Asparagus Gruyere Tart

This time last year: Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Pancakes (2012)

Less is more.

You’ve heard it before- “Less is more.”

However, how often do we actually remember that?’

I have a hunch, that more often than not, the wish for less work and more yummies comes to mind around the dinner hour, when we find ourselves hungry and not in the mood to spend hours in the kitchen.

I feel you there, and thus am very happy to share this simple and scrumptious meal!

This recipe, is a perfect example of less is more, done perfectly. With only four ingredients, and one baking sheet, you can have a scrumptious meal or appetizer on you hands in mere minutes.

Not a fan of asparagus? Feel free to switch out these veggies with something else, such as sliced tomato, mushroom, or onion. You can’t go wrong, but remember, sometimes, less is more 🙂

Happy eating, and come back soon!

Ingredients:

• 1 rectangular pizza dough or frozen puff pastry
• 2 cups (5 1/2 ounces) Gruyere cheese, shredded
• 1 1/2 pounds asparagus, rinsed and trimmed
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 ˚ F, or to temperature directed on frozen dough container.
2. Roll out the dough out into a rectangle, folding the edges up slightly.
3. Place the pastry on a baking sheet, and with a sharp knife, lightly score the dough.  Bake until golden, for about 15 minutes.
4. Remove the pastry dough from the oven, and evenly sprinkle with Gruyere. Arrange the asparagus spears across the tart shell, alternating ends and tips. Brush the asparagus with oil, and season with salt and pepper.
5. Bake for an additional 20-25 minutes, serve warm and enjoy!

Notes and Tips!:

• Source: Martha Stewart
• Like this recipe? Try these other delicious treats from A Rented Kitchen! (Recipe links below photos):

Sweet Potato Pizza with Caramelized Onion, Goat Cheese, and Kale

Fil-Wrapped Asparagus (with Two dipping sauces!)

White Bean, Brussels Sprouts, and Pomegranate Tart

• Filo-Wrapped Asparagus (with Two dipping sauces!)
• Sweet Potato Pizza with Caramelized Onion, Goat Cheese, and Kale
• White Bean, Brussels Sprouts, and Pomegranate Tart

Harvest Salad with Fruit, Herbs, and Goat Cheese

This time last year: Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal (2014)

Never have I ever truly craved a salad. I wish that was my life, but sadly, it is not. Chocolate, bread, coffee? Yes. I crave those every day. Salad? Mmmmm not so much.

However, a few weeks ago my dear friend Rachel invited me over to her house for lunch, and we whipped this salad together. The combination of goat cheese, fresh herbs, fruit, and colorful vegetables made for one of the most refreshing meals I’ve had all season! Thus for the first time, I was truly craving salad!

As the last glimpses of summer slip away, I had to dig up this recipe and enjoy the incredible combination of fruit and vegetables! No surprise- it was just as good as I had remembered it, and I am going to be enjoying it all week long!

If you’re not a huge salad person, give this a try. If you’re a huge salad person, you’re welcome for just changing your life.

Life should be colorful. Life should be healthy. Food should taste like this.

Dig in 🙂

Love, A Rented Kitchen

Salad Ingredients:

• 4-8 cup romaine lettuce, chopped
• ½ cup fresh basil and parsley, chopped
• 2 Tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
• 2 ears grilled corn, kernels removed from the cob (or one can of corn- no sodium added)
• 1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• ¾ cup fresh blackberries
• 1 peach, finely chopped
• 1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped
• ½ cup mixed toasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas), pecans, walnuts, and/or pistachios
• 1 avocado, pitted + chopped
• 4-6 ounces goat cheese, crumbled

Dressing Ingredients:

• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons honey
• ½ -1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
• 1 lemon, juiced
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, toss together the lettuce, basil, parsley, thyme, corn, tomatoes, red pepper, blackberries, peach, jalapeno, and nuts.
2. In a separate mason jar or small bowl whisk together the dressing ingredients until fully combined.
3. Top the salad off with avocado and goat cheese, toss once more, and serve with dressing on the side or drizzled over top. Enjoy!

