Tomato & Zucchini Gratin

Tomatta season is here! Looking to celebrate?

This recipe was inspired by a dish I found via Bon Appétit online, which originally called for tomatoes and summer squash (see original recipe here.) Sadly, my grocer was out of squash, and my dreams were briefly... squashed. But then I supplemented a yellow & green zucchini mix, and it worked out great. Feel free to stick to the original recipe or try out my version below.

Tomato & Zucchini Gratin

Ingredients:
1 cup plain breadcrumbs
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese (I used shaved parm because I like how crispy it gets)
2 beefsteak tomatoes

1 green and 1 yellow zucchini, thinly sliced1 clove garlic, diced
4 tbs olive oil (total)
1/2 tsp oregano
4-5 fresh basil leaves
salt & pepper

Toss the Italian cheese and breadcrumbs with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and season with a dash of salt, pepper, and the oregano. Heat the other 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the diced garlic and heat through until fragrant. Add the tomato and cook, tossing occasionally, until heated through and juicy (about 3-4 minutes). Season with salt, pepper, and the basil (chopped up) and transfer to a baking dish. Top with the zucchini slices and the breadcrumb mixture. Bake at 350 degrees until the veggies are tender and the top is golden brown -- I baked mine for about 25 minutes. This would be a great main course or side dish.

A note: If you have an ovenproof pan/skillet, you are lucky and I am jealous. You can cook the tomatoes in the skillet, top them with the zucchini & breadcrumbs and transfer the dish straight to the oven. One pan -- super easy & hardly any clean-up. Like I said, I'm jealous.

Another note: To be honest, with the breadcrumbs, I feel like less could have been more on this dish. I followed the recipe and found my dish way too covered in breadcrumbs. It didn't destroy the taste (it was still really good!), but it did leave me with some valuable advice for you, my friend: take heed with the breadcrumbs. But do not skimp on the cheese.

Enjoy the season!

Love,
Amy

Summertime Favorites

Paying homage to some of my favorite summertime foods today that I was fortunate enough to enjoy in abundance this season. Fresh from the earth & the sea. Home-brewed lemon verbena iced tea, sweet corn, crabs, and local hand-picked fruit! nomnomnom.

I also dabbled in (but more like obsessed over) my first garden this summer. It was nothing crazy - just a few potted plants on the communal deck of my apartment complex. But it did bear some fruit! I ate my first sun-ripened, home-grown tomato the other night. It took months of not-so-patient waiting, but it gave me a whole new respect for all you gardeners out there (my hat is off). 

It feels bittersweet to see summer slipping away, but I'm really looking forward to fall - my favorite season. Hot drinks, savory spices, pumpkin, turkey, GRAVY! Bring it.

Slow down & enjoy these last few weeks of summer, my friends. If you need us, we'll be eating lobster on the deck in the dark, savoring the warm nights while they're still here and getting butter all over our clothes.

 

Love,

Amy (& Jamie) 

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

If there is a combination in this world more rewarding than peanut butter & chocolate I have yet to find it.

Here is a quick & easy recipe I found on Pinterest (original recipe here), however, I've made a gluten-free, dairy-free version for those of you candy-lovers out there with food allergies. I just can't stand the thought of you missing out on a creamy, crunchy, chocolatey, peanutty treat any longer!

Super simple and super satisfying. I couldn't figure out why I didn't make these sooner.


Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter alternative (I used Earth Balance Buttery Spread)
3/4 cup chunky or smooth peanut butter
3/4 cup gluten-free graham cracker crumbs (try Annie's Snickerdoodle Graham Cracker Bunnies!)
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup dairy-free, semisweet chocolate chips (I recommend Ghiradelli Semi-Sweet Chocolate Baking Chips)
1/4 cup vanilla almond milk
Sea salt

Makes 8 peanut butter cups!

Use a food processor to crush graham crackers into 3/4 of a cup of crumbs. Melt the peanut butter & butter alternative together in the microwave for about 45 seconds and stir until smooth & combined. Then add the graham cracker crumbs and sugar and mix to combine. Divide this mixture into 8 cupcake/muffin cups that either stand alone, or line a muffin tin.  Chill in the fridge for about 15 minutes so the peanut butter sets and stiffens.


Combine the chocolate and almond milk in a microwaveable bowl and heat for about 30 seconds. Stir, and heat for an additional 30 seconds if needed (until the chocolate is smooth).  Pour the chocolate over each of the peanut butter cups and sprinkle with a touch of sea salt. Chill until firm -- about 30 minutes or longer. Once the chocolate is firm, you're good to go! Enjoy the peanut butter & chocolate happiness, friends.

Love,
Amy