Sweet & Sour Summer Veggie Salad

There are many great things about this delicious and colorful summer veggie salad. There's the crunch factor; store up to two months in the fridge; easy to make; healthy; and, it uses up a lot of veggies if you're on overload. The spices and veggies can be switched up to suit your own tastes. 

1 English cucumber

1 large red bell pepper

1 large yellow bell pepper

1 large red onion

1 tbsp Kosher salt

2 cups white vinegar

1-1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 tsp dill weed

1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper

2 handfuls of ice

Thinly slice all of the veggies and put them in a medium bowl. Toss veggies with the salt. Bring the vinegar, sugar, dill, and cayenne to a boil in a medium saucepan. Remove the pan from heat and add two handfuls of ice. Put the veggies in a wide mouth 2 quart jar or whatever you have around that will work. Pour the vinegar mixture over the veggies. Store in the fridge. You're done!

Traditional Pine Nut Pesto

It's time to harvest that big beautiful basil in your garden! I'm growing 5 big pots this year. It takes a lot of basil to make a small amount of pesto but it's well worth it. 

This traditional pesto recipe uses fresh basil and pine nuts. You can switch out the basil for cilantro or spinach, and use walnuts instead of pine nuts. Walnuts typically cost less than pine nuts.

Pesto freezes well and can be mixed with pasta or vegetables, spread on toasted bread, or used as a pizza sauce.

Ingredients:

4 cloves garlic, peeled (or as much as you want)

1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt

2 cups basil leaves, packed

1/3 cup pine nuts

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4-1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Blend the garlic and salt in a food processor. Add the basil and pine nuts and blend well. Add the cheese and blend again. Remove lid, scrape inside of the bowl, cover, and add the olive oil through the top of the food processor lid. Blend until all 

ingredients are thoroughly combined and the pesto 

is smooth. 

Store in the fridge in an airtight container or freeze.

Fresh Raspberry & Balsamic Vinegar Salad Dressing

You'll get a burst of fresh raspberry with a tangy and sweet taste. A lovely and delectable summer salad dressing. This recipe makes ~ 2 cups.

  

Ingredients:                         

2 cups fresh raspberries
1 tbsp sugar
2/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp honey

1/2 tsp Kosher salt 

Mix the raspberries (or you can use other berries) and sugar in a bowl and let sit for 15 minutes. Mash berries with a fork.

                                                                                       

Pour berry mixture into a pint (2 cup) jar and add the vinegar, oil, honey, and salt. Shake until the dressing is well mixed...the honey can be a little stubborn. Put in the fridge for a bit so the flavors can get to know one another...then shake again and serve over your fave salads, veggies, or on grilled sourdough bread with goat cheese...enjoy!

Quick Hummus

Lemony and nutty. Light, but hearty. That's how this hummus tastes. Makes about 2 cups. 

1 can of garbanzo beans, drained
1/4 cup tahini
2 cloves garlic
Juice of 1 lemon
1 1/2 tablespoons sesame oil
Kosher salt to taste

Blend all ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth. Put in the fridge for a couple of hours so the flavors can blend.

I serve this with carrots, celery, bell peppers, radishes, and toasted whole wheat pita bread triangles. 

Sandwich idea: spread hummus on toasted pita bread and sprinkle with feta cheese and sesame oil.

Fresh Raspberry & Blueberry Muffins

These muffins aren't overly sweet and the berries just burst in your mouth. Makes 17 muffins and you can freeze them.

1 cup buttermilk*
1/2 cup vegetable oil**
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups unbleached white flour
1 tbsp + 1 tsp baking powder
1⁄4 tsp salt
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 cup fresh raspberries

Preheat oven to 375. Use cooking spray in the muffin tins or you can use paper liners. 

In a large mixing bowl using a wooden spoon, mix together the buttermilk, oil, and eggs. Add in the sugar and vanilla extract and mix again. Add in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Gently fold in the blueberries and raspberries trying not to smash them.

