Category: Main Dishes

Crispy Chickpea & Beet Farro Salad

Happy Weekend! I realized I forgot to put up the recipe for this delish salad that I made earlier this week… sorry to all of you who have been anxiously hitting refresh on my page every 30 seconds since Monday night.

Alas, here it is!

I should add that this recipe made about 43x more than I had expected… whoops. It’s a bad habit of mine. Feel free to cut the recipe in half or freeze a bunch for later. We will be eating this salad for weeks! In wraps, sandwiches, smoothies, cereal…

Crispy Chickpea & Beet Farro Salad
Crispy Chickpea & Beet Farro Salad

Served with this incredible fresh cedar plank salmon from my father-in-law’s business, Land & Sea. All I added was a little Rub with Love (<< leftover from our honeymoon to Seattle 4 years ago! that stuff is the BEST) and a squeeze of fresh lemon. It was raining so we had to cook these in the oven- just make sure to turn off your smoke alarm for a few mins during cooking as the cedar plank makes it a bit smoky!

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Crispy Chickpea & Beet Farro Salad
Recipe Type: Salad
Cuisine: Healthy, Vegetarian, Gluten-Free
Author: Claire McCormick of “Claire Tastes”
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 24
Crispy chickpeas, grated carrots and broccoli, and fresh, roasted beets give this salad its great combination of colors… farro and lentils add a welcome chewiness!
Ingredients
  • 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup sliced bella mushrooms
  • 6 beets
  • ½ red onion, sliced thinly
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp minced garlic
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp greek seasoning (optional)
  • 4-5 large carrots
  • 1 head each broccoli and cauliflower, separated into stalks and florets
  • 1 bunch fresh parsley (about ½ cup)
  • juice of ½ lemon
  • ½ cup cherry tomatoes)
  • 4 green onions, sliced thinly
  • 1 cup farro, cooked to package directions
  • ½ cup dry lentils
  • ⅓ cup golden raisins
  • Dressing:
  • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
  • ¼ cup red wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp dijon mustard
  • 2 tsp honey
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • ½ cup goat cheese (optional)
Instructions
  1. Cook farro and lentils according to package directions until al dente, about 12 minutes. Rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. Preheat oven to 400 deg.
  2. Cut off stalks and tails of beets and wrap lightly in foil.
  3. In a large bowl, combine chickpeas, mushrooms, onion, olive oil, garlic, garlic powder, and seasoning. Spread on a large sheet pan and cook at the same time as the beets, 40-60 mins until beets are fork tender. In the final 20 minutes of cooking, add broccoli and cauliflower florets to sheet pan and return to oven for 10 more minutes until tender. Remove from oven and cool.
  4. When beets are cool enough to handle, rub gently with paper towels to remove outer skins. Slice thinly.
  5. In a food processor using the slicing setting, grate carrots and broccoli stalks (not florets). Scrape into a large bowl. In the same processor using the multipurpose blade, add parsley, lemon juice, and tomatoes. Pulse until roughly chopped- about 2-3 pulses.
  6. Sitr parsley mixture into the shredded carrots and broccoli. Add beets, roasted vegetables, raisins and green onions.
  7. In food processor, combine dressing ingredients: both vinegars, mustard, honey, salt and pepper. Process on low, drizzling in 1 tbsp additional olive oil.
  8. While still warm, add the farro/lentils to the salad. Top with goat cheese and toss to combine.

I love all the colors in this salad! I think using fresh beets makes it a done deal, as their juice adds a little extra color throughout the salad when you toss it up. Lovely!

I love how the goat cheese gets all melty if you add it when the beets and grains are still a little warm… the creaminess is perfect!

Crispy Chickpea & Beet Farro Salad
Crispy Chickpea & Beet Farro Salad

Have a great weekend!

ClaireLeave a comment

Peachy Green Summer Salad Stew

Confession: I did not mean for this to be a stew.

Peachy Green Summer Salad Stew
Peachy Green Summer Salad Stew

Hello! How was your weekend? I’m here to share with you an almost “Claire-Fails” worthy recipe. Except that my almost “fail” turned into a gigantic WIN!

It all started when I got a new blender a few weeks ago. Ever since I got my Oster Versa, I have been blending everything in sight. Daily green smoothies, PB&B milkshakes, and lately, salad dressing!

