Savory Fresh Tomato Pizza Muffins

I have tons of grape tomatoes on my vines so I thought I  would take my zucchini bread recipe, tweak it to savory and try something I could stick in the freezer for lunches.









about 4 cups grape tomatoes(or roughly 4 cups chopped Romas)
1 TB olive oil
fresh ground black pepper to taste

1 cup sorghum flour
1 cup rice flour
1/3 cup potato starch
1/3 cup corn starch
1/4 cup tapioca starch
1 tsp xanthan gum

OR

3 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp baking soda
1 TB dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp onion powder

1/2 cup water, divided use
2 TB flax meal

2 eggs
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tsp sugar

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chopped pepperoni(optional of course)


Preheat oven to 400 and line a rimmed baking sheet with foil... place on tomatoes and drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with pepper and roll around well.
(This is less than the 4 cups called for, I started with less then decided to add more)










Roast for 15-20 minutes until the skins are wrinkly and starting to brown.








Remove from oven and allow to cool.  When they are cool, place them in a blender and pulse for a few seconds to break them up , but leave some chunks.










Lower the oven temp to 350 and grease muffin tins(I made 16 standard size muffins)

In a bowl combine flour/starches with baking soda and seasonings. Set aside.









In a small bowl combine 1/4 cup water with 2 TB flax meal, stir well and allow to gel up.

In a large mixing bowl pour tomatoes and add gelled flax, eggs, olive oil, sugar and the remaining 1/4 cup water.









Beat on  medium speed for 1 minute.










Add dry mixture 1/2 cup at a time. When it is all mixed in, beat on medium for 1 minute.

Gently fold in cheeses and pepperoni.









Fill muffin tins 2/3 full. Gently tap the tins on the counter for even tops.









Bake 20-30 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.










Allow to cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely.

I lined them up on a baking sheet and froze them for 30 minutes, then transferred to a freezer bag for quick lunch pull outs!

Zucchini Bread or Muffins (Gluten Free or Regular)

Zucchini AND Back to School Season!! Once again I have an abundance of zukes. The kids love zucchini bread so here we are...... In muffin form they freeze well and are easy to pull out for some school morning breakfast or after school snack! (Bread form freezes well too of course)






1 cup sorghum flour
1 cup brown rice flour
1/3 cup potato starch
1/3 cup corn starch
1/4 cup tapioca starch
1 tsp xanthan gum

OR

3 cups all purpose flour


2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp cloves


2 TB flax meal
1/4 cup water
3 cups shredded zucchini(squeeze out excess moisture before measuring)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 TB pure vanilla extract

Grease bottoms only of muffin tins(I got 20 standard size muffins) or 2 loaf pans and preheat oven to 350.

In a bowl combine all the flour/starch ingredients with the soda, salt, cinnamon, allspice and cloves. Whisk well and set aside.










In a small bowl combine flax meal with water, mix together and set aside to gel up a bit.




In a mixer bowl add shredded zucchini, sugar, eggs, butter and vanilla. Add gelled up flax/water. Mix well.









Add the flour mixture 1/2 cup at a time, when it is all incorporated mix on medium speed for 2 minutes.










Scoop by scant 1/4 cup into muffin tins or split evenly between loaf pans
















Bake in preheated oven 20-30 minutes for muffins, 50-60 minutes for loaves until a toothpick comes out clean

Allow to cool in pans for 10 minutes, remove from pans and cool completely.

I line my muffins up on a baking sheet and freeze for 3 hours, then transfer to a freezer bag.

Ranch BLT Pasta

This dish is great served hot or can be served cold for a great potluck dish!
I did it hot tonight, but included a small portion for the cold instructions...









16 oz pasta , cooked
1/2 to 1 lb bacon, cooked and crumbled (amount is up to your bacon-y preference)
2 cups grape tomatoes, sliced into halves or quarters
1 1/2-2 cups shredded cheese(flavor of your choice, I used pepper jack)
Romaine or Green Leaf Lettuce, Chopped(or other greens of your choice)

Dressing:
12 oz plain Greek yogurt
1/2 cup sour cream
1 TB parsley
1 TB buttermilk powder(optional)
1 tsp sea salt(or to taste)
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp dill
1/2 tsp onion powder
black pepper to taste

Mix all dressing ingredients, cover and refrigerate for at least an hour to allow flavors to mingle.

Cook pasta and bacon, drain both. Crumble the bacon.
Preheat oven to 350
Mix pasta with bacon and sliced tomatoes. Add dressing to taste preference and toss to coat well.
Pour into a greased 9 x 13 pan. Top with shredded cheese.
Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes, remove foil and bake 15 minutes more until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Serve on a bed of fresh romaine(or other greens)












If you want to serve it cold:
Rinse the pasta in cold water until the pasta is very cool, drain well.
Mix pasta and bacon with sliced tomatoes, cheese and chopped lettuce in a large bowl
Toss with prepared ranch to your taste preference. Chill well.

Salisbury Steak Burgers with Onion Gravy on Potato Buns

I was going to do Salisbury Meatloaf last night, but I decided to change it up a bit.











Awesome Potato Buns Recipe can be found HERE

Salisbury Steaks:
2 lbs ground beef or turkey(I used turkey this time)
1/2 cup condensed french onion soup (use 1/2 this recipe for homemade!)
1/2-3/4 cup bread crumbs
2 cloves garlic
2 eggs
1 tsp worcestshire sauce
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup butter, divided use

Onion Gravy:
1 large onion
1 cup beef broth
1 TB flour or cornstarch
salt and pepper to taste


Get your buns made up ahead of time, of course you can use store bought potato buns if you like









Steaks:
combine all ingredients except butter, adding bread crumbs as needed, mix well but don't over mix.











 Divide into 8 patties.















In a large deep pan melt 2 TB butter over medium heat. Add 4 patties and cook 4-5 minutes per side until cooked through(only flip once!)






Remove the patties from the pan and keep warm. Repeat with remaining 2 TB butter and 4 patties.










When the meat is done cooking reduce heat to medium low, add the onions directly to the pan(do not rinse or wipe out!)
Slowly cook the onions(about 20 minutes, don't be tempted to raise the heat!) When they are nicely browned and soft, sprinkle on the flour or cornstarch,stir well and cook 1 minute more, then add the beef broth, stir and cook until thickened. (Sorry I spaced these pictures)

Toast your buns, place on a meat patty, top with some onions and gravy and dig in!

Baba Ghanoush Pizza

I had an eggplant that needed to be used up so I made some Baba Ghanoush.....but I didnt really know what to do with it other than a dip....pizza it is!











1 par-baked pizza crust
1/2 cup Baba Ghanoush, or to taste (Lots of recipes available, This one is very basic and delicious)
baby spinach
mozzarella
grape tomatoes
pickled red onions*
basil
crushed red pepper flakes

*Pickled Onions:
1 medium red onion, sliced into thin rings
1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt

Combine all in a jar, shake well, cover and let mingle for at least 2 hours....the longer they sit the better they are in my honest opinion




Spread your crust with Baba Ghanoush , thin or thick is to your preference
Add a layer of baby spinach
Sprinkle on Cheese to taste
top with sliced grape tomatoes and pickled red onions
Sprinkle with a little dried basil and pepper flakes






Bake at 350 for 15 minutes until hot and bubbly. Allow to set for 5 minutes before slicing