Pesto BLT Salad

I enjoy bacon. On its own it is amazing, but added to almost any savory dish it becomes amazing. A BLT sandwich is one of those ultimate comfort foods. My friend Elissa introduced me to a BLT Salad a few years ago and it was love at first bite. Chop salad - yes please. A club sandwich... yum. Wilted leaf lettuce salad (recipe coming soon) - childhood memories.

A few months ago my husband and I hit up a new bar and grill in town and I had their pesto chicken club sandwich. Until then, I had missed the amazing combination of pesto and bacon. Now I'm on a mission to pair the two wherever I can (within reason so I can keep my waistline in check).

This amazing salad came together today as I cleaned out the odds and ends in my fridge. If this is what I come up with, maybe I should clean it out more often.

6 c. Chopped Greens (I used spinach, but romaine would be good)
2 c. Orzo, cooked
2 Roma Tomatoes, seeded and diced
5 slices of Bacon, fried and chopped
4 T. Pesto
Shredded Parmesan or Romano Cheese

Cook the orzo until al dente and drain. Rinse briefly with cold water to cool it off and keep pesto from soaking into the pasta too quickly. Toss the pasta with the pesto and set aside to cool while completing the salad. Chop your greens and then add the tomato and bacon. I opted to chop the bacon small to get a little bit in every bite.

Fold in the pesto pasta with the salad and stir to coat. Add additional pesto if necessary. Top with freshly shredded cheese. Served slightly warm, this salad was a great combination of crispy, smooth, salty, and a bit sweet. Definitely a summer salad worth repeating.

* Adding a bit of pine nuts or chicken would be a nice addition to the salad as well. I had a bit extra leftover and pit it a tortilla and it made a great filling for a wrap.

4th of July Firework Fruit Kabobs

I was given fruit to bring for the family reunion over the 4th of July weekend. Instead of mixing a bunch of fruit together and hearing the kids complain that they are all "touching" I figured I'd make an assortment of fruit kabobs. That way they could pick the one that looked best for them.

I found some red/white/blue star shaped marshmallows at the store and threaded a few of those on for a sweet touch. The kabobs were pretty quick to assemble and then I pushed them into the top of the watermelon I had cut up earlier. It ended up being a nice centerpiece for the food table and a huge hit with the kids (and grown ups too).
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Contains:
Bamboo Skewers (marshmallows slide on better if you soak the skewers in water first)
Strawberries (hulled)
Blueberries
Marshmallows
Watermelon end
Grapes (cut into portion segments)

Pico De Gallo Pasta

What's a girl to do when you have all the makings for Pico De Gallo and no chips with which to eat them with? No Mexican main course with what to use it with? No means in which to eat it, except a spoon. Pico is a sauce, and topping, not to be eaten straight... well you can if you'd like, but I can't.

So what's a girl to do? Break out the pasta. Pasta is like the neutral color of food that goes well with just about everything.

This was a quick dinner that I'll be definitely repeating. It would also work well for leftover pasta or pico that might be hanging out in the fridge. You could easily add shredded chicken to the dish for a bit of protein.

1 lb Pasta, cooked al dente (wheat or gluten-free varieties work)
3 Roma tomatoes, seeded & diced
1 Jalapeno, seeded & finely diced
1/4 c Cilantro, chopped
1/4 c Onion, chopped (optional)
2 t Minced Garlic
1 T Lime Juice
1 t Salt
3 T Oil (Olive, Sunflower, Canola, etc)

Seed and chop 3 ripe tomatoes and 1 jalapeno. Add the chopped cilantro, onion, lime, and salt to the tomato and pepper and allow the flavors to marinade. Meanwhile, cook the pasta til al dente and set aside.

In a large skillet, add oil and garlic and slowly roast over medium-low heat. Watch carefully so that it doesn't scorch/burn. Add pasta and toss to coat. Remove from heat and toss with pico de gallo mixture. Serve warm or chilled.

Mango Salsa

Here's a lovely sweet and spicy mix that tastes like pure summer. This works great with chips, in a salad, or with chicken.

