Flatbread #2: Heirloom Tomato & Blackberry

It has been a busy Spring, although I'm no longer convinced that there is a time of the year that is less busy than another.  The only exception in my life might be the 7 days in March when no one in my family is in the pool - and the irony then is that we don't know what to do with the time and end up eating dinner at 8:30PM anyway.  That just goes to show that I have the appropriate target for my meals:  the whole premise of my life in the kitchen is to create meals that are healthy, flavorful, and fast.  I've made three versions of flatbread in the last week and all three fit my criteria.  The blackberries MAKE this recipe.  I'll add goat cheese and a balsamic drizzle next time.

• Thin pizza crust or flatbread (pre-baked)
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• Olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• handful of basil leaves, julienned
• 2 or 3 heirloom tomatoes, thinly sliced
• fresh blackberries

Preheat oven to 450 degrees or according to your crust directions.  Drizzle olive oil on crust; sprinkle garlic on and use a spatula to spread garlic and oil all over crust.  Sprinkle Parmesan in thin layer on crust.  Spread tomatoes across crust; avoid overlapping as much as possible.  Top with blackberries and basil.  Sprinkle another thin Parmesan layer over everything.  Bake 6 to 7 minutes, until cheese is melted and starting to brown.

Grape & Sweet Cherry Flatbread.

It's so good to be back in my kitchen! It has been a long stretch and I'm ready to be back - cooking, blogging, and enjoying good food...all part of a busy girl's life!
This afternoon I put together this quick flatbread - and it was gone as quickly as it was made!  I used a fresh thin pizza crust but any prepared or homemade flatbread will do nicely.

• pizza crust or flatbread
• olive oil
• green grapes, halved
• sweet red cherries, pitted and quartered
• fresh basil leaved, sliced
• parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Brush crust with olive oil.  Sprinkle parmesan on crust.  Arrange grapes, cherries, and basil evenly on crust.  Top with more parmesan and bake 5-7 minutes at 450 degrees.

Watermelon & Pomegranate Bruschetta.

This is a refreshing and easy dish that can be served at any meal. We enjoyed it for breakfast, alongside pancakes and fruit!

• 1 fresh baguette, sliced
• 1 cup chopped watermelon, chilled
• 1/4 cup pomegranate arils
• 1 T chopped cilantro
• juice of 1/4 lemon
• 2 to 4 ounces brie

Gently toss together watermelon, pomegranate, cilantro, and lemon juice.  Spread a small amount of brie on each slice of baguette. Top with fruit mixture and enjoy!

Sautéed Mushroom & Spinach Pasta with Seafood.

Sautéed mushrooms and spinach are tossed with fresh pasta and seafood for an easy weeknight dinner. Makes two servings.

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 box cleaned, sliced mushrooms
• 1 clove garlic
• 3 large handfuls of fresh, cleaned baby spinach leaves
• 4 ounces of cooked shrimp or crab
• 2 servings of cooked fettuccine
• balsamic vinegar

Heat olive oil in wok pan.  Add mushrooms and garlic. Sauté for 4 to 5 minutes, until mushrooms are softening and garlic is fragrant.  Add spinach.  Sauté for another 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often.  Add cooked pasta and seafood.  Toss in pan for 1 to 2 minutes, until seafood is just heated through.  Transfer to plates and drizzle with balsamic vinegar.

Mom's Baked Chicken Breasts.

This is less of a recipe and more of a preparation.  A really. easy. preparation.  It's one of those things I cook when I get home late and just. need. to. eat.  32 seconds of prep, 30 minutes of cooking. Really. Easy. Preparation.


Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Spray cooking pan with olive oil cooking spray.  Rinse chicken breasts, pat dry and place in pan.


Dot each breast with up to 1/2 tsp margarine, cut in two to three pieces.  Season liberally with your choice of dried seasoning: paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, black pepper, parsley, oregano.  Any combination will be just fine.


Bake for 30 minutes. Serve with an equally easy-to-prepare side dish or two.

White Bean & Chicken Chili.

If you've tried my "regular" chili recipe, you know that I like my chili chunky. This white bean & chicken version is no different. And, like my more traditional recipe, this can be made in 30 to 40 minutes, start to finish.  I like my bowl of chili without added toppings, but the possibilities are endless: choose green onions, sour cream, cheese, salsa, lime juice or your own favorites.  My biggest eater - and true foodie at age 15 - loved his with sour cream and shredded cheese on top. He proclaimed that it tasted like "a warm burrito in a bowl."  The recipe below will feed a crowd, with leftovers.

• 1 T olive oil
• 2 pounds frozen chicken breast strips
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 large leeks, white & light green parts sliced
• 32 ounces chicken broth
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 3 cans cannellini beans, drained
• 3 cans diced tomatoes with mild chilis
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Heat oil in dutch oven.  Add frozen chicken strips and garlic and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, turning frequently.  Add leeks, chicken broth, salt & pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium high heat; simmer for 5-7 minutes. Using tongs and kitchen shears, lift chicken strips from broth and cut into bite-sized pieces, returning chicken to broth as it is cut. Add beans and tomatoes. Stir. Return to simmer and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. Stir in cilantro; cook 5 more minutes and serve.

Chocolate Dipped Starfruit.

Nothing fancy about this, but I hope this serves as a little reminder that simple preparations can be simply amazing!  This is so easy, no recipe is required!  The contrast between the sweet chocolate and the cool, juicy fruit is what I think makes chocolate dipped fruit so yummy.  Be creative with your fruit selection.  Strawberries, kiwi, apples, dried apricots, pears, citrus fruits...any fruit that can be sliced or can be dipped whole will work just fine!


I used Baker's Dark Dipping Chocolate. (It's also available in milk and white chocolate varieties.)  And the wonderfully versatile starfruit!  Clean & slice your fruit, dip in melted chocolate, and set it on waxed paper until the chocolate is firm.  Two starfruit, sliced & dipped in dark chocolate, were demolished in less than 8 minutes. Yes, it was good.  The picture below is what I could manage to preserve long enough to take the photo!