Occasionally I make stuffed mushrooms using this filling, which requires pulsing a few times in the food processor to chop up the veggies and herbs before stuffing the mushrooms. Usually I add chickpeas just at the end to chop them up a bit and make them go a little further in the mixture. Same thing with a blender, right?

Not so much.

What I imagined to be a nice chunky dressing with some chopped-up tomatoes and chickpeas became, well, soup. Maybe it was because the mouth of the blender is smaller and doesn’t incorporate as well during the pulsing? Either way, I ended up with a less-than-appetizing looking salad.

That’s when you call it what it is! Salad stew! Once I decided that this was going to be more like a thick green gazpacho, it became much more appealing. I decided to add a few peaches for extra sweetness, and green peas for more texture.

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Peachy Green Summer Salad Stew
Recipe Type: Salad
Cuisine: Vegetarian, Healthy, Summer
Author: Claire McCormick of “Claire Tastes”
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 8
Call it salad, call it stew, call it what you want…
Ingredients
  • 1 cup lentils
  • 1/2 cup quinoa
  • 1 + 2 tbsp EVOO (divided)
  • 1 tbsp minced garlic
  • 1 cup sliced mushrooms
  • 1/2 red onion, minced (divided)
  • 1 bunch fresh Italian parsley, rinsed
  • 1 tbsp tahini
  • juice of one lemon
  • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp each salt and pepper
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp whole grain dijon mustard
  • 1 cup chopped tomatoes
  • 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup peas
  • 2 small peaches, diced
  • goat cheese (optional)
  • zucchini shreds (optional)
Instructions
  1. Add 4 cups salted water to lentils and quinoa in a large saucepan. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 13 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water immediately.
  2. In a large skillet, heat 1 tbsp olive oil on medium-high heat. Add garlic, 1/4 cup red onion, and mushrooms. Cook until fork tender and remove from heat.
  3. In a blender or food processor, make the dressing by combining parsley through mustard, plus 2 tbsp of olive oil and remaining onion. Pulse on high until smooth, about 1 minute. Pour about half of mixture into mason jar or airtight container (can be frozen or stored in refrigerator for 3-4 weeks).
  4. Add the chickpeas and tomatoes to blender with remaining dressing. Pulse 3-4 times until chopped roughly (I like mine chunky so I made sure not to overpulse).
  5. Combine lentils, quinoa, mushroom mixture, and contents of blender to a large bowl or serving dish. Stir in peas and peaches. Add more salt and pepper to taste.
  6. Serve over spinach or grated zucchini with goat cheese and a little drizzle of olive oil over the top! This stew is also great with crusty bread!

Healthy, fiber-licious and lots of protein in this one. I served it over greens and zucchini noodles, with a little baked tofu for extra protein. You could eat it as a main dish like me or as a side- but you might be surprised at just how filling it is!

Happy America Week!
Happy America Week!

ClaireLeave a comment

Fiesta Monday

Life is one big fiesta… why not eat like it?

Fiesta Salad
Fiesta Salad

Hello! How was your weekend? Ours was HOT and BUSY! Ben and I were teaching at a weekend seminar for our church’s Preparing for Marriage ministry. We met so many cool couples and had lots to talk about! In other news, I just wanted to say that my thoughts are with the victims and families of the shooting in Orlando… what a terribly hideous side of human nature. Praying that the Lord redeems every ounce of evil in this tragedy and uses it to bring this country closer to Himself.

Today I was craving Mexican.

I don’t know why, because I’ve had Mexican literally the last three days in a row. And all.the.chips. But who doesn’t love a good healthy Mexican salad?

Always down for that.

This fiesta bowl is a perfect meatless meal for Monday. I used a blend of quinoa, farro, and lentils cooked al dente and tossed with zucchini, bell pepper, red onion, and lots of canned things. Plus some fresh lemon and Mexican spices and cilantro. (I swear if any of you ever use that taco seasoning that comes in a packet I will hunt you down.)

You could serve this on its own (I like mine topped with a poached egg or some tofu, over spinach), or as a side dish with a non-vegetarian protein. Ben had it with a few slices of turkey meatloaf pizza I made earlier.

Enjoy!

