Mojo de Ajo Pasta Salad

Here's the last recipe I made with Mojo de Ajo, olive oil with roasted garlic and lime juice. In this recipe, Mojo de Ajo provides the flavor for a summer pasta salad.

Mojo de Ajo Pasta Salad
Serves 2

1 cup pasta (I used Trader Joe's Vegetable Radiatore Pasta.)
1/4 cup feta cheese
2 tablespoons Mojo de Ajo
Handful of diced zucchini, yellow squash, red, green, and yellow pepper
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Cook pasta according to package directors
2. Let pasta cool to room temperature.
3. Toss pasta with feta cheese, Mojo de Ajo, zucchini, yellow squash, red, green, and yellow pepper. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Mojo de Ajo Chicken Fajitas

The Rick Bayless recipe for Mojo de Ajo serves as a flavorful base for these chicken fajitas. I sauteed 3 colors of pepper, red onion, and chicken breast with Mojo de Ajo, a garlic and lime olive oil.

Mojo de Ajo Chicken Fajitas
Serves 4

2 tablespoons Mojo de Ajo
1 large chicken breast, sliced
1/2 of a green pepper, sliced
1/2 of a yellow pepper, sliced
1/2 of a red pepper, sliced
1/2 of a red onion, sliced
Flour tortillas
Guacamole, salsa, sour cream, and cheese for serving

1. Heat large pan over medium head. Add Mojo de Ajo.
2. Add onions, peppers, and chicken. Saute until peppers are soft and chicken is cooked through, about 10-15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, heat tortillas and prepare toppings.
4. Serve chicken and peppers with tortillas, guacamole, salsa, sour cream, and cheese.

Italian Green Pepper Sandwich

This recipe was inspired by Italian beef sandwiches, which are often served topped with green peppers. I decided to make peppers the starring ingredient in these sandwiches, by simmering them in red wine and tomato paste to bring out the flavor. 

Italian Pepper Sandwich

Serves 4

1 large green pepper, cut into thin strips 

1 small can tomato paste

1/2 cup red wine

4 slices of mozzarella cheese

4 slices of salami (optional)

1 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon garlic power

Salt and pepper

1 long baguette, cut into 4 pieces

1. Heat olive oil over medium heat. Saute green pepper for about 5 minutes.

2. Add tomato paste, red wine, sugar, oregano, red pepper, garlic power, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer.

3. Cover and cook about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

5. Top each piece of baguette with salami, mozzarella, and peppers. Bake in oven for about 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted. 

Roasted Poblano and Tomatillo Tostadas

I love poblanos and tomatillos together. I've posted recipes for Roasted Pepper and Tomatillo Roll Ups and for  Chili Rellenos con Salsa Verde. Both are wonderful recipes, but a bit time consuming. Here's a simplier way to combine poblanos and tomatillos in vegetarian tostadas.

Roasted Poblano and Tomatillo Tostadas
Serves 2


1 poblano pepper, diced
4 tomatillos, diced
2 tablespoons diced red onion
2 ounces queso fresco, shredded
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 tostadas
1 avocado, sliced
Sour cream
Salsa
Salt
Cilantro

1. Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add poblano, tomatillos, red onion, and chili powder. Cook until soft about 15 to 20 minutes.
2. Toss vegetables with lime juice and salt.
3. Top  tostadas with vegetables and queso fresco.
4. Cook tostadas until cheese is melted, for about 10 minutes at 350 degrees.
5. Serve tostadas topped with sliced avocado, sour cream, salsa, and cilantro.

Chicken Mediterranean Plate

I recently checked out the new Chicago Loop lunch spot Roti. The style reminds me a lot of Chipotle. You pick your base--sandwich, salad, or Mediterranean plate--and then pick everything that goes in it from plenty of delicious options. I'd highly recommend Roti's falafel. This experience got me thinking about making my own Mediterranean plate at home. The chicken can easily be removed from this dish to make a vegetarian plate.