Add the muffin batter into the muffin pan or into your liners and fill to the top. Bake for 19 minutes. Let the muffins cool 2-3 minutes and then put them on a cooling rack. 

*Make homemade buttermilk by adding 1 teaspoon of vinegar or lemon juice to the milk and let sit for 10 minutes.

**Substitute 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce for oil for a healthier option.

2 Loaves of Rosemary Bread

I recently bought a beautiful, shiny, dark red, stand mixer so I can start making homemade bread, baguettes, and more. I'm a novice when it comes to bread baking and look forward to making many different types of bread, both sweet and savory. The Great British Baking Show is in large part responsible for my new love of baking...in addition to the new mixer. 

This rosemary bread is moist, dense, and delicious. The fresh rosemary taste and scent come through in a big way. The recipe makes 2 loaves of bread and it freezes well. I make this bread about twice a month and the photos are from a couple of different bakes. There's a big difference in the taste and texture of this bread vs. store bought--I may never buy bread from the store again. And, it's great fun to see the dough rise! A little science experiment in your kitchen...

Here's what you'll need:

*5 cups bread flour

2 teaspoons Kosher salt

1 tablespoon plus 1/2+ teaspoon instant yeast

3-4 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped fine

1 cup water

**1 cup low-fat buttermilk

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Spray oil

Kosher salt

In your stand mixer, mix the flour, salt, yeast, and rosemary with the paddle attachment. Add in the water, buttermilk, and oil, and mix on low until the dough is moistened and ingredients are blended in. Switch to the dough hook attachment and mix on low for 4 minutes, then put the dough on your bread board or dough mat, and knead it for 3 minutes. I often let the machine do all of the work.

Put dough in a large bowl sprayed with oil. Cover with a lightweight towel and let rise 90 minutes, whilst sipping a cup of tea. The dough should more than double in size. 

Place the dough on your cutting board or dough mat and cut into 2 pieces. I weigh the dough on a food scale to make sure each piece is the same weight. 

Form each piece into a ball and place on an ungreased baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Spray the top of the loaves lightly with oil and cover with a lightweight towel for 55 minutes so the dough can rise a second time.

After 40 of the 55 minutes, heat the oven to 450. With a sharp knife make 2-3 cuts on top of each loaf and sprinkle a little Kosher salt inside. Be careful not to make the cuts too deep or long. After the full 55 minutes has passed, put the bread in the oven for 10 minutes. This helps make a good crust. Then, lower the oven to 400 and bake for 22-25 minutes. By now, your house is starting to smell wonderful!

Remove the bread from the oven and put it on a cooling rack for at least an hour before you cut it--if you can wait that long. This hearty bread slices best with a sharp, serrated bread knife. Toasted rosemary bread goes especially well with goat cheese, roasted red peppers, and lots o' fresh garlic. 

*The amount of flour is an estimate, but 5 cups has worked for me every time I've baked this bread. However, the weather, home temperature, and other factors can affect the amount of flour you need. Your dough should be smooth-not too dry, not too wet. If the dough sticks to your hands add a little more flour until you get the right texture. If your dough is too dry add a little more water. You'll get to know the right "feel" for the dough after baking this bread a few times.

**If you find yourself without buttermilk, you can make your own. Add 1 tbsp of vinegar to 1 cup of milk, stir, and let sit for 5 minutes. I have also been using powdered buttermilk with great results.

-Edited 11/2021; 11/2022

Dad's Crockpot Pulled Pork

My dad is a gourmet cook and this meal is from his recipe file. Here is the BBQ sauce recipe that goes along with it. As far as BBQ sauce goes, I prefer the vinegar and mustard-based one tends to find in the South. This time I used Sticky Fingers Carolina Classic. If you can't find it in your local groceria you can probably find it online. Of course, the pork can be cooked on the outdoor grill too, but this method is a pretty decent substitute if grilling out isn't an option for you at the moment.

