Shaved Cucumber Salad

 

This is a super yummy summer time recipe! I've already made it several times and am in love! Once again, from my favorite Everyday Food Mag

Shave 3 English cucumbers into wide ribbons, stop when you reach the seeds. Reserve one seedy center. Thinly slice 2 stalks of celery, 1/2 medium onion (I always use sweet) and put all in a bowl. In a blender puree the one seedy center, 1/4 c. mayo, 1/4 c. fresh cliantro, 2 1/2 tsp. champagne vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. Blend up and toss over the cucumbers. Enojy!

What Does Joe Know - Organic Broccoli Slaw

A little bit of heaven from Trader Joe’s!
Trader’s organic broccoli slaw in a bag in veggie section
Trader’s slivered almonds
Trader’s dried cranberries
Trader’s Cranberry, Walnut & Gorgonzola Dressing in the refrigerated section

Mix your stuff together and toss with some dressing. It’s crazy good – I promise!!! And if you’re not a broccoli fan, try it anyway! I bet you don’t even know it’s broccoli!!

Sweet & Spicy Peacans

What Does Joe Know?  He knows these yummy peacans!
They are awesome on salads or snacking or in this delicious carrot slaw:
shredded carrots
dried cranberries
plain Greek yogurt
juice from an orange
Trader Joe's Sweet & Spicy Peacans

Amounts will vary according to how much you want to make - but for the dressing, combine about 1/2 c. yogurt with 1/4 c. juice from an orange.  Wisk together and pour over carrots, cranberries and peacans.  I like to add a little orange zest too.  A wonderful new take on an old time slaw!

Favorite Zucchini Bread

This is my favorite Zucchini Bread recipe.  I love the lemon zest that just adds something special to the traditional bread.

Ingredients:
3 1/4 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup water
2 cups grated zucchini
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 cup chopped pecans

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, nutmeg, baking soda, cinnamon and sugar. In a separate bowl, combine oil, eggs, water, zucchini and lemon juice. Mix wet ingredients into dry, add nuts and fold in. Bake in 2 standard loaf pans, sprayed with nonstick spray, for 1 hour, or until a tester comes out clean. Alternately, bake in 5 mini loaf pans for about 45 minutes (I always set my timer for less time and then check the bread - I can always put it back in for a few minutes but if it gets overdone, it's too late!)

Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus

This is so easy and elegant! A fun appetizer for parties or a simple picnic treat.
Asparagus
Prosciutto
Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp. Balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp. sugar

Clean and remove the tough ends of the asparagus. In a small sauce pan, stir the balsamic vinegar and sugar together and simmer over medium heat until the sugar dissolves completely. Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely until syrupy. Sautee the asparagus in a pan over medium heat with a tiny splash of olive oil, salt and pepper, for about 5 minutes. The asparagus should remain crisp and not over done. Remove from the pan and wrap prosciutto around the asparagus (individually or in bundles). Drizzle the balsamic reduction over the asparagus just before serving and freshly grate parmesan cheese on top.

Balsamic Watermelon Skewers

These are so pretty, refreshing, and delicious!  I made a pretty picnic for my husband the other night and these were on the menu.  We both loved the cool, crisp watermelon with the creamy mozzarella and fragarant basil with the sweetness of the balsamic reduction. 
What you’ll need:
Watermelon cubed
Mini fresh mozzarella balls
Fresh basil leaves
2 Tbsp. Balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp. sugar

In a small sauce pan, heat the balsamic vinegar and sugar over medium heat. Don’t boil, simply simmer until the sugar is dissolved and remove from the heat to let cool completely. The reduction will become thick and yummy!
Skewer your watermelon, basil leaves and mozzarella alternately. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Drizzle the reduction over the skewers just before serving.

Herb Goat Cheese

This is delicious on any cheese plate for a summer party. The recipe comes from Everyday Food Magazine

1 log (8 oz) fresh goat cheese, cut into ½ inch slices
2 tsp. chopped fresh oregano
1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Crostini or crackers for serving

Arrange cheese on a small plate. Sprinkle with oregano, red pepper flakes and lemon zest. Season to taste with salt and pepper and drizzle with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and allow it to sit out for about an hour before serving. Serve at room temperature.

