Making the decision to go al fresco with your meal is the easy part. Finding something that’s delicious cold – AND portable, if you’re picnicking it – can be a little tougher.

That’s why I love recipes like these Veggie-Loaded Sesame Almond Butter Noodles – just whip it up ahead of time and enjoy it chilled later on.

For these sesame almond butter noodles, I love putting individual portions right in mason jars for the easiest transport and serving. The pasta, veggies, and almond-butter based sauce makes for a complete yet simple main that everyone on the blanket will dig.

This recipe is a riff on my Veggie-Loaded Peanut Butter Noodles, one of my favorites. It’s essentially the same recipe, but with almond butter swapped in for the peanut butter, and a few sliced almonds added in for crunch.

Not just for picnics, this recipe is also perfect as a make-ahead weeknight dinner, or a great meal-prep situation for easy grab-and-go lunching. I think it might also work well for kids’ lunches, especially if peanut butter is a thumbs-down at school.

No matter why you cook ’em, be sure to take them outside to eat. It’ll taste even better. Truth.

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These days, I look for ways to bulk up on the vegetables at every single meal. So it made sense to double up on the veggies for this Veggie-Loaded Peanut Noodle Salad recipe while also reducing the amount of pasta I use. However, that creamy peanutty dressing? I still use just as much as I did for the original recipe. What can I say? It’s necessary.

Bell peppers, carrots, cucumbers, scallions, whole wheat spaghetti, and a generous amount of peanut dressing: that’s what’s happening here.

Oh, and, of course, a nice sprinkle of salted peanuts on top for crunch and deliciousness.

This salad is oh-so great for summer. Make up a batch and have it in the fridge at the ready for:

• A quick hearty lunch
• A lazy dinner outside
• Picnics by the lake
• Taking to summer potlucks (allergy-conscious note: make sure everyone knows it’s peanutty!)
• Sneaking a quick forkful at 1 a.m. (Not that I know anything about that.)

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Simplicity. That’s what this roasted pepper crostini recipe is all about. Three ingredients, my friends. Three! And that’s if you count the olive oil.

It’s about therapy, too. Because there is just something therapeutic about cooking outdoors – in this case, even just the grill on our back deck.

There’s something so calming about having nothing to do but stand still, smell the smoke, and turn pepper after pepper after pepper with my tongs. I love cooking outdoors – the brisk breeze on my face, listening to the birds chirp and the bees hum and, well, okay … there’s also the wiener dog next door that barked the entire time I was making this particular recipe. But my own trusty companion – a glass of crisp white wine – helped a little with that part. Plus, the dog really is kind of cute.

When the publishers of Sunset magazine’s newest cookbook, “The Great Outdoors Cookbook: Adventures in Cooking Under the Open Sky,” sent me a copy to review, I was – quite literally – a happy camper. It’s a photo-filled book packed with incredible ideas for outdoor cooking, from simple meatless recipes all the way to an entire pig roast (so if you’re not fond of things like the latter, you may opt to pass on this one).

As a vegetarian, I skipped the meaty recipes (my guy, on the other hand, will want to dig in) – but there are oh-so many drool-worthy vegetarian recipes I want to try. This recipe for roasted pepper crostini was the very first I bookmarked.

To make it, I bought a variety of peppers ranging from small to large and sweet to hot – bells, pasilla, ancho, and red fresno peppers – about 10 peppers total. Then I cut them into 1 1/2-inch pieces and tossed them with olive oil, salt, and pepper.

And then I grilled them.

Yip! Yip! Yip yip YIP!

Sorry. I’m having wiener dog flashbacks.

About 15 minutes over medium heat, with just a couple of flips here and there, was just about right.

After the peppers were charred and soft, I transferred them back to the bowl with the olive oil and covered them with foil. And guess what! There is no peeling the skins with this recipe! It’s totally not needed. Unfussiness – just the way I like it.

Then I brushed some crusty slices of bread with olive oil, and grilled those for a couple of minutes.
Then I just topped the toasty bread with peppers and chowed down.

I uphold that you can totally “chow down” when you’re cooking and eating outdoors. No pinkies up here!

This recipe – and the cookbook – have me super, duper excited for outdoor grilling season. The truth is, I was in a bit of a grilling rut before I started flipping through the book. Now I’m trying to figure out how to find the time to try a bunch of new grilling recipes – and new methods, too. The book runs the gamut from campfires to home fires to inspired fires, and just to show you how thoroughly Sunset’s editors covered every aspect of outdoor cooking, they even have instructions for a DIY pizza oven. (!!!)

Hey hubbbbyyyy! We totally have the room, for one right?!

