Summer Supper #7

.

I apologize for being such a poor blog host lately. I'm here, and I am still cooking, but I'm feeling rather lazy about posting recipes. I'll blame the heat; everyone else does! ;-)

I hope that you tried one of the red or green margaritas. Really, you must. On Sunday evening, I tried a variation of the strawberry by substituting a whole diced peach for the strawberries. Oh my goodness, it was really so very good -- and a whole serving of fruit. Yay!

Today's Summer Supper is what my husband calls the epitome of a good summer dinner. It's rather light (as in not a large quantity of food) but very tasty, with a little bit of grilling and some wonderful summer flavors.

I will warn you, it's a hot dog. "Yuck," you say. "I don't eat hot dogs." Well, I don't normally serve hot dogs for dinner, but the right kind can be quite a treat. I use good hot dogs (Nathan's or Hebrew National Beef almost exclusively) which you will pay a buck or two more for than pork dogs, but they are worth it. I have served this dish twice to my family and I think they would eat these dogs every week. They are really, really good. Try them.

I served them with a side of fresh fruit -- some watermelon or a bowl of diced fresh fruit, and some chips for ease of homemade potato salad. It's an easy meal and won't fill you too much.

Avocado Hot Dogs

 serves 8

Printer version

8 good beef hot dogs

8 hot dogs buns (I prefer split top)

2 ripe avocados, peeled and diced

1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, quartered or diced finely if they are large

a handful or cilantro, minced

2 T. finely diced red onion

1 clove garlic, minced

a few squirts of lime juice

a dash or two of salt

ketchup and mustard, if desired

Preheat the grill. 

In the meantime combine the avocado, tomatoes, cilantro, onion and garlic. Add a few squirts of lime juice (the plastic green lime kind is fine) and a dash or two of salt. Stir gently to combine and taste. Adjust lime juice or salt if needed.

Grill hot dogs until hot and with grill marks.

Place hot dogs in buns. Top with mustard or ketchup if desired and Avocado Relish.

Serve with cubed or diced watermelon or fresh fruit salad, and some chips or potato salad.

.

 

Summer Supper #6

.

This is the kind of dish I would order from any restaurant menu. I love summer vegetables, and if you pair them with bacon for flavor and pasta for a little filler, they make a great summer supper dish. I saw this recipe at MyRecipes.com, but switched it up a little in terms of pasta shape and variety of summer vegetable. You could really use a multitude of vegetables for this recipes -- whatever is growing in the garden, available at the farm market, or just needs to be used from the veggie drawer of the fridge.

All the kids enjoyed this dish (much to my surprise) and I can't wait to try it again. I modified the recipe to my taste, but feel free to substitute the veggies for what's available to you. I could not find cavatappi at my store, so I used Roman Rigatoni ( a curved variety of rigatoni) but would look for cavatappi in the future -- I love that shape.

Pasta with Bacon and Summer Vegetables

serves 4-6

Printer version

1 lb. uncooked cavatappi 

8 slices bacon, chopped 

2 T.  olive oil 

1 cup chopped red or green onion

3 cloves garlic, crushed or minced

1 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices 

3/4 cup yellow pepper, sliced thin and cut in bite-size sticks

1 cup edamame

1 1/2 cups sugar snap peas, ends trimmed and strings removed

1 1/2 cups quartered grape tomatoes

1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Parmesan cheese (or up to 1 cup, to taste)

1/4 cup small fresh basil leaves 

salt and pepper to taste

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.

While pasta cooks, cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until crisp. Remove bacon from pan with a slotted spoon, reserving drippings in pan; add oil to drippings. Add onion and garlic to pan; sauté 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add zucchini and peppers; cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in edamame, tomatoes, and sugar snaps; cook 5 minutes or until tomatoes soften, stirring occasionally. 

Add hot pasta to vegetable mixture; toss. Cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Add 1/4 cup cheese, basil, salt, and pepper; toss to combine. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Source: modified from myrecipes.com

Serving suggestion: Serve with some crusty bread and a bowl of fresh fruit salad, or served with some grilled chicken breast for a heartier meal.

.

Summer Supper #5

.

This salad used to be a favorite of mine in the days when we used to eat out. By the time my husband and I had our third child we could no longer eat out cheaply and so it's been a long time since we ate out regularly. But I remember this salad fondly and my homemade version lived up to the memory.

It's a simple salad -- very few ingredients, but topped with a yummy piece of grilled chicken and some crunchy pumpkin seed kernels, it's filling and satisfying. I modified my Cilantro Ranch Dressing because I can never remember to buy tomatillos, but its still good and I think with all that cilantro the tomatillos get a little lost anyway.

