Broccoli and herb-stuffed portobellos

by Sarah Steimer

Vegetarian meals can’t be filling, you say? Yeah, eat this and try telling me that. Bill and I were as stuffed as can be (really, no pun intended) after we each had one of these mushrooms.

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Lavash with oregano, cheese and sesame seeds

by Sarah Steimer

I love when restaurants serve soup with nice flat, crispy crackers like this lavash. It keeps you from filling up on a hunk of bread, and they offer a wonderful, salty bite in between slurps. Make this at home to really jazz up your own soup night.

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Meatless Monday: Green enchiladas with goat cheese and garbanzo beans

by Sarah Steimer

I love enchiladas. It’s a great way to stuff some ingredients into a tortilla, pop in the oven and somehow seem like you made an effort. For this enchilada, I happened to be craving broccoli and decided to run the green route.

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Broccoli-cheddar grilled cheese

by Sarah Steimer

The concept is pretty obvious: the sandwich version of the beloved broccoli-cheddar soup. (If you prefer the liquid version, check out Caitlin’s popular recipe here.)

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Mac and cheese with cauliflower, tomatoes and mustard breadcrumbs

by Sarah Steimer

It’s mac and cheese season! But that doesn’t mean it has to be all heavy. Swapping out some of the pasta with cauliflower helps to lighten the dish, along with folding in greens and using skim milk.

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Tomato crostata with honey-thyme glaze

by Sarah Steimer

I love, love, love tomato season. Lots of the vendors at my farmer’s market offer heirloom tomatoes in a variety of colors, and this was the perfect way to showcase them. This might have been the best thing I’ve made this summer!

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Meatless Monday: Artichoke and spinach grilled cheese sandwich

by Sarah Steimer

I’ve been loving my green meals this spring. We had a chilly, rainy day last Friday and this was the perfect meal (served with a side of apples).

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Cheddar-garlic biscuits marbled with spinach

by Caitlin Saniga

These super-crumbly biscuits were best fresh out of the oven with pats of butter oozing down into all of the crevices. For leftovers, I popped mine under the broiler with pats of butter already in place and toasted for about 1 minute. Dee-licious.

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Pepper jelly, cheese and caramelized onion panini

by Sarah Steimer

I picked up this cranberry pepper jelly at a market in Lincoln Square (in Chicago) on a whim. I’ve had raspberry pepper jelly before, which I loved, and I wanted to try one that would seem a bit more seasonal. I still like the raspberry version best, but this was really delicious.

• 2 slices of good bread
• 1/2 small onion (or a little less than 1/4 cup), thinly sliced
• about 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons pepper jelly (I used cranberry, but most often see either plain pepper jelly or raspberry pepper jelly)
• a few slices of a sharp cheddar cheese OR a few slices of pepper jack cheese

Heat a small sauté pan before adding the olive oil to the pan. Once the oil is warm, add the onions and caramelize for about 10 minutes.

Place the cheese and onions on the bread. Smear the opposite slice with the jelly. Grill in a panini press or in a pan until the cheese has melted and the bread is crisp.

Makes one panini.

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Meatless Monday: Green (spinach + jalapeno) mac and cheese

by Sarah Steimer

There’s very little that’s healthy about mac and cheese – it uses tons of cheese, butter, flour and so forth. But pureed spinach at least throws a few extra vitamins into the mix. P.S. this is the reheated version, the original looked much creamier.

• 1/2 pound macaroni noodles
• olive oil
• 1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 jalapeno, finely chopped
• 3 cups packed fresh spinach
• 1/4 cup hot water
• 1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick)
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 cup milk (I used skim, had to cut back the fat somewhere!)
• 4 ounces white cheddar, grated
• 4 ounces fontina, grated
• salt and pepper, to taste

Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside.

Heat enough olive oil to cover the bottom of a small saute pan. Add the onions and jalapenos, cooking until soft. Set aside.

Add the spinach and the hot water to a blender. Puree until smooth.

In a medium or large pot, melt the butter and add the flour. Stir until smooth and cook over low heat for about 1 minute. Add the milk and stir until very smooth. Simmer for 1-2 minutes or until slightly thickened. Add the cheese, stirring until melted and smooth, followed by the spinach puree and salt and pepper to taste.

Add the pasta, onions and jalapenos to the sauce, tossing until everything is well combined. Pour the mac and cheese into a 9-by-9 (or 8-by-8)-inch square baking dish.

At this point I actually covered the dish and refrigerated until I had it for dinner the next day, but you can cook it immediately.

Before serving, bake the mac and cheese, uncovered, for about 30 minutes or until the edges are browned.

Makes 6-8 servings.

Recipe adapted from: Heather Cristo Cooks

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