"Robin! Make me something delicious!" This was the order which sparked one of the best late night snacks that I've had in a long time, not to mention a guilt free one!
Snacking is an absolute staple for any hangout with my friends, but unfortunately that often means eating terribly unhealthy right before bed...not the best idea during swimsuit season. So last night when the inevitable hunger struck, I immediately was overcome with feelings of regret...jumping the gun a bit, as I was already regretting what I thought would be another unhealthy late night snack. As my friend Robin walked into the kitchen to find something to satisfy our snack craving, I called out "Robin! Make me something delicious!", and boy did she ever! Robin, as lovely as she is, is admittedly not very well acquainted with the kitchen. Robin often eats out, and when she does have the opportunity to cook for herself, she is limited in time, which means cutting corners, resulting in cutting flavour! But last night, despite her wanting to get back to the hangout, Robin whipped up a fast, easy, and flavourful snack that left me craving it all over again for lunch today!
Robin came out with a vibrant platter full of sliced tomatoes sauteed in olive oil, with a light drizzling of balsamic vinegar, and a sprinkling of creamy goat cheese. Woah baby! That right there exceeded any expectations I had for my snack! It was comforting, fresh, and delicious! Robin's snack shows how easy it is to prepare a delicious dish when short on time and ingredients.
Because I woke up craving her snack this morning, I had to make a variation on it for my lunch. My Roasted Tomato and Goat Cheese Salad features the main elements of Robin's snack; tomatoes, goat cheese, and balsamic vinegar; but is made more substantial with the addition of mixed greens and roasted red peppers, making this the perfect summer lunch!
Note: You can adjust the amounts of the ingredients depending on how many people you are serving and which ingredients you like best. Play around!
Ingredients:
Salad
tomato slices
cherry tomatoes
leaves and sprigs of fresh thyme
garlic clove, roughly chopped
drizzle of olive oil
mixed greens
crumbled goat cheese
roasted red peppers, sliced
salt and freshly ground pepper
Balsamic Vinaigrette
1 part balsamic vinegar
2 parts olive oil,
sprinkle of brown sugar
salt and pepper
Directions:
1. Scatter the tomato slices, cherry tomatoes, and garlic pieces on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with thyme leaves and sprigs, and drizzle with olive oil.
2. Bake tomatoes in oven or toaster oven at 300º until skins on cherry tomatoes have burst., about 10 minutes.
3. In a small bowl, mix the balsamic vinegar with the brown sugar, salt and pepper using a fork or whisk. While continuing to mix, slowly pour in the olive oil. Set aside.
4. Place your mixed greens in a bowl and top with roasted tomatoes, roasted red peppers, and goat cheese.
5. Pour the vinaigrette over the greens, toss, and season with salt and pepper.
Check out Robin's sister Jamie's fantastic blog Martha In Training!!
Listening To:
