Quick Tuesday Night Summer Veggie Stir Fry

Ok, so I promised to have this up by yesterday, but it never happened. My bad. I know all of you were waiting in absolute nail-biting anticipation of this quick and easy, throw-together stir fry recipe, so I apologize for your lack of sleep and constant refreshing of the webpage.

I am LOVING the abundance of fresh veggies this time of year. I didn’t make it to the Durham Farmers’ Market last Saturday, so I’ve had to do a bit of shopping at the (dare I say it out loud) grocery store to restock on some tomatoes and corn… luckily, our local Harris Teeter supports local farms and I was able to get most of my produce local (I think?). I also still had some leftover green beans, zucchini, and squash that I just chopped up and threw in the pan with the other veggies.

Plus my leftovers from Shiki Sushi from the other night. Ok, so this recipe had a lot of help. But isn’t that the beauty of throw-together, clean-out-the-fridge Tuesday suppers?

I always go stir-fry crazy (not to be confused with “stir-crazy”) and end up adding wayyyyy too many veggies to the pan. I also have this problem with pizza toppings. I think I have the mindset that the more you can throw in, the better. That’s how I get into trouble with crock-pot recipes that end up making enough servings to feed a small army, and pizza that sort of just, well- droops when you slice it because it’s so laden down with veggies.

But it all gets chopped up into a salad anyway, right? 🙂

Without further ado…

Quick Summer Veggie Stir-Fry
Quick Tuesday Night Summer Veggie Stir Fry
Recipe Type: Main, Side
Cuisine: Stir-Fry, Asian Fusion
Author: Claire McCormick of “Claire Tastes”
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 8
Shop your fridge with the latest of summer’s bounty vegetables! Perfect for using up leftovers and any other vegetables you have in the house. Experiment with the add-ins and spices!
Ingredients
  • 1 red pepper
  • 3 large carrots
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 tbsp minced garlic
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp each ground ginger, red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp curry powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 small zucchini
  • 1 small squash
  • fresh or frozen green beans, with ends trimmed
  • 1/2 cup frozen peas
  • frozen broccoli or stir fry mixture (I used a whole foods 365 blend that had frozen broccoli, peppers, onions, mushrooms, and green beans)
  • 2 tbsp dijon mustard
  • 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
  • 3 tbsp soy sauce
  • dash of hot sauce
  • drizzle of honey
  • 1 tbsp chopped fresh basil and a few sprigs fresh rosemary
  • chopped kale (roughly 2 cups)
Instructions
  1. In a large wok or saute pan, heat olive oil on medium heat. Add red pepper, carrots, onion, and garlic and cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Sprinkle in the ginger, oregano, curry powder, and garlic powder. Remove from pan and set aside.
  2. Chop zucchini and squash. Add to same pan with the frozen veggies. Cook on medium heat for 3-4 minutes until tender but not cooked fully.
  3. Whisk together mustard, red wine vinegar, soy sauce, hot sauce, and honey. Drizzle over stir fry vegetables, add the chopped fresh herbs, reduce heat to low and cover. Allow to simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  4. Return onion and pepper mixture to pan and top with kale. Cover and cook until kale is wilted but still bright green, about 5 minutes.
  5. Serve over brown rice with protein of your choice. (leftover tofu for me, chicken for Ben!). Add more sauce if desired.
Cook up the carrots, onions, pepper and garlic.
Cook up the carrots, onions, pepper and garlic.
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Add spices.
Prep your chopped veggies. Pictured here is some leftover squash and zucchini from a friend's mother's farm! Yay Summer.
Prep your chopped veggies. Pictured here is some leftover squash and zucchini from a friend’s mother’s farm! Yay Summer.
I used some of this frozen stir-fry blend from Whole Foods to bulk up the dish a bit (I thought I wouldn't have enough...)
I used some of this frozen stir-fry blend from Whole Foods to bulk up the dish a bit (I thought I wouldn’t have enough…)
Return carrots to pan, cover and simmer until tender.
Return carrots to pan, cover and simmer until tender.
Add some kale and steam.
Add some kale and steam.
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Give it a stir to incorporate all the sauce.
Serve over rice with tofu or other protein of your choice!
Serve over rice with tofu or other protein of your choice!

