No-Cook Mediterranean Tostadas

This tostada is great for those nights when you just don’t feel like cooking but still want something balanced and fresh. This is not a traditional preparation of the tostada (which is often seen in Mexican cuisine), but an adaptation using more Mediterranean-style ingredients which makes for an easy weeknight meal.

Find this recipe, with a few other variations in my cookbook The Forest Feast Road Trip.

No-cook mediterranean tostadas

makes 4 tostadas (*divide the ingredients below among the 4 pita breads)

4 pita breads (whole wheat or regular, left whole)

1 c hummus

1/2 c babaganoush

1 tomato, diced

1 small cucumber, diced (peel on)

2 green onions (chopped)

1/4 c crumbled Feta cheese

1/4 c garbanzo beans (from a can)

lemon wedges (for serving)

Using the hummus as the base, layer all other ingredients in the order above onto the pitas. Slice in half, if you wish, or enjoy the whole thing hand-held.

*I prefer my pita soft, but if you'd like to stick with the typical tostada crunchiness, bake your pitas at 375F for 10 minutes before adding the toppings.

Enjoy!

* * *

xx

Erin

A Kid-Friendly Valentine's Day Menu

I always like to do something fun and festive for my boys when Valentine’s Day arrives. Last year we made Heart-Shaped Pizza using pre-baked dough so to mix things up a bit this year we are making Heart-Shaped garlic bread instead! To go along with the theme, I made pretty pink Beet Pasta (recipe below) and a side of sautéd broccoli rabe– 2 variations on vegetables my kids will actually eat.

Heart-Shaped Garlic Bread

6-8 slices of sourdough bread

3 T butter

1 T olive oil

2 T grated parmesan cheese

1/4 t garlic powder

Use a heart-shaped cookie cutter or scissors to cut hearts out of sliced sourdough bread. Butter each piece and lay them on a baking sheet. Drizzle the whole sheet with olive oil and then sprinkle with the grated parmesan and garlic powder. Broil until golden (about 2-3 minutes).

Use any leftover bread to make homemade croutons like these from the Kitchn.

Enjoy!

Heart-Shaped Garlic Bread

BEET PASTA

recipe from The Forest Feast Mediterranean

8 oz. (225 g) pasta (I used rigatoni here, but any type works)

1 small beet

2 oz. (55 grams) goat cheese

1/2 lemon

2 T olive oil

Fresh parsley (or other fresh herb you like)

Boil the pasta according to package instructions. As pasta cooks, grate the beet using a fine grater or zester (no need to peel). Drain the pasta and then put it back into the hot cooking pot. Add the grated beet, juice from 1/2 lemon, the goat cheese, and olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste.

* For an even more kid-friendly version of this recipe, just use half of a small beet and leave out the lemon and goat cheese. Instead add 1 T butter to make it a little creamier, and a bit more mild. My kids will protest if I put parsley on top, so I leave it on the side, mostly for the grown-ups to sprinkle.

Enjoy!

Max enjoying Beet Pasta

Broccoli Rabe sautéd with butter & garlic. Sauté on medium high heat until bright green.

My Favorite Pantry Essentials

Friends often ask me which store bought items I like to keep on hand for easy weeknight meals and casual entertaining. Since we live in the woods the grocery delivery options are limited (and a trip to the store requires driving down the hill) so it’s nice to know I can whip something together without leaving the cabin.

These are the items I frequently have on my shopping list so they are always at the ready:

• Veggie sausages (I like the links & patties from Morning Star—I also put these in kid lunches)

• Nuts - especially roasted almonds , salted macadamia nuts and Marcona almonds

• Dates (they last a long time and go well on a cheese platter if you’re having people over)

• golden raisins (great on salads)

• Bagged kale and/or arugula (a great start to any grain bowl!)

• Everything Bagel seasoning (I love it on cooked vegetables)

• Quick cooking Farro (I sometimes get at Trader Joe’s)

• Quinoa

• Small corn or whole wheat tortillas (for a quick weeknight stir-fry veggie wrap or veggie tacos)

• Canned black beans (for bowls and tacos) and garbanzo beans (for salads or to mix with cooked veggies)

• Veggie broth or bouillon cubes (in case I want to make a quick soup by blending whatever squash I have on hand)

• Triple cream brie and/or burrata (great to have on hand for an easy happy hour if friends stop by)

• Fruit (especially apples and pears are great with cheese for snacking, or on salads and last a while)

Wraps + Bowls: If I can’t figure out what to make for dinner, I often stir fry onions, carrots, greens and whatever other vegetables happen to be in the fridge. I will then turn that into a wrap or tacos (using either type of tortillas above) or put the stir fry mixture on top of greens, grains and beans to create a “bowl”. You can also add veggie sausage. I like putting warm veggies on top of cold greens with salad dressing— a sort of warm/cold salad combo that is both filling and covers the bases of carb (grain of tortilla), protein (legumes) and veg.

For a super simple side dish using a handful of items from this shopping list, check out this Everything Bagel Greens recipe below!

Greens sautéed with Everything Bagel seasoning

What’s on your grocery list every time you shop?

Reader Survey! + Giveaway

Can you do me a favor? For the first time ever, we are doing a reader survey to try and understand what YOU want more (or less) of. New recipes? More vegan/GF ideas? Entertaining tips? Travel? Deck shots? If you have 4 minutes to let us know, we would REALLY appreciate it and will enter your name into a drawing for the Forest Feast book of your choice.

Thanks so much in advance! Find the link to the survey here.

xx

Erin

Favorite Winter Citrus Salads

I was in the market yesterday and was so excited that blood oranges have arrived! I love to use them in salads and salad dressings — and the color is so gorgeous on the plate.

Winter is a great season to combine citrus in salads since oranges, clementines, Meyer lemons, blood oranges and grapefruit are ripe, delicious, and readily available from your CSA box, farmer’s market, and grocery store.

To celebrate the abundance of citrus right now, here’s a round-up of favorite Forest Feast winter citrus salads….

Blood Orange Cabbage Salad

Citrus Salad

Orange Avocado Salad

Seared Fennel & Clementine Salad from The Forest Feast Mediterranean cookbook

These recipes come together in a matter of minutes, and they act as an easy way to get some extra Vitamin C during cold and flu season!

Bon Appetit!

xx

Erin

Blood Orange Cabbage Salad

Citrus Salad

Orange Avocado Salad

Seared Fennel & Clementine Salad