Ingredient Spotlight: Basil & Pasta

Thanks for all your great recipes last week with the summer squash/zucchini Ingredient Spotlight!  So many yummy recipes. 

This week, we have a double feature: Basil & Pasta!  Here are some of our favorites:

Chicken & Spinach Pasta – Such an easy, go-to dinner because the ingredients are always on hand at our house. 

Spinach & Mushroom Manicotti  - A recipe we got for our wedding shower from some good family friends; great for date-night at home. 

Mushroom & Mozzarella Pasta – A creamy, yummy dinner!

Baked Ziti with Summer Vegetables – Superb way to use up summer veggies. 

Mixed Roasted Vegetables & Pasta – Frog Prince’s favorite dinner!

Ham Primavera – A meal from my growing up years, one I love. 

Easy Caprese Salad – A newer salad, perfect for a BBQ.

What are your favorite basil and pasta recipes?  Also, be sure to chip in your votes for upcoming months of Ingredient Spotlight – either here in the comments, or over on Facebook. 

An InLinkz Link-up

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Grilled Steamed Mediterranean Vegetables

These have to be some of the easiest veggies to make during the summer!  Toss your favorite veggies into tinfoil and grill. 

No, seriously, it is that easy. 

Grilled Steamed Mediterranean Vegetables – Adapted from a newspaper clipping

Ingredients

• 4 C fresh or frozen broccoli, cauliflower and carrot mix
• dash or two of oregano
• olive oil
• salt and pepper
• splash of balsamic vinegar
• Ice cube (if fresh veggies are used)

Directions

Lightly grease the tinfoil.  Then, place 4 C frozen veggies into the center of the tinfoil.  If you use fresh veggies, than add 2 ice cubes to the veggies. 

Sprinkle with oregano, salt and pepper. 

Wrap up the veggies in the tinfoil. 

Place on the grill over medium heat for 5-7 minutes, then turn the package.  Continue grilling for 5-7 more minutes, or until tender. 

Open the tinfoil package and splash with balsamic vinegar. 

Serve warm. 

Enjoy!

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Oat Cakes with Caramelized Banana & Blueberries

These oat cakes are like baked oatmeal but made on the griddle.

The recipe comes from a colleague of mine, and they are so easy to make and downright delicious. 

Oat Cakes  - from Joy

Ingredients

• 3/4 C Old Fashioned Oats
• 2 T milk
• 1/4 C applesauce
• 1 egg
• 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• pinch of salt
• dash of cinnamon

Caramelized Bananas

• 1 medium banana
• 2 tsp. maple syrup

Directions

In a large bowl, combine the 3/4 C oats, 1/4 tsp. baking powder, pinch of salt and dash of cinnamon with 2 T milk, 1/4 C unsweetened applesauce and 1 egg.  Mix well. 

Allow the mixture to stand for 10-15 minutes for the oats to soften. 

Meanwhile, slice the banana and place into a lightly buttered skillet. 

Cook over medium heat along with 2 tsp. maple syrup for 3-5 minutes, then carefully flip.  Cook on the other side for an additional 2-3 minutes.  Then, turn the burner off and leave the bananas in the pan on the stove. 

When the oat mixture is ready, place 1/4 C of the mixture (I used a cookie scoop) onto a griddle pre-heated to about 350 degrees.  Flatten out the mixture a little bit with your ladle. 

Cook about 5 minutes and then flip, continuing to cook for 3-4 minutes until the cakes are golden brown. 

Serve topped with caramelized banana and blueberries. 

Enjoy!

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Menu Plan–July 28 {& an anniversary}

Today marks the 6th year since the day I will never forget. 

On July 28, 2007, I became a Mrs. 

Married to my best friend, the one who God has blessed me tremendously with and who daily shows me what it means to love his bride the way Christ loves the church.

I am amazed that my heart loves Frog Prince more today than it did on our wedding day because at that time I didn’t think it was possible.

But, 6 years of marriage brings more opportunities for love to grow. 

More opportunities to share each other’s tears, laughs, prayers and hopes.

More opportunities to love each other through the challenges, to anticipate the joy of things ahead and to seek God’s wisdom rather than our own ways. 

But, one thing is for sure, this man of God is my other half, and there is no one I’d want to do life with but him. 

To celebrate, Frog Prince made me breakfast before church, had lunch with some people from church and then went for a walk at a local park. 

The weather was stunning and we had a wonderful time walking and talking about where we were last year, where we are today, and what we believe God is calling us towards in the new year. 

For dinner, we celebrate by re-creating our wedding dinner!  We have it just once a year, and it’s always a treat.

Homemade pasta, alfredo with chicken, bread sticks and delicious vanilla cake filled with lemon curd and frosted with vanilla whipped cream.  Yum. 

Our week looks to be pretty quiet, and our menu filled with summer produce:

Sunday
Frog Prince’s Breakfast Scramble Melt + Ham
Anniversary Dinner #6 (re-creating our wedding dinner)

To do: Nothing!

