Tomato-Avocado Salad

When my friend was here visiting, we created this simple salad.
We found some beautiful heirloom grape/cherry tomatoes and combined them with chopped avocados, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.
It was delicious on its own and we enjoyed it as part of our lunch one day.

The wheels in my head were turning though, and the next morning I had an idea for breakfast.

I like to get up early and exercise before my kids wake up. I don't eat before I work out, so when I finally get to eating breakfast it is late morning and I am hungry. I don't want a wimpy breakfast. I want something full of protein and fiber that is going to fill me up and do something for me nutritionally.
My friend found this Hearty Grain with Flax and Soy loaf at Publix, and basically fell in love with it.

We decided to toast the bread, fry an egg in a little bit of olive oil, top the bread with the egg, then top the egg with the tomato-avocado salad and some pinto beans.
Best breakfast ever. It was really so good.

We also made this tomato-avocado salad when we were in DC and used it to top our green salad. We also ate it with tortilla chips.
Endless possibilities on this one.

Tomato-Avocado Salad by Mary Ann
1-2 avocados, chopped
2-3 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
juice of 1 lemon
1 Tbls olive oil
salt
pepper

Put avocado in a bowl. Toss with lemon juice, to prevent discoloring. Add tomatoes and olive oil. Stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy on its own, on salad, on toast, with eggs, with chips, in a burrito- anyway you want.

Watermelon-Cucumber Salad

Watermelon. There is nothing better.
I love it so much. It might be a big part of the reason that summer is my favorite season.

I discovered a yellow watermelon and decided to try it in this salad, along with a red one.

I found the recipe in The Food Network Magazine and thought it would be a beautiful + delicious side dish to round out our Father's Day feast.

I really like the ingredients in this salad. Watermelon, cucumber, cashews, feta, lemon juice, mint. They all come together and make a very tasty combination. The sweetness of the watermelon is balanced by the crunch and salty flavors that the other ingredients add.

Other family members weren't so sure about this salad. Some people in my family are a little bit fussy about mixing certain foods, but everyone gave it a try and it was victorious in a couple of mouths.

I was fine with it not being the most popular dish of the day because that just meant that I got to enjoy the leftovers a different day.

Recipe for Watermelon-Cucumber Salad
* I reduced the amount of red onion
* I reduced the amount of olive oil to 1 Tbls
* I used feta cheese instead of goat cheese

Greek Salad

Eggplant is such a versatile vegetable. It can take on almost any flavor and I was very intrigued by it's use in this salad.

Once again, I found this recipe in my Mayo Clinic cookbook
and the picture just looked too delicious to pass up. I really love salads, especially in the summer, so this went on the weekly menu plan immediately.

You roast the eggplant in the oven and then mix up a quick vinaigrette. Chop a few veggies and dinner or lunch is ready.

I really loved the flavors of the vinaigrette. The tomatoes and cucumbers added a nice crunch to the roasted eggplant. Truly tasty.

Recipe for Greek Salad

Watermelon Blueberry Pops

Me and the kids just got back from a little vacation. One of my best friends was here visiting me and we decided to drive to DC to visit my sister and some other friends. On the way back we went to Savannah and then arrived home yesterday.

In DC they were already getting ready for the 4th of July festivities. It reminded me of the great time we had there last year celebrating the 4th.

On a side note- my sister took us to eat at Zaytinya in downtown DC and it was fantastic. It features small plates and great flavors. If you are in the area, you should definitely give it a try.
A couple of weeks ago I made these Watermelon Blueberry Pops.
I had been waiting for a good price so that I could buy a watermelon and the one I finally picked was amazingly delicious. It reaffirmed my belief that I could live on watermelon alone.
I saw this recipe in Ellie Krieger's So Easy Cookbook and these popsicles really were just that- so easy.
You just have to puree watermelon chunks (making sure you don't eat the entire watermelon in the process) with a little powdered sugar and lime juice.
Then you put the mixture in popsicle molds or plastic cups and drop in blueberries.
I wish I would have made these in popsicle molds because they were slightly difficult to eat due to the large size. They were still delicious though.

The fun part is that in the freezer a white layer forms at the top of the popsicle and makes this frozen treat truly patriotic looking.

Perfect treat for a hot afternoon or sticky summer night!

Watermelon Blueberry Pops adapted from Ellie Krieger's So Easy
3 cups cubed seeded watermelon (from about 2 pds with the rind)
2 Tbls fresh lime juice
2 Tbls confectioner's sugar
1 cup blueberries

Puree the watermelon, lime juice, and sugar in a blender.
Distribute the blueberries among six 8-ounce popsicle molds or paper cups, then fill each with the watermelon mixture and place in freezer.
If using paper cups, place a popsicle stick in the center of each cup after a 1/2 hour in the freezer.
Allow to freeze completely, about 4 hours.

