These make nutritious and delicious snacks. Choose peanut butter that you grind in the grocery store, it contains only peanuts-no salt or sugar. Be sure to keep it in the refrigerator.
Peanut Butter Bites
Yield: Makes about 24 1-inch balls
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2/3 cup natural peanut butter
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup Rice Krispies cereal
1 cup quick oats
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup finely chopped lightly salted dry-roasted peanuts
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the peanut butter, confectioners' sugar, honey and vanilla. Stir in the Rice Krispies and oats and allow mixture to cool.
Stir in raisins. Form mixture into 1-inch balls then roll each in chopped peanuts, pressing to coat.
Store these in the refrigerator.
TASTY ALTERNATIVE: Use almond butter in place of peanut butter and chopped almonds to roll them in.
I love this time of year! Farmer's markets are bursting at the seams with colorful fruits and vegetables. Melons in all shapes and sizes beckons me to take them home. Large bins and trailers are spilling over with corn that has just been picked that morning. Their fresh aroma fills the air as I sort through the ears, placing them in my canvas bag.
Whether you are purchasing corn from the farmer's market, corner fruit stand or the grocery store I have a few tips to help you choose the best corn.
*Buy local-your corn will be fresher
*Choose husks that look fresh and green with no drying. The silk should be golden and fresh looking.
*Pull back the husk to expose some of the kernels. They should be well filled out and evenly spaced. Pop a kernel with your fingernail-it should squirt milky juice. If the kernel is tough to get through, move on to another ear.
*Refrigerate your corn as soon as you get them home-still in their husks. This helps to preserve the moisture in the kernels. Don't place them next to strong-flavored foods because corn absorbs odors easily.
*Shuck the corn right before cooking
Did you know that corn loses half it's sweetness within 24 hours after picking? So eat that corn as soon as possible.
Here is a corn salad recipe that is well worth trying. It's fresh summery taste shows off the sweetness in the corn.
Roasted Corn Salad
ROASTED CORN SALAD
Yield: Makes 4 servings
2 ears fresh corn
1/2 cup shelled edamame, cooked
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup small-diced red bell pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoonextra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoon finely grated ginger
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
If you choose to grill your corn, soak the whole ear of corn in cold water for about 30 minutes. Grill the corn in the husk for 10 to 15 minutes, turning once. Let cool then remove the husks. Alternatively, you can shuck your corn, bring a large pot of water to boil. Drop the shucked ears into the boiling water, turn heat off and let them sit for abaout 3-4 minutes. Remove from the water, run under cold water to stop the cooking.
Cut the corn from the cob into a bowl; combine with edamane, red onion, red bell pepper and cilantro. Blend together the olive oil, lemon jluice, grated ginger, salt and pepper; drizzle over the vegetables. Toss to combine.
Cover and chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Grilled tomatoes? Creating a bit of herb smoke from the bbq while roasting tomatoes and garlic gives a nice flavor to this coulis.
What's a coulis you ask?
It's just simply a term referring to a thick puree or sauce.
Sounds fancy, but is really easy to make.
6-8 sprigs of fresh oregano
4-6 sprigs of fresh thyme
4-6 sprigs of fresh cilantro
6 medium tomatoes, cored
1 head garlic, top quarter cut off
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Soak the herb sprigs in cold water in a ziploc bag for at least 20 minutes. Prepare the grill to medium-high. Drizzle the tomatoes and garlic with the olive oil. Make a bed of herbs directly on the grill. Arrange the tomatoes and garlic on top of the herbs. Cover with a piece of foil to seal in the heat. Grill for about 30-45 minutes or until the tomatoes are roasted and slightly charred and the garlic is just softening. Remove from the grill and let cool.
Squeeze the garlic cloves out of their skins into a saucepan. Pull the skins from the tomatoes then add them to the saucepan. Add 1-2 tablespoons more of olive oil and simmer for 15 minutes. Process in a food processor and season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside to cool.
Now you have a base for a simple pasta dish, pour it over a grilled chicken breast or use it on toasted crostini topped off with some fresh mozzarella cheese and chopped basil.
There are so many possibilities...how would you use this sauce?
My husband, Rich, went fishing in Alaska a couple of weeks ago and came home with a boat load of salmon! What a great opportunity to create many new recipes! Fire up the grill for this recipe-you can even roast the tomatillos on the grill as well-keep the heat outside!
Remember--cook the fish approximately 10 minutes per inch of height of the fillet. Overcooked fish, especially salmon, gets really strong flavored and the flaky texture goes away.
