Jan D'Atri

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tomatoes

Garden Churkey Burger

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The Story

You’re looking for something yummy and a little different for your Memorial Day menu. You’re trying to eat lighter. You’re craving a burger. You’ve come to the right place! How about a Churkey Burger? It’s a delicious combination of ground turkey and chicken (no, it’s not redundant… really!) with moistness and flavor added to the mixture from pesto, onion, and crushed red pepper. Then, once it is grilled to perfection, top it with avocado, sliced tomato, onion, arugula, and your favorite cheese. Your craving is about to be satisfied! So why use both ground turkey and ground chicken? You could certainly use just one or the other – they’re pretty much equal in calories, fat, and protein. But while turkey has a nice flavor, it tends to be a bit dry. Chicken, it seems, has a little more moisture and it acts more like ground beef when mixed together with other ingredients for patties. Add the pesto for even more moisture, and the Churkey Burger becomes a hearty and satisfying alternative to the usual burger fare. Now here’s a tip for a delicious condiment for your Churkey Burger: if you have some leftover pesto, let it drain through a sieve to get most of the olive oil out. Place the pesto in a bowl, add a little mayonnaise, and stir. It makes a wonderful slather on your bread and the perfect complement to the burger. Dive in and enjoy!

Rainbow Veggie Round

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The Story

You’ve heard it your whole life from mom, dad, grandma, and grandpa: “Eat your vegetables!” But grandma didn’t have the advantage of instant access to thousands of recipes for veggies trending online. There was no such thing as “veggies gone viral” in her day. Eating veggies often meant plowing through a pile of potatoes, noshing on fresh corn on the cob, or sopping up some baked beans. So what do you get when you combine the age-old request to “eat your vegetables” with a veggie dish trending on social media? You get an empty plate! It’s really that good. The Rainbow Veggie Round combines any and all of your favorite, in-season produce, sliced in rounds and placed pinwheel-style in a pie dish with a layer of tomato sauce and ricotta and Parmesan cheese as a base. Just about everything “rainbow” is trending these days, from bagels to waffles to multi-colored pastas. So why not veggies? I’ve offered up some of my ideas for sliced vegetables like Japanese eggplant, summer squash, and purple potatoes. Make up your own rainbow of veggies, and then serve it up as a wonderful, meatless main dish, or as a colorful and tasty side!

Eggplant Parmesan Casserole

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The Story

Our mothers, grandmothers, and even great-grandmothers had a secret weapon in the kitchen: the casserole. It could be made ahead of time and frozen until ready for use. It could feed a hungry crowd and it always seemed to taste better the next day. In my family, one of our favorite casseroles has always been Eggplant Parmesan. My momma figured out years ago how to get the eggplant softened and still have the pan-grilled flavor. Her homemade marinara sauce only takes 20 minutes to make, from start to finish, so it’s the perfect “sugo” to go in between the delicious slices of eggplant and cheese. With the holidays right around the corner, here’s a great dish for family gatherings that can be made ahead of time or enjoyed freshly made and piping hot, right out of the oven.