***Disclaimer: Ben thought the sauce had a bit too much of a “kick” to it (that’s his way of saying he didn’t like it at all… he doesn’t really care for mustardy or vinegary things), so instead of watching him suffer finish just to please me, I decided to take matters into my own hands.

The solution? Peanut butter.

I whisked together about a tablespoon of PB, a bit of water, a drizzle of honey and some leftover apricot marmalade. Nuked it for 20 seconds or so and drizzled it over his remaining veggies. And you know what? He loved it! It was almost like a peanut butter soup… a little sweet and with more of that umami taste. I even spooned a bit of it over my own! Yum.

What’s your favorite go-to, shop-the-fridge dinner recipe?

Quick Caprese Tuna Melts w/ Fontina Cheese

Need a quick lunch or snack idea to use up all of those farmers’ market tomatoes? Seriously, my kitchen is bursting with them! I need to make a big batch of marinara or something one of these days…

For anyone who likes caprese salad, this is a slight variation using leftover canned tuna and fontina cheese. Add a few sprigs of fresh basil and lunch is served!

Happy hump day!

Caprese Tuna Melts with Fontina Cheese
Caprese Tuna Melts with Fontina Cheese
Quick Caprese Tuna Melts w/ Fontina Cheese
Recipe Type: Salad, Lunch
Cuisine: Fresh, Healthy
Author: Claire McCormick of “Claire Tastes”
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 1
Looking for a way to use up some of those fresh and juicy tomatoes? Look no further!
Ingredients
  • 1 beefsteak or large tomato, sliced thinly
  • 1/4 cup canned tuna (prepared with some parsley, mustard, and garlic powder)
  • 5 basil sprigs
  • 4 thin slices fontina cheese
  • salt and pepper
Instructions
  1. Preheat broiler to high.
  2. Prepare tomatoes by placing on a single layer on a baking sheet sprayed lightly with cooking spray or oil.
  3. Top each tomato slice with a sprig of basil, 1 tbsp tuna, and a slice of cheese.
  4. Broil on high for 2-3 minutes until cheese begins to bubble.

What’s your favorite tomato recipe?

Rainy Day Spiced Molasses Granola

Rainy Day Spiced Molasses Granola
Rainy Day Spiced Molasses Granola

Today it was starting to feel a little more like fall here in Durham. Since returning home safely after my trip across the country with my sisters last week (see my Instagram page for a recap!), I’ve been all out of sorts in terms of time zones, days of the week, and seasons. CA was springlike- cool, sunny and breezy; Utah was HOT but really not humid at all, Colorado had snow blanketing its mountain summits, and Kansas was, well… a lot of corn. And we tried to forget the rest. Except when I got us lost in Ferguson, MO after being distracted from my role as navigator. That wasn’t a very happy moment.

Even after one week of being gone, I’ve noticed that college students have started trickling back to campus, lined paper has started appearing in the “dollar deal” bin near the checkout line at Target, and commercials have started targeting teens with the latest fall trends. In honor of that back-to-school feel, I decided to recreate an old fall favorite: spiced granola. Adapted from Skinnytaste, I’ve made this a few times using different swaps based on what I had in the house. In the past I’ve used kamut to supplement the oats, but this time I used the quinoa the original recipe calls for. I also swapped in molasses (since I have a TON leftover from my Brown Butter Ginger Molasses Cookies) and almonds in place of pepitas. I love this recipe because it hardly uses any oil at all (only 2 tsp for a double batch), yet the granola still forms nice little clusters. It irks me when I see recipes that call for over a half cup of oil… you really don’t need it! I doubled the recipe since I always end up giving some away- it makes a perfect gift!

Enjoy with sliced apples, pears, or peaches, over yogurt or with some nice cold milk. Happy (almost) fall!