DRY RUB
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon brown sugar
¼ teaspoon finely ground coffee (optional)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 pound wild Alaska sockeye salmon, skin on
Extra virgin olive oil for brushing
In a small bowl, combine the cumin, chili powder, brown sugar and coffee. Pat the salmon fillet dry. Season with salt and pepper and dredge in the spice mixture, patting to distribute the rub evenly on the fish and drizzle both sides of the salmon with the olive oil. . (If your fillet has the skin on, just season the flesh side but oil both sides). You can put the rub on the fish up to 2 hours ahead of time.
Preheat a grill, brushing the grates with oil before putting the fish on (or use a fish basket). Grill the salmon fillets, flesh side down first and turning only once, until nearly cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes). Transfer the salmon to a plate. Serve with Roasted Tomatillo Salsa.
You can put the spice rub on the fillets a few hours ahead of time. Cover with plastic wrap and put them in the refrigerator. Take them out about 30 minutes before you put them on the grill.
We were all so hungry that we gobbled the salmon right up! Sorry-but here's what the plate looked like after!!
ROASTED TOMATILLO SALSA
About 8 small tomatillos, husked and rinsed
1 large jalapeno chile, stemmed
4 sprigs of fresh mint, leaves removed
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
¼ cup chopped white onion
Salt to taste
Preheat broiler. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Arrange tomatillos and jalapeno chile on prepared baking sheet. Broil until tomatillos and jalapeno chile are soft and blackened in spots, about 5 minutes per side. Cool; transfer tomatillos, jalapeno chile, and any juices on the baking sheet to a blender or food processor. Add the fresh mint leaves, onion and lime juice; blend to a coarse puree. Transfer salsa to a serving bowl and season with salt.
Makes about 1 cup and can be made up to a day ahead.
Tomatillos are a fruit sometimes called Mexican green tomato. It resembles a small green tomato in size, shape and appearance, except for the fact that is has a thin papery-husk. Their flavor has hints of lemon, apple and herbs. Be sure to remove the husk before using.
It's hard to improve chocolate gelato-unless you add some fresh cherries to it! Gelato is the wonderful Italian "ice cream" containing less fat and air so it has a denser texture and full flavor. You will need an ice cream maker for this recipe-but believe me you will use it a lot!
FOR THE GELATO
3 cups whole milk, divided
3/4 cup premium cocoa powder (unsweetened)
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup fresh cherries, pitted and chopped
FOR THE COMPOTE
1/4 cup sugar
1 pound fresh cherries, pitted and halved
To prepare the gelato, pour 2 cups of the milk into a medium sauce pan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Do not let it boil.
Combine the cocoa, sugar, cornstarch and the remaining cup of milk in a medium mixing bowl; whisk until smooth. Add the hot milk to the cocoa mixture and whisk to combine. Pour the mixture back into the sauce pan and return to the heat. Cook, stirring constantly. Simmer gently, stirring, for an additional 2 minutes. The mixture will be the consistency of warm pudding or a thick cake batter.
Pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a clean mixing bowl. Set the bowl into a larger bowl filled with ice cubes and stir the mixture until it has cooled to room temperature. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming, then refrigerate, tightly covered, for at least 8 hours.
Pour the chilled mixture into the bowl of an ice cream machine. Freze according to manufacturer's instructions. When the gelato has reached soft serve consistency, stir in the fresh cherries. Pack the gelato in a cold container, press plastic wrap against the surface, and cover the container the container with a lid. Store in the freezer. For the bast texture, serve the gelato on the day it is made.
To prepare the compote, combine 1/4 cup sugar and cherries; toss well. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour. Serve the compote on top of the gelato.
Great recipe for grilling. Use fresh herbs and apples! Give this one a try-I know you'll love it!
Yield: Makes 4 burgers
FOR THE BURGERS:
1/2 pound ground round beef
1/2 pound ground pork
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4 burger buns
Preheat grill to medium high. Combine the beef, pork, rosemary, sage, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Form into 4 patties. Grill them for about 4 minutes on each side or until juices run clear.
FOR THE CHIVE MAYO:
1/2 cup yogurt, sour cream or mayonnaise (low fat is fine)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
3-4 dashes Tabasco sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Refrigerate until needed.
FOR THE APPLE SLAW:
3 apples of your choice, peeled, cored and grated
2-3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
Salt and pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and refrigerate until needed.
Toast the buns and spread each top with the chive mayo. Place burger on the bun and top with the apple slaw.
Summer is finally here and our gardens will soon be brimming with produce. Here is a simple way to use those good-for-you greens as well as other fresh veggies from the garden or the farmer's market. This recipe is a great way to "think outside the recipe"--what I mean- use this as a starting point and challenge yourself to use what you have. Remember recipes are a "guideline"-not set-in-stone rules.
This recipe makes 4 servings
1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 large bunch of greens (such as spinach, mustard greens, kale, broccoli rabe, etc.) bout 1 pound, thick stems
removed, spinach left whole, other greens cut into 1-inch strips making about 10 cups packed.
1 small onion, julienne