Grilled Chicken, Romaine and Pepito Salad
serves 4 dinner servings

Printer version 

2 heads Romaine lettuce, chopped and washed and dried
several slices red onion, quartered
3 Roma tomatoes diced
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Mexican Marinade (below)
1/2 c. pepitas (pumpkin seed kernels), roasted and salted (buy them roasted and salted)
Cilantro Ranch dressing (below)



Place four chicken pieces in a bowl with marinade. Marinade for several hours.

In a large bowl, toss lettuce, onion and tomato.
Chill until ready to serve.

When ready to serve, preheat grill and grill chicken until cooked through.
Allow chicken to sit for five minutes and then slice across the grain thinly.


Top salad with chicken breast and sprinkle with pepitas. Drizzle with salad dressing and serve.



Marinade

1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lime juice
2 cloves garlic minced
1/2 t. cumin
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper



Cilantro Ranch Dressing

1 pkg. Ranch Buttermilk Dressing mix
1/2 c. mayonnaise (you could use sour cream also)
1/2 c. sour cream
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
heavy dash cayenne pepper


In a food processor, place dressing mix, sour cream, mayo and buttermilk. Add cilantro and process under cilantro is finely chopped. Add cayenne if desired. Refrigerate for at least one hour.

.

Summer Supper #4

.

I am experimenting with some of the apps we "spoke" about in my last post, and I'll let you know what I think of them in a few days. In the meantime...

...today's summer supper recipe was a really big hit with my entire family (except Peach who said it was spicy -- and it was), but I really loved it the most. I could have eaten it until it came out my ears. Luckily, it's low in fat so I practically did! This is not really a summer supper in that it's not made on the grill, nor needs seasonal ingredients, but it is very light and I just know my family would leave the table unsatisfied in the winter when you just feel like you need a stouter fare. Paired with some yummy Asian Broccoli, this meal was very satisfying on a summer night, and I can't wait to have it again.

The recipe came from Taste of Home Cooking and the only change I made was to use all white turkey instead of chicken. It was very tasty. If you have little ones who don't like it spicy, like Peach, you can cut back on the Sriracha, or prepare a small quantity in a separate pan without the Sriracha.

Spicy Asian Lettuce Wraps

serves 4 to 6

printer version

2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 cup red onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons ginger root, peeled and grated
1 1/2 lbs. ground chicken (or turkey)
4 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons Sriracha
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 small can water chestnuts, chopped
1/3 cup chopped peanuts
1-2 heads butter lettuce

Heat oil in a large non-stick frying pan, add onion and saute about 2 minutes, then add garlic and ginger root and saute another minute. Add ground chicken (turkey) to frying pan and break apart, then add soy sauce and Sriracha. Cook until the chicken (turkey) is brown and crumbling apart about 5 minutes.

While chicken (turkey) cooks, wash and chop cilantro. Remove the core end from lettuce and separate leaves. Chop peanuts and put in small bowl to serve at the table. When turkey is done, add chopped water chestnuts and chopped cilantro and cook 1-2 minutes more.

To serve: place turkey mixture on lettuce leaf, sprinkle with peanuts, and fold the leaf closed to make it easy to grab and eat. 

Source: Taste of Home Cooking

.

Summer Supper #4

.

The grill is getting quite a workout so far this summer, and with delicious results. Note to self: get a propane back-up -- nothing worse than running out of gas halfway through the cookout.

This recipe was a huge hit again with the menfolk. I enjoyed it, but I'm not really a dark meat eater, so though I ate my share, I ate in moderation (always a good thing!). I think the next time I make it I'll prepare a few boneless breasts, even though I have a feeling they won't soak up the marinade quite as well as the thighs did. The recipe for the chicken came from Christy at The Girl Who Ate Everything. I pretty much followed the recipe exactly except, knowing that the marinade gets discarded after the chicken soaks, I just couldn't "waste" 2 cups of soy sauce -- that's like more than a whole bottle. Besides, I could see my little pile of chicken thighs and I knew that I didn't need all that liquid. As it turned out, exactly half the marinade quantity was enough to completely submerge all the chicken -- any more than that would have been a waste. Thus, I have halved the recipe for posting here. In order to not waste the extra coconut milk (most cans are 14 oz.), substitute it for some of your cooking water for the rice -- it adds some creaminess that you'll enjoy.

For the grilled veggies and pineapple, just cut some veggies (I used red onion, red peppers and zucchini as well as fresh pineapple) into 1 inch pieces, or 1/2 inch slices for the zucchini and wedges for onion, skewer them and grill them right next to the chicken. It helps to spray the skewers with olive oil to keep them from sticking.