Rainy Day Spiced Molasses Granola
Recipe Type: Snack, Breakfast, Brunch
Author: Claire McCormick of “Claire Tastes”
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 12
Fall is almost here! To get you back in that pumpkin-spice state of mind, try this easy granola recipe that’s great with yogurt and fruit! Feel free to stick with the recipe here or experiment based on your own tastes and ingredients you already have.
Ingredients
  • 3 cups old fashioned oats
  • 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
  • 1 cup dried cranberries or raisins
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans
  • 1/2 cup slivered almonds
  • 1/4 cup ground flax
  • 1/2 cup pureed pumpkin
  • 2 tsp canola oil
  • 1/4 cup molasses
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • pinch of pepper (optional)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 325 deg.
  2. Rinse quinoa and pat dry. Spread quinoa and oats evenly on a large cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
  3. Toast for 10 minutes, stirring halfway through.
  4. Remove from oven and reduce heat to 300 deg.
  5. Combine dried fruit, nuts, and flax with the oats and quinoa.
  6. In a separate bowl, whisk together pumpkin, oil, molasses, honey, vanilla, spices, salt, and pepper. Pour over dry ingredients and stir until coated.
  7. Spread mixture evenly on the same lined baking sheet, and return to oven for 20 minutes. Stir and return to oven for 5 additional minutes or until golden brown.
  8. Allow to cool, resisting the urge to stir too vigorously (this allows nice clusters to form!).
  9. Store in sealed containers for up to 2 weeks.

Rainy Day Spiced Molasses Granola
Rainy Day Spiced Molasses Granola

Chiles Rellenos

Chili Rellenos are an easy and healthy recipe perfect for a weeknight in the summer! They are simple to throw together, perfectly preportioned, and just-fancy-enough to impress your dinner guests! You can fill them with the vegetarian option I describe below, or you can get creative and stuff with beef, chicken, or tofu! The sky’s the limit… just make sure to take the toothpicks out before you chow down!

Chilis Rellenos
Chilis Rellenos

Yay for sisters visiting! My oldest sister Bethany was staying for the night after driving from State College, PA. She and my bro-in-law, Ethan, are moving to Asheville! Yay! First, though, we girls decided it would be fun to fly to CA and road trip XC with my Californian surfer sister, Mary. She usually spends a few weeks on the East Coast every year to visit family/friends, and this year Bethany and I decided to join! We leave August 3rd and are staying in some pretty awesome places including Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Arapaho National Forest, and Nashville. You can follow our trip via my Instagram!

Bethany is going to a wedding in MN before flying to CA on Sunday, so I took the opportunity to spoil her with a home cooked dinner and some Durham “night life” (that is, ice cream at The Parlour) 🙂

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For dinner, stuffed poblanos, aka “Chiles Rellenos.” I got the idea for these from this month’s issue of Cooking Light, and modified the stuffing a little bit based on taste preference and on what I had in the house. They are slightly spicy (in the words of my sensitive-palated-husband: “those have got some KICK to them!” but less-so if you do a good job removing the seeds (which I apparently did not). I settled on quinoa and lentils for the grains (added the lentils only because I was short on quinoa by a half cup!), subbed black beans for pinto, and used red onion in place of celery. I also added a few more Mexican seasonings like cumin, chili powder, a dash of cayenne, and garlic.

I also didn’t grill them because our grill is out of gas. Which makes it harder to grill things. Surprise, surprise. 

Okay, so maybe this recipe is entirely different than the original. But I kept the lime juice and corn kernels! And the overall vegetarian-ness!

I’ve seen a lot of recipes that recommend broiling the peppers and steaming in a covered bowl for a while, and then rubbing the skins off, but I decided to stuff them before roasting because I was worried about them being harder to spoon the filling into after they had wilted down! This meant that I didn’t remove the blistered, wrinkly skins that you see in the picture above… so they aren’t the prettiest little things, but they do taste darn good!

As I mentioned earlier, I did keep these vegetarian, but for the meat-eaters out there, they would definitely be good filled with ground beef, pork, turkey, or chicken. I would also love to try them with some smoked tofu next time! I served them to Bethany and Ben with BBQ chicken quesadillas, using leftover chicken from my Mole Chicken Tacos, so I didn’t feel the need to go on a meat craze. Amen.

