West Coast Grilled Vegetable Pizza

AAAHHHH!!!! I'm so sorry it's been so long since I've posted anything, but that's what going on vacation will do to you. In honor of my West Coast vacation, I bring to you West Coast Grilled Vegetable Pizzas from everydayfood.com. This is another yummy vegetarian recipe that my carnivorous family now loves and asks for all the time. Instead of pizza dough, I just got scone dough from Dick's Market, and it tasted great! Oh, and I ended up getting a pound of dough per person, which made enough to have leftovers the next night. Enjoy!!

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced crosswise

2 scallions, white and green parts separated, thinly sliced

1 log (5 ounces) soft goat cheese, crumbled

Coarse salt and ground black pepper

1 bag (5 ounces) baby spinach

1 avocado, halved, pitted, peeled and diced

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1. Heat grill to medium. Brush a large rimless baking sheet (or an inverted rimmed sheet) with 1 tablespoon olive oil. On a lightly floured work surface, roll and stretch dough to two 8 inch ovals or rounds. Transfer to prepared sheet. Brush tops with 1 tablespoon oil.

2. Transfer dough to grill. Cook, without turning over, until undersides are firm and begin to char, 2 to 3 minutes. Using tongs and a large spatula, place crusts on baking sheet, grilled side up.

3. Scatter crusts with tomatoes, scallions whites and cheese; season with salt and pepper, and slide back onto grill. Cook, rotating occasionally, until cooked through and cheese begins to melt, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to cutting board.

4. In a medium bowl, combine spinach, avocado, scallion greens, vinegar and remaining oil; season with salt and pepper, and toss to combine. Pile mixtures onto pizzas; halve and serve.

Serves 4

Award-Winning Tuna Burgers

Take a break from beef patties and franks and try these not-for-the-boring, AWARD WINNING Tuna Burgers! Good tuna is a must (don't get chinsey) but the real secret is in all the toppings!

1 1/2 lbs tuna steak
1/4 cup diced green onion
2 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 cup of panko bread crumbs
2 tbsp black sesame seeds
salt & pepper to taste

1/2 cup of mayo (Kewpie Japanese mayo recommended)
1 tsp of prepared wasabi

1/4 head of cabbage
2 tbsps Sesame Dressing

Pickled ginger*
Spicy Chinese mustard

Mango chutney

4 brioche or ciabatta rolls

Sesame oil

*Pickled ginger can be substituted for fresh or ground ginger, just mix it in the ground tuna before forming patties.


1) Cut the steak(s) into chunks and pulse in the food processer until roughly ground. Add soy sauce, onions and salt & pepper. Form into 4 1 1/2 inch thick patties

2) Mix panko and sesame seeds in a shallow dish. Coat patties on both sides with panko mixture.

3) If grilling: Right before placing on the grill, coat patties with a bit of sesame oil.

If pan frying: Pour a 1/4 of sesame oil in a pan and place patties in, 1 or 2 at a time when oil is hot

For rare burgers, patties should need about 3 mins per side, 6 min per side for burgers cooked all the way through

4) Shed cabbage. Toss with sesame dressing. Set aside.

5) In a separate bowl, mix mayo and wasabi. Set aside.

6) Assemble burgers! Spread some of the wasabi mayo and/or hot mustard on one half of each roll, mango chutney on the other. Place a pattie on each roll and top with cabbage slaw and pickled ginger.

Black Bean Burgers with Cilantro-Lime Mayo

Summer is FINALLY here, and we all know that means: grilling and BBQ season. As a quasi-vegetarian (can't give up my seafood), finding something to eat can be somewhat of a challenge among all the hamburgers, hot dogs and steaks. My amazing friend Lindsay gave me the recipe for these black bean burgers, and I no longer feel awkward when invited to BBQs. These burgers are SO yummy, my (previously) strictly carnivorous family is addicted to them. The recipe calls for the patties to be cooked in an oiled skillet for a couple minutes, but when it's BBQ time, I like to cook them for only a minute or two, and then place them on the grill for a couple minutes more. Oh, and you can find the cotija cheese at Smith's. The taste is similar to feta cheese, but it crumbles easier.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs

2 T olive oil, divided

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons minced jalapeno pepper, membranes and seeds removed

1 tsp. ground cumin

1-15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 1/4 cups cooked brown rice

2 tsp. fresh lime juice

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Cilantro-Lime Mayo

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 tsp. fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Whole-wheat buns

1/2 cup cotija cheese

1 large tomato, sliced

12 slices avocado

Burgers:

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet set over medium heat. Add onion and saute until soft. Add garlic, jalapeno, and cumin. Saute for additional 2 minutes.

Scrape the mixture into a food processor or blender. Add black beans, brown rice, lime juice, salt and pepper. Pulse until the beans are chopped, but not pureed. Scrap the black bean mixture into a large bowl. Add half the breadcrumbs and chopped cilantro. Using a wooden spoon, stir the mixture until combined.

Divide the mixture into 4 equal portions and form into patties. If the mixture is too moist to form patties, add more breadcrumbs. Place the patties on a baking sheet lined with plastic wrap and cover with additional plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet (preferably not nonstick, so a good crust can form) set over medium heat. Add burgers and cook for 4 minutes per side.

Cilantro-Lime Mayo

In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, lime juice, cumin, cilantro, and pepper.

Lightly toast the whole wheat buns. Spread 2 tablespoons cilantro-lime mayo on each bun, and top each with a black bean patty, 2 T crumbled cotija, 1 slice tomato and 3 slices avocado. Enjoy!