Summer Loving. June 18, 2016.
I love summer. I love being outside, hanging out with friends, and eating fresh fruits and vegetables. So that's what we did. Enjoy!
Grilled Corn, Crema Mexicana & Cilantro Crostini
Recipe courtesy of bon appetit.
since i don't have a grill, i made slight variations to the recipe - i sauteed the corn over medium-high heat for a few minutes until there was a hint of char; and brushed the bread with olive oil and rubbed with the garlic clove before placing it under the broiler for a few minutes. -N
Serves 12.
Ingredients
2 ears corn, shucked
1 T vegetable oil
kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
12 slieces of ciabatta bread
1/2 garlic clove
1/4 crema mexicana or sour cream
3 T crumbled feta
lime wedges
cilantro leaves
chili powder
Preparation
Bonus App: Mozzarella, Red Pepper & Bacon Skewers
Recipe courtesy of Country Living.
Ingredients
Top pepper strips with basil, bacon & mozzarella, dividing evenly. Roll pepper around filing and secure with a pick.
Arrange on a platter and drizzle with oil. Season with salt & pepper.
Recipe courtesy of bon appetit.
since i don't have a grill, i made slight variations to the recipe - i sauteed the corn over medium-high heat for a few minutes until there was a hint of char; and brushed the bread with olive oil and rubbed with the garlic clove before placing it under the broiler for a few minutes. -N
Serves 12.
Ingredients
2 ears corn, shucked
1 T vegetable oil
kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
12 slieces of ciabatta bread
1/2 garlic clove
1/4 crema mexicana or sour cream
3 T crumbled feta
lime wedges
cilantro leaves
chili powder
Preparation
- Rub corn with vegetable oil. Season corn with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper; grill until slightly charred and tender. Slice corn off the cob in wide strips.
- Grill bread slices and rub with garlic clove.
- Mix crema mexicana or sour cream with feta.
- Smear toasts with crema mixture. Top crema with grilled corn. Squeeze a lime wedge over each. Garnish with cilantro leaves and sprinkle with chili powder.
Bonus App: Mozzarella, Red Pepper & Bacon Skewers
Recipe courtesy of Country Living.
Ingredients
- 6 whole roasted red peppers (from 2 24-ounce jars), cut into 32 (3/4"-x-5" strips)
- 32 fresh basil leaves
- 11 slices cooked bacon, cut into thirds
- 32 (about 12 ounces) ciliegine (cherry-size fresh mozzarella balls)
- 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Top pepper strips with basil, bacon & mozzarella, dividing evenly. Roll pepper around filing and secure with a pick.
Arrange on a platter and drizzle with oil. Season with salt & pepper.
Tomato Salad with Crushed Croutons
(courtesy of smittenkitchen.com)
Crushed croutons
4 slices hearty white bread (I used sourdough)
1 small shallot, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
1 garlic clove, minced or pressed through garlic press
1/4 teaspoon table salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Tomato salad
1 pound cherry or grape tomatoes, mixed colors if you can find them
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 tablespoon mellow red wine vinegar (yours isn’t mellow? use less)
1/8 teaspoon table salt
Pinch of sugar
Freshly ground black pepper
Handful basil leaves, slivered.
Prepare the crushed croutons: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Tear bread into chunks and pule them in a food processor until coarsely ground (largest chunks can be lima bean sized). No food processor? Keep tearing the bread up until it is in ragged, mixed sized crumbs. Spread crumbs on a rimmed baking sheet and toss with shallots, garlic, salt, pepper, olive oil and parmesan until croutons are evenly coated with oil. Bake until golden brown and dry, about 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from oven and set aside to cool slightly. (Warm is fine, hot might wilt your tomatoes, boo.)
Assemble salad: Halve each tomato lengthwise and arrange cut side up on a platter. Whisk together vinegar, olive oil, salt, sugar and a few grinds of pepper in a small dish. Drizzle over tomatoes. Sprinkle tomatoes with crushed croutons. Garnish with slivers of basil.
(courtesy of smittenkitchen.com)
Crushed croutons
4 slices hearty white bread (I used sourdough)
1 small shallot, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
1 garlic clove, minced or pressed through garlic press
1/4 teaspoon table salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Tomato salad
1 pound cherry or grape tomatoes, mixed colors if you can find them
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 tablespoon mellow red wine vinegar (yours isn’t mellow? use less)
1/8 teaspoon table salt
Pinch of sugar
Freshly ground black pepper
Handful basil leaves, slivered.
Prepare the crushed croutons: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Tear bread into chunks and pule them in a food processor until coarsely ground (largest chunks can be lima bean sized). No food processor? Keep tearing the bread up until it is in ragged, mixed sized crumbs. Spread crumbs on a rimmed baking sheet and toss with shallots, garlic, salt, pepper, olive oil and parmesan until croutons are evenly coated with oil. Bake until golden brown and dry, about 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from oven and set aside to cool slightly. (Warm is fine, hot might wilt your tomatoes, boo.)
Assemble salad: Halve each tomato lengthwise and arrange cut side up on a platter. Whisk together vinegar, olive oil, salt, sugar and a few grinds of pepper in a small dish. Drizzle over tomatoes. Sprinkle tomatoes with crushed croutons. Garnish with slivers of basil.
Summer Salmon Salad
Honey Roasted Almonds:
Champagne vinaigrette:
Orange marinade for salmon:
- Mixed greens
- Goat cheese, crumbled
- Sliced strawberries
- Blueberries
- Honey roasted almonds (recipe below)
- Champagne vinaigrette (recipe below)
- Salmon grilled on cedar planks, marinated in orange marinade (recipe below)
Honey Roasted Almonds:
- 2 cups whole almonds
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 3 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon almond oil
- Spread almonds in a single layer on a baking sheet and place in a cold oven. Turn oven to 35o and bake almonds, stirring occasionally, about 12-15 minutes.
- Mix sugar and salt in a small bowl. Sprinkle about 1 tablespoon sugar mixture into a large bowl.
- Stir honey, water, and almond oil together in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Add almonds. Cook and stir until almonds have absorbed all the liquid--about 4-5 minutes.
- Transfer coated almonds to the large bowl with 1 tablespoon sugar mixture. Sprinkle remaining sugar mixture and stir to coat evenly.
- Spread almonds onto waxed paper to cool completely.
Champagne vinaigrette:
- 1 garlic clove, chopped
- 2 tablespoons good dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup champagne vinegar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- Combine all ingredients except olive oil. Stir. Slowly whisk in olive oil.
Orange marinade for salmon:
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoons sherry or apple juice
- 1 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
- Combine all ingredients in a Ziplock bag. Add salmon. Refrigerate for an hour, turning several times.
Summer Birthday Cake!
Ingredients
Instructions
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