Roasted Tomato & Red Pepper Soup

There’s a roadside stand on Route 6 in Welfleet, MA right by the Audubon Society that has the absolute best yellow sungold tomatoes I’ve ever eaten. It’s run by a super friendly sister/brother team who also happen to grow delicious peaches. I haven’t been back to Cape Cod in years, but I’ll never forget the taste of those tomatoes.

Tomato season is glorious, and I love to follow its progression from delicious grape and cherry tomatoes to hearty beefsteak tomatoes to perfectly balanced sungolds. The journey brings me infinite joy every summer.

Roasted Tomato and Red Pepper Soup

grape tomatoes

Seriously though… aren’t summer tomatoes the best?

My Roasted Tomato & Red Pepper Soup is worth turning the oven on for, even in the dog days of summer. It’s something that all 5 of us love and guzzle, so it’s always a welcomed dinner option. It’s also one of those dishes that you can serve to gluten free, dairy free and vegan guests, and with summer entertaining in full swing, that makes it a great back pocket recipe option. Smoked paprika adds a bit of intensity to the flavor here and it’s almost like being at a campfire. (s’mores for dessert?)

You can get this easy dish on the table in under an hour thanks to straightforward, fresh ingredients and a simple three step cooking method. Prep, roast, blend. That’s it. It’s flavorful and screams of summer, but it also freezes beautifully. So make a double batch for those winter days when you need a burst of sunshine.

Added bonus: it packs up beautifully in the lunchbox. To keep this recipe vegan, use vegetable broth.

Roasted veggies for soup

Roasted Tomato & Red Pepper Soup

Roasted Tomato & Red Pepper Soup 
(serves 4-6)

3 pints grape and/or cherry tomatoes
1/2 large red onion, cut into large chunks 
1 red bell pepper, cut into chunks 
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and halved
2 tablespoons olive oil 
3 teaspoons fresh thyme, divided
1/3 cup fresh basil
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 teaspoon flake salt, or to taste, divided
Fresh black pepper to taste
1 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)

Method
Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and add the tomatoes, onion, peppers and garlic. Cut any large tomatoes into pieces similarly sized to the grape tomatoes.
Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with 1 1/2 teaspoons of fresh thyme and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Roast for 30-40 minutes or until the vegetables have softened and become fragrant. 
Place the roasted vegetables into a blender. 
Add broth, basil, remaining thyme, salt, pepper and paprika. 
Blend together until smooth. Taste to determine whether more salt or pepper is needed. If you find the flavor too acidic, you can add 1/2 teaspoon of sugar.

* Serving ideas: with sourdough croutons and a big, hearty salad.

Sweet Potato Breakfast Tacos

When I was a kid, my mom didn’t make tacos often. On the rare occasion that she did, we’d have hard shell tacos, with ground meat and a packaged seasoning (you know the one). My mom served it with shredded cheese, lettuce and tomato and called it a day. For the record, I never ate any of the tomato, but I’m pretty sure that I dug taco night. My mom is a fabulous cook, and I learned to be an adventurous eater thanks to her, but tacos were never really her thing. They’re something I learned to really appreciate after I left home.

Fast forward… today I serve tacos to my crew fairly regularly. We usually have soft shell tacos (typically with corn tortillas, but sometimes with flour tortillas), and I serve them with turkey, chicken, pork, black beans, chickpeas, you name it! My kids love tacos any way I serve them, and they especially love DIY Taco Night, when they can fashion their own creations with a variety of fixings.

The folks at Siete Foods (whose chips we’re practically obsessed with) sent me a care package that included their new hard shell tacos and a variety of hot sauces (love love love), and the crunch factor added a whole new dimension of fun to Taco Night! I made Sweet Potato Breakfast Tacos, with scrambled eggs, sautéed spinach and a variety of fixings and the combo was a huge win! In a nutshell, it was like eating a spinach omelet with sweet potato hash browns and crispy chips with guacamole, hot sauce and salsa. All good there! It was hilarious watching my kids tilt their necks to make sure they got every last crispy bit into their mouths.

This one will be on repeat at my house, for sure! See below for the recipe.

Sweet Potato Breakfast Tacos

Sweet Potato Breakfast Tacos

Ingredients:
2 medium/large sweet potatoes, cut into 1 inch chunks (skin on)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
8 eggs, lightly scrambled
10 ounces spinach

Suggested fixings:
salsa
guacamole
sour cream
shredded cheese
lettuce
tomatoes

Method:
Preheat the oven to 400 F. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a large frying pan and add the sweet potato. Sauté on medium heat and toss to make sure the olive oil is evenly distributed. Add the seasonings and combine using a wooden spoon. Let that cook for 10-15 minutes until cooked through with slightly browned edges. Place in a bowl and set aside. In the same pan, add another tablespoon of olive oil and lightly scramble the eggs. We prefer them soft, but cook them to your liking. Place them in a bowl when done. In the very same pan (one pan to clean up: victory❣️) quickly sauté the spinach with the final tablespoon of olive oil. Tip: you can add fresh garlic to this if you’d like. While that cooks, heat the taco shells open side down in the oven for 2 minutes. Boom! Dinner is done. ❤️

The only argument we had about this one was whether the sweet potato hash browns should go on the bottom or whether the egg should go on the bottom. What’s your vote? 🤔

This meal is gluten free, dairy free, nut free and vegetarian.

