Mediterranean Antipasto

This antipasto was an attempt to recreate some of our favorite dishes that typically are mainstays at your favorite Italian/Mediterranean restaurant, without the cheese and pasta.  As far as I'm concerned, it was a success––it didn't last long in the house.  We saved a small portion to share with family, and almost a week later, it was still crispy and crunchy, so I would definitely suggest this as a candidate for weekly meals or leftovers if you're planning ahead.  We had to do some shopping around to find clean proscuitto, but Applegate makes one we love, and we've been able to find their products pretty regularly at the local organic market, and even sometimes larger chain supermarkets.  The benefit of this is how simple to put together.  This took us maybe 15 minutes to make in total.

Ingredients

1 English cucumber

1/2 red bell pepper

1-2 slices red onion (depending on how much you like onion)

1 cup kalamata olives

3 slices proscuitto

1 oz anchovy (tinned in olive oil)

Method

Chop red onion, cucumber, red bell pepper, and olives into small chunks.  Slice proscuitto into thin 1/4" strips, and finely mince anchovy.

Mix together thoroughly, and enjoy!  The flavors will blend more as it sits, so preparation about an hour before mealtime is probably preferred.  There's no need for olive oil or salt or anything.  This is an easy home run to impress family and friends.

Also, please enter to win a copy of Diane Sanfilippo's Practical Paleo if you haven't already.  The giveaway ends ENDED September 28th, 2012!

Eggs with Saute of Baby Portobellos, Roasted Bell Pepper and Red Onion

This morning for breakfast, I threw together a few items found in our fridge and it turned out great! Sadly, I was in such a rush, I didn't take any photos during the process. To be honest, I wasn't thinking about posting this recipe at all! But, a request for details came in via Twitter, after I posted a picture of the final product; how could I deny their curiosity?

So, here it is...!

Eggs with Saute of Baby Portobellos, Roasted Bell Pepper and Red Onion

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons of olive oil, separated
• 4 eggs
• 1 roasted red bell pepper, sliced* 
• 2 slices, quartered, from one large red onion
• 6 baby portobello mushrooms, washed and sliced
• seasonings to taste: freshly cracked black pepper, sea salt, and fresh thyme

*I used a roasted red bell pepper from a jar (see below for a photo with the brand name); but you could certainly roast your own bell pepper, any color, prior to whipping this up. In fact, it would be best to roast your own because then you know exactly what's in it--simply a bell pepper. If you buy, like I did, just be mindful (as you probably already are) of the ingredients. It's amazing what companies sneak into what otherwise ought to be very simple jars of food!

Yield: 2 servings

Method:

1. With 1 teaspoon of the olive oil, sauté the onion pieces and mushroom slices for about 2 to 3 minutes over medium heat.
2. Toss in the sliced roasted red bell pepper and sprinkle with black pepper, sea salt and thyme.
3. Continue sautéing for 1 to 2 minutes, until bell pepper is heated through and the onion is just about translucent.
4. Plate, cover with tin foil to keep warm (optional), and set aside.
5. Next, cook the eggs. To make them over-hard: Pour the last teaspoon of olive oil into the same skillet in which you sautéed the veggies. Crack the eggs into the skillet. (Optional: sprinkle seasons over the eggs.) Turn down the heat to medium-low and cover the pan. Let it cook for about 2-3 minutes, flip the eggs, and let them cook another 1 to 2 minutes, or until yolk is firm.
6. Plate over your veggies and enjoy!

This jar is as free from sugars, additives and other nasties as we have found. Ingredients include Red Peppers, water, citric acid and salt. We buy it at Costco for a good price and once opened it'll last at least a month (we've pushed it to two before) in the fridge.

Ancho-Chipotle Over-Hard Eggs, Roasted Bell Pepper and Avocado

I've decided I'm my most creative with food when there's very little food in the house. Crazy or logical? Maybe it's a little bit of both?

The best part about working from home... Part 3!

This is the third and final post in a 3-part series. Last but not least, I took time one morning last week to make a quiche. My logic: make something tasty while using up the leftover veggies and ham we had just sitting in the fridge. 


Ham and Veggie Quiche

The best part about working from home... Part 2

This post is the second of a 3-post series in which I'm sharing three delicious breakfasts that resulted from having spare time  in the morning (when I worked from home over the past two weeks). The first post can be found here: Poached Egg and Smoked Salmon over Roasted Asparagus and Red Bell Pepper.

Ham and Spinach "Egg-izza"