Chicken Mediterranean Plate
Serves 4

2 cups cooked rice
Hummus
Tzatziki (see recipe below)
Pita chips
1 yellow pepper
1 red pepper
1/2 of a red onion
2 chicken breasts
1 lemon
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon red pepper
Salt and pepper

1. Cut peppers and onion into large chunks. Set aside.
2. On separate cutting board, cut chicken into large chunks.
3. Whisk together, juice form one lemon, olive oil, oregano, red pepper, salt, and pepper.
4. Mix half of lemon marinade with chicken. Place on baking dish and broil for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Meanwhile, mix other half of lemon marinade with vegetables. Add to chicken mixture and broil for 10 minutes more.
6. Serve chicken and vegetables with hummus, tzatziki, rice, and pita chips.


Tzatziki 
Serves 4

1 8 oz container of 2% Greek yogurt
1 small cucumber
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 garlic clove, crushed
Salt and pepper

1. Cut off ends of cucumber. With a cheese grater, shred cucumber, including peal.
2. Combine cucumber, yogurt, lemon juice, garlic clove, salt, and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Summer Squash Stuffed Poblanos

One of my favorite dishes to make is Chili Rellenos. I decided to mix it up and prepare a similar dish stuffed with summer squash and red onions. Compared to my recipe for Chili Rellenos, these peppers contain half as much cheese.

Summer Squash Stuffed Poblanos
Serves 2
2 large poblano peppers
2 ounces pepper jack cheese, shredded
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 cup diced zucchini
1/4 cup diced yellow squash
2 tablespoons diced red onion
Salt and pepper to taste
Hot sauce, for serving
Rice, for serving

1. Broil the whole peppers for about 10 minutes, stirring occassionally, until blackened and charred.
2. Remove from heat and let rest until cool enough to handle.
3. Meanwhile, combine shredded cheese, vegetables, and spices.
4. Peal off charred skin of peppers.
5. Cut open center of pepper. Stuff with cheese mixture.
6. Bake at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes, until cheese is completely melted. 
7. Meanwhile, cook rice according to package directions.
8. Serve poblano on a bed of rice, topped with hot sauce to taste.

Grad Student Pizza Bread

After we graduated college and before we were married, my husband was working two jobs, one at Jimmy John's. After closing the store at 10 pm (fun, right?), he'd often bring home a big bag of leftover Jimmy John's bread. I was in grad school at the time and we weren't making much money, so I'd try to never let the bread go to waste. One of my favorite ways to use the bread was making pizza bread. This recipe is highly recommended to poor grad students everywhere. And you don't even need to work at Jimmy John's to make it. The stores sell day-old bread for 50 cents.

Grad Student Pizza Bread
Serves 2

1 cheap baguette (such as a Jimmy John's baguette...seriously, no fancy french bread allowed)
1/2 cup tomato sauce (leftover pasta sauce works well)
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
8 slices pepperoni
1/4 of a yellow pepper, diced
1/4 of a red onion, diced
Fresh basil

1. Slice baguette in half and separate pieces.
2. Spread tomato sauce on bread. Top with half of cheese. Top with pepperoni, yellow pepper, red onion, and remaining cheese.
3. Bake at 350 degrees about 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.
4. Cut into pieces and top with fresh basil.

Citrus Chicken with Peppers and Onions

I marinated this chicken overnight to bring out the flavor. I served this with a Corn Salad with Jalapeno Dressing and black beans.

Citrus Chicken with Peppers and Onions
Serves 4

2 large chicken breasts
1 orange
1 lime
2 talespoons finely diced red onion
1 garlic clove, pressed
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon red pepper
2 tablespoon olive oil, divided
1/2 of a red onion, sliced
1 red or yellow pepper, sliced
Cooked rice, for serving

1. For marinade, combine juice of one orange and one lime with diced red onion, garlic, cumin, red pepper, and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add chicken and let marinate at least 1 hour or overnight.
2. Heat remaining olive oil on grill pan or other pan over medium heat.
3. Add chicken, onion, and pepper. Cook until chicken is browned on one side, 5 to 10 minutes. Flip chicken.
4. Continue cooking chicken until cooked all the way through and both sides are browned.
5. Remove chicken from heat and cut up.
6. Top rice with sliced chicken, peppers, and onions.

Mini Peppers Stuffed with Herbed Goat Cheese

I was first introduced to stuffed mini peppers at my godmother's wedding. They make an elegant appetizer. Be warned--these are a bit tedious and time consuming to assemble. I think they are definitely worth it.