1 Mango, finely diced
8 Roma Tomatoes, finely diced
2 Jalapenos, finely diced
1/4 t Salt
1/2 Fresh Lime, juiced
1 t Sugar
1 T Cilantro, chopped (optional)

Give this about 30 minutes to let the flavors meld together. But yes, it can be eaten right away if you can't wait and it still tastes good.

Summer Jicama Salad

For those of you not familiar with jicama - it's a white bulb with a fibrous texture, also known as a Mexican Yam. It's fairly plain tasting, but adds crunch and a hint of sweetness, similar to like a carrot. It contains vitamins C, A and B, along with calcium. To eat, peel the exterior and then thinly slice or grate (my preference) the jicama.

A couple of years ago I posted a different recipe for a jicama salad - (Jicama Lime Chicken Salad) which I love, but I was looking for something a little more on the sweet side. This is what I came up with for a family get together over Memorial  Day weekend. You could definitely add chicken to this if you wanted protein in it.

SALAD
1 head of Romaine, chopped (or two hearts)
2 Roma Tomatoes, chopped ( I remove the seeds/juice and use just the flesh)
1 c Sweet Corn
1 c Carrots, shredded
1 c Jicama, shredded & drained*
Optional Crunch Factor (I wish I had added something like wonton strips, tortilla strips, or chow mein noodles for a bit of salt & crunch to the salad)

* The longer shredded jicama sits, the more the moisture comes out. I just squeeze the liquid out with my hands. You could use a towel or press into a strainer.

DRESSING
-- Wisk ingredients together or shake in a sealed container. Add a little bit at a time, depending on how much lettuce you use, you may not need the whole amount.
1/4 c Lime Juice
1/4 c Oil (I used sunflower oil)
1/4 c White Sugar
1/2 t Cinnamon
2 t Sesame Seeds
1 t Sesame Oil (optional)

Cucumber Cranberry Salad

This salad is definitely a new favorite. It has great texture. There are crisp veggies, smooth creamy cheese, and crunch from the sunflower seeds. The medley of salt and sweet leaves you wanting more. A double batch of this salad would work great for a brunch, picnic, shower/party, or family gathering.

2  Cucumbers, seeded & finely diced
1  Apple, cored & finely diced
1/4 c  Celery, finely diced
1/4 c  Crumbled Feta Cheese (optional
1/4 c  Dried Fruit (cranberries, cherries, raisins, etc)
1/4 c  Sunflower Seeds (or chopped nuts)
1/4 c  Poppy Seed Dressing (Start out mixing in 1 T at a time)

Finely dice the cucumbers, apple, and celery – then toss together with the other ingredients. Add the salad dressing just before serving so that it doesn’t get soggy.

This cool cucumber salad is a great pair for your summer time meals, picnics, brunch or parties.

Corn Toppers

It doesn't get much better than corn on the cob in the summer. The 4th of July is just around the corner and corn is likely on many of our menus. The sweet, juicy and crisp kernels are great on there own, but the right topping can make it over the top amazing. I have lots of fresh herbs coming from my container garden and I chopped a bunch of them for dinner tonight and the corn was AMAZING.

I melted a little bit of butter and let some fresh chopped flat leaf parsley hang out in the warm butter to infuse the flavor. Topped with a bit of sea salt - it was so good. I've got plans to try some of these options over the next couple of weeks. I'll keep you posted on the results.

Butter w/parley & lime
Butter w/cilantro & lime
Butter w/basil
Butter w/basil & lemon
Butter w/thyme
Butter w/thyme & lemon
* Butter can be replaced by Earth Balance dairy-free spread for dairy-free or vegans

Applying melted butter in a measured and moderate amount can be a bit difficult. I just used a butter knife to drizzle it on and spread it around. It worked, but it wasn't very efficient. Next time I think I will use a pastry or basting brush.

On to enjoy more tastes of summer.

Dilled Chicken Salad

I've never been a fan of chicken salad. More accurately, I've always hated chicken salad. I'm a texture eater and chicken salad usually falls in the slimy category. With a gallon of mayo and gobs of watery grapes, I've not been able to see past the texture to even get close enough to taste.