Grilled Hawaiian Chicken

serves 6 to 8

Printer version

3 lbs. boneless skinless chicken thighs

1 cup low sodium soy sauce

1 cup water

3/4 cup brown sugar
4 green onions, chopped
2 T. finely chopped white onion
1 clove garlic, minced or crushed
1 t. sesame oil
6 oz. ounces coconut milk

Trim chicken thighs of any visible fat. Mix soy sauce, water, brown sugar, onions, garlic, sesame oil, and coconut milk in a large bowl. Marinade chicken for at least 4 hours or overnight to make sure the flavor gets infused.

Grill chicken at a low heat so that the marinade does not burn for 5-7 minutes per side or until done. (put the veggies on the same time as the meat).

Serve with grilled veggies and pineapple over a platter of coconut rice and garnish with green onions.

Source: modified from The Girl Who Ate Everything 

.

Summer Supper #3

.

Today's Summer Supper is really not a true summer supper because it was prepared indoors, but it was simple and easy to eat, so I count it as a summer supper.

I admit I actually was not completely gaga over this dish. It was very tasty, don't get me wrong, but I'm not sure I'm really a cheesesteak kinda girl. My husband and sons, however, really liked it a lot. Faith and I split a sandwich and we were all happy.

The recipe called for making a cheese sauce, but I drew the line at that. I like the creamy, stringy texture of melted provolone, so I placed a slice on each sandwich and it melted perfectly. I say don't bother with cheese sauce. I also upped the steak sauce per the original recipe from Rachael Ray. I like the addition of the peppers, however (what's a cheese steak without peppers?) so my recipe is a combination of both recipes. Recipe below modified to my taste. You can Google the recipe to find Rachael Ray's original.

Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes
4 to 6 servings

Printer version

1 T. olive oil
1 pound ground beef
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 green pepper, chopped
1/4 cup A-1 steak sauce
1 cup beef stock
Salt and ground black pepper
4-6 dinner rolls (meat mixture is enough for 6 rolls, so use enough rolls for your family -- I used this recipe to make roundish sort of sub buns)
4-6 slices provolone

In large skillet over medium-high heat add the oil and then brown the ground beef, about 5-6 minutes. Turn off flame and drain off fat (or use paper towels to sop it up -- my method). Add the onion and green pepper and cook another 3-4 minutes, until the vegetables start to get tender. Stir in the steak sauce and beef stock, season with salt and pepper, bring up to a bubble and cook about 10 minutes, until veggies are soft and liquid is thickened.

Split open rolls and toast briefly for a little color and texture. (Or don't -- up to you)

To serve, place a scoopful of the meat mixture onto the bottom of the rolls. Top with a slice of cheese.

Serve with sliced watermelon and cole slaw for an easy summer meal.

Source: modified from Taste of Home Cooking

.

Summer Supper #2

.

My second summer supper of the season is Chicken Fajitas and Peppercorn. Chicken Fajitas are a favorite in our house, but they always seem to require a lot of work. Like with tacos, I always feel obliged to offer a huge array of toppings, plus a side of rice and refritos, and then, suddenly, it's a big deal. For this meal, I simplified my toppings and sides, and every one was happy with them just the way I served them. I started the meat marinating in the afternoon, but my chicken breasts were frozen, so they thawed in the marinade on the counter. The marinade is really only a few ingredients, so it was not a big deal to get them started. The Peppercorn is a quick and easy side for grilled meat, but was wonderful on top of the meat inside a warm corn (or flour) tortilla. Topped with sour cream, a little jarred salsa and paired with some fresh fruit -- it was a completely satisfying and easy summer supper.

Easy Chicken Fajitas and Peppercorn

serves 4 

Printer version

Fajitas:

1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lime juice
2 cloves garlic minced
1-2 t. cumin
2 T. fresh minced cilantro, if desired
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
4  boneless, skinless chicken breasts
corn or flour tortillas
sour cream
your favorite jarred salsa




Mix together olive oil, lime juice and spices. Place chicken breasts in plastic zipper bag and pour marinade over. Seal and let marinade for several hours (in the fridge unless chicken is frozen).

At dinner time, preheat grill. Drain off marinade and discard. Grill chicken until done. Let sit for 5 minutes and then slice thinly crosswise. Keep warm until ready to serve.


Serve on warm corn or flour tortillas with sour cream, peppercorn and salsa, if desired.




Peppercorn


1 T. olive or canola oil
12 oz. bag frozen corn
1 red or orange pepper, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
6 green onions, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 t. cumin
salt and pepper to taste
Lime (optional)

Heat large skillet over medium high heat. Heat oil in skillet. Add corn and peppers and cook for about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until corn is hot and peppers are tender. Add green onions, garlic and cumin and stir, cooking until corn is cooked through. Salt and pepper to taste. Squeeze a half a lime over corn (if desired) and serve.


Serve this meal with some orange wedges, fresh berries or sliced watermelon for an easy and healthy summer supper.

.