Oaty Rhubarb Streusel Bars & Blackberry Crumb Bars

When I am asked to provide dessert for something in the summer, I always think of desserts that include fruit. I decided on these 2 quick and easy fruit bars which showcase blackberries and rhubarb.

A couple of weeks ago I bought a large amount of rhubarb, because I knew it wouldn't be available much longer. I brought it home and chopped it, so that I could put in it in the freezer and use it later.

I used some of the rhubarb in these Oaty Rhubarb Streusel Bars. The base is a basic oatmeal crust/crumble, of which some is reserved to be the crumbs on top. The base is baked for a little while and then the rhubarb is added. The rest of the crust is sprinkled on top and then a ginger icing and crystallized ginger are sprinkled on top. These bars turned out looking so delicious.
I didn't get to taste one, but there weren't any leftovers, so I can only assume they were great.

The Blackberry Crumb Bars had a cake-like base, then the blackberries were placed on top and a separate streusel was sprinkled on top.
These were a little bit more difficult to cut, so my kids and a friend were able to sample one of the pieces that fell apart. They said it was delicious. My kids were begging for more, but the rest had to be whisked away!
If you are looking for an easy fruit cake/cookie streusel bar, try one of these!


Recipe for Oaty Rhubarb Streusel Bars



Recipe for Blackberry Crumb Bars

Barley and Black Bean Salad

I found this recipe when I was searching for a nice side dish or salad to take to a family reunion potluck lunch.

I loved that this salad used barley as the base.
It was quick to make and easy to transport. A great side dish.
I thought the barley went really well with the black beans, as well as the other flavors that were going on in the salad.
This salad tasted great chilled, but it would also be really good when served at room temperature.


Recipe for Barley and Black Bean Salad

TWD-Lemon-Drenched Mini Cakes

This Tuesdays with Dorie recipe was chosen by Wendy of Pink Stripes. You can find the recipe on her blog, along with lots of other delicious recipes. I have made multiple recipes from Wendy's blog and love it.

I made these when I was taking dinner to someone who had just had a baby.

I completely omitted the rum from the cake and the syrup. I added 1/2 tsp of lemon extract to the syrup and the cakes.
I made 1/2 of the recipe, which made 6 mini bundts, and they were done baking in about 19 minutes.

I got to taste a crumb of this cake because my kids got to the mini bundt I left for us to try before I could get a real bite.
They loved it.

I loved how easy it was to make. Definitely one that you could throw together at the last minute.

Check out who else loved this recipe by visiting the TWD Bakers!

Refried Black Beans w/ Avocado & Fried Egg and Jicama-Cucumber Slaw

I saw a recipe recently for black bean and avocado burritos and decided I would give avocados another try. Lindsey's new blog, Fresh Clean Start, also gave me a push to try them again.

Unfortunately, I got food poisoning a few years ago and avocados were involved, so that sight of them for many years made me feel sick to my stomach. I decided it was time to get over that and I am proud to say that I now like avocados again.

I decided to change this recipe a little bit and make it healthier, by removing the tortilla and cheese, so essentially just using the refried black beans and slaw that were in the recipe. I also added a fried egg because avocado and egg are a good combination, in my book.

I really liked the way my version of this recipe turned out.
I added a little bit of water to the black beans, when reheating the leftovers and it made them a little bit creamier.

I also added radish to the slaw.

Recipe for Black Bean and Avocado Burritos with Jicama-Cucumber Slaw
* I didn't make a burrito because I didn't use tortillas or cheese
* I added sliced radish to the slaw
* I added fried eggs to the top of the black bean/avocado mixture

Lentil Dal

Red lentils are one of my favorite foods. I love all lentils, but red ones are my favorite.
I made this one night when we needed a quick dinner. It is very similar to other lentil dishes I have made in the past and it was really delicious.

This is a quick and easy way to prepare lentils. I get my red lentils at EarthFare in the bulk section, but also saw them in Publix the other day. Buying them in bulk is much more affordable for me.

Recipe for Lentil Dal

Carrot Ginger Dressing

If there was ever a salad dressing that would make you want to eat salad at every meal, every day for the rest of your life- this is it.
I saw this recipe on Prudence Pennywise a couple of weeks ago and Prudy served it with an Asian Steak Salad.
I don't eat steak, but I had a feeling that this salad dressing would be good on any type of greens and veggies.