That was until my friend Sheila at FM Cheapskate introduced me to her version of chicken salad. This has it all - creamy + crunchy, salty + sweet, easy + stylish. This one will likely be finding it's way into my lunches for work. However, this likely won't fall into the kids category any time soon.

Now Sheila makes this like I would, all by eye and taste. There were no measuring utensils out, but I tried to eye ball the measurements. Tweak this to any amount that fits your fancy.

2 Chicken breasts, cooked & shredded
1/2 c Mayonnaise
3 T Craisins
2 T Sunflower seeds
1 t Dill weed (more if yours isn't very fresh)
Salt & Pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients to taste. Serve on sandwiches or on its own.

Thanks Sheila.

Butterless Potato

Looking for ways to cut back on calories and not lose flavor? Can't eat dairy? Watching your pennies? Want the simplest side dish ever? I'm guessing you might fall into one of those categories.

I survived on these potatoes when I was in college and working close to full time. I had no money, no time, and a microwave to eat from. The good thing is they taste just as good now as they did then.

4 baby redskins/person
Lightly coat in olive oil
sprinkle liberally (1/2 - 1 tsp) of kosher or sea salt

In a microwave safe dish add your potatoes, drizzle with olive oil and make sure skin is coated, and sprinkle with salt. Cover potatoes with paper towel and cook for 4-6 minutes until potatoes are tender.
OR
Cover lightly with tin foil and bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes until tender.

You really can use any type of potato, but the best flavor comes from a baby redskin potato. They have a buttery texture/taste to begin with.

Pizza Sticks & Bowling

My husband and I took our boys bowling today for the first time. They had the time of their life and made quite a few people around us smile and laugh. The sad part is my 4-year-old almost beat me. I pulled off a strike in the last frame just in time to save my pride. God bless whoever created bumper bowling.

I was looking for something pizza like to make for my son tonight since we were out of crust mix so I came up with a trick that we will definitely be trying out again. I took a few slices of bread (in his case it was a millet/flax), buttered it and sprinkled it with garlic salt like we would for making garlic toast. I took the pizza cutter and cut it into thin strips and then sprinkled on some cheese (Daiya shreds) and broiled it until nice and toasty. I served it with a side of our loaded spaghetti sauce that we use for pizza sauce. It was a huge hit and very easy to make. I'll be putting this one in the snack file for later too.

Not a bad day.

Skillet Potatoes

This is a super quick fix side dish that has a rich taste for little work.

6-8 med Russet Potatoes
1 T Garlic, minced
1 T Olive Oil
1/2 t Salt
1 1/2 c Chicken Stock
Pepper
1-2 c Green Beans (optional)

Wash and cut the potatoes into rounds about 1/2 inch thick. Add oil to a skillet over medium high. Add garlic and potatoes and turn to coat in the oil. Be careful not to let the garlic burn. Allow potatoes to brown slightly and then add chicken stock. If desired you can add green beans at this stage. Cover and cook until potatoes are cooked through and chicken stock is absorbed (about 15-20 minutes)

The flavor is rich and the potatoes melt in your mouth.

Bruschetta

6 - 8 Roma tomatoes
2 t garlic, minced (or 2 cloves)
1 T olive oil
2 t balsamic vinegar
1 T fresh basil leaves, chopped (or 1 t dried*)
1/2 t Salt

1 baguette, French, or Italian bread (or GF alternative)
1/4 c olive oil
1 t Salt

Remove the seeds from the tomatoes and dice the remaining tomato up finely. Roll up the basil tightly and slice up the leaves and then dice them finely. *If using dried basil, add it to the 1 T of olive oil and give it a bit of time to re-hydrate. Toss the tomatoes with garlic, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, basil, and salt. Allow about an hour for flavors to meld together. Meanwhile, slice bread thinly and use a brush to lightly coat the bread with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes until toasted.

Serve right away or refrigerate and let flavors meld . If refrigerated, allow the tomato mixture to sit out a bit to let the oils warm up.

