My cooking club theme this month was fresh herbs, and I made this cucumber dill salad. It is a very simple dish, and a nice change from traditional salads. The taste of the dill was fairly subtle, so I may add a bit more next time. I did not salt the cucumbers since the recipe reviews recommended skipping that step.

My sister and her husband teamed up to make Grilled Mango Salsa based on this recipe from the Food Network. I really love the taste of mango, and this was a great addition to our meal. The ingredients all tasted very fresh, and this was the perfect way to kick off the summer grilling season! You may want to cut back slightly on the cilantro, so as not to overpower the other flavors.

2 large mangoes, cut into thick slices

1 large red onion, cut into thick slices

2 T olive oil

Salt

Pepper

5 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped into 1/2″ pieces

1 small bunch cilantro, chopped

1 bunch scallions, chopped

1/2 red pepper, seeded and finely chopped

2 T lime juice

Juice of 1/2 orange

1/4 c. cider vinegar

Lightly coat mango and onion slices in olive oil, salt, and pepper. Grill for 2 minutes on each side, on medium-high heat.

Remove from grill and let cool slightly. Chop mango and onion and place in a large mixing bowl with all remaining ingredients. Chill for 30 minutes and then use as a topping for grilled chicken or fish, such as salmon as pictured here:

Happy Memorial Day! Homemade baked beans are a great complement to any barbecue, and in my opinion, much better than any canned version. I posted this recipe last year, and made it again this weekend. While these taste great the first day, I think they are even better as leftovers. Enjoy!

These pancakes reminded me of latkes; in fact, some sour cream on top would have been very good. I followed the recipe as written, except that I replaced the orange juice with water.

The combination of flavors and textures was interesting, and I liked the crunch of the bulgur and walnuts. While I enjoyed these for a meal, they didn’t ‘wow’ me. And since the recipe is labor intensive, I probably won’t make them again.

This mixture makes an excellent topping for steak or chicken. Keep the recipe handy for your summer BBQ.

My sister made this amazing cauliflower dish as part of a wonderful meal for Mother’s Day. She learned the technique from her friend Louie. It’s an easy recipe to prepare earlier in the day, and then bake when your guests arrive.

1) Steam one head cauliflower, cut into large pieces, until cooked but firm.
2) Drain, and toss warm cauliflower with olive oil, minced garlic, salt and pepper.
3) Place cauliflower pieces, flower side up, stem down in 8″x8″ glass dish.
4) Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
5) Bake at 350F for 30 minutes until browned.

Now, this is how to enjoy asparagus! I took the original recipe, and added more cheese. This was an amazing side dish, and makes me sad that asparagus season is almost over.

1 lb. asparagus, trimmed
1 T olive oil
1/3 c. freshly grated Parmesan
Freshly ground black pepper

Toss asparagus and olive oil, and place on baking sheet in a single layer. Sprinkle with Parmesan and black pepper. Roast at 450F for 10 minutes.

-Adapted from allrecipes.com

Sometimes I really enjoy asparagus (drizzled with cream sauce) and sometimes I really do not (scrambled with eggs!) I wanted to branch out and try a new method of preparing asparagus. I am happy to say it was a success. I steamed the asparagus just a little too long, so keep a close eye on it.

1 large bunch asparagus, cut into 1″-2″ pieces after removing tough ends
Juice of 1 orange
2 t minced garlic
2 T soy sauce

Steam asparagus for 5 minutes, and drain. Toss with orange juice, minced garlic, and soy sauce in a medium bowl. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Drain prior to serving.

This was the first time I attempted to cook a chayote. First, here’s what it looks like next to a baseball for size reference:

The taste is comparable to zucchini, although perhaps slightly sweeter, and the flesh was firm even when cooked. I can’t pinpoint why I didn’t enjoy this as much as I expected, since zucchini is one of my favorite vegetables. There are many other recipes which use chayote though, and I will try one soon!

I was inspired by this recipe to make my own broctato mash. I used a lovely goat cheese, which added to the creaminess of the dish. I cooked the potatoes and broccoli separately, and mixed them together at the end with the milk and cheese. It was a great easy side dish!