I was sooo right.
I didn't really measure out the ingredients- except for the carrots and celery. I just estimated the amounts (I feel fairly confident doing this, given how much time I spend in the kitchen) and gave them a whirl in the blender.

I tasted it with a spoon and then I tasted it again.
This stuff was so good, I probably could have eaten it as soup or poured it in a glass and had it as a drink.
But really, it is so yummy. Nice and fresh, but also creamy from the pureed veggies.
It would be great as a dip for vegetables too.
Luckily, I doubled the recipe, so after we ate it one night, I was able to enjoy it for lunch over and over again.

Salad never tasted so good.

Recipe for Carrot Ginger Dressing from Prudence Pennywise
I didn't actually measure the ingredients, I just kind of eye balled it
I added 2 cloves of garlic and a couple Tbls of water

TWD- Dressy Mini Chocolate Cakes frosted with our leftover Mississippi Mud Fondue

I wasn't going to make this week's TWD. When I looked up the recipe for Dressy Chocolate Loafcake, it just didn't appeal to me.

But, then my hubby asked me to make something for a birthday. I needed something fast. I needed something easy.
I looked at the recipe again, decided to cut it in 1/2 and turn it into jumbo cupcakes (a 1/2 recipe made 5 jumbo cupcakes). I subbed low-fat buttermilk for the sour cream in the cake and these guys were ready in 28 minutes.
I had leftover fondue ( details below) in the fridge, which turned out to be surprisingly spreadable and a great frosting.
We kept 1 jumbo cupcake at home to share and cut it into 6 pieces. I had 1/2 of one of those 6 pieces and it was really good.

Go check out Amy Ruth Bakes for the real cake and the recipe.



Ok, this is the worst picture in history, but sometimes when you have kids- pictures of food are way less important than the fun that is happening at the moment.

I was watching one of my best friends kids' the other day and I decided fondue would be a fun dessert.

I found a recipe on myrecipes.com that included marshmallow creme in the fondue. I thought that would make the flavor more fun for kids, so that is the recipe I used.
We dipped strawberries, pineapple chunks, bananas, pretzels, and marshmallows.

The leftover fondue also makes a great frosting. The marshmallow creme thickens up the fondue when it refrigerates and makes it incredibly spreadable. Who knew?


Recipe for Mississippi Mud Fondue

Tartine's Pastry Cream

Recently, I took someone dinner and dessert.
Unbaked frozen tart dough sure comes in handy.

Last time I made mini tarts, I actually made the full amount of tart dough (Here is a great tutorial on making the tart dough) and pressed the dough that I didn't use into my large tart pan and put it into the freezer. When I needed it, all I had to do was pop it in the oven and bake it.

Since there are so many fruits that are in season right now, I decided that I would make a basic pastry cream and top the tart with fruit.
I remembered that Bridget mentioned Tartine's recipe for pastry cream, which uses whole eggs instead of just egg yolks and I wanted to try it.
I found the recipe here and gave it a try.
This pastry cream was so silky and smooth. Using whole eggs in the pastry cream lightened up the texture. It was still thick, but just lighter than pastry creams made with only egg yolks.

Plus, I didn't have to add to the 13 egg whites I already have in the freezer.

I decorated the tart with kiwis, strawberries, raspberries and blueberries.
I glazed it with this peach spreadable fruit, which I warmed for a few seconds in the microwave with a splash of water.

Tartine's Pastry Cream
2 cups whole milk
1/2 vanilla bean, cut open down the middle, seeded
1/4 tsp of salt
4 Tbls cornstarch
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
4 Tbls butter, cut in small cubes

Heat the milk, vanilla seeds and salt in a pan and put over medium heat, and bring to a boil.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the sugar, cornstarch and eggs until smooth. Slowly add 1/2 of the milk mixture into the egg and whisk constantly to temper them. Add the remaining milk and return the whole thing to the saucepan.
Cook until you get a thick consistency, whisking non-stop.
Remove from heat and pour into a bowl, let cool for 10 minutes and then incorporate the butter, one tablespoon at a time, until smooth .
Cover the surface with plastic wrap, directly touching the cream, let cool completely in the refrigerator.

Mango Shaved Ice

One of my favorite things about summer, besides the sun, swimming, no school, okay nevermind- I basically love everything about summer!

Anyway, one of my favorite things about summer is all of the fresh fruit and frozen fruit concoctions that you can make as a refreshing treat after being outside in the heat.
These types of treats are our favorite summer desserts.

