Scrambled Egg Breakfast Pitas with Zucchini, Peppers, and Feta

For this dish, I started with my recipe for Scrambled Egg Breakfast Pitas with Zucchini and Peppers and added some feta cheese for an extra flavor dimension. Yum!

They're great any time of day - for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or a light dinner.

RECIPE:

6 large eggs, or equivalent in egg substitute
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 small zucchini (approx. 6 ounces), quartered lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick wedges
1/2 medium red bell pepper, seeded and cut into julienne slices, and slices cut crosswise into thirds
2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese
2 large (6- or 7-inch) pitas (preferably whole wheat)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, and milk, along with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over medium to medium-high heat. Add the zucchini and peppers, along with additional salt and pepper to taste. Saute until the vegetables are cooked through.

Add the egg mixture and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until eggs are cooked through.

Meanwhile, cut the pitas in half crosswise, and toast them lightly in a dry skillet or grill pan over medium to medium-low heat.

Fill the toasted pitas evenly with the egg mixture. Top evenly with the feta, and serve.

-- 4 servings

Polenta with Spinach and Pine Nuts

For this dish, I started with my recipe for Polenta with Spinach, Raisins, and Pine Nuts and simply left out the raisins, since several of my friends dislike those sweet, chewy morsels.

This variation is just as good.

RECIPE:

1 tube of prepared polenta (plain)
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 pound fresh baby spinach
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons pine nuts
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Cut the polenta into 8 slices.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet or grill pan over medium heat. Add the polenta slices, and cook, turning once, until heated through and lightly browned on both sides. Keep warm until ready to use.

Meanwhile, rinse the spinach, but do not dry. The water clinging to the spinach will help to steam it during the cooking process.

In a separate large skillet, saute the spinach over medium-high heat just until wilted. Transfer the wilted spinach to a colander and set aside.

Wipe any spinach liquid from the skillet, and then heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, and saute for a minute or two until golden and fragrant. Do not let the garlic burn. When the garlic is golden, remove it from the pan and discard.

Add the pine nuts to the garlic-infused oil in the skillet, and saute over medium heat for a few minutes until the pine nuts are lightly golden.

Return the spinach to the skillet, along with salt and pepper to taste.

Saute over medium heat for another 2-3 minutes to reheat the spinach and blend all the flavors.

To serve, arrange polenta slices on serving plate(s). Top with the spinach mixture.

-- 4 servings (2 polenta slices per serving)

Romaine-Radicchio Salad with Sherry Vinaigrette

This salad is fairly simple, but it's loaded with flavor and nutrition. Bags of romaine-radiccho blend are available in most supermarkets these days, so you don't even have to start from scratch!

Serve it as a salad course or a side dish, or pair it with some hearty bread for a light but satisfying lunch.

RECIPE:

4 to 6 ounces mixed romaine lettuce and radicchio, washed, dried, and torn into bite-size pieces
1 medium-size tomato, diced (optional)
3 to 4 tablespoons Simple Sherry Vinaigrette (or your favorite prepared sherry vinaigrette)

Place the romaine and radicchio in a large bowl. Top with the diced tomatoes, if using.

Add the sherry vinaigrette, tossing well. Use only enough dressing to lightly coat all of the greens with the dressing.

-- 2-4 servings