Summer Favorites

Last week was a scorcher here in the Northeast (and almost everywhere else). This called for as little kitchen cooking as possible. Below are three of my favorite recipes that I found this summer. Great for grilling days and ones where you want to limit the amount of time cooking over a stove or oven. Enjoy!

Grilled Pizza

Ingredients:

• Pizza dough (I used fresh dough bought at our local grocery store)
• Olive oil
• Your favorite toppings (for us that's tomato/basil/mozzarella over pesto pizza - yum!)
• flour or corn meal for dusting pizza peel

Method:
Prepare the grill for high direct heat. Lightly grease clean grill grates with olive oil. Shape the pizza dough on lightly floured pizza peel (or rimless cookie sheet). Slide dough off peel directly onto hot grill grates. Close lid and let it cook for about 2-3 minutes. Once the pizza has browned lightly, use your pizza peel or cookie sheet to remove it and then flip it so that the uncooked side is now against the grill. Add your toppings, cover and cook until pizza is done. Slice and serve!


15 Minute Creamy Avocado Pasta

Ingredients:

• 1 or 2 ripe avocados, pitted (depends on how "creamy" you want your pasta)
• 1 lemon, juiced also save peel for zest to garnish
• 2-3 garlic cloves (add more or less depending on how much you like garlic)
• 1/2 tsp sea salt or to taste
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
• 2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
• 6-8 ounces of your favorite pasta
• fresh ground pepper, to taste
• a sprinkle of fresh Parmesan cheese
  

Method:
Bring water to boil, add pasta and cook until Al Dente. Meanwhile, place garlic cloves, lemon juice and olive oil in food processor and process until smooth. Add pitted avocados, basil and salt. Process until smooth. When pasta is done cooking, drain and rinse. Combine pasta with avocado sauce. Garnish with lemon zest, black pepper and fresh Parmesan. Serve immediately and finish your plate, this recipe does not reheat well due to the nature of avocados!


Best of Everything Veggie Burgers

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup uncooked brown rice
• 1 cup water
• 2 (16 ounce) cans of black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 green bell pepper, halved and seeded
• 1 onion, quartered
• 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
• 6 garlic cloves, peeled
• 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2 eggs
• 1 TBSP chili powder
• 1 TBSP ground cumin
• 1TBSP garlic salt
• 1 TSP hot sauce
• 1/2 cup dry bread crumbs - or as needed

Method:
Cook brown rice over medium-low heat until rice is tender and all the liquid is absorbed. Preheat outdoor grill for high heat. Lightly oil sheet of aluminum foil. Mash beans in a large bowl with fork until think and pasty and set aside. Place the bell pepper, onion, mushrooms and garlic in food processor and chop finely. Stir the bell pepper mixture into the mashed black beans. Place the brown rice and mozzarella cheese in the food processor and process until combined. Stir mixture into the black beans. Whisk together eggs, chili powder, cumin, garlic salt and hot sauce. Stir mixture into black beans. Finally, add in the bread crumbs until mixture is sticky and holds together. Divide into large patties. Place on prepared foil and grill until browned and heated through, about 8 minutes on each side.