Simple Caprese Snack Bowl

My new raised bed garden boxes are the bomb.  My vegetables are thriving in their new home which means I’m overloaded with tomatoes, red peppers, zucchini and yellow squash.  (The cucumbers didn’t make it this year, sadly).   My daughter’s boyfriend built the boxes for me; he’s quite the handyman and I am super grateful.  They are 20 inches high and measure 4 ft by 6 ft.  He lined them with a plastic liner to prevent water loss, wood rotting and stained them to preserve the wood.

With all the luscious tomatoes I’m making this quick and easy high protein caprese bowl often, like every day.  It’s so simple to make which makes it the perfect on-the-go snack plus it’s loaded with lycopene, the antioxidant found in tomatoes associated with cancer prevention.  Of course the cute little mozzarella cheese balls provide protein as well as calcium, magnesium, vitamin B12 and phosphorus.  And the olive oil offers a rich dose of omega-3 fatty acids, so essential to heart health.

My basil is growing nicely in separate pots on the patio so it’s a quick step to the back porch to pinch a stem or two when needed.  Rinse, pat dry and slice it over the top of the sliced tomatoes.

I love the cute little mozzarella cheese balls available at local grocery stores.  Costco carries these as well as my local Fred Meyer, but you can easily slice cheese sticks into bite-size pieces for the same effect.  A drizzle of olive oil and a splash of balsamic glaze completes the dish.  No matter how I eat it, caprese bowls sing summer freshness . . . and that makes me so happy.

One Year Ago:  Cucumber Tomato Salad                                                                                             Two Years Ago:  Coconut Zucchini Bread with Lemon Glaze 

 

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Grilled Caprese Chicken with Balsamic Glaze

 

 

 

 

 

Sun Valley Veggie Pizza 

 

 

 

 

 

Caprese Salad