Ingredients:
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp paprika
2 tsp Kosher salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3-4 lb boneless pork butt (bone in OK)
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Put the onion in the bottom of the crockpot. Combine the brown sugar, paprika, salt, and pepper. Rub this mixture over the pork and place on top of the onions.

Whisk together vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, red pepper flakes, sugar, mustard, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Pour half of this liquid mixture over the pork and keep the rest in the fridge. Cover the crockpot and cook on low for 12-14 hours. During the last 30 minutes of cooking, pour the remaining refrigerated liquid mixture over the pork. 

Remove the pork and onions from the crockpot to a large platter and let it cool for at least 20 minutes. Remove any large pieces of fat and fork shred the pork. Chop the onion and mix it in with the pork, as well as some juice from the crockpot.

      

               

Finally, slap some of this pulled pork on your bread of choice and top it with some good stuff such as.sauce, dill pickles, raw onion, chow chow, or cole slaw.

Baba Ghanoush - Got Eggplant?

Even though it sounds funny it's still good! To me, baba ghanoush is in the same family as hummus. Baba G is garlic-y and has a smoky flavor. If you don't love garlic, you might want to use less. If you love garlic, you might want to use more. 

A dip or spread, Baba G goes great with warm pita bread or naan, crackers, and raw veggies.

1 large eggplant
3 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/3 cup tahini 
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

Slice the ends off the eggplant and slice it in half lengthwise. Put both halves skin side up on a greased baking pan. Put under the broiler until the outside skin of the eggplant is charred black and the pulp inside is soft (20-30 minutes). Let it cool a bit, then scrape the eggplant out of the skin into a bowl to cool, preferably in the fridge for a few hours.

Pour off any extra liquid from the bowl before using the eggplant. In a food processor, mince the garlic and salt. Add eggplant and tahini. Pulse the food processor to mix until smooth. Add lemon juice. Pulse again until lemon juice is blended in. Taste. Adjust lemon juice, salt, or tahini if needed.

For the best flavor, let sit in the fridge for a couple of hours. Makes about 1 & a 1/2 cups of Baba G.

Easy 5-Ingredient Brownies

These yummy brownies taste and smell super chocolatey. They are very moist, and this recipe and 5 ingredients is all you need. For a tangy taste, substitute 1/2 cup buttermilk for 2 of the eggs or 1/4 cup buttermilk for 1 egg.

2 cups sugar

1 cup flour 

2/3 cup Hershey's cocoa powder 

1 cup butter, melted & cooled a bit

4 eggs

Dash Kosher salt (optional)

Heat oven to 350. Lightly grease a 13 x 9" baking pan with cooking spray or butter. 

Grab a wooden spoon and stir together the sugar, flour, and cocoa powder in a large mixing bowl until well combined. Add a dash of Kosher salt if you like. Add the cooled butter and mix thoroughly. Add eggs, again mixing thoroughly. 

Spread the brownies evenly in the prepared pan. The batter will be thick. Bake for 40-45 minutes. Let the brownies cool completely before you cut them so they can set. You can freeze these babies, too.

-revised 4/22

Crunchy Avocado Chicken Salad

Do you ever get on a food kick where you crave the same thing for a few weeks? In college it was often tuna cheesies. You know, English muffin halves topped with tuna salad and melted cheese. Lately...my food kick is this salad. I saw recipes for avocado chicken salad and another for avocado & grilled corn salad. I looked at all of the recipes, chose a few ingredients from each one, and added a few of my own. The result was this crunchy avocado chicken salad.

2 cups cooked chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces

1/2 cup red onion, diced small (1/4") 

1/2 cup celery, diced medium (1/2")

1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped fine

Juice of 2 limes

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp rice wine vinegar

Kosher salt

Garlic powder

Onion powder

2 avocados (not too ripe-not too firm), cut into 1" cubes

Stir all ingredients together in a medium bowl, except the avocados. Gently stir in the avocados and cover. Put the salad in the fridge for at least 1 hour so the flavors can blend.