 

Notes and Tips!:

• Want to add more protein? Try warming up 16 ounces of chickpeas and throwing those into the mix! They are an excellent healthy source of protein!
• Source: Half Baked Harvest
• Like this salad? Try these other healthy and seasonal dishes from A Rented Kitchen! (Recipe links below photos):

Berry Quinoa Salad with Citrus Honey Dressing

Zucchini Salad with Avocado, Corn, and Feta

Balsamic Mushroom and Fruit Summer Salad

• Berry Quinoa Salad with Citrus Honey Dressing
• Zucchini Ribbon Salad with Sweet Corn, Avocado, and Feta
• Balsamic Mushroom and Fruit Summer Salad

Peach Pesto Grilled Cheese with Smoked Mozzarella, Caramelized Onions, and Thyme

This time last year: No-Bake Energy Bites (2012)

My mom has this amazing tradition of going to the farmers market every Saturday morning.  I know a lot of people participate in this tradition, and that she is not necessarily unique in that, but it was new for me!

Sleep and I get along really well.

Regardless, my early-bird extremely productive mother gets up every Saturday, grabs a cup of coffee at one of the food stands, and strolls through the market, gently gathering her produce for the week.

I was home for the last few weeks of August, and managed to pull my sleepy-head self out of bed to join my mom on these early morning escapades. We strolled through the market smelling flowers, squeezing peaches, and drooling over the fresh baked bread.  It was really beautiful.

Although the calendar says that summer is coming to an end, you would not have been able to tell at the neighborhood market. The produce stands were overflowing, offering dripping peach slices into chubby children’s hands, and weighing down folding tables with pyramids of delicately balanced piles of sweet corn and ripe tomatoes.

As we gathered together fresh peaches, basil, tomatoes, zucchini, and herbs, this recipe was born.  There is something so wonderful in a simple grilled cheese sandwich. There’s something even more wonderful in dressing that classic recipe up with what’s in season- in our case, homemade pesto, fresh peaches, and thyme. I hope you like it as much as we did!

Ingredients:

• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 3 Tablespoons chopped yellow onion
• 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• Two pieces of thick sandwich bread (I bought a fresh loaf of cheddar and pesto bread from a nearby bakery!)
• 1 Tablespoon butter
• 4 ounces smoked mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 peach, cut into thin slices
• 2 sprigs of fresh thyme

Directions:

1. Heat the olive oil in a small frying pan over medium-high heat.  Once warm, add the onion to the pan and cook for two minutes. Add the balsamic vinegar, stir, and cook for another minutes. Remove from heat.
2. Assemble the sandwiches by spreading pesto on one side of the bread. Add a layer of cheese on each piece, and top with peach slices, the balsamic onion, and sprinkle with thyme.
3. Close the sandwich and butter the outside pieces of bread.
4. Cook the sandwich over medium heat until the cheese is melted. Serve warm and enjoy!

Notes and Tips!:

• Yield: 1 Sandwich
• Source: A Rented Kitchen
• Like this recipe? Try these other delicious recipes from A Rented Kitchen (Recipe Links found below photos!):

Tangy Strawberry Balsamic Tempeh Sandwich

Vegetarian Sloppy Joes

Summer Peach Panini

• Tangy Strawberry Balsamic Tempeh Sandwich
• Vegetarian Sloppy Joes
• Summer Peach Panini

Strawberry Caprese Salad

This time last year: Marinated and Roasted Eggplant with Smoked Almonds & Goat Cheese (2013)

It is hard to believe summer is coming to a close! This happens to me every year. One day I’m perusing my cook books- picking out recipes that are in season with the summer heat, and the next second it’s fall and I’ve still got strawberry and watermelon recipes to post! Woops.

This recipe, a delicious variation on the classic tomato and mozzarella caprese salad, is a perfect summer side dish. The fact that it is served room temperature or chilled makes it ideal for that summer heat, and the addition of strawberries and walnuts makes it a creative crowd pleaser!

It may not be quite time for pumpkin and cider, but time is flying before our eyes. So, while the nights are still long, give this dish a try, in honor of summer. I promise you will not regret it.

Come back soon!

xo A Rented Kitchen

Ingredients:

• 2 cups rinsed, sliced strawberries
• 1 bunch chopped basil
• 1 cup bocconcini (mozzarella balls)
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1-2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1-2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
• Sea Salt (to taste)

Directions:

1. Combine the strawberries, basil, mozzarella, and walnuts in a bowl. Toss gently.
2. In a separate dish or jar, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and sea salt to taste.
3. Drizzle the strawberry salad with the dressing and serve!

