Orzo Super Salad

Just in case the panzanella didn’t strike you, or even if it did, here’s another summer salad recipe. The original recipe is from 101 Cookbooks, and is nothing like traditional pasta salad, which is a good thing in this case. I was happy to get the chance to use broccolini, and fresh mint, and feta cheese, but I did not treat this recipe as delicately as recommended. It was all tossed together, and then divided among containers for portable lunches. I admit the salad was best the very first day though!

1 c. whole wheat orzo
2 bunches broccolini, cut into small pieces
1 medium zucchini, diced
1 seedless cucumber, diced
1 avocado, diced
6 oz. fat free feta
2-3 T lemon juice
2 T olive oil

Heat a large pot of boiling water. Add orzo, cook for 5 minutes. Add broccolini and zucchini and cook for 5 minutes more. Drain and rinse in cool water, and place in a large bowl. Add cucumber, avocado, feta, lemon juice, and olive oil and toss well. Add freshly ground black pepper if desired.

Roasted Vegetable Panzanella

I really like the concept of panzanella, a salad which puts stale bread and leftover vegetables to good use. I was especially inspired by this recipe, but it seemed more complicated than necessary, and I wanted to try to use less oil. The steps I took are outlined below, but of course each bowl of panzanella will be unique. Most of the flavor comes from the garlic, fresh basil, and balsamic vinegar which make an excellent combination.

1. Cut 1 12″ baguette into cubes and place in a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and garlic salt, and bake at 425 for 10 minutes on a cookie sheet, until browned. Set aside to cool.

2. Place 4-5 cups of vegetables in a bowl, including green beans, chopped zucchini, and grape tomatoes. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake at 425 for 15-20 minutes on a cookie sheet until browned. Set aside to cool.

3. Place bread, vegetables, 1/2 c. chopped fresh basil, and 1/2 c. chopped fresh mozzarella cheese in a large bowl, and toss gently. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar.

Frozen Watermelon Cocktail

Watermelon is one of the best foods of summer, and seemed like a good candidate for a frozen drink. I made this recipe up as I went along, and it came out pretty well!

1 1/2 c. cubed watermelon
2 shots vodka
1/2 shot grenadine
6 ice cubes

Add ingredients to a blender, give it a whirl. Pour into two fancy glasses and enjoy!

Peanut Noodles

The original recipe for Peanut Sesame Noodles is from SmittenKitchen, and while it looked fabulous, I wanted to see if I could lighten it up a bit, mostly by reducing the amount of peanut butter and increasing the vegetables. I used red wine vinegar only because I had run out of rice vinegar, although I am not sure it made a big difference.

The sauce was perhaps thinner than intended, and just at the edge of my spice tolerance, but I liked the dish overall. The next day it was even better. It’s nice to have a cool dish for hot summer days – now we just need more hot summer days!

8 oz. whole wheat linguini, cooked, drained, and rinsed in cold water
2 c. chopped broccoli, steamed for 2 minutes
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
1 cucumber, peeled and chopped
1 c. tofu, chopped
1/2 c. chopped scallion

Dressing:
1/4 c. crunchy peanut butter
1/4 c. soy sauce
1/4 c. warm water
1 T chopped peeled fresh ginger
1 t minced garlic
2 T red wine vinegar
1 1/2 t Asian toasted sesame oil
1 T honey
1 t chili paste

Place salad ingredients in a large bowl. Mix dressing ingredients and blend in a food processor. Toss salad with dressing.

Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwiches

My sister led the charge in making these ice cream sandwiches to enjoy on the Fourth of July. She was inspired by the old “Harbor Bars”, so she started by baking a batch of chocolate chip cookies. With vanilla ice cream, mini chocolate chips, and some time in the freezer, they were ready to be served.

Citrus Spinach Salad

There just had to be a spinach salad somewhere in my summer holiday weekend. The dressing makes this one special I think; it tastes very fresh. In multiplying this recipe to serve a larger group, we ended up with more dressing than salad, so you may want to make the dressing and then use just the amount you need.

4 c. spinach leaves
1 small red onion, sliced
1 can mandarin oranges (or 2 small oranges, sectioned)
1/4 c. toasted pine nuts, optional
1/4 c. orange juice
1/4 c. white wine vinegar
1/4 c. olive oil
1 T honey
2 T chopped cilantro
1 T Dijon mustard

Toss spinach, red onion, orange pieces, and pine nuts. Mix dressing ingredients in a jar and shake well. Toss with salad just before serving.

Skip and Go Lucky

A new tag on the blog for cocktails, and an appropriate start to the holiday weekend. My friend Alli introduced me to this drink at her house, and it was a lot of fun!

Fill blender halfway with ice. Add 2/3 c. cold beer, 2/3 c. frozen pink lemonade concentrate, and 1/4 c. vodka. Blend well and serve!


Cheers!

Blueberries and Dumplings

You have 2 pints of blueberries, not much flour, no brown sugar, and a possible dinner guest who merits dessert. There are lots of options, but my Mom and I chose to try something completely different. The original recipe was for strawberries and dumplings, but other than substituting the central ingredient and using skim milk instead of whole, we followed the recipe fairly closely. When you lift the cover at the end, the fruit has simmered down to a nice sauce, and the dumplings have expanded. A great summer dessert!