This is basically the same recipe as the Fresh Mango sauce that I made a couple of months ago to top my brother's b-day cake, but this time the mango puree is frozen.

I actually forgot to stir my mango mixture every 1/2 hour and it still turned out great.
A perfect sweet treat for a hot day.




Mango Shaved Ice by Kathleen Daeleman
3 ripe mangoes- peeled, seeded, and cut into chunks
1/4 cup fresh lime juice- more or less, to taste
3 Tbls superfine sugar- more or less, to taste

Puree mango chunks in a blender or food processor until very smooth. Add lime juice and sugar. Pulse to combine.

Pour into a shallow flat baking dish or pan that will fit easily in your freezer. Freeze until frozen through, about 2 hours, stirring every 1/2 hour to break up the ice crystals.
Scrape with a fork and serve.

* She suggests that you can make shaved ice with any pureed fruit you want. Aim for 2 1/2 cups of liquid fruit puree.

Chard Quiche

I was looking for another way to use swiss chard a couple weeks ago and somehow found this recipe for Chard Quiche.

The thing that interested me the most, was the fact that the crust is made of wheat germ, flour, and sauteed chard. That's it. No butter, no shortening, etc.
This made me happy because my least favorite part of traditional quiches, is the pie-type crust. That is why we usually opt for frittatas for dinner when eggs are making an appearance.
I also had exactly 1 cup of whole milk in my fridge leftover from some dessert that needed to be used.

I might have used more chard than the recipe called for. I didn't weigh it or measure it. I figure it is okay to err on the side of more vegetables.
I also just used whatever cheese I had in the fridge. Happened to be mozzarella.

This was a really good quiche. I really loved the hearty/healthier crust.

The leftovers were good too.
This would be a great one to serve at brunch or dinner.

Recipe for Chard Quiche
* I used a little less oil than called for to cook the chard
* I used mozzarella cheese

Butter-Almond-Crusted Fishwiches

This is what I made the night my son told me I should open a restaurant. This sandwich is the reason my son thinks I am amazing. Well, one of the reasons.

I saw this recipe in Everyday with Rachael Ray and thought it would be a good dinner. The kids love fish and I want to like slaw. The fact the the slaw here uses dijon mustard, dill pickle relish, a little honey & oil, (none of that gross white stuff), made me very hopeful.

I decided to follow the recipe as closely as I could. (Of course, I had to get rid of some of the fat, like the butter which I reduced almost to nothing to cook the fish in).
I bought some freshly baked Italian sandwich bread from a local bakery and got to work.

I used fresh breadcrumbs, which I made with whole wheat bread, in the breading.

The combination of flavors was really great. The fresh thyme stood out. The almonds in the breading were really delicious.

My kids and hubby raved about this. I really like it too.

I don't really know what else to say about it besides it was absolutely fantastic. Definite repeat.

Recipe for Butter-Almond- Crusted Fishwiches * I used 1 Tbls of oil in the slaw
and 1 1/2 Tbls dijon mustard
* I made my own breadcrumbs, using 3 pieces of whole wheat bread
* I didn't use the all that butter when cooking the fish

Wheat Berry Salad with Lemon-Cumin Tuna

I bought some wheat berries a couple of weeks ago because I wanted to try this recipe that was in Ellie Krieger's So Easy.

I took this salad to a family dinner and was really hoping that there would be leftovers for me to eat the rest of the week for lunch.
Everyone tried it and most people liked it.
Wheat berries are really chewy, so you definitely get a chewing workout. They also require quite a bit of cooking time, but I read the recipe thoroughly in advance so I knew how much time they would need.

Once again, I wasn't sure how the dried cherries would work with everything else, but they added just the right amount of sweetness and tartness with each bite.
I used canned tuna instead of chicken to top the salad and modified the lemon-cumin dressing to work with the tuna.

I really love having this type of salad for lunch during the week. Filling, nutritious and so good.


Recipe for Wheat Berry Salad
Ellie changed this up in her new book and served it on a bed of spinach leaves
* I added a can of drained, rinsed chickpeas
* I used pecans instead of walnuts
* I mixed 2 cans of tuna with lemon juice, a little olive oil, 1 1/2 tsps cumin, salt & pepper and then mixed that into the wheat berry mixture

Oven Roasted Broccoli

Are you convinced that roasting vegetables is the best way to prepare them?
I definitely am. Roasting vegetables is one of my favorite things. It makes the plain and ordinary veggies really shine. Like broccoli.

Check out this post over at Aggie's Kitchen for more convincing (if needed) and a basic recipe.