Mini Peppers Stuffed with Herbed Goat Cheese
Makes 10

10 mini peppers, assorted colors
5 ounce goat cheese log
Fresh herbs such as basil, parsley, chives, thyme, or sage
Cracked black pepper

1. Let goat cheese sit out about 10 minutes to soften. Mix with herbs and pepper.
2. Cut top of peppers almost all the way through, leaving top slightly attached.
3. Carefully remove seeds from inside the peppers.
4. Stuff each pepper with 1/10 of the goat cheese mixture.
5. Press top back on pepper.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Green Pepper and Onion Chicago-Style Deep Dish Pizza

Deep dish pizza is one of my favorite foods. With the numerous delivery places in Chicago, I don't usually think to make it myself. If you don't live near Chicago, however, I've heard it's very difficult to find authentic deep dish pizza. This is for all my Chicago readers in exile.

 

Green Pepper and Onion Chicago-Style Deep Dish Pizza
Serves 6 (In theory at least)

2 teaspoons active dry yeast
3 teaspoons sugar, divided
1 and 1/4 cup lukewarm water
2 and 1/2 cups bread flour
1/2 cup corn meal, divided
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
4 ounces mozarella cheese, shredded
2 ounces Parmesan cheese, shredded

1 large green pepper, coarsely diced

 1/4 of an onion, coarsely diced
1 can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon red pepper
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1. Mix yeast, 2 teaspoons sugar, and water in a bowl. Let stand 10 minutes, until yeast is bubbly.
2. In a food processor using a dough blade, mix yeast mixture, flour, 1/4 cup corn meal, olive oil, and 1 teaspoon salt.
3. Cover with a towel and let stand 30 minutes in a warm place.
4. Remove towel and punch down dough. Return cover and let stand another 20 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, place tomatoes, oregano, basil, remaining teaspoon sugar, garlic powder, red pepper, and black pepper in a small sauce pan. Simmer over medium heat about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. While sauce cooks, combine pepper, onion, mozzarella, and Parmesan.
7. When dough has risen for 2nd time, roll out or toss. Spread dough in a cake pan. Make sure dough is evenly distributed up the sides of the pan.
8. Add vegetable and cheese mixture and press down into pan.
9. Top with tomatoes.
10. Cook at 400 degrees for 35 to 45 minutes.

**A few notes: This recipe is less cheesy and more veggie heavy than your average delivery pizza. Adjust the cheese to vegetable ratio to your preference. Also, sausage would go great in this recipe, if you'd like.

Avocado and Roasted Red Pepper Scrambled Eggs

Here's an easy way to dress up Sunday morning scrambled eggs. I've never found breakfast burritos very appealing, but I suppose this would also go well in a tortilla with some salsa.

Avocado and Roasted Red Pepper Scrambled Eggs
Serves 2

4 eggs
1 avocado
1 roasted red pepper half
1 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 tablespoon butter
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Whisk together eggs, cheese, salt and pepper. Melt butter in a pan over medium heat and add eggs, stirring occasionally.
2. Meanwhile, dice red pepper and cut avocado into large chunks.
         **My favorite method to dice an avocado is to cut it in half, pop out the pit, and score the avocado in a cross hatch pattern while still in its skin.
3. When eggs look nearly cooked, add roasted red pepper and cook one minute longer.
4. Turn off heat, stir in avocado, and serve.

Mixed Greens with Herb Vinaigrette

Summer is here and with it an abundance of cheap fresh herbs. We grow what we can at home (currently we have thriving chives and rosemary) and purchase the rest. If you have plenty of basil, toss some into the mixed greens for an extra burst of flavor.

Mixed Greens with Herb Vinaigrette

Serves 4 - 6

Mixed salad greens

1/4 of a red onion, sliced

1 large tomato, diced

4 ounces of fresh mozzarella pearls, cut in half

1 red or yellow pepper, sliced

About 10 Kalamata olives, cut in half

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon grainy mustard

Fresh herbs such as basil, parsley, and chives

1. Finely chop herbs.
2. Whisk herbs with olive oil, vinegar, and grainy mustard.
3. Toss all other ingredients with herb vinaigrette.