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This veggie-filled enchilada pasta bake is – you guessed it – made with loads of veggies. In fact, there are about as many veggies in there as there is pasta. Maybe even a little more.

And. And! The pasta is whole wheat.

But don’t worry. It’s definitely not rabbit food. This stuff is smothered in cheddar cheese and baked to bubbly perfection, so we’ve got that. The carnivores can even get their own dish with ground beef added to the mix.

Me, I’m good with the hearty veggies – bell peppers, zucchini, and spinach – along with a confetti of black beans. A little sour cream adds just a bit of creaminess and tang to the spicy enchilada sauce, added with a generous touch to guarantee pure sauciness in every bite. Saucy is good. No dry casseroles here.

It’s worth noting that when I first started developing this recipe, I made the enchilada sauce from scratch. But ultimately, I felt like it just made the recipe too fussy – too many ingredients, too many steps. So I say, go with a good prepared enchilada sauce – but if you’re feeling ambitious, go ahead and make your own! It’s a pretty forgiving recipe that way.

On top of all that sauce and pasta and veggies, there’s a nice layer of glorious melty cheddar. And olives! Black olives. You’ve got to have the olives. Man, I love olives.

I’m kind of proud of this one, I’ve gotta say. It’s a very, very nice way to eat your vegetables, be it Cinco de Mayo or any other day of the year.

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Veggie Enchilada Pasta Bake

Packed with veggies and made with whole wheat penne, this saucy vegetarian baked pasta packs a little less guilt than your average comfort food casserole. If you’ve got meat-eaters coming to the table, it’s easy to bake two versions: one with ground beef, one without. I’ve included instructions for cooking it both ways.

Prep Time 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Servings 6 -8 servings

Author Kare

Ingredients

• 8 ounces whole wheat penne pasta
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion diced (about 2 cups)
• 1 medium green bell pepper cut into 1-inch strips
• 1 medium red bell pepper cut into 1-inch strips
• 2 medium zucchini halved and sliced (about 2 cups)
• 4 cups baby spinach
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 can black beans drained and rinsed
• 1 28-ounce can enchilada sauce (I like a hotter version, but mild works just fine too)
• 1/2 cup sour cream I use low fat, plus more for topping if desired
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese 8 ounces
• 1/2 cup black olives halved
• 3 green onions scallions, diced

If adding ground beef to half:

• 1/2 pound lean ground beef cooked, crumbled, and drained

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Cook pasta, according to package instructions, until just al dente. Drain and set aside.
• Add olive oil to a large pot over medium heat. Select a pot that will be large enough for mixing the veggies, pasta and sauce later on. Add the onion, bell peppers, and zucchini. Saute until softened, about 6 minutes. Add baby spinach and saute, stirring frequently, until wilted, about 2 minutes. Add salt and stir.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the enchilada sauce and the sour cream.

If making an all-veggie version:

• Add the black beans, sauce, and cooked pasta to the sauteed veggies. Toss gently to distribute. Pour veggie and pasta mixture into a 9-inch x 13-inch baking pan. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese and dot with halved olives. Continue to “Bake” step.

If making a half veggie, half ground beef version:

• Cook ground beef in a medium saute pan over medium heat until no longer pink. Drain.
• Add the black beans, sauce, and cooked pasta to the sauteed veggies. Toss gently to distribute. Transfer 5 cups of the pasta mixture to an 8-inch by 8-inch baking dish and set aside. Add the hamburger to the remaining pasta mixture, mix gently, and pour into another 8-inch by 8-inch baking dish. Sprinkle each with cheddar cheese. Dot with halved olives (my resident carnivore isn’t fond of olives, so I put ’em all on mine and leave his plain. Great way to tell the meaty dish from the veggie dish, too). Continue to “Bake” step.

Bake:

• Bake for 25-30 minutes until heated through, bubbling, and the cheese has melted.
• Sprinkle green onions over the top. Serve with sour cream for topping, if desired.

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I mean, I really, really want to talk about the weather right now. (The calendar says summer’s all but here, but it’s freezing out there and now I’ve got a miserable cold – what?!) And I’m pretty much obsessed with farmer’s markets, but if I ever find myself writing that I picked up some delicious-looking peaches at one and then decided to make a tart with them, I’ll now know I’ve officially jumped the blog shark (um, again).

It can be tough to find something unique and new about, say, a sandwich wrap, though. Especially when you just had to come up with something interesting to say about chocolate chip cookies the day before and bacon blueberry chicken kiev the day before that.

Okay, maybe the fictional (and slightly scary-sounding) bacon blueberry chicken kiev is interesting on its own merit. But otherwise, if you’re a food blogger, I bet you’re nodding along.

So … who cares?