Fiesta Salad
Recipe Type: Salad
Cuisine: Healthy, Vegetarian
Author: Claire McCormick of “Claire Tastes”
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 12-15
Life is one big fiesta! Why not eat like it?
Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup each quinoa, farro, and lentils
  • 3 1/2 cups water
  • 2 zucchini, diced
  • 1/2 red onion, diced
  • 1 red pepper, diced
  • 1 can each pinto and black beans, rinsed/drained
  • 1 can corn, rinsed
  • 2 cans diced tomatoes with green chilies
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • 1 tsp each cumin, coriander, garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp each chili powder and paprika
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • juice of one lemon
  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped roughly
Instructions
  1. In a large saucepan, combine grains and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Drain.
  2. In a large bowl, combine remaining vegetables and spices.
  3. Drizzle in lemon juice and vinegar.
  4. Add the quinoa, farro, and lentil blend and toss to combine.
  5. Top with cilantro and additional salt and pepper to taste!
  6. Serve over greens or crusty bread, with protein of your choice!

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Happy fiesta week!

ClaireLeave a comment

Three-Cheese Turkey Pizza Roll

Disclaimer: There is nothing healthy, wholesome, or vegetarian about these pizza rolls. They are the epitome of quick, easy, and processed, and they’re probably filled with more saturated fat than is recommended for your entire day.

But boyyyy are they delicious! And they’re not completely unwholesome, since I used greek yogurt cream cheese for the filling, which has 1/3 less fat and calories than the regular version. And there’s some spinach in there too. Because green things poking out of the nuances of crusty bread makes one think that it’s healthier. Or moldy. Either way you get more probiotics probably.

Three-Cheese Turkey Pizza Rolls
Three-Cheese Turkey Pizza Rolls

These can be rolled up and sliced into four or five pieces for a calzone-like entree, or you can slice them much more thinly to be served as appetizers.

I streamlined the process by using a pre-made pizza dough sheet (already rolled out on a big rectangle of parchment paper) which I then topped with my ingredients (cream cheese spread mixed with Ranch seasoning mix- which Ben lovingly refers to as “drugs”- and two types of shredded cheese, turkey, and spinach). Stick it in the oven for 15 or so minutes, then cool and slice.

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One of the best parts about these is that you can choose whichever ingredients or toppings you want to add to customize them. They’d be great with the traditional “pizza” ingredients like tomato sauce, black olives, and pepperoni, or a Greek version with kalamata olives and chickpeas. Have fun with these!

Three-Cheese Turkey Pizza Roll
Recipe Type: Entree, Appetizer
Cuisine: Easy
Author: Claire McCormick of “Claire Tastes”
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4-8
Serve as appetizers or slice a bigger piece for a handheld calzone-like entree! Have fun customizing these with whatever floats your boat!
Ingredients
  • 1 prepared pizza crust (I used one that was already rolled out on a big rectangular parchment paper)
  • 1/2 cup greek yogurt cream cheese spread
  • 1 packet ranch salad dressing or seasoning mix
  • 5-6 slices turkey (or other thin-sliced meat)
  • 1/4 cup each mozzarella and cheddar cheese
  • handful of spinach
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 425.
  2. Mix together greek yogurt cream cheese and ranch mix.
  3. Unroll pizza dough and spread the cream cheese mixture over entire surface in a thin layer.
  4. Top with turkey, cheese, and spinach.
  5. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper if you want.
  6. Tightly roll the dough from one of the long ends, until you get to the other side. Seal edges by pinching between fingers.
  7. Transfer to baking sheet, seam side down, and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
  8. Cool before slicing.

 

ClaireLeave a comment

Farro Caprese Salad w/ Lemon Pesto Vinaigrette

Happy Memorial Day!

For me, Memorial Day always brings back memories of the town pool opening, our first al fresco dinner on the back deck, and licking melty fudgscicles that Dad would hand out the window as we played “Ice Cream Man.” For some reason those popsicles tasted so much better when you envisioned them being handed to you from an ice cream truck. Maybe I can get Ben to play “Ice Cream Man” with me this year.

Today it was actually a dreary, humid day here in Durham. Definitely NOT what one would hope for on a Memorial Day holiday. That’s ok- for all of you who follow me on Instagram, you know that I got my tanning time in on Saturday, when I lounged for a few hours by the pool, sipping on sun tea and catching up on Real Simple (I think I was still on April). Glorious!

