Yeah, I'm pretty sure Bobby Flay came up with that first, but it does seem appropriate given the fact that the mercury keeps rising, right along with the humidity. Ah, Eastern Seaboard summers.
Like I said in my last post, in the warm weather I crave salads, chilled soups, grilled food. Anything that keeps the oven off!
I've been experimenting with a Ranch dressing recipe I got out of Mollie Katzen's classic, The Moosewood Cookbook, one of my favorites. I like the flavor profile of Ranch dressing, but don't enjoy the bottled variety. This recipe really satisfies my Ranch itch, tho I've adapted it slightly as I found the original recipe a bit too watery/runny, and added what I think were some crucial missing flavors.
MOOSEWOOD COOKBOOK LOW-FAT RANCH DRESSING
Ingredients
3/4 c Buttermilk
1/4 c Greek yogurt, nonfat
3 Tbsp Dried onion flakes
3 Tbsp Chives, fresh (1 tbsp dried)
2 Tbsp Parsley, fresh (1 tbsp dried)
1/2 tsp Sea salt
1 tsp Fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp Fresh cracked pepper
Combine in a bowl or Mason jar -- I like the Mason jar for easy mixing. Combine well. Refrigerate in airtight container.
Grilling out is something we love to do in the summer, and my husband has really become a grill master over the last few years. One of our favorite items to grill is mahi mahi. I adore this fish and its firm, meaty texture makes it perfect for grilling. Trader Joe's carries wonderful mahi fillets in their frozen section at really affordable prices. We thaw the fish in the fridge all day, then let it marinate for 30 - 60 minutes before grilling it on our (well-oiled!) Weber. There's no recipe for the marinade, my husband just lets the fish soak up a mixture of low-sodium soy sauce, fresh ginger, and minced garlic. It's fabulous!
But my new favorite grill discovery is grilled okra. That's right: grilled okra! Growing up in Texas, I fell in love with these little green pods in my school cafeteria. Fried okra, yes ma'am. A southern staple. So it's no surprise that I found recipes for grilled okra in eminent Southerner Crescent Dragonwagon's Passionate Vegetarian cookbook. She has three marinades, but the Mediterranean is our favorite, tho all of them are delicious. It's worth noting that when you're selecting okra at the market to look for bright green pods no bigger than three inches long. Any bigger, and the okra turns out tough and stringy. We learned that one the hard way.
MEDITERRANEAN GRILLED OKRA
Ingredients
1 Small handful fresh basil leaves
2 Cloves garlic, pressed and peeled
1 Large tomato, peeled, seeded, and chopped
2 Tbsp Olive oil
1 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar
1 tsp salt (+ more to taste)
1 lb 2- to 3-inch okra pods
1. Place all ingredients except okra in a blender or mixer and purée. I love the Magic Bullet-esque 5-in-1 blender things for this -- mine is JC Penney's brand.
2. Place okra on water-soaked wooden skewers at an angle. Pour marinade over okra. It will be thick. Marinade 1-2 hours.
3. Preheat grill to high, then lower temperature to medium. Place skewered okra on grill, cooking over indirect heat, until first side is cooked, 4-5 minutes. Turn skewers over and continue cooking, 3-4 minutes, until done. Serve immediately.
I realize the travesty of not including pictures on a blog about food. I plan to fix that once I've mastered the art of taking better food pics -- it's way harder than I thought it would be!
7.28.2010
7.22.2010
Summer Lovin'
Oh, my my. It has been way too long! Summer is in full swing, and I'm enjoying a break from the intense work I do during the school year (while anticipating eagerly the new position I'll be starting in the fall). Which means I've had lots of time to get into the kitchen and experiment with new recipes!
I don't know about you, but when summer hits I don't want heavy, hot meals. I crave light, cool fare that doesn't heat up the kitchen, like chilled soups and fresh salads. This summer I've discovered some fabulous recipes that just fit the bill, which I've tweaked (of course) to my taste. So below are some of the best summer recipes I've come across so far this season. This'll be a long one, so buckle up!
Chilled Soups
I love gazpacho, so I've posted two recipes for it, not including my father's -- which is wonderful and one of the few reasons (aside from washing dishes) he goes in the kitchen!