 

Notes and Tips!:

• Source: Edible San Fransisco
• Store chilled
• Like this recipe? Try these other scrumptious and healthy dishes from A Rented Kitchen! (Recipe links found below:)

Honey-Roasted Pears with Lavender

Fresh Fruit Quinoa Salad with Lemon Basil Dressing

Fried Plantains: Sweet and Salty!

• Honey Roasted Pears with Lavender 
• Fresh Fruit Quinoa Salad with Lemon Basil Dressing
• Fried Plantains: Sweet and Salty!

Roasted Cauliflower, Mushroom and Goat Cheese Quiche with Quinoa Crust

This time last year: Therapy Cookies (AKA Chocolate, Peanut Butter, Sea Salt Bites) (2013)

 

It may not be surprising to you, but one of the most common reasons people find my blog, is in a pursuit for gluten free recipes! There are a lot of recipes that I make intentionally vegetarian, but unintentionally gluten free, which is a win-win for everyone! However, because I have noticed the trend for increased gluten free searches, I have tried to start making more intentionally gluten free recipes, seeking out ways I can cut out flour when possible.

For example, this last year I shared a Berry Quinoa Salad with Honey Citrus Dressing, Flourless Chocolate Lavender Cupcakes, and a Gluten-Free Cauliflower Pizza Crust! All gluten free, and all incredibly delicious!

When I stumbled upon this recipe I thought it would be a perfect recipe to try for my gluten free quiche friends, and I was right! At first I was worried that a quinoa crust would crumble and fall apart as soon as you cut it, however the crust held together amazingly well! We had no trouble cutting or serving the quiche, and the quinoa packed in tons of additional protein and nutrients, a value you do not get with a simple flour crust.

In other words- you should try this recipe, because it’s awesome, incredibly delicious, healthy, gluten free, and it has goat cheese! What more could you want?

And if you are in the market for other gluten free recipes, make sure you check out the Gluten Free section under my recipe page! There is a whole lot of love and flavor to go around!

Come back soon!

Love, a rented kitchen

Crust Ingredients:

• ½ cup quinoa (I used red, but any variety will do!)
• 1 cup water
• 1 egg
• ¼ cup grated parmesan, grated

Quiche Ingredients:

• ½ medium head cauliflower, cut into florets
• 8 ounces mushrooms, quartered
• 1 Tablespoon oil
• 1-2 teaspoons minced garlic
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 5 eggs
• ½ cup milk or heavy cream
• ½ teaspoon thyme, chopped
• 4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400˚ F.
2. In a medium sized pot, bring the quinoa and water to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, covered, for 15 minutes, or until all the water has been absorbed. Fluff with a fork and allow the quinoa to sit, covered, for an additional five minutes.
3. While the quinoa cooks, toss the cauliflower and mushrooms with the olive oil, garlic, and salt and pepper. Arrange in one layer on a baking sheet and cook in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, stirring halfway through. Once lightly brown and slightly caramelized, remove from the heat and reduce the oven to 375˚F.
4. Combine the cooked quinoa, one egg, and grated Parmesan cheese. Mix thoroughly and press into a pie pan. Cook at 375˚F for ten minutes.
5. Mix the cauliflower, mushrooms, eggs, milk, thyme, goat cheese, salt, and pepper, and pour into the cooked piecrust. Bake an additional 30-35 minutes at 375˚F, until the center of the quiche is set and the top is lightly browned.

Notes and Tips!:

• The quiche tends to cut better when the quinoa crust is cool, thus, try making this recipe in advance, allowing the quiche to cool, and then cutting, heating, and serving.
• Source: Closet Cooking
• Like this recipe? Try these other delicious recipes from A Rented Kitchen! (Recipe links found below)

Fresh Vegetable Quiche with Homemade Pie Crust

Red Pepper Quiche Cups

Sweet Potato Crusted Spinach Quiche

• Fresh Vegetable Quiche with Homemade Crust
• Red Pepper Quiche Cups
• Sweet Potato Crusted Spinach Quiche