Easy Vegetable Kabobs

These vegetable kabobs are easy to prepare in a few minutes. I served this with beer brats for a simple grilled dinner. I love how easy it is to prepare multiple foods on a grill, depending on preference. These vegetables could easily pair with a veggie dog or a turkey brat instead.

Easy Vegetable Kabobs
Serves 4

1 zucchini
1 yellow squash
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
1 onion, red or white
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon olive oil
Cracked black pepper to taste

1. Cut vegetables into large chunks.
2. Thread zucchini and yellow squash on 2 skewers. Thread peppers and onions on other 2 skewers.

• Note: Separating out the vegetables by type helps them cook evenly. If using wooden skewers, be sure to soak the skewers for 30 minutes before using. This prevents them from catching fire on the grill. 

3. Combine soy sauce, honey, ginger, olive oil, and pepper. Pour over skewers.
4. Heat grill over high heat. Place skewers on grates. Turn skewers occasionally with tongs until vegetables are blackened around the edges. Serve with brats, if desired.

Barbeque Chipotle Chicken Pizza

Since I don't like my food really spicy, a can of chipotle chili peppers lasts me a while. That's why I've been posting chipotle recipes all week! Chipotle's have a smoky spicy flavor that enhances many dishes. Here I added chipotles to barbeque chicken pizza and used pepper jack cheese for an extra kick.

Basic Pizza Dough

1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
2 teaspoons white sugar
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup corn meal


1. Mix yeast, water, and sugar together. Let stand about 10 minutes, until mixture has bubbles.
2. In a food processor fitted with a dough hook, mix yeast mixture with all other ingredients until just combined.
3. Put dough in a bowl, cover with a towel, and let rise until dough doubles in size, about 30 minutes.
4. Sprinkle corn meal on surface. Roll out dough until desired shape.

Barbeque Chipotle Chicken Pizza
Serves 4

Basic pizza dough
1 cup shredded cooked chicken (I used a store bought roasted chicken)
Chipotles in adobo
1/2 cup barbeque sauce
1/2 of a red pepper, diced
1/2 of a yellow pepper, diced

1/2 of a red onion, diced
1 cup pepper jack cheese, shredded

1. Mince two chipotle peppers. Add one to the barbeque sauce, along with two tablespoons adobo. Set other chipotle aside.
2. Top rolled out dough with chipotle barbeque sauce. Sprinkle cheese on top.
3. Top pizza with chicken, peppers, onions, and reserved minced chipotle.
4. Cook at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.

Chipotle Chicken Fajita Burrito

This recipe was inspired by Chipotle's Chicken Fajita Burrito, but it ended up tasting nothing like it. As far as I can tell, nothing on Chipotle's menu actually has chipotles. This recipe is a much healthier burrito using real chipotles for flavor. For the chicken, I bought a whole roasted chicken and shredded the breast meat.

Chipotle Chicken Fajita Burrito
Serves 2

2 burrito size flour tortillas
1 cup shredded cooked chicken breast, warmed
1 corn on the cob
1 avocado
1 small tomato
1/2 of a red pepper
1/2 of a yellow pepper
1/4 of a red onion
Canned chipotles in adobo sauce
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1 lime
Head lettuce
Salt

1. Cut peppers and red onion into fajita-style strips.
2. Dice 1 chipotle pepper, or more if you like spicier burritos.
3. Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil over medium heat. Add peppers, onions, and chipotle.

4. Meanwhile, cut corn off cob. Add another diced chipotle pepper and one tablespoon adobo sauce. Add juice of half of the lime.
5. Mash avocado. Dice tomato and add to avocado. Season with salt and other half of lime.
6. Dice some head lettuce.
7. Heat tortilla on a dry skillet or over an open flame.
8. To tortilla, add half of chicken, corn mixture, avocado mixture, fajita peppers and onions, cheese, and lettuce.
9. Fold over ends of tortilla and roll into a burrito.
10. Repeat with other tortilla.
11. Serve with watermelon, if desired.

Grilled Honey-Chipotle Wings and Vegetables

Trying to cook for meat eaters and vegetarians at the same time? Using a grill lets you take care of the meat on one side and the vegetables on the other. Wings cook up quickly, so watch these carefully as you grill.