Monday
Lemon Blueberry Scones
Smokehouse Maple Fajitas with Zucchini Sauté

To do: Thaw chicken; Costco grocery run

Tuesday
Leftovers
Savory Veggie Tartlets with Grilled Sweet Corn

To do: Nothing

Wednesday
Ham, Mushroom & Bell Pepper Omelets
Leftovers

To do: Thaw pork chops

Thursday
Whole Wheat Buttermilk Waffles
Italian Pork Chops, Crockpot Baked Potatoes. Broccoli

To do: Thaw meat for brats or burgers

Friday
Leftover Whole Wheat Buttermilk Waffles with Blueberry Rhubarb Jam
Grilling – Brats or Burgers, Whole Wheat Buns, Grilled Fries, Grilled Veggies

To do: Decided on Saturday’s dinner!

Saturday
Blueberries & Crème Baked Oatmeal
TBD 

In case you missed it, last week we cooked up:

Chicken Pesto Sandwiches – These are amazing, and certainly a great summer sandwich!

Creamy Spinach Pesto – The recipe for our favorite pesto!

Simple Roasted Tomatoes – If you haven’t tried these, you are missing out!  I pop these gems like candy.  So delicious.  So easy. 

Ingredient Spotlight – Zucchini & Summer Squash – Looking for ways to use up zucchini?  Come see the great recipes linked up, including Farmer’s Market Soup, Savory Zucchini Bread (made with yeast!)  & Zucchini Shoes. 

Most Viewed: Zucchini Pizza Casserole (pictured above)
Most Shared: Creamy Spinach Pesto
Most Pinned: Cinnamon Zucchini Cake
Most Liked: Ingredient Spotlight: Zucchini & Summer Squash

Find more great menus at OrgJunkie’s Menu Plan Monday!

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Friday Favorite Finds #169

Does anyone else feel like summer is flying by?  All this back-to-school stuff.  And, Pinterest.  Have you seen it lately?  Filled with apples, pumpkins, Halloween…. People.  It is still July. 

That said – my finds this week relate to plentiful summer produce: Zucchini. 

{Note: All images are from the original blogger; please pin the source!}

Grilled Veggie Quesadillas – Tanya at Lemons for Lulu made these yummy quesadillas stuffed with zucchini, summer squash and mushrooms.  My kind of summer lunch!

Nanny’s Zucchini Pie – A delicious dinner idea from Sunflower Supper Club.  I love old-fashioned recipes like this!

Sauteed Julienned Summer Vegetables – Um… yes please!  What a great use of summer squash, zucchini and carrots.  Thanks, Gina! 

Feel free to follow me on Pinterest to see more of my finds from this week!

If you were featured, feel free to grab the button below!

What did you find this week?

Please link up to a post containing your list of recipes to try -- do not link up individual recipes, or recipes that you’ve already made, your links will be deleted.   Be sure to leave a link back here to Finding Joy in My Kitchen.

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Chicken Pesto Sandwiches

I love being home for the summer, but lunches can become a challenge!  You want something that is summer-like, but you can only do cold cuts so many times.  So, why not change things up with this delightful sandwich. 

Whole wheat bread. Check.

Melted, gooey Mozzarella cheese.  Check.

Sweet and tangy roasted tomatoes. Check.

Creamy pesto wrapped around shredded chicken. Check. 

These sandwiches were a huge hit!  The perfect thing to get us out of our summer sandwich rut. 

Chicken Pesto Sandwiches – Adapted from Chung-Ah Rhee

Ingredients

• 1 (15oz) can cooked chicken, shredded
• 1/2 C creamy spinach pesto
• Whole Wheat Buns
• Mozzarella Cheese
• Roasted Tomatoes

Directions

Begin by mixing together the shredded chicken with 1/2 C of the pesto. Set aside. 

Next, slice open your roll/bun.  On one half, place some mozzarella cheese slices, to taste. 

Pop that bread into the oven, under the broiler and broil for about 5 minutes until cheese is melted and bread is slightly toasted. 

Top with 4-5 T of the chicken mixture and roasted tomatoes. 

Enjoy! 

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Simple Roasted Tomatoes

I cannot get over these. 

I am addicted to roasted tomatoes. 

Unbelievably tasty.

So easy to make.

The perfect treat for summer when the garden is overflowing with tomatoes!

I eat them plain as a snack, serve them with cheese, add them as topping to every dish I make (kidding, well, sort of), and try to convince my raw-tomato disliking husband of how incredible this fruit really is (I have yet to win that one!). 

Simple Roasted Tomatoes

Ingredients

• Cherry or Grape tomatoes
• Olive oil
• Optional: salt, pepper, dried basil

Directions

Wash and slice the tomatoes lengthwise or in half.  Arrange them on a cookie sheet that has been lightly sprayed with cooking spray.  If desired, sprinkle with salt, pepper and/or basil. 

Turn on your broiler and place the tomato-covered cookie sheet under the broiler for 5-7 minutes until tomatoes begin to seep some of their delicious caramelized goodness and puff up a bit. 

That’s it!  Just remove from the oven and consume. 

Store leftover tomatoes in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. 

Enjoy!t

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