PICASSO GAZPACHO (credit to chef Julian Serrano at the Bellagio Hotel, Las Vegas, and The South Beach Diet Cookbook)
Ingredients
1.5 lbs ripe tomatoes, chunked
1/2 large green pepper, roughly chopped
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cucumber, seeded
2 cloves garlic
2 c. tomato juice
1 Tbsp cumin seeds
4 Tbsp red wine vinegar
4 slices day old bread (I use whole grain)
2 c. water
2 Tbsp olive oil
1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and refrigerate for 6 hours.
2. After 6 hours transfer ingredients to Cuisinart or blender and blend well. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve chilled.
LIMA BEAN GAZPACHO (From Better Homes and Gardens Vegetarian Recipes cookbook)
Ingredients
1 10 oz. package frozen lima beans, cooked according to directions and drained
3 medium tomatoes, rough chopped
1 small green pepper, chopped
1 small yellow or red pepper, chopped
1 small cucumber, seeded and chopped
2 green onions, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 c. tomato juice
3 Tbsp. balsamic or red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. fresh dill (1 tsp dried)
1/4 tsp salt
Several dashes Tabasco
1. In a large bowl combine all ingredients. Cover and chill for several hours.
2. Garnish with sour cream, plain yogurt, freshly zested lime peel, croutons, etc.
CHILLED ZUCCHINI SOUP (Adapted from Paula Deen's cookbook, Paula Deen's Kitchen Classics -- more healthful version, y'awwwwwll)
Ingredients
3-4 c. veggie broth
2 large onions, chopped
3 medium zucchini, sliced (I use 2 zukes, and 1 summer squash...)
2 cloves garlic, sliced
salt & pepper to taste
1/4 c. mayonnaise
3/4 c. Greek yogurt, plain
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice + zest of 1/2 lemon
1. Combine broth, onion, squash, garlic, salt, and pepper in large saucepan and bring to boil. Cook 5-8 minutes, covered, until veggies are tender.
2. Cool mixture to room temperature, then add mayo, yogurt, lemon juice and zest, and use immersion blender to puree mixture until smooth.
3. Refrigerate overnight and serve cold with lemon slices, croutons, chives, etc. as garnish.
Summery Salads
BLACK-EYED PEA SALAD (Adapted from Paula Deen's cookbook, Paula Deen's Kitchen Classics...a wonderful way to use up all those herbs from your garden: verdant and delicious!)
Ingredients
1/4 c. + 2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 c. balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp sugar
2 16 oz. cans black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 c. green onion, sliced
1 large banana pepper (or green pepper), diced
1 large tomato, seeded and diced
1 Tbsp fresh thyme, minced
1 Tbsp fresh rosemary, minced
2 Tbsp fresh oregano, minced
4 Tbsp fresh parsley, minced
1. Combine sugar, vinegar, and olive oil in a small bowl and whisk together.
2. Combine all other ingredients in a large bowl. Pour vinegar mixture over, refrigerate and chill overnight. Serve cold.
INDONESIAN VEGETABLE SALAD (From The 15-Minute Vegetarian Gourmet cookbook. I love this recipe because it's like a cold stir-fry and is perfect for cleaning out the produce drawer!)
Ingredients (which are very flexible)
1 c. firm tofu, drained and cubed
2 stalks celery, sliced
2 carrots, shredded
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered depending on size
1/2 cucumber, seeded and sliced
1 c. fresh mung bean sprouts
1 c. broccoli florets
1 medium red pepper, julienned
Szechuan Peanut Dressing (recipe below)
1. Gently toss all ingredients in a large bowl and set aside while preparing Szechuan Peanut Dressing:
1/3 c. peanut butter (I like all natural)
1/2 c. veggie broth
1 tsp lite soy sauce
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
2 Tbsp safflower (or olive) oil
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp Sriracha
2. Whisk all ingredients together until dressing is smooth. Pour over salad and chill.
3. Other vegetables you might like to use include: green onion, cauliflower florets, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, new potatoes, green beans, spinach, mushrooms.
4. Garnish with crushed peanuts, toasted sesame seeds, chopped hard boiled egg.
I promise I'll be posting more salad (and even some outdoor grilling recipes!) before 3 more months have passed...
I don't know about you, but when summer hits I don't want heavy, hot meals. I crave light, cool fare that doesn't heat up the kitchen, like chilled soups and fresh salads. This summer I've discovered some fabulous recipes that just fit the bill, which I've tweaked (of course) to my taste. So below are some of the best summer recipes I've come across so far this season. This'll be a long one, so buckle up!