Summer Bruschetta

The tomatoes are ripe and the basil is bountiful! It’s time for bruschetta.
Ingredients:
Fresh, crusty, French baguette
Tomatoes
Fresh basil leaves
Good balsamic vinegar
Olive oil
Garlic
Salt & pepper

Dice your tomatoes. I prefer to cut mine in half and remove all the seeds first. I also love to use different varities of tomatoes – these are yellow boy tomatoes from my garden and delicious! Place diced tomatoes in a bowl and julienne your basil. I prefer to use a lot of basil! Crush a clove or garlic or two, drizzle olive oil and balsamic on to your taste, and finish with some sea salt and freshly cracked pepper. The quantities are up to you and your taste. I love to serve this on a fresh French baguette. Sometime I lightly toast the bread with some olive oil. A summer favorite!

Brown Rice Salad

Can you really walk by the sample stand at Trader Joe's and not have a taste?  I can't!  And here was another treat that didn't disappoint.  Their salad had kidney beans, which were yummy and pretty!  I didn't have any in my pantry, so I used cannellini beans that they were delicious and creamy. 

I also added diced zucchini from my garden.

Inspired from Trader Joe’s sample stand!
Cooked brown rice
Corn
Beans (kidney or cannellini)
Diced zucchini
Balsamic vinaigrette
Slice scallions

Mix all ingredients together in the various quantities of your choice and dress with a balsamic vinaigrette. Simple and delicious!

Zucchini Relish

Summertime means fabulous home grown vegetables or wonderful visits to the local farmers' market.  This year my zucchini decided to grow beautifully, so I'm making and canning zucchini relish to preserve some of the summer goodness!  Here is the recipe I use from my dear friend Nancy Worth:

Zucchini Relish
10 c. ground zucchini
2 c. ground onion
5 T. salt, non-iodized is best
2 c. ground sweet pepper, 4-5 peppers (I used a combination of red, yellow and orange)
4 c. sugar
2 ½ c. vinegar or apple cider
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. turmeric
2 tsp. celery seed
1 T. cornstarch

Mix zucchini, onion and salt. Let stand overnight. In the morning, drain and rinse with cold water and drain again. Mix with remaining ingredients and boil 30 minutes. Put in hot jars and seal. A food processor makes this easy and quick. Makes 6 pints.
We love to pour some over cream cheese and serve with crackers. Or put some on a grilled hotdog!
What are you canning this summer?  And I'd love to know which canning equipment you prefer!

Crazy Amazing Macaroni Salad

I first had this macaroni salad at a church potluck at The First Baptist Church of Vassar Michigan.  It was the church my Grandmother went to and served in for over 60 years.  I loved the macaroni salad so much that I asked the women working in the kitchen for the recipe.  They told me it was in their church cookbook, so I bought one on the spot!!  Nothing like a good church potluck macaroni salad!


Ingredients:
1 cucumber, diced
1 c. celery, thinly sliced
1 c. onion, diced (I like to use sweet onion)
8 radishes, sliced
1 lg. green pepper, diced
2 med. tomatoes, diced (I don’t care for tomatoes and didn’t include them!)
4 c. cooked macaroni

Dressing:
¾ c. sugar
2/3 c. vinegar
1/3 c. oil
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper

Mix together and mix with macaroni mixture. I added the dressing slowly, stopping when it was to my taste. I found that the recipe makes way too much yummy dressing!
And, you can add any other vegetables that you wish: green beans, zucchini, broccoli…

Simple Summer Beets

I love beets! And this year I decided to grow my own. They were beautiful and delicious – dare I say the best I’ve ever had!
I fix them the way my mom always does:
Boil the beets until a knife goes in easily (approximately 20 minutes, depending on the size of the beets). Drain and set aside to cool completely. Peel the skin from the beets. Slice and place in a bowl (add sliced onion if you wish). Drizzle with vinegar (any kind will do), sprinkle with a touch of sugar, salt and pepper, and toss. Let sit for 10 minutes to marinate and enjoy!

Old Bay Potatoes

Large Red Potatoes cut into quarters
Olive oil
Old Bay Seasoning

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. I use my “roast” setting. Toss the cut potatoes in olive oil and arrange in a pan so most of the skins are down. Sprinkle generously with Old Bay Seasoning and roast for 20-25 minutes, until tender and done. They are simple and delicious!

Mommy Girl's Potato Salad

Sometimes I think the most simple foods are the best!