Thanksgiving - Stuffing & Kindness

One of my favorite things about the Thanksgiving meal is stuffing. Really, we don't eat this marvelous creation often enough. Note to self - great side dish to use more often. As a child I hated stuffing. It was big pieces and soggy, and all those spices... Mom made us kids Stove Top just so she wouldn't have to hear us complain. My kids have the same opinion. I look at my kids and know that someday maybe they will change their mind too.

Now technically, I don't make stuffing. I make dressing so it gets more crispy. I'm a texture eater and slimy/soggy is the worst texture to eat. However, it was always called stuffing, so shall ever more be referred to as that.

I've got two favorite recipes that I tend to go back and forth between based on my mood. Yes, I'm admitting that I'm moody. I know - newsflash right ;)

The first is a tangy Sourdough Bread Stuffing and the other a sweet/savory Apple & Sausage Stuffing. This year I'm leaning towards the apple & sausage option, but I'm going to throw in another recipe this year. I'm going to try making a gluten-free option with a great bread from Sami's Bakery that we've found (FINALLY one that my son LOVES). I'll try to make it kid friendly by chopping the bread up small, and tossing it with simple seasoning, oil, and sausage. Hopefully it will be more successful that past years...

As we focus on the meaning of the Thanksgiving, the boys and I talked about kindness tonight. That's a tough topic for 6 and 4-year-old brothers who would rather fight than do anything else. Then again it's tough at any age.

After a great devotional the other day on this character quality (coming from Colossians 3), we "clothed ourselves in kindness." The boys put on their favorite costumes and I tried to figure out what they were clothed as. The ninja was pretty easy. The Canadian Cowboy was a bit harder to figure out. That little man has one heck of an imagination.

From there we talked about people knowing that we are a child of God by our kindness. They see us for who we are. We can choose to clothe ourselves in kindness and look like God - or we can act without kindness. It clicked with them and they were kind (mostly) for the rest of the night. Here's hoping that it still sticks with them when they wake in the morning...

Freezing Sweet Corn

There is nothing like the taste of fresh summer sweet corn. Sorry Green Giant and other manufactures... it's just not the same. So I'm stock piling the summer goods to get me through the long winter.

It's SUPER simple. Put a couple of big pots of water on to boil while you husk all of your corn and get it ready. Fill a large bowl of cold water or a clean sink water plus ice. Put the corn in a boiling pot of water for 4-5 minutes to partially cook it. Then submerge it in the ice water to stop the cooking. When it is completely cooled, set it aside to dry.

Here's my tip to start with - be prepared with LOTS of ice. Get your ice maker pumping it out in advance and bag it up or head on out to the convenience store and pick up a bag. It will make your life a lot easier. The hot corn heats up the water quickly.

When the corn is cooled and dried off, Cut the corn off the cob and set it aside to bag when you are done. I package corn in serving size for our family 2-3 c in a freezer bag.

Then seal up the bag except for a about 1 inch on the end. Roll the bag to squeeze out as much of the air as possible and finish sealing the bag.

Finish by flattening out the bag and corn so that it lays flat. Takes some squishing and moving around to even it out.

By freezing the corn laying flat, you can than stack them upright in a tote or box and save yourself much of the room in the freezer.

When you feel like some sweet summer corn, heat on the stove top with a bit of water or in the microwave for about 5 minutes.

Apple Carrot Slaw

I made this for dinner tonight. I really enjoyed it, my husband and kids - not so much. None of them are much of salad fans though.

It was a nice light side dish and I'll make it again. I might play with the recipe a bit. Next time I might try adding some coconut or almonds. I also might swap apple cider for the lemon juice.

3 Carrots, grated
2 Apple, peeled cored and grated
1 1/2 T Olive oil
1 T Lemon juice
2 t Sugar or agave
Salt to taste
2 T sunflower seeds
1 t Sesame seeds

Toss together carrots, apple, and seeds in a large bowl. In a separate small bowl, whisk together olive oil, sugar and lemon juice. Add salt to taste. Drizzle dressing over carrot and apple and toss to combine well. Allow to marinade for 30 minutes. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Mojito Melon

I found this recipe at the Betty Crocker website and served it at my son's birthday party over the weekend. It was wonderful. The lime and mint adds a great contrast to the sweet cantaloupe that it topped. This is definitely worth making again.