The single greatest takeaway from the workshop was this: do your words pass the “who cares” test? It’s a bit of a  harsh way to look at things, but very smart. If you can’t make your reader care about what it is you have to say, well, they’re not likely to be a reader for long.

So. I’m looking forward to trying to be a lot less cliche and hopefully a little more interesting around here, although, frankly, my life is just not that exciting. (“You’re not boring,” Kathleen said to me after one of my typically self-deprecating remarks that weekend. “Don’t ever say you’re boring.” )

Fair enough (and thank you, Kathleen, for the reminder to be nicer to myself – and for the rejuvenating workshop).

So, about these wraps! The super-cool folks over at Chobani recently sent me some of their Greek yogurt, so lately I’ve had Greek food (and, particularly, Tzatziki sauce) on the brain. I wanted to come up with an easy meal that’s super light, cool, and refreshing for summer [remove mention of the weather here], and so here we are.

Classic Greek salad veggies – red bell pepper, cucumber, red onion, tomatoes – tossed with a fresh, garlicky Tzatziki sauce, kalamata olives and some feta cheese, then wrapped. And devoured.

(Sandwiches and wraps are yet another food  that’s perfect for our multi-vore home – just add meat to the carnivore’s, and leave it out of the vegetarian’s version. Easy peasy.)

Be sure to allow for extra time for the wonderful homemade Tzatziki sauce, both for straining the yogurt and the cucumber and a little sitting time so that the flavors can meld. If you want something a little heartier, throw in some chickpeas.

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Creamy Greek Salad Sandwich Wraps with Optional Chicken (+ a Food Writing Workshop!)

Creamy, garlicky Tzatziki sauce tossed with feta, kalamata olives, and classic Greek salad veggies – cherry tomatoes, red onions, cucumbers, red peppers – then rolled in a wrap. Just throw in some diced, cooked chicken for the meat-eaters.

Prep Time 3 hours hours

Total Time 3 hours hours

Servings 4 sandwich wraps

Author Kare

Ingredients

Tzatziki sauce

• 2 cups lowfat Greek yogurt can also use nonfat or full fat, depending on your preference
• 1 medium cucumber peeled, seeds scraped, and grated
• 1/4 teaspoon salt I prefer coarser, milder kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 medium clove garlic finely minced (about 1 teaspoon)
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh dill*
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh peppermint*
• Additional salt and pepper to taste

Sandwich wraps

• 1 cup cucumber peeled, cut into 1/2-inch dice (about 1 medium)
• 1/2 cup red bell pepper cut into 1/2-inch dice about 1/2 large
• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes halved
• 1/3 cup red onion peeled, quartered, and thinly sliced (about 1/4 large)
• 1/4 cup kalamata olives coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese about 3 ounces
• 1 cup Tzatziki sauce
• A few leaves of lettuce if desired (I used assorted spring greens, but romaine would be terrific too)
• 4 12- inch flour tortillas

If including chicken, add per sandwich:

• 1/4 cup diced cooked chicken

Instructions

Make the Tzatziki sauce:

• Place a large funnel or colander over a bowl. Line with cheesecloth or a coffee filter, and carefully spoon the Greek yogurt into the cheesecloth or coffee filter. Place in the refrigerator for 1 – 2 hours to drain any excess liquid. Note: Greek yogurt is thick enough that you can skip this step if you like; it will just result in a slightly thinner sauce.
• Line a colander with cheesecloth or paper towels and perch over a large bowl. Toss the grated cucumber with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pour into the colander. Allow the cucumber to drain for about 30 minutes.
• In a medium bowl, add the Greek yogurt. Gently squeeze the grated, salted cucumber to discard any remaining liquid and add to the yogurt. Stir in the garlic, lemon juice, dill, and peppermint. Taste and add additional salt and pepper if desired. Place Tzatziki sauce in an airtight container and refrigerate for at least an hour to allow the flavors to meld.

Assemble your sandwich:

• In a large bowl, gently toss together the cucumbers, bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, onions, and olives. Stir in the feta and Tzatziki sauce.
• Lay tortilla flat and line the middle with a few lettuce leaves, if desired. Add 1 cup of Greek salad filling to the middle of the tortilla OR, if adding chicken, add 3/4 cup Greek salad filling and then top with 1/4 cup diced cooked chicken.
• Roll tortilla tightly and tuck in the ends. Slice in half and serve.

The post Vegetarian Creamy Greek Salad Sandwich Wraps (Chicken Option) appeared first on Kitchen Treaty.

And besides, chocolate probably wouldn’t be very good stuffed inside a grilled pepper. But cheese … yes.

