Broccoli Cheddar Pockets

I found these on a whim last week while desperately searching for something new and easy to try for dinner. We grabbed ingredients on the way home (thank you, premade bread dough), and within an hour were pulling these out of the oven. A few bites later, Dan the Man declared these broccoli-cheddar pockets had made it to his top ten list of favorite meals.

Of course if you had time you could certainly make your own dough from scratch, but I was pleased with these results. We brainstormed future fillings like pepperoni and mozzarella, ham and cheddar, or spinach and feta.

Based on a recipe from LaurasSweetSpot.com.

Ingredients (makes 8 pockets)

• 3-4 small broccoli crowns, chopped into small pieces (about 4 cups)
• 8 oz grated sharp cheddar cheese
• 4 Tbsp sour cream
• small handful fresh chives, chopped
• Vegetable oil, for brushing (vegetable oil spray works fine too)
• All-purpose flour, for dusting
• 2 (11-ounce) tubes refrigerated French bread dough
• 1 large egg

Directions

1. Bring a saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the broccoli and cook 1 minute. Drain and rinse under cold water until cool; pat very dry. 
2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Brush or spray baking sheet with vegetable oil.
3. Mix broccoli, cheddar, sour cream, and chives in a bowl until combined. Squeeze the mixture together to compact it.
4. Use a little bit of flour to lightly dust your work surface.
5. Cut each tube of dough into four pieces. Roll each piece out and fill with broccoli mixture. Fold and secure each pocket, then place seam-side down on the baking sheet.(Check out these excellent step-by-step photos if you have never made these before!)
6. Beat egg in a small bowl. Add 1 Tbsp water and mix well.
7. Brush each pocket with egg wash. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes.

Breakfast Burrito

My husband introduced me to a great way to use leftover groceries from a Mexican meal. This is an adaptation of his official breakfast burrito. The nice thing about it is that it can include any ingredients you feel like eating in the morning. Stir fried vegetables are one great idea that I'd like to try next.

Ingredients

• 1 egg
• large soft tortilla
• refried beans
• cheddar cheese, shredded
• toppings such as salsa, Sriracha, or sour cream

Directions

1. Heat a frying pan over medium heat. Cook one egg to your liking. (I enjoy frying an egg in a little butter, but scrambling would work fine too.)
2. On one half of a large tortilla, spread the desired amount of refried beans.

 3. Cover the beans with shredded cheese,

 your cooked egg,

 and the desired toppings.

 4. Heat the frying pan over medium heat. Roll up your tortilla, being careful to fold in the sides so your filling does not leak out. Cook over medium heat, rotating every 1-2 minutes, until all sides are crisp.

Chickpea, Potato, and Kale Soup

My friend Jonah, of the Jonah's Fish Chowder recipe fame,  came to visit a few weeks ago with a lovely surprise for me from his local farmers' market. It included oyster mushrooms, wedges of different cheeses, and a large bunch of chard. Since then, I've been daydreaming about leafy greens. (I know, that probably puts me in the category of food dork, but I'm okay with that.)

This is a variation on a soup that I used to make a long time ago. I love the combination of chickpeas and potatoes, and also how flexible the recipe is. Feel free to throw in other aromatics like carrots or celery with your onions; replace the kale with swiss chard; or even add some ground sausage to the mix.

Ingredients
(for gluten-free recipe, omit bouillon or use a gluten-free bouillon)
(for dairy-free or vegan recipe, omit parmesan cheese when serving)

• olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1/4 tsp dried whole thyme
• 1/4 - 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 bay leaves
• salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 4-6 red potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 8 cups water, divided use
• 3 tsp vegetable bouillon (or 3 bouillon cubes)
• two 15 oz cans of beans, drained and rinsed (I used one can of chickpeas and one of pink beans)
• 3/4 bunch fresh kale, rinsed well and chopped
•  parmesan cheese, for serving (optional)

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in large stockpot over medium heat. Add onions, thyme, smoked paprika, and bay leaves. Add salt and pepper. Cook until translucent.
2. Add potatoes and 4 cups of the water. Cover and let sit until water comes to a boil. 
3. Reduce heat to low and stir in bouillon. Add the other 4 cups of water, and place kale on top of other ingredients. Return cover to pot and let the kale start to steam. 
4. After about 5-7 minutes, add beans, stir well, and return cover to pot. Cook for another 10-15 minutes, then turn heat off. Let sit, uncovered, for a couple minutes, then check flavors. Add more salt and pepper as needed.
5. Serve with a side of parmesan cheese, for sprinkling, if desired.

Tomato, Basil, and Mozzarella Sandwiches

I've heard lots of different names for this fabulous combination: Margherita and Caprese are both popular titles for tomato, basil, and mozzarella together in a dish. The red, white, and green symbolize the colors of the Italian flag, and the name was given to honor Queen Margherita of Italy.

I was immediately attracted to Beth's recipe on Budget Bytes, which featured this famous medley. After a few alterations, I was ready to give it a try. My biggest concern was to preserve the crispiness of the bread. By grilling the sourdough on its own, it is protected from absorbing too much vinegar and keep the stability of the sandwich intact.

Prosciutto isn't necessary to enjoying this sandwich, but Dan the Man highly recommends it! The saltiness goes wonderfully with the creamy fresh mozzarella.


Ingredients

• loaf of fresh sourdough Italian bread, thickly sliced
• butter (for grilling)
• vine ripe tomatoes, sliced across into rounds
• ball of fresh mozzarella, sliced
• fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
• balsamic vinegar (for drizzling)
• olive oil (for drizzling)
• freshly ground pepper 
• small package of prosciutto (optional)

Directions

1. Heat up frying pan or griddle to medium heat.
2. Butter both sides of Italian bread slices. Grill both sides of each piece until crispy; remove from heat.
3. Assemble sandwiches from the bottom up: tomato, mozzarella, basil, a drizzle of balsamic vinegar, a drizzle of olive oil, and freshly ground pepper. Top with a few slices of prosciutto, if using.
4. Slice sandwiches in half and enjoy immediately!