Rainy weather or not, Memorial Day deserves a summery spread, so here we go! I’ve been dying to lighten up a caprese pasta salad recipe for some time now, so I decided to sub farro for pasta in order to pack a healthier and heartier punch. Farro is a very dense grain, much more al dente than quinoa or couscous, which makes it a perfect alternative to pasta. Cooked to al dente, farro also holds up well when tossed with any vinaigrette (quinoa tends to suck up all the extra liquid and get mealy, in my experience).

If you’re interested in learning more about the health benefits of farro, or the nutritional breakdown of farro vs. quinoa, be sure to check out the following links:

Huffington Post: What is Farro?

Farro Nutrition Breakdown

Quinoa Nutrition Breakdown

Farro Caprese Salad w/ Lemon Pesto Vinaigrette
Farro Caprese Salad w/ Lemon Pesto Vinaigrette

I also made my own pesto because I can never bring myself to pay $8+ for a tiny can of prepared pesto that is really half olive oil. This way I can control how much oil I want to add, and experiment with a few new flavors (like lemon!). I also made this batch with roasted, salted almonds because pine nuts are way too expensive.

Homemade Lemon Pesto
Homemade Lemon Pesto

I used some of the homemade pesto in the lemon pesto vinaigrette for the salad, and saved the rest in a mason jar for future dinners. It should last about three weeks in the fridge (or for three years in the freezer, if your brain works like mine does and you know that the freezer really stops time).

When the slightly sweet, tangy pesto vinaigrette is drizzled over farro mixed with fresh tomatoes, mozzarella and roasted corn, this salad cannot be beat- rainy Memorial Day or not!

Farro Caprese Salad w/ Lemon Pesto Vinaigrette
Recipe Type: Salad
Cuisine: Summer, Healthy, Vegetarian
Author: Claire McCormick of “Claire Tastes”
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 12
Happy Memorial Day! This farro salad is chewy and hearty, drizzled with homemade lemon pesto dressing that will not disappoint!
Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup homemade lemon pesto (see recipe below)
  • 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tsp honey
  • 2 tbsp reserved farro liquid
  • 2 cups farro, uncooked (5 cups water)
  • 1/2 red onion, minced
  • 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
  • 3/4 cup fresh or frozen corn
  • 12 oz. container of mozzarella balls, halved (I used bocconcini)
  • 1/4 cup basil chiffonade (leaves cut into long strips)
  • Homemade Lemon Pesto:
  • 2 tbsp minced garlic
  • 1/2 cup roasted salted almonds (if unsalted, add 1 tsp salt)
  • 3 cups packed fresh basil leaves
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup parmesan-romano cheese
Instructions
  1. Prepare farro according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water, reserving a bit of the starchy cooking liquid for later.
  2. Prepare pesto: In food processor, add the garlic and almonds, and pulse until smooth. Add the basil and lemon juice and continue to process on high, scraping down sides occasionally.
  3. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, then turn speed down to low and add the pepper and cheese. Pulse a few more times until blended.
  4. Store in a mason jar for up to 3 weeks in the fridge.
  5. Prepare the pesto vinaigrette: add 1/2 cup homemade pesto, balsamic vinegar, honey, and reserved farro liquid in a jar and shake vigorously.
  6. Combine remaining ingredients in a large bowl and toss with the vinaigrette. Serve with additional salt and pepper to taste.
Prepare the lemon pesto in food processor.
Prepare the lemon pesto in food processor.
Fresh bocconcini!
Fresh mozzarella balls!
Supper al fresco, anyone?
Supper al fresco, anyone?

Happy Memorial Day, and Happy Summer to all!

ClaireLeave a comment

Mediterranean Veggie Wraps

Mediterranean Veggie Wraps
Mediterranean Veggie Wraps

Happy Monday! Did y’all have a good weekend? Ben and I were pretty busy this weekend, driving up to Pittsburgh on Friday to celebrate his parents’ 30th wedding anniversary/Mother’s Day with all his siblings (minus one who is abroad!). It was a great weekend full of outdoor activities, food, and quality time. It’s fun to all be old enough now to actually get to have conversations about things like religion and politics. Well, maybe “fun” isn’t quite the right word… but it was precious time with everyone nonetheless!