 

Grilled Honey Chipotle Wings
Serves 4

8 chicken wings
1 chipotle in adobo, diced
2 tablespoons adobo sauce
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon oil
Salt and pepper
Cilantro

1. Using a sharp knife, cut wing at the elbow join. Next cut off wing tip.

• Note: Working with raw chicken wings isn't for those of us who hate handling meat. I ended up asking my husband to do this part!

2. Combine honey, chipotle, adobo, honey, and olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste.

• Note: If you are looking for spicier wings, dice up more chipotles. My recipe has medium heat.

3. Mix chicken wings in honey-chipotle sauce.
4. Grill over medium heat, about 5 minutes on each side. Reserve remaining honey-chipotle sauce.
5. Boil remaining sauce about 2 minutes.

• Note: Since the sauce previously contained raw chicken, boiling is necessary to kill any bacteria. 

6. Top chicken wings with remaining sauce and cilantro.



Grilled Honey Chipotle Vegetables
Serves 4

1 chipotle in adobo, diced
2 tablespoons adobo sauce
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon oil
1 yellow pepper
1 red pepper
1 large sweet potato
1 red onion
Salt and pepper
Cilantro

1. Cut vegetables into large pieces. Pieces need to be large so that won't fall between the grill grates.
2. Combine honey, chipotle, adobo, honey, and olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste.
4. Mix vegetables with honey-chipotle sauce.
5. Grill over medium heat, about 5-10 minutes on each side. Reserve remaining honey-chipotle sauce.
6. Top vegetables with honey-chipotle sauce and cilantro. Serve with chicken wings.

Three Cheese Grilled Vegetable Pizza

I'm a huge pizza fan and I'm always trying to come up with new pizza ideas. I used my grill pan to cook these vegetables before topping the pizza. Although not my personal favorite, eggplant or mushrooms would also work on here.

Basic Pizza Dough

1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
2 teaspoons white sugar
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup corn meal

1. Mix yeast, water, and sugar together. Let stand about 10 minutes, until mixture has bubbles.
2. In a food processor fitted with a dough hook, mix yeast mixture with all other ingredients until just combined.
3. Put dough in a bowl, cover with a towel, and let rise until dough doubles in size, about 30 minutes.
4. Sprinkle corn meal on surface. Roll out dough until desired shape.

Three Cheese Grilled Vegetable Pizza
Serves 4 to 6

Basic pizza dough
1 can diced tomatoes
1 zucchini
1 yellow squash
1 green pepper
1/4 of a red onion, diced
2 ounces provolone cheese, shredded
2 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 ounces Parmesean cheese, shredded
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat olive oil on grill pan over medium to high heat.
2. Meanwhile, slice zucchini and yellow squash in long pieces (see picture). Cut green pepper in large pieces.
3. Grill vegetables on grill pan about 5 minutes on each side.

4. Meanwhile, heat tomatoes in pan over medium heat. Add oregano, basil, sugar, salt, and pepper. Cook about 20 minutes, crushing tomatoes every so often with a spoon.
5. Remove vegetables from grill pan and dice.
6. Top pizza dough with tomato sauce, three cheeses, and vegetables.
7. Cook at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.

Enchiladas "Christmas"

I spent some time in Santa Fe last year and when I returned I was inspired to try my hand at a classic Santa Fe recipe--Enchiladas Christmas. I had a few good friends over for dinner and actually had the enchiladas in the oven when my husband cut his hand badly on the food processor blade. We ended up eating the enchiladas in the hospital waiting room.

Almost a year later, I was ready to attempt Enchiladas Christmas again. In Santa Fe, many dishes come with an option of a red chili sauce or a green chili sauce. If you want both, you say "Christmas." To make Enchiladas Christmas at home, you need to prepare two separate sauces, but fortunately both can be done in advance.

Chicken Enchiladas 
Serves 5

1 large chicken breast
2 tablespoons of olive oil, divided
Juice of one lime
1 teaspoon cumin
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese
10 flour tortillas
Salt to taste

1. Combine one tablespoon of olive oil, lime juice, cumin, and salt. Pour in a bowl and add chicken breast, turning to coat. Cover and marinate several hours.
2. Heat remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a grill pan over medium heat. Add chicken. Cook until chicken is just cooked through, about 10 minutes per side.
3. Meanwhile, shred cheddar cheese to large mixing bowl.
4. When chicken is cooked, remove from pan and let cool. Dice into small pieces.
5. Combine diced chicken with cheese.
6. Fill the center of each tortilla with 1/10 of the chicken and cheese mixture. Roll up tortilla and place seam side down in a baking dish. Place five rolled up tortillas in each pan.
7. Cook at 375 degrees for 15 minutes, or until tortillas are slightly browned and cheese is fully melted.
8. Top enchiladas with sauce. Reserve one pan for red sauce and one pan for green sauce.

