Are there any readers out there that live in a two-person household? Cliff, Kara and I are all in that boat. Kara and Cliff have a house, just the two of them and I have an apartment with my roommate, Alana. Kara is very good about making dinners then separating the leftovers into lunches. But me…not so much! To be more accurate, me…NEVER!
I don’t cook every night for a couple of reasons. For one, I’m lazy, I admit it. Ants on a Log and oatmeal are my dinners more often than not. Second, I think it’s kinda hard to cook for only one or two people, especially since I’m not big on leftovers. Needless to say, I really appreciate a recipe that is already portioned off for two servings. Problem solved.
We decided to make panzanella because it was something we wanted to try for a long time, but never had. Bread salad…??…What’s not to like?
I don’t know if Kara has ever told you all this story but if you ask her if she likes salad, she will tell you this: I don’t like lettuce salad, but I like apple salad, fruit salad, Hawaiian salad, etc. Here is another salad she can add to her list of Salad Likes…it was awesome! Our take on Panzanella was super easy to make and so YUM! All three of us loved it.
Here’s what you’ll need. That’s our homemade mozzarella in the bowl to the right
On a baking sheet, lay a cup each green beans, tomatoes & eggplant. Sprinkle minced garlic clove on top, drizzle w/ EVOO
On another baking sheet toss the cubes of bread with olive oil, s&p
While the veggies are roasting and bread is toasting, whisk together the dressing
In a large bowl, toss everything together, including the cannellini beans and cheese
Pour in the dressing right before you serve and give the salad a quick toss
A tasty way to use tomatoes from the garden and day-old bread!
Five Cup Panzanella for Two
Ingredients
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup green beans
- 1 cup eggplant, cubed
- 1 cup day-old french bread, cut into cubes
- 1 cup fresh mozzarella, cubed
- 1 cup cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- garlic clove, minced
- 1/2 cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling over bread and veggies
- 3 tbsp tarragon wine vinegar
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
- On one baking sheet, lay tomatoes, green beans and eggplant in a single layer. Sprinkle minced garlic on top of the vegetables. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and toss to make sure everything is evenly coated. Bake for 10 minutes.
- On the second baking sheet, lay the cubed bread in a single layer. Season with salt and pepper, then drizzle with olive oil. Toss to coat. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden and crisp.
- While the veggies and bread are in the oven make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil and tarragon vinegar. Lightly season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- In a large bowl combine the roasted veggies, fresh mozzarella, bread and the cannellini beans. Pour half the dressing on top and toss gently to coat. If needed, pour the remaining dressing on top and toss again. Serve immediately.