In this case, we’ve got four different cheeses: ricotta for body and flavor along with tangy herbed goat cheese, plus Parmesan and mozzarella for that melty goodness. As if grilled peppers all by themselves weren’t divine enough … now I had to go and get obsessed with this amazing cheese-stuffed version.

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Come hither, my pretties. That’s right… just a little bit closer.

These numbers – or shall I say, digits – beckon everyone to bite the hand that feeds them. Well, at least the fingers.

Possibly the creepiest breadsticks ever, these Halloween witches’ finger breadsticks are great for dipping in soup or chili, or scooping up some marinara or pizza sauce (ooh, bloody looking! Perfect!)

I wish I could say I pinpointed this idea all by myself, but I actually borrowed it from this Cheddar Witch’s Fingers recipe from Sunset. While I’m all for homemade cheese crackers like in the Sunset version, (my mom makes the most amazing cheese crackers, that reminds me – I really need to get her recipe), I’m a little short on time lately, so I decided to do this the easier way.

Enter: Refrigerator section breadstick dough!

With a tube of breadstick dough and a pack of sliced almonds or some bell peppers, I can whip up some creepy severed witches’ fingers breadsticks in just about as many minutes as I can count on both hands.

Too bad there are a few witches out in the world who won’t be able to say the same anymore… mua ha ha ha ha!

I like to make these two ways. I either use sliced almonds for the gnarly fingernail …

Or, after they’ve baked, I dollop with a bit of cream cheese and a long triangle of bell pepper.

I like both types for different reasons. The almonds are a bit easier – just stick them on before baking. But if you’re making these for, say, your kiddo’s classroom, you might need to go the nut-free route. If that’s the case, may I point you to the bell-pepper-and-cream-cheese option.

Or make a few of both and mix ’em all together. No one witches’ finger is unique, after all!

I love to make these with my daughter, not only because they’re loads of fun, but because the more rustic and gnarled up they are, the better. Meticulous perfection is NOT the name of the game here, and she likes to get a little crazy.

My kiddo loves to help with everything from cutting the breadsticks to adding the fingernail to brushing with egg wash (an optional step, but it adds a bit of shininess. Surely witches fingers are a bit shiny from all that time above a steamy cauldron, right?)

However you choose to make witches’ finger breadsticks, just go forth and make some. Then step back, look at your Halloween accomplishment, and give yourself a HAND!

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Halloween Witches’ Fingers Breadsticks Recipe

Witch finger will you eat first? Here are two ways to make delightfully creepy witches’ fingers breadsticks – use either sliced almonds for the gnarly fingernail or go for bell pepper for a nut-free version. Mani-pedi, anyone?

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Author Kare

Ingredients

• One roll of refrigerated soft breadsticks dough I usually buy Pillsbury soft breadsticks
• 1 large egg beaten (optional)
• Marinara sauce or pizza sauce for serving/dipping optional

For the fingernails:

• Sliced almonds
• OR
• Red and green bell peppers cut into narrow 1-inch triangles -and-
• About 1/4 cup cream cheese or vegan cream cheese

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, or, if the temperature on your package of refrigerated breadstick dough indicates a different temperature, follow the temperature on the package. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat.
• Unroll the breadsticks onto a large cutting board (or your counter or wherever you like to do doughy things).
• Using a pizza cutter, slice each breadstick in half vertically and again horizontally. Each breadstick should be about 3-4 inches long and 1/2-inch to 1 inch wide, but perfection is highly discouraged! The more rustic the more realistic. 🙂
• Roll the dough a bit to round it a bit/give it more of a finger shape. Lay it on the baking sheet.
• Using your thumb, press down on the narrowest tip of each breadstick. If using almonds, press a sliced almond onto each tip. If using bell peppers, you’ll add them AFTER the breadsticks have baked.
• Now, you have a couple of options. You can grab the pizza cutter or a bread knife and press a three or four horizontal lines into the middle of the breadstick so it’ll look a bit like a knuckle. And/or, if desired, brush lightly with egg. This will give them a slightly shinier and more golden appearance. Or skip those steps and just stick ’em in the oven already!
• Bake for 10-12 minutes, until puffy and starting to brown on the top. But again, if the label on your breadsticks indicates a different time, I recommend going by that time and just checking them often.
• Let cool for about 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
• If adding bell pepper for the fingernails, after they’ve cooled, dab the tip with a bit of cream cheese and stick the bell pepper on. You may want to dry the pepper off with a paper towel so it will adhere better.
• Arrange on a plate or in mini mason jars filled with marinara or pizza sauce. Bloooody!
• Almond-tipped fingers keep in an airtight container at room temperature for several days. Because of the cream cheese and cut pepper, I recommend storing that version in the refrigerator.

Originally published Oct 22, 2009. Updated October 20, 2017.

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