3 lbs. Yukon gold potatoes
4 hard boiled eggs chopped
1 ½ c. mayonnaise
3 stalks of celery chopped
1 Tbsp. mustard
Salt & pepper
Dice and boil the potatoes in generously salted water (the salt flavors the potatoes and you will not need to add salt to the salad later), until fork tender.  I like to go a tad bit longer so that some of my potatoes are "mashed" when I mix the salad.  Strain and allow to cool. Add mayonnaise, mustard, celery and eggs and stir. Season with salt and pepper as needed. Refrigerate until cold. - you might need to add a bit more mayonnaise according to your taste.

Fried Zucchini "Cookies"

We picked our first zucchini from our garden last night! I made some yummy fried zucchini “cookies” as my children called them. You can also cut them into spears and dip them in marinara sauce or your favorite dip!

1 zucchini
1 egg
1 c. Plain Panko bread crumbs
Zest from ½ lemon
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
Salt & pepper
Vegetable oil for frying
Parmesan cheese

On a plate sprinkle some Panko bread crumbs (the amount depends on how large your zucchini is, approx. 1 c.), lemon zest, about 1 tsp. Italian seasoning and some salt and pepper. Mix it all up. On another plate, beat one egg with 1 Tbsp. water. Heat about ¼ inch oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Slice the zucchini however you wish – spears or “cookies” and dip in the egg wash and then into the bread crumbs. Place in hot oil and fry until golden brown (about 2-3 min.) and flip. When they are done, place on a plate lined with paper towel. Grate fresh parmesan on the hot zucchini. Yummy!

Mommy Girl's Spanish Rice

1 c. rice
2 T vegetable oil
1 T butter
1/2 c. chopped onion
2 c. chicken stock
1 bay leaf
1 large clove of garlic
1/2 c. tomato sauce

In a large skillet heat the oil and butter over medium high heat. Add the onion and cook for 2 minutes. Add the rice and cook untikl brown, about 3 minutes. Add 1 c. chicken stock and turn heat to medium. Cook until liquid is almost gone (about 5 minutes). Add additional cup of chicken stock, bay leaf and with the back of a large knive, crack the garlic clove and add it too. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer for 5 minutes. Check after 5 minutes and add a little more liquid if needed (water). Add 1/2 c. tomato sauce. Keep covered, simmering until done. Check and add water as needed.

Garlic Bread

My father and I traveled to Spain several years ago and had the most amazing bread. It is my inspiration for this garlic bread.
Ciabatta bread
1 clove garlic
1 tomato
Fresh cracked pepper
Olive oil
Parmesan cheese
Basil

Split the bread in half and toast it under the broiler until brown and crisp. Cut the garlic clove in half and immediately, while the bread is still hot, rub the garlic cloves all over it. Then cut the tomato in half and rub it all over the bread too. Drizzle with olive oil, some fresh cracked pepper, freshly shaved parmesan cheese and julienned basil.

Green Bean Potato Salad

Dressing:
½ clove garlic
Zest from 1 sm. Lemon
Juice from small lemon
2 tsp. fresh tyme
1/8 tsp. sugar
Blend in blender
Stream in olive oil – about 4-5 Tbs (or until proper consistency)
Blend until emulsified

1.5 lb. small potatoes
1 lb. green beans
Cut the potatoes in half or quartered depending on their size. Boil in salted water until cooked, yet slightly firm. Boil the green beans in salted water for about 5 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water.
Toss the potatoes and green beans with dressing and serve warm. It makes a great cold salad the next day as well.

Great Aunt Suzie's Salsa

8 plum tomatoes (hard)
4-5 tomatillos
1 bunch of cilantro
1 red onion
Juice from 1 large lemon
Suzie Q Seasoning (sorry folks, this might just be a California thing!)
A splash of Tobasco (or as much as you like!)
Chop it all up in equal size, add lemon juice and seasoning and enjoy!
And, if there is any left over, cover it, put it in the refrigerator and enjoy it the next day – it gets even better!

Garlic Rolls

These are AMAZING!! Buy frozen Bridgeford bread dough. (The white bread comes in a package of 3 loaves.) Take one loaf out of the freezer in the morning and place it on a greased cookie sheet. Let it thaw out all day. When you are ready, roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle. In a bowl chop several cloves of fresh garlic, and any fresh herbs you want. I used chives, Italian parsley and thyme. Add some salt and olive oil and mash together. Generously butter the dough and spread your garlic herb mixture all over it (be generous!). Roll up and cut into 2 inch pieces and place back on the greased cookie sheet. Brush some melted butter on top and sprinkle a touch of salt. Bake according to the directions on the bread dough (but lessen the time and pull them out once they turn brown.) Enjoy!!