Ok. Down to business. Start by making your filling and chopping off the tops of the peppers, discarding the spicy seeds and cores.

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If you have extra filling, it also makes a great salad for lunch the next day! Next, rub the peppers with oil and stuff them with the filling. Fasten stems back on with toothpicks. I just about poked myself about twelve times, so ten cuidado!

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Roast about 40 minutes or until charred. Cool slightly and serve with some greek yogurt, salad greens, or protein of your choice! Enjoy!

Chiles Rellenos
Chiles Rellenos
Chiles Rellenos
Recipe Type: Summer, Vegetarian
Cuisine: Mexican
Author: Claire McCormick of “Claire Tastes”
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 6-8
These easy stuffed peppers are healthy, protein-packed and vegetarian! Perfectly portioned and satisfying, you can customize the filling to meet your unique tastes- I loved them with the black bean, corn, and quinoa-lentil filling, but they’d also be great with beef or chicken.
Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup dry quinoa
  • 1/2 cup dry lentils
  • 1/4 cup red onion
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
  • 2 tsp minced garlic
  • 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp coriander
  • pinch of cayenne pepper
  • juice of 1 lime
  • 1/2 cup chunky salsa
  • 1/2 cup frozen or fresh corn kernels
  • 1/2 cup frozen or fresh cut okra
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
  • 8 medium-sized poblano peppers
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
  1. Rinse quinoa and lentils in a saucepan, then drain well. Add 1 1/4 cups salted water to the saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes or until al dente. Remove from heat.
  2. Stir in cilantro, onion, garlic, black beans, and lime juice. Add spices and stir. Allow mixture to cool in the saucepan.
  3. Pour mixture into a large bowl and stir in the salsa, corn, okra, and cheese.
  4. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  5. Preheat oven to 375. Rinse peppers and pat dry. Rub the outsides with olive oil.
  6. Slice stem tops off of each pepper and remove seeds and core from the insides. (Make sure to keep track of which top goes with which pepper!)
  7. Stuff peppers with filling and secure stems back on top with two toothpicks.
  8. Layer peppers in a foil-lined pan sprayed with cooking spray. Spray tops of peppers with a little more cooking spray.
  9. Bake uncovered for 40 minutes until charred. (The peppers will look brown and blistered… you can remove the outer skins but I decided that was too much work so I left them on!)
  10. Serve with greek yogurt and meat or greens of your choosing! I served them with BBQ chicken quesadillas and scrambled eggs- yum!

Easy Yogamole

Summer is in full-swing, which means cookouts, pool parties, game nights, and happy hours are almost daily events! Ben and I have had such a fun weekend hanging out with friends, going out for our anniversary at Second Empire (check out Instagram to see what I had for my entree and dessert!), and taking the pooch swimming in the Eno. Today we had some friends over to play cards, and I hardly felt like making a big messy snack to serve. I remembered that I had a few ripe avocados and a lime in the fridge, so what better than to do a little bit of recipe development? This yogamole recipe is delicious, healthy, and absolutely simple! I love the addition of Greek yogurt to make it a little creamier. It also helps to make it stretch a bit more… we have some eaters in the house! 🙂

Chop, mash, and stir. That’s it! Serve with pretzels or tortilla chips and dip away!

Easy Yogamole
Easy Yogamole
Easy Yogamole
Recipe Type: Dip, Snack
Cuisine: Mexican
Author: Claire McCormick of “Claire Tastes”
Prep time:
Total time:
Serves: 8
An easy, yoga-licious for yogis and non-yogis alike! The Greek yogurt just adds a touch of creaminess and tang. Perfect for your next beach trip, backyard cookout, or game night!
Ingredients
  • 3 ripe avocados
  • 1 small yellow onion, diced finely (about 1/2 cup)
  • juice of one lime
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder
  • 1/3 cup plain greek yogurt
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • chips or pretzels, for serving
Instructions
  1. Mash avocados in a large bowl.
  2. Add onion, lime and lemon juice, and spices. Stir in yogurt.
  3. Cover and chill until ready to devour!

