Grocery shopping is the bane of my existence. I wish I liked it, because I love to cook AND it's really nice to have food around the house. But more often than not, I find myself eating dry cereal and scraping together random concoctions from whatever is left in the pantry. I have to give myself a pep talk before going to the store (and tell others who might hold me accountable), the weather can't be too awful or too pleasant (it's preferable to go during a light drizzle), and I usually buy myself a present for being such a trooper (because not a real grown up).
Despite my shopping shortcomings, I have a love affair with food and eating. Good food is just about my favorite thing in the world. I like to smell, savor, exclaim over, and really live in the moment of eating. I greatly enjoy eating with others who are as passionate about food as I am - it makes me feel like less of a weirdo.
Summer food is such a joy to eat. Fresh ingredients makes a world of difference. Here are a few tasty summer recipes for your enjoyment.
1. Quinoa Salad with Asparagus, Avocado, Peas, & Lemon Basil Dressing
Dressing Ingredients:
3 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp honey
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh basil (I picked mine from the pot on the deck...that made me SO happy!)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Salad Ingredients:
2 cups water
1 cup quinoa
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp olive oil
1 small bunch asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 cup frozen peas
1 avocado, chopped
1/4 cup chopped basil
Directions:
1. In a small bowl, combine the dressing ingredients. Whisk to combine. Set aside.
2. Add water, quinoa, and salt to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium, heat. Boil for 5 minutes. Turn the heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until water is absorbed. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork.
3. While quinoa is cooking, cook the asparagus. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the asparagus and fresh lemon juice. Cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in peas and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
4. In a large bowl, combine quinoa, asparagus, peas, and avocado. Pour the dressing over the salad and stir until well coated. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in fresh basil and serve.
*I don't care for warm salads, so I let mine sit the refrigerator for about 15 minutes before I ate it. Just a personal preference.
2. Rhubarb Cake (my Grandma Martin's recipe)
-Prepare yellow cake mix without pudding according to package instructions
-Grease and flour a 9X13 pan
-Put 4-5 cups of chopped rhubarb on top of cake mix
-Pour 1/2 - 3/4 cup of sugar over rhubarb
-Pour 1 cup whipping cream over the top
-Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes
3. Slim and Delicious Lettuce Wraps
Ingredients:
1 lb lean ground chicken
2 shallots, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp creamy peanut butter
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp water
2 Tbsp chili garlic sauce (I didn't have this, so just added a little more of the oils and a little extra garlic)
4 green onions, sliced
8 oz. can water chestnuts, chopped (I left this out)
1/2 cup salted peanuts, chopped
8 large butter or iceberg lettuce leaves
Directions:
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken, shallots, salt and pepper, and break apart chicken with a spatula until the meat is almost cooked through. Add the garlic and stir for an additional 3 minutes. Meanwhile, in a microwaveable bowl, combine the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, peanut butter, water, honey, and chili garlic sauce. Microwave on high for two 15-second intervals, stirring after each one.
2. Add the liquid mixture to the chicken mixture and stir until combined. Add the green onions and water chestnuts. Stir until combined and cook over medium heat for 3 minutes, or until heated through.
3. Remove from heat and divide the chicken mixture between the lettuce leaves. Top with the chopped peanuts and serve.
4. Caprese Skewers
Ingredients:
1 large log of mozzarella cheese (or 2 mozzarella balls) - don't buy low fat
1 package rinsed cherry tomatoes
About 30 leaves of basil, rinsed
1 quarter of lemon
2 cloves of garlic, peeled
drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
1 cup balsamic vinegar
Directions:
1. Bring the vinegar to a low boil, then reduce heat to a full simmer. Keep simmering until the vinegar reduces by about half (about 30 minutes). Remove from heat and cool. The reduction thickens significantly when it's cooled.
2. Cut the mozzarella into 1" slices, then quarter each slice.
3. Place the mozzarella into a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and the juice from the lemon wedge.
4. With the flat side of a knife. smash the garlic and bruise about 10 basil leaves.
5. Gently toss the garlic and basil into the mozzarella. Let it marinate for about 30 minutes - don't do much more than that or the cheese will become too soft for skewering.
6. Skewer a tomato, a leaf of bail (from the remaining 20 or so leaves), and a mozzarella chunk. Follow with another tomato. Repeat until you're out of tomatoes.
7. Drizzle the vinegar reduction over the skewers and serve.
Ingredients:
1 cup plain couscous (I use a whole box)
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1 medium cucumber, chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup fresh chives, chopped
1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tsp sugar
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 cup feta cheese
Directions:
1. Cook couscous according to package directions; fluff with fork.
2. Combine tomatoes, cucumber, pepper, chives, and parsley in a large bowl. Fold in couscous.
3. Whisk together the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and sugar. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour mixture over couscous and vegetables and toss to coat.
4. Chill up to 24 hours and garnish with feta cheese before serving.
Happy eating!!
MMMMmmm, I might need to make that rhubarb cake!
ReplyDelete