Red, White and Blue Salad

What can I say, I looooove salads this time of year.  I don’t know about you, though, but I get awfully bored with the same old iceberg lettuce, cucumber, carrots and tomatoes.  Bleck, who wants to eat that??

Coincidentally, in the summer, I always have huge containers of fresh berries in my fridge.  And while I do my best to eat as much fruit as I can during the week, I’m always looking for various ways to use up my berries by the end of the week.  This has become my new, favorite, summer salad.  It’s crisp and cool, and not your same old run-of-the-mill mixed salad.  Add some grilled chicken to this, and you’ve got a meal.

 Start by toasting some pecans on the stove top.  Almonds would also be yummy!  Melt some butter over low heat and add your chopped nuts.  Sprinkle with a little brown sugar and cook until lightly toasted.  Remove from heat and place on a paper towel to cool.

Meanwhile, thinly slice your cucumber and strawberries.  Mix with fresh spinach leaves, and toss with blueberries and freshly sliced parmesan cheese.  Drizzle with a berry viniagrette dressing.

Berry Viniagrette

In your blender, mix together:

• 1/4 cup fresh fruit spread (I used blackberry, since that’s what I had on-hand, but blueberry or strawberry would work great, also);
• 1/4 cup chopped onions
• 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Process until smooth.  With blender running, slowly add in 2/3 cup of vegetable oil.  Refrigerate up to 2 weeks.

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Rosemary-Parmesan Steak Fries

While I often hear a small voice in the back of my head calling, “Danger! Danger Will Robinson!” as I consider shoving my son’s leftover McDonald’s french fries into my mouth (while no one is watching, of course), this recipe really isn’t all that unhealthy.  There’s still salt, of course, but I tell myself that’s offset by using the whole potato (skins and all) and olive oil rather than deep-frying.

Rosemary-Parmesan Steak Fries

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

2 1/2 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary

4 cloves garlic, minced

3 Tbsp parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 and slice 4 medium potatoes into 8 slices each.

Mix ingredients through the garlic with 2 Tbsp olive oil, and add potatoes.  Toss to coat.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray.  Using foil makes for super easy clean-up later, and what can I say, I’m lazy.  Also, the foil really helps your potatoes cook more evenly.

Spread your potatoes evenly on the foil, and bake for approximately 40 minutes.  Sprinkle with parmesan cheese, and enjoy.

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Mexican Corn on the Cob

Who am I kidding?  Madness pretty much meets our house every day.  Runs it, actually.  With a full-time job and a 4-year old boy, I usually consider it a success if we manage to eat by 8:00 and don’t destroy the kitchen and/or dining room.  But sometimes the thought of tackling the whirlwind messes we create is more than I can bear on a Monday.

So, despite the horrendous temperatures here, we try to eat outside as much as we can this time of year.  The Doodlebug can run and play, and I can enjoy a glass of wine without wondering how (why??) spaghetti sauce is smeared on top of (underneath, on the side of) the kitchen table.

 

Tonight I made a quick rub for steaks and threw that on while the grill was warming.  Shucked some corn, and mixed together these ingredients:

 

 

Smeared the mixture over hot corn, and ended up with this:

 

 

 

And this:

 

 

Mexican Corn on the Cob (printable recipe)

 

1 cup shredded fresh parmesan cheese

3 tablespoons mayonniase

2 tablespoons sour cream

zest of 1 lime

juice of 1/2 lime

1/4 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

dash of kosher salt

 

Mix together mayonnaise and sour cream.  Add zest and juice, and mix in remaining spices.  Spread mixture on hot corn and roll in shredded cheese.

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