Chilled Soups
I love gazpacho, so I've posted two recipes for it, not including my father's -- which is wonderful and one of the few reasons (aside from washing dishes) he goes in the kitchen!
PICASSO GAZPACHO (credit to chef Julian Serrano at the Bellagio Hotel, Las Vegas, and The South Beach Diet Cookbook)
Ingredients
1.5 lbs ripe tomatoes, chunked
1/2 large green pepper, roughly chopped
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cucumber, seeded
2 cloves garlic
2 c. tomato juice
1 Tbsp cumin seeds
4 Tbsp red wine vinegar
4 slices day old bread (I use whole grain)
2 c. water
2 Tbsp olive oil
1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and refrigerate for 6 hours.
2. After 6 hours transfer ingredients to Cuisinart or blender and blend well. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve chilled.
LIMA BEAN GAZPACHO (From Better Homes and Gardens Vegetarian Recipes cookbook)
Ingredients
1 10 oz. package frozen lima beans, cooked according to directions and drained
3 medium tomatoes, rough chopped
1 small green pepper, chopped
1 small yellow or red pepper, chopped
1 small cucumber, seeded and chopped
2 green onions, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 c. tomato juice
3 Tbsp. balsamic or red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. fresh dill (1 tsp dried)
1/4 tsp salt
Several dashes Tabasco
1. In a large bowl combine all ingredients. Cover and chill for several hours.
2. Garnish with sour cream, plain yogurt, freshly zested lime peel, croutons, etc.
CHILLED ZUCCHINI SOUP (Adapted from Paula Deen's cookbook, Paula Deen's Kitchen Classics -- more healthful version, y'awwwwwll)
Ingredients
3-4 c. veggie broth
2 large onions, chopped
3 medium zucchini, sliced (I use 2 zukes, and 1 summer squash...)
2 cloves garlic, sliced
salt & pepper to taste
1/4 c. mayonnaise
3/4 c. Greek yogurt, plain
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice + zest of 1/2 lemon
1. Combine broth, onion, squash, garlic, salt, and pepper in large saucepan and bring to boil. Cook 5-8 minutes, covered, until veggies are tender.
2. Cool mixture to room temperature, then add mayo, yogurt, lemon juice and zest, and use immersion blender to puree mixture until smooth.
3. Refrigerate overnight and serve cold with lemon slices, croutons, chives, etc. as garnish.
Summery Salads
BLACK-EYED PEA SALAD (Adapted from Paula Deen's cookbook, Paula Deen's Kitchen Classics...a wonderful way to use up all those herbs from your garden: verdant and delicious!)
Ingredients
1/4 c. + 2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 c. balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp sugar
2 16 oz. cans black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 c. green onion, sliced
1 large banana pepper (or green pepper), diced
1 large tomato, seeded and diced
1 Tbsp fresh thyme, minced
1 Tbsp fresh rosemary, minced
2 Tbsp fresh oregano, minced
4 Tbsp fresh parsley, minced
1. Combine sugar, vinegar, and olive oil in a small bowl and whisk together.
2. Combine all other ingredients in a large bowl. Pour vinegar mixture over, refrigerate and chill overnight. Serve cold.
INDONESIAN VEGETABLE SALAD (From The 15-Minute Vegetarian Gourmet cookbook. I love this recipe because it's like a cold stir-fry and is perfect for cleaning out the produce drawer!)
Ingredients (which are very flexible)
1 c. firm tofu, drained and cubed
2 stalks celery, sliced
2 carrots, shredded
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered depending on size
1/2 cucumber, seeded and sliced
1 c. fresh mung bean sprouts
1 c. broccoli florets
1 medium red pepper, julienned
Szechuan Peanut Dressing (recipe below)
1. Gently toss all ingredients in a large bowl and set aside while preparing Szechuan Peanut Dressing:
1/3 c. peanut butter (I like all natural)
1/2 c. veggie broth
1 tsp lite soy sauce
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
2 Tbsp safflower (or olive) oil
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp Sriracha
2. Whisk all ingredients together until dressing is smooth. Pour over salad and chill.
3. Other vegetables you might like to use include: green onion, cauliflower florets, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, new potatoes, green beans, spinach, mushrooms.
4. Garnish with crushed peanuts, toasted sesame seeds, chopped hard boiled egg.
I promise I'll be posting more salad (and even some outdoor grilling recipes!) before 3 more months have passed...
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