Salsa Verde

3 tomatillos, husks removed
1 poblano pepper
1 jalapeno pepper
Juice of 1 lime
Salt to taste

1. Cook peppers and tomatillos at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Remove tomatillos and jalapeno. Continue broiling poblanos until skin is blackened. Let cool.
2. Peal skin off of poblanos. Cut into large pieces. Remove seeds from jalapenos and cut into large pieces. Remove stems from tomatillos.
3. Blend ingredients in a blender or food processor until liquefied.
4. Place in a small sauce pan. While enchiladas are in the oven, heat over low heat, stirring occasionally.
5. Pour over pan of enchiladas.

Salsa Roja 

Dried red chilies, such as Chili Arbol--the more chilies used, the hotter the sauce will be
6 ounces tomato sauce
1/2 cup grape tomatoes
1/2 cup water
Salt to taste

1. Roast chilies at 350 degrees about 10 minutes. Be careful not to burn.
2. Remove stems and some seeds from chilies. Crumble in a blender or food processor. The more seeds included, the hotter your sauce will be. Add other ingredients and blend until liquefied.
3. Place in a small sauce pan. While enchiladas are in the oven, heat over low heat, stirring occasionally.
4. Pour over pan of enchiladas.

Antipasto Salad with Sun-Dried Tomato Vinaigrette

Zucchini, yellow squash, and tomatoes are all now in season. This salad makes the most of these vegetables. I found the olives, roasted red pepper, and sun-dried tomatoes at the salad bar at the grocery store, so that I only needed to buy as much as I needed.

Antipasto Salad with Sun-Dried Tomato Vinaigrette
Serves 6

1 zucchini, sliced
1 yellow squash, sliced
3 tomatoes, cut into wedges
1 fresh mozzarella ball, diced
1/4 cup kalamata and green olives, sliced
1 roasted red pepper, diced
4 sun-dried tomatoes, finely diced
1 clove garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper

1. Combine zucchini, yellow squash, tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, olives, and red pepper.
2. Combine sun-dried tomatoes with garlic, olive oil, vinegar, red pepper, salt, and pepper.
3. Toss vegetables with sun-dried tomato vinaigrette.

Roasted Pepper and Tomatillo Roll Up

Roasted Tomatillos have a tangy flavor and goes well with poblano and jalapeno peppers. For a non-vegetarian version of this recipe, add roast beef from the deli. Feel free to substitute store bought pizza dough for the dough in this recipe. I served this with a Clementine and Avocado Salad.

Roasted Pepper and Tomatillo Roll Up
Serves 4-6

1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
2 teaspoons white sugar
2 cups bread flour
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup corn meal
2 poblano peppers
4 tomatillos, husks removed
1 jalapeno pepper
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1 egg

1. Mix yeast, water, and sugar together. Let stand about 10 minutes, until mixture has bubbles.
2. In a food processor fitted with a dough hook, mix yeast mixture with bread flour, salt, and olive oil until just combined.
3. Put dough in a bowl, cover with a towel, and let rise until dough doubles in size, about 30 minutes.
4. Meanwhile broil peppers and tomatillos on high heat for ten minutes. Remove tomatillos and jalapeno. Continue broiling poblanos until skin is blackened. Let cool.
5. Peal skin off of poblanos. Dice. Remove seeds from jalapenos and dice. Dice tomatillos. Mix vegetables in bowl.
6. Sprinkle working surface with corn meal. Roll out dough into long rectangle. Top with vegetable mixture and cheese, leaving 1 inch of space on each end of the dough.
7. Carefully roll up dough to form a long rectangle. Press edges of dough down to seal.
8. Beat egg and 1 tablespoon cold water. Brush egg wash on dough.
9. Bake at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes.
10. Remove from oven and slice.