Happy picknicking/BBQing/pool-chilling! This yogamole also goes great on sandwiches and wraps in place of hummus or mayo!

Heirloom Tomato & Summer Squash Salad

HEIRLOOM TOMATO & SUMMER SQUASH SALAD
HEIRLOOM TOMATO & SUMMER SQUASH SALAD

I got the inspiration for this light and lemony summer salad from a recent dinner at The Boot, a new Italian-American restaurant that just opened in Durham. The Boot prioritizes using fresh, local ingredients and features Italian classics like Spaghetti & Meatballs while infusing a little NC flair into other dishes like their “Linguine & NC Clams.” We went with some friends and ordered three appetizers: Fried Mozzarella, Mussels (shown below), and Herb & Garlic Fries. The variety of our appetizers alone speaks to the versatility and variety of this restaurant! Our waitress was also extremely helpful (she even told Ben not to order the lemonade because she didn’t think it was very good!) and accommodating: an extra loaf of bread for the table, patience when we took longer to decide what to order, and checking back frequently to refill waters and make sure we were all satisfied.

One of our Appetizers: Mussels at The Boot Durham
One of our Appetizers: Mussels at The Boot Durham

For my entree, I ordered their “Local Tomatoes,” a deliciously light and fresh vegetable salad with kalamata olives, basil and Italian parsley. I loved the dressing on it, too, which was a simple lemon-balsamic vinaigrette- perfectly soaked up by that extra ciabatta! I ordered a side of braised kale and white beans to supplement the salad. It ended up being just enough for an early dinner, and I even took home a few leftovers to enjoy for lunch the next day.

Local Tomatoes Salad at The Boot Durham
Local Tomatoes Salad at The Boot Durham

Anyway, this salad basically makes itself. When you have fresh, local ingredients that are this ripe and juicy, you really cannot go wrong. I used the same ingredients as the salad at The Boot, except without the basil and I added the white beans into the salad to begin with. I also added some squash and couscous to add some bulk and soak up the extra dressing. This could be enjoyed as a side or a main dish with some chicken on top (or poached egg, for vegetarians). I also recommend serving with feta and pita wedges!

Heirloom Tomato & Summer Squash Salad
Recipe Type: Salad
Cuisine: Vegetarian, Healthy
Author: Claire McCormick of “Claire Tastes”
Prep time:
Total time:
Serves: 12
Summer is the absolute BEST time for tomatoes! Plump and juicy, with just the right amount of sweetness, I love this summer squash and tomato salad with Italian/Mediterranean-inspired flavors! Bright and fresh, this light summer salad is will last all week and can be served as a side or a main dish.
Ingredients
  • 1 yellow squash
  • 1 zucchini
  • 2 cucumbers, diced or sliced into ribbons
  • 3 large heirloom tomatoes
  • 3/4 cup golden cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 jar kalamata olives, halved and pitted
  • 1/3 cup red onion, sliced
  • 1 head Italian parsley, rinsed and chopped roughly
  • juice of 1 fresh lemon
  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tbsp minced garlic
  • 1 tbsp Greek seasoning (optional)
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 cup couscous
  • 1 can white beans, rinsed
  • Pita bread wedges and feta (optional)
  • Balsamic vinegar for drizzling (optional)
Instructions
  1. Spiralize yellow squash and zucchini. Dice cucumbers or slice into long ribbons using a vegetable peeler.
  2. Slice tomatoes into large chunks.
  3. In a large bowl, stir together veggies, olives, onion, and parsley.
  4. In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon, vinegar, olive oil, garlic, Greek seasoning, S+P, and sugar. Pour over the salad and toss.
  5. Cook couscous according to package directions: add 1 cup hot water to 1 cup dry couscous). Stir in the sugar and allow to sit for 5 minutes.
  6. Toss the warm couscous and white beans with the rest of the salad.
  7. Serve with pita bread, feta and drizzle of balsamic (if using).
HEIRLOOM TOMATO & SUMMER SQUASH SALAD
HEIRLOOM TOMATO & SUMMER SQUASH SALAD

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