Sweet Potato Breakfast Tacos

Taco Pasta

Is there anything better than the simple comfort of pasta with the simple deliciousness of taco seasonings? I think not. I’m not sure why the idea to combine the two took me so long to figure out, but I’m glad I finally did!

Taco Pasta

This simple recipe combines my taco seasoning with fridge-forage veggies and cooked pasta. It’s a riff on pasta salad, which means you can serve it cold or hot and everyone will celebrate. The possibilities are endless: serve this with chicken, or meat free; with shredded cheese or dairy free; and always load on the veggies to make it a one bowl wonder. This works perfectly for dinner and for lunchbox leftovers.

If you’re looking for more pasta ideas, I’ve got you covered!

If you make this, I’d love to hear what you add! Tag me so that I can see!

taco sauce ingredients

Taco Pasta

Sauce
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 
2 tablespoons olive oil 
2 tablespoons lime juice
Fresh cracked pepper to taste
*optional: pinch of cayenne pepper 

Pasta
8 oz dry pasta, cooked as directed
1-2 cups of chopped veggies (I used cherry tomatoes and bell peppers)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Method

1. Combine all of the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and whisk together. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, add cooked pasta with chopped veggies and toss to combine.

3. Add sauce and toss again to thoroughly combine.

Quick and Easy Turkey Meat Sauce

A Quick Meat Sauce is a back pocket essential as far as I’m concerned. Most of the time, I make ours with ground turkey, but occasionally I’ll use half turkey/half ground pork, or a turkey/pork/beef combination. I love this dish because it comes together in under 30 minutes, and works beautifully in the lunchbox as leftovers. My kids will eat this cold or hot, but they definitely prefer it packed in a thermos.

With just 7 ingredients, this simple recipe is perfect for a busy weeknight. Add veggies like spinach or chopped bell peppers, and you’ve got a one-pot wonder on your hands. This pairs well with any pasta shape, and we’ve also made it with polenta.

If you make this, let me know how it goes or tag me on Instagram.

Quick Meat Sauce

Ingredients
2 shallots, chopped
1 clove of garlic, chopped 
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 pounds ground turkey 
28 ounce can of chopped or crushed tomatoes
Chopped basil to taste (I used about 1/4 cup)
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Heat a large saucepan to medium heat and add the olive oil.

2. Sauté the shallots for about 2-3 minutes or until they become translucent. Add the garlic and continue cooking for another minute.

3. Add the ground turkey and combine thoroughly. Sauté until the turkey is almost cooked through.

4. Add the tomatoes, salt and pepper and reduce heat to medium low. Cook for another 15 minutes or until the meat is completely cooked through. 
   
   *Note: my kids like it “meaty.” If yours like it more saucy, simply decrease the amount of ground turkey that you add. 

Argentine Tortilla (Tortilla de Papas)

Potatoes + onions + eggs + spices = divine combination. Right?

My family traveled to Brazil and Argentina this summer to visit family and celebrate my brother in law’s wedding. Visually and culturally, the trip was magnificent! It was a culinary eye opener for my kids, and somewhat difficult at times for one of my kids and for me to handle the amount of meat consumed. We don’t eat so much red meat at home, but in Brazil and Argentina, it’s ubiquitous.

One bright light: in Buenos Aires, my aunt wowed us with her Tortilla de Papas, an Argentine riff on the classic Spanish dish, Tortilla Española.
In the classic preparation, chunks of potato are fried in olive oil with onions and spices until they have beautifully browned edges, and then eggs are added. Once flipped, this omelet seals the deal as a simple, yet filling and comforting rustic dish. My aunt can make this with her eyes closed, and it’s absolutely delicious time and time again. But wow, it’s a messy affair! Oil splatters everywhere, and the need to pour out some of the excess oil is potentially a hazard. In general, not the kind of dish that I would personally want to make over and over.

Once home, I tried my hand at her recipe many times, and tinkered with it until I reached a dish that I would be happy making on repeat. Instead of frying in a cast iron pan, I’ve roasted and seasoned the potatoes and onions, then baked the whole thing with eggs. The roasted flavor carries over beautifully here, and you won’t need to wipe up all of the oil spatter from frying. This dish can be made in multiple sizes, with the only adjustment made in the cooking time.

It’s homey and comforting, and easy enough to make on a busy weeknight. I love this dish because it’s also hearty enough to have as a main dish. If you make this dish, post it and tag @lalalunchbox and #lalalunchbox on Instagram.

Tortilla de Papas

1 pound of thin skinned potatoes (such as yukon gold), cut into 1 inch chunks
1 medium yellow onion, sliced into thin rounds
1 tablespoon paprika
3 tablespoons olive oil
6 large eggs
salt and pepper to taste

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 400 F.
2. Lay out the potatoes and onions on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with paprika.
3. Roast for approximately 35-40 minutes or until the potatoes and onions are nicely browned on the edges.
4. In a separate bowl, scramble the eggs and add salt/pepper to taste. I added just under one teaspoon.
5. Combine the roasted vegetables with the eggs and pour into an oven safe dish. You can line the top with roasted onion rings to make it look pretty.
6. Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until the eggs are just set.