Zucchini Bean Salad

This is a fairly basic bean salad recipe but it had a great taste, with green beans and zucchini straight from the farm. I followed the recipe as written, although I left out the pepper and added shredded Parmesan on top just before serving. It was even better the second (and third) day with lunch!

Ugli Fruit

I spotted an Ugli fruit at the produce market this week, and decided to give it a try. I can see where it got the name since it looks like an orange that you forgot about for a few weeks. But once peeled and sectioned, this tangelo was pretty good. It has a light flavor, without any pesky seeds. Give one a try if you have a chance!

Peanut Butter Swirl Pancakes

I’ve made peanut butter pancakes before, but this recipe from Angela at Oh She Glows looked so cute with the swirls baked right in. Although the original recipe is vegan, I used egg and skim milk in my version. I didn’t have coconut oil, so I just used regular syrup. Piping the swirl into the pancake was a lot of fun, and this was a great weekend breakfast.

Giada’s Summer Grilled Chopped Salad

I took a day off blogging on Friday, but I did spend some time at the produce market getting all the ingredients for this awesome summer salad. Although it required a lot of chopping, it was fairly easy to make. From start to finish it took about a half hour which seemed pretty quick, perhaps because I wasn’t the one standing in front of the hot grill! Here is one batch of the grilled items:

I followed the recipe pretty closely, although I used smaller shrimp which were on sale, and substituted thinly sliced turkey breast for those who preferred that over shrimp. I made my own tortilla strips by slicing whole wheat tortillas and cooking the strips in the oven at 400F for 10 minutes on a baking sheet.

I served the dressing on the side, as Giada suggested, so that the leftovers could be easily kept for the next day. This was a fabulous meal, and I will definitely make it again!

Looking for a few good recipes?

People often ask me where I find recipes. Most times, I simply do a Google search for two or three key ingredients, and then review the results. I realize though that can be a little overwhelming at times.

On the right hand side of the blog, if you scroll down, there’s a new feature called ‘Recipe Sources’. That is where I’ll list the sites which I use most frequently to find fun new recipes. I’ll keep adding to this list as time goes on! If you have a recipe site to suggest, please leave it in the comments.

Spinach Gratin with Polenta

When I sat down to enjoy this meal, it felt familiar. Then I realized that it was similar to another polenta dish I made. However, this recipe calls for a log of polenta, rather than making your own. And actually, it doesn’t call for zucchini at all, but I didn’t have 5 cups of slices mushrooms, so I added a zucchini. I think just about any combination of vegetables would work here.

What I liked best about this recipe was the gravy mixture made with butter, flour, and vegetable broth. Instead of heavy cream, I whisked in 1/4 c. Greek yogurt at the end and it was just the right consistency. In fact, the vegetables and sauce really can stand on their own. The polenta slices on top didn’t really add anything to the dish, so next time I think I will just serve this with a piece of crusty Italian bread.

Key Lime Coconut Bars

My cooking club theme this month was coconut. We enjoyed a great meal with coconut chicken and rice, ambrosia salad, and pina coladas! There are many talented bakers in the group, and I don’t usually make the dessert for our dinners. But I came across this recipe and had to give it a try! I liked the lime and coconut flavors, and this was a great dessert for a warm summer evening.

Zucchini Orzo

I was in search of a pasta salad recipe that would help make a dent in the large container of whole wheat orzo in my cabinet. I came across this one which uses zucchini and onion. There were a few tears shed while grating the onion, but otherwise this was a very easy recipe to make. Based on comments in the original article, I added chopped fresh basil.

The zucchini almost got lost here, so I would use at least 2 grated zucchini next time. I would also use a touch more olive oil since the orzo seemed to absorb much of the dressing while standing. It’s a versatile recipe though, so you should feel to play as the article suggests!

From Garden to Table

I don’t have a new recipe to share today, but I have a few projects planned for the weekend. In the meantime, for those of you who have grown a bumper crop of tomatoes, try this Tomato Basil Tart.

Avocado Lime Chicken Salad

Last weekend, my family took a trip to Tanglewood to see the Boston Pops and picnic on the lawn. My contribution was this chicken salad with a twist. The avocado and lime made a healthy and flavorful substitute for mayonnaise. If you like chopped tomatoes, I hear they make a great addition to the sandwich. It was tough to get a good photo as the sun was setting quickly!

3 c. shredded chicken
1 large avocado, mashed
4-5 scallions, sliced thinly
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and pepper

Mix all ingredients, adding more lime juice if dry. Stuff into a whole wheat pita or tortilla with tomatoes if desired.