Grilled Eggplant with Tahini Yogurt

After tasting this at my local farmer's market, I knew I had to come home and duplicate it immediately. After a couple variations, I whipped up a big batch for my lunches for the week, carting a quarter each day to work. Normally I like to work this way since I get bored of one meal rather quickly, but I easily could have made a month's worth without ever getting tired of it.

As usual, much of this recipe depends on having good quality ingredients. Make sure you get fresh, local eggplant. I used the fairy tale version that is light purple and a bit striped, but really any species of eggplant will work just fine as long as it's fresh and tasty! Also make sure you're purchasing a good quality olive oil. This makes all the difference in most recipes, but in a recipe as simple as this one it's especially important. This doesn't mean you have to spend a fortune, though. I actually really enjoy the fanciest version of Whole Food's 365 brand cold-pressed olive oil. It's affordable without sacrificing flavor and quality.

Difficulty: easy
Time: 30 min (plus setting time for tahini yogurt)
Cost: $9.80

Nutrition and recipe below the jump!

Broccoli Fried Rice

Fried rice is one of those delightful treats that somehow ends up completely saturated with oils and salts when it's really not needed. The ingredients - crispy rice, vegetables, egg, and sometimes meat - are more than enough to stand on their own. So my version below is based on that assumption. I use just enough oil to cook the rice and veggies for a stir-fry texture and reduce the sodium wherever possible.

Perhaps not the most traditional accompaniment to fried rice, but I served this with some crab-stuff sole from Wegman's. It was tasty, but honestly not as good as I expected. Serve this rice with a protein of your own choosing, or else just eat it on its own for a very satisfying vegetarian dinner.

Difficulty: medium
Time: 30 min
Cost: $25.05

Nutrition and recipe after the jump!

Grilled Caprese-Zucchini Sandwiches

I love caprese sandwiches - and salads, for that matter, too. There is something so delectable about this simple combination but you need the freshest ingredients to truly make these sandwiches shine. Here, I purchased some freshly baked baguette, still toasty warm, from my farmer's market along with delicious, ripe heirloom tomatoes, crisp zucchini, and a huge bundle of freshly picked basil. I had to head to whole foods for creamy, buffalo mozzarella but splurged on the high quality version of the cheese. Finally, I picked out high quality olive oil. It's important not to skip on any ingredient here for the best result. It might cost a little more, but it's highly worth it.

Since I was planning on grilling these sandwiches, I also grabbed some sweet corn at the farmer's market as well. Grilling corn in the summer always tastes better than corn made in my kitchen, so I figured it's sweetness and freshness would be the perfect complement to these sandwiches.

Difficulty: medium-easy
Time: 20 min
Cost: $11.25

Recipe and nutrition below the jump!

Citrus Grilled Zucchini and Squash

This week was all about whipping up simple and fast meals while still packing in nutrition and utilizing farmer's market vegetables and fruit. With work, extra classes, and more, I wanted to stay healthy and homemade without spending hours cooking. With that in mind, I picked up some pre-cajuned catfish at Whole Foods, one of my favorite fish dishes ever, and then chose local and organic potatoes, zucchini, and summer squash from the farmer's market. This didn't mean simply the basic yellow summer squash, but also zephyr (multicolored) and pattypan among others. The potatoes were tossed with olive oil and cajun spices and roasted, leaving me with a pile of squash.

I decided to take advantage of the new grill on my roofdeck and cook these vegetables in true summer fashion. As you'll see below, I marinated them first and then simply let the grill do the rest. Their fresh, natural flavor came through strongly, making them the perfect final addition to this easy meal.

Difficulty: easy
Time: 20 min (plus marinating time, which should be several hours up to overnight)
Cost: $14.64

Avocado Soup with Chipotle Shrimp

Never had avocado soup before? Well, to be honest, neither had I. I'm a huge fan of this fatty fruit, but I wasn't entirely sure how it would taste in a soup, or, perhaps more importantly, how this could possibly turn into an even half-healthy option. The trick, however, is to not picture a thick soup of smoothie consistency. Instead, the avocado is lightened considerably by vegetable broth, allowing volume without calories and giving a more typically expected consistency. It's still delicious, and the heat of the chipotle shrimp pairs perfectly with the cool, chilled soup.

To go along with the soup, I whipped up some tofu pad thai. It remains a favorite of mine at Thai restaurants, and is surprisingly easy to duplicate at home. Check out my past post on the recipe and you'll see how quickly it comes together. It's also far less salty (and possibly oily) than the version you'd get at your favorite local Thai restaurant.

Difficulty: medium
Time: 15 min hands on time (2-3 hrs with chilling time)
Cost: $15.28

Pesto Gnocchi with Shrimp and Asparagus

I love gnocchi. When it's done well - light and fluffy with an unbeatable texture - it's nearly impossible to say no to it. This recipe comes together very quickly, utilizing my newest find, vacuum-packed gnocchi, and then tosses it with fresh rock shrimp, asparagus, and pesto for a delicious dish. You could also easily leave out the shrimp or toss in other veggies to make it vegetarian. I'm thinking fresh, sweet cherry tomatoes from your local farmer's market would make a perfect addition here.

Along with the gnocchi, I prepared an arugula salad with fresh, grilled vidalia onions and sweet tomatoes tossed in a homemade vinaigrette. Check out the salad section above to find this recipe from a previous post. This salad is simple but truly delicious when in-season ingredients are used. It's hard to beat summer tomatoes, hot off the vine, and they continue to shine in every dish.

Difficulty: easy
Cost: $27.95
Time: 20 min

Sweet Citrus Salmon

This salmon dish is simple to make yet combines a plethora of flavors.  The spice rub is interesting, adding a bit of complexity to what otherwise would be a run-of-the-mill recipe.  A touch of chili powder cuts the sweetness of the sugar, lemon rind adds an acidic note and a splash of freshness, and the Indian spices impart a hint of curry.  It's absolutely delicious, providing an easy, fast dinner that is still unique.

Along with the salmon, I made some roasted potatoes - fresh from the farmer's market of course - and some watermelon gazpacho.  That refreshing, cold soup continues to be a household favorite in the summer months.  It soothes and brightens, leaving you happier simply for having eaten it.

Difficulty: easy
Time: 15 min
Cost: $17.25