We got back and our fridge was literally EMPTY. That’s ok, I have Mondays off! Today was spent restocking our pantry with lots of canned goods, fresh produce, and the ingredients for these Mediterranean Veggie Wraps. I originally got the idea for these from a Cooking Light recipe for Zucchini and Bean Burritos that you can easily make ahead and freeze. I thought these would be the perfect thing to make once and have a lot of leftovers to reheat later.

Instead of going the Mexican route, I adapted the recipe for a Mediterranean version (because, why not?) but followed the same steps: 1. Make the bean spread; 2. Make filling; 3. Fill tortillas and bake. The best part is that even after filling the wraps, I still had a lot of filling left that would make a great salad on its own. 1 recipe = 2 meals FTW!

I served Ben 2 of these, myself 1, with greek yogurt, avocado, and a side of green beans. Another delicious Meatless Monday recipe in the books! Hope you enjoy as much as we did!

Special thanks to Cooking Light Magazine for the inspiration for this post!

Cook veggies in skillet.
Cook veggies in skillet.
Cook until tender.
Cook until tender.
Cook carrots and mushrooms.
Cook carrots and mushrooms.
Pretty red peppers!
Pretty red peppers!
It would be easy to eat the filling right out of the bowl!
It would be easy to eat the filling right out of the bowl!
Fill tortillas as directed.
Fill tortillas as directed.
Place on hot baking sheet with green beans.
Place on hot baking sheet with green beans.
All nestled up!
All nestled up!
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
Mediterranean Veggie Wraps
Recipe Type: Main
Cuisine: Mediterranean, Vegetarian
Author: Claire McCormick of “Claire Tastes”
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 10
Perfect for Meatless Monday, this delicious Mediterranean take on a Cooking Light Burrito recipe can be made ahead and frozen for later!
Ingredients
  • Bean Spread:
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 can cannellini beans, rinsed/drained
  • 2 tbsp tahini
  • 3 sprigs fresh oregano
  • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice (reserve rest of juice from lemon)
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup crumbled feta
  • ~1 tbsp water
  • Filling:
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 red onion, diced
  • 1 tbsp minced garlic
  • pinch of red pepper flakes
  • 3 medium zucchini, diced
  • 1 cup mushrooms
  • 3 large carrots, peeled into long strips
  • 1 tomato, diced
  • 1 jar roasted red pepper, diced
  • 1/2 cup diced kalamata olives
  • remaining juice of lemon
  • 1 can cannellini beans, rinsed/drained
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 cup crumbled feta
  • coucous, uncooked
  • 10 whole grain tortillas
  • avocado and greek yogurt, for garnish (optional)
  • Green beans
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 450 deg. Place baking sheet in oven as it preheats.
  2. In a saucepan, heat 1 tbsp oil on medium-high heat. Add remaining ingredients for bean spread and stir to combine.
  3. Cook for 3-4 minutes, using potato masher or fork to mash beans so that spread has a chunky consistency. Remove from heat and add additional water to thin out the mixture if necessary!
  4. For filling, add remaining oil, onion, garlic, and red pepper flakes to a large skillet and cook on medium for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add next 6 ingredients (zucchini through olives) and cook until vegetables are soft, about 2 more minutes. Remove entire mixture and combine in a large mixing bowl with lemon, beans, and salt and pepper.
  5. When ready to cook, spread about 3 tbsp filling on each tortilla, followed by 1 tbsp couscous, 1/2 cup vegetable filling, and 1 tsp feta.
  6. Fold edges in and roll each tortilla, placing seam side down on hot baking sheet sprayed lightly with cooking spray.
  7. Fill in space on baking sheet with green beans drizzled with olive oil, salt and pepper.
  8. Bake at 450 deg for 10-12 minutes until lightly golden-brown and beans are tender but not mushy.
  9. Serve with greek yogurt, avocado, and green beans.
  10. (To freeze leftovers, wrap cooled wraps in plastic wrap and seal in a freezer-safe bag. To reheat, simply wrap in a few paper towels and microwave 4 minutes on high, turning halfway.)

 

ClaireLeave a comment