Recipes of the week: July 12-18

One of the reasons why I love summer so much is all of the extra time I have find and make new recipes. I love digging through internet sites and magazines to find recipes that are unique, accessible, and wholesome. Here are a few new recipes I made this week (sorry for the lack of images to accompany this post!):

Wednesday: Egg Salad Sandwiches...a wholesome, tasty, and easy recipe.
Thursday: Pasta Fagioli
Friday: Blueberry-Raspberry Crisp
Saturday: Coconut Macaroon Pancakes...a nice twist to traditional pancakes!
Sunday: "Skinny" Omelettes (I know it's not Sunday yet, but I am planning on making them for breakfast tomorrow!)

Each recipe was DELICIOUS and passed the husband test. I've saved each of them on my Evernote account AND have them on my iPod for future use!

Blueberry-Raspberry Crisp (great for breakfast and dessert!)*
Makes 8 servings
Prep. 15 minutes, bake at 350 for 55 min.

Berry mixture
4 c. blueberries
1/2 c. light brown sugar
3/4 c. flour (I used whole wheat pastry flour--it gave it a nice, earthy taste)
Juice and zest from 1 large orange
2 c. raspberries

Topping
3/4 c. flour (again--I used whole wheat pastry flour)
2/3 c. light brown sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 c. (1 stick) cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 c. rolled oats
1/4 c. chopped pecans

1. Heat oven to 350
2. Berry mixture: In large bowl, mix together blueberries, 1/2 c. light brown sugar, flour, and orange juice. Place into a 6-8 cup baking dish. Evenly scatter raspberries over the top.
3. Topping: In another large bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar and cinnamon. Cut in butter until crumbly. Stir in oats and pecans.
4. Sprinkle topping evenly over berry filling. Bake at 350 for 55 minutes, until bubbly. Allow to cool 15 minutes before serving.

What I like about this recipe: I LOVE berries! The sweetness of the blueberries and the tartness of the raspberries blended perfectly together. We ate this for dessert after lunch and then I had it again for breakfast the next day. The recipe could be easily cut in half and "healthed up"--instead of using enriched, white flour, I opted for whole wheat, all-natural pastry flour (packed full of fiber and not enriched). I didn't feel bad eating any of it either because I used all-natural ingredients!

Pasta Fagioli*
Makes 8 servings
Prep. 10 minutes, cook 13 minutes

2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
3 Garlic cloves
2 cans of chicken or veggie broth
1 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes
1 Tsp. Italian seasoning
1/4 Tsp. salt
1/4 Tsp. pepper
8 oz. Whole wheat pasta (I used the bowtie kind)
2 Cans of cannellini beans (white kidney beans), drained and rinsed
Shredded Parmesan (optional)

In large saucepan, heat extra-virgin olive oil over medium-high heat. Add diced cloves of garlic; cook for 1 minute. Stir in broth, tomatoes, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in pasta. Reduce heat; simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10-11 minutes, until pasta is tender. Stir in beans (don't forget to drain and rinse them!). Cook 1 minute or until beans are heated through. Top with Parmesan cheese.

What I like about this recipe: It's EASY! This was a "dump and pour" recipe made with common ingredients that didn't take a whole lot of thought or time. I used all natural, 99% fat free chicken broth and whole wheat pasta to give it a healthier edge. And, I cut this recipe in half since it's just two of us, and we still had leftovers for the next day. Plus, it's a filling meal--we each had a serving along with steamed broccoli and fresh bread and we were stuffed!

*From August 2010 issue of "Family Circle" magazine