place 1/2 of the bread cubes in the bottom of the baking dish in an even layer. Top with 1/2 of the apple mixture and cream cheese cubes. Layer again with the rest of the bread cubes and then the rest of the apple mixture & cream cheese.

In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, half and half, orange juice, maple syrup, raisins, vanilla, rest of the cinnamon and salt. Pour over the apple/bread mixture. Cover the casserole, set in the fridge and let soak for at least 2 hours to overnight.

Remove the casserole from the fridge 30 minutes before baking. Top with the pecans.

Pre-heat the oven to 350˚ F with the rack in the middle. Bake the casserole covered with foil for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 25-30 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the center is cooked through.

Serve immediately with more maple syrup and whipped cream.

~ Marla Meridith

Recipe: Vegan Mushroom Soup

Recipe: Vegan Mushroom Soup

Ingredients

4 tbsp olive oil
1 (1 1/2 cups) yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
¾ cup celery, chopped
¾ cup carrots, chopped
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
6 cups vegetable broth
½ cup dry white wine
2 tbsp soy sauce or gluten free tamari
1 ½ lbs fresh mushrooms, sliced. Mix of Cremini and white button mushrooms.
½ lb Shitake mushrooms, sliced
1 (13.5 ounce can) full fat coconut milk
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tbsp sweet paprika
ground black pepper to taste

Directions

Heat the oil in a soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions and cook 3 minutes. Add the garlic, cook another 2 minutes. Mix in the celery and carrots. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring so the veggies don’t stick to the pot.

Stir in the broth, wine, lemon juice, soy sauce. Add the mushrooms. Bring to a boil then a simmer. Mix in the coconut milk. Continue to simmer for 15 minutes. Season to taste with black pepper.

Serve hot topped with some fresh chopped parsley.

~ Marla Meridith

Cranberry Hand Pies

Cranberry Hand Pies

Ingredients

For the Pastry
2 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tbsp granulated sugar
½ tsp salt
20 tbsp cold unsalted butter, preferably a high-fat, European-style butter, chilled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
4-6 tbsp ice cold water
Filling and Assembly
1 lb fresh cranberries
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
2 tbsp orange juice
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
½ tsp corn starch or instant tapioca
1 egg, beaten
coarse sanding sugar for topping

Directions

For the Crust

Pie crust: In a food processor, briefly pulse together the flour, sugar and salt. Add the butter and pulse until mixture forms chickpea-size pieces (3 to 5 one-second pulses). Be sure the butter is cold at this step. Add ice water 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse until mixture is just moist enough to hold together. You should be able to pinch it & it stays together.

Form dough into two balls, wrap with plastic and flatten into disks. Refrigerate at least 1 hour to 24 hours before rolling out and baking.

For the filling

Combine the cranberries, sugar, orange juice, vanilla and starch in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the mixture comes to a simmer. Cook another 6 minutes, some cranberries will burst and mixture will start to thicken. Transfer the cranberries to a bowl and cool to room temperature. Sauce will thicken as it cools. DO AHEAD: You can make this filling up to 5 days ahead of when you want to use it.

Assembly

Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit with the racks in the middle. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. Remove the dough from the refrigerator & let it sit out a few minutes until just pliable. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one dough disk into 1/8 inch thickness. Punch out heart or round shapes I used a 4 inch heart cookie cutter.

Spoon 1 heaping tablespoon of the cranberry mixture onto the middle of a dough heart. Wet the rim of the disk with some egg wash Place another heart on top. Crimp the edges with a fork or your fingers. Continue with the rest of the dough and filling. Place shapes on 2 cookie sheets. Refrigerate pies for 45 minutes.
You will likely have filling left over, it’s great on pancakes or mixed into oatmeal.

Remove pastry With a sharp knife, make a X on the top to vent. Brush on egg wash and dust with some sugar.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the edges are golden brown. Let cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes, transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

~ Marla Meridith

Recipe: Vegan Minestrone Soup

Recipe: Vegan Minestrone Soup

Ingredients

3 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
¼ cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 cup chopped zucchini
1 cup chopped sweet potato
2 cups chopped brussels sprouts
1 14 ounce can petite diced tomatoes
6 cups low sodium vegetable broth
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 15 ounce can Cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 tbsp dry white wine
1 tbsp chopped italian parsley
2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
7 oz orzo or small pasta, cooked to package directions

Directions

Cook pasta to package directions, drain and set aside.

In a large soup pot or Dutch oven heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, celery, carrots, zucchini, sweet potato and Brussels sprouts. Cook 6-8 minutes (until fragrant and softened) stirring occasionally so veggies don’t stick to the pot.

Add in the broth, diced tomatoes, wine and vinegar. Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes. In the last few minutes stir in the beans, rosemary and parsley.

Place some pasta in each bowl and ladle soup into bowls.

~ Marla Meridith

Recipe: Sheet Pan Roasted Veggies with Feta

Recipe: Sheet Pan Roasted Veggies with Feta

Ingredients

2 broccoli crowns, sliced into florets
1 pt cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
½ red onion, sliced
½ zucchini, sliced into half moons
½ lemon, cut into slices
1 8 ounce block of feta cheese
6 mini bell peppers, sliced in half
¼ cup olive oil
sea salt, pepper and dried oregano

Directions

Pre heat oven to 400˚ Fahrenheit.

Slice all the veggies, lemon and feta. Place on an unlined sheet pan in a single layer.

Bake for 30 minutes. Serve with quinoa, rice or pasta.

~ Marla Meridith

Recipe: 3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

Recipe: 3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients

1 cup peanut butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with a silicone liner or parchment paper.

Place the peanut butter, sugar and egg in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on medium speed with the paddle attachment until well combine.

Make small balls (about 1 1/2 inches) with your hands and evenly space apart on the baking sheet. Using the back of a fork make a criss- cross pattern on each cookie.

Bake for 10 minutes. Let the cookies cool for a few minutes before enjoying.

~ Marla Meridith