2 Limes
5-6 c Melon or Pineapple, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/3 c Sugar or agave
1/3 c Limade, mojito mixer or dark rum
3 T Fresh mint leaves, finely chopped

Put melon in a 1-gallon plastic bag or large sealable container.

Grate the peel from limes. Cut each lime in half and squeeze to remove 6 T of juice. Wisk together lime peel, lime juice, sugar, juice/rum and mint. Pour over the fruit and turn to coat.
Refrigerate 1-6 hour to meld flavors. To serve, drain marinade or push fruit cubes onto skewers. Discard marinade.

*Note, this picture was taken the day after the party. In the craziness of company, taking pictures of food wasn't on top of my list. Still tasted good, but the mint isn't vibrant green like it was the first day and the melon has started to get pretty soft.

Quinoa Apple Salad

I've head a lot about quinoa (KEEN-wah) lately. The newly marketed superfood that the Incas survived on. If you aren't familiar with it (which I wasn't until this summer), it's actually a seed, not a grain. It's high in protein, has a bit of a chewy texture and nutty flavor. It's mild enough to be really versatile for a salad and side dish.

I found an intriguing recipe for it in Family Fun magazine and adapted it to my own tastes.

1 c Quinoa, rinsed
2 c Apple juice (or water)
1 T Honey*
2 t Sugar
1/4 lemon juice
1/2 t salt
2 T Olive oil
1 c Apples, peeled & finely diced
2/3 c Celery, finely diced
1 T Fresh Parsley, chopped
1/2 Almonds, toasted and chopped

* I'm not a fan of the flavor of honey and for me it was a bit overwhelming. Next time I'll probably replace this with agave or sugar.

Variations:
Lime juice, diced Mango, Cilantro, Jicama, Water (replace apple juice)
Apple juice, diced Pear, Cashews, Parsley
Lemon juice, Basil, Walnut, Water (replace apple juice)
Coconut, cilantro, lime, coconut milk (replace juice)

Famous Dave's Coleslaw Copycat

I'm not a big fan of coleslaw, but after eating at Famous Dave's restaurant I knew I had to try to recreate it at home. I found several recipes online and tweaked it to what I had on hand. It's not exactly the same, but still tastes pretty good, and I don't have to splurge on Famous Dave's to get it. Great for a party/picnic dish.

10 c Cabbage, chopped (finely diced rather than shredded)
1/3 c Carrot, grated
2 c Mayo (or veganaisse)
1/2 c Sugar
1 T Mustard
1/2 t Pepper
1/2 t Salt
1/4 t Garlic powder
1/4 t Celery seed
2 t Horseradish (optional)

Raspberry Spinach Salad

I love salads in the summer and here is a lovely fruit based salad that I savored every bite of. Raspberries are a special treat for me because they are so expensive. I found these berries on sale for $1.50 for the pack, so I jumped at the deal. I savored them in everything from salad, topping ice cream, and straight from the box. My mouth is watering at the memory. The good news is a little bit of these berries go a long way.

Someday I'll have my own to pick straight from my yard... someday.



Fresh Raspberries
Baby Spinach
Pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
Sesame Seeds (sprinkle just a few on)
Balsamic Vinaigrette

This is tough one to make - toss it together and eat. This would be nice with a bit of grilled chicken for a meal.

Leftover Lasagna Salad

Often when making lasagna or lasagna rolls, I'll have a noodle or two left over. If my husband doesn't eat them first, here's another leftover salad. If you haven't noticed by now, one of my favorite use of leftovers is to make a salad out of them.


2 Lasagna noodles, cut up**
1 c Asparagus, chopped
1/2 c Tomato, diced
1 lg Carrot, shredded
2 T Sesame seeds
2 T Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper to taste

In a large pan, heat olive oil. Saute the asparagus until tender crisp. Add noodle pieces, carrots, and sesame seed to the pan and stir frequently until heated through. Stir in tomato and season to taste. Serve warm.

** To make the noodles workable, I took a pizza cutter and cut them in half length-wise and then in the other direction into small pieces.