leek Archives - Alida's Kitchen

April 4, 2012 ·

After a long day of work and play, it’s nice to have some healthy quick and easy meals ideas on hand. These Mushroom and Leek Pita Pizzas fit that bill quite nicely. Mushrooms and leeks are a delicious combination, and a little garlic and crushed red pepper give this pizza a little pizazz. The whole wheat pitas serve as a sturdy crust. Topped with some low fat ricotta and lots of vegetables, these pitas turned pizzas become a healthy dinner in less than 20 minutes.

Mushroom and Leek Pita Pizzas

Yields: 2 servings

Ingredients

Cooking spray
1 cup leeks, sliced (approximately 1 leek)
2 garlic cloves, sliced
2 cups sliced mushrooms (5 ounces)
Coarse salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
2 whole wheat pitas
¼ cup low fat ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
2 teaspoons olive oil, for drizzling
Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Spray large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium heat.
Add leeks and mushrooms and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until golden, about 1 to 2 minutes (watch carefully to not over cook garlic). Season with salt and pepper.
Place pitas on prepared baking sheet. Spreach each pita with 2 tablespoons ricotta cheese. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon olive oil, and top with vegetable mixture. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes (if using).
Bake until pita is golden and cheeses begin to melt, about 6 to 8 minutes. Serve immediately.

Adapted from Whole Living

Tomato Leek Frittata with Goat Cheese

June 13, 2011 ·

After taking a bite of this frittata, my husband sat for a minute and then said ‘Goat cheese is great, when done in the right way.’ Uh oh…and while I couldn’t agree more, I do know he’s not as fond of goat cheese as I am. Fortunately he followed that up by saying ‘This way was definitely the right way!’ and quickly cleaned his plate!

Goat cheese is definitely an ingredient that makes a statement. Too much can ruin a dish. Just the right amount can take an ordinary dish and make it extraordinary.

So is the case with this frittata. Goat cheese is the perfect complement to liven up the sauteed vegetables and eggs. I reduced the amount of goat cheese from the original recipe, as I found it a bit overpowering. I was a little generous when measuring the leeks because I love the subtle flavor and beautiful color. Since I had large grape tomatoes, I halved them, and they still burst with each bite. Beating the egg whites gives this frittata a souffle-like quality that just melts in your mouth.

The result is an exquisit blast of flavors in a light and airy frittata.

Tomato and Leek Frittata with Goat Cheese
Yields 4 servings

3 teaspoons olive oil
2 1/4 cups sliced leeks
coarse salt and ground pepper
1 cup grape tomatoes
6 egg whites
4 egg yolks
3 ounces crumbled goat cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in 10-inch ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium. Add leeks ; season with coarse salt and ground pepper. Cover; cook 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes. Cover; cook 2 minutes. Transfer to bowl and wipe out skillet.
In another bowl, beat 6 egg whites with salt and pepper to stiff peaks. Whisk in 4 egg yolks.
Heat skillet with 1 teaspoon olive oil. Add eggs; sprinkle with vegetables and goat cheese. Cook over medium until sides are dry, 3 minutes. Transfer to oven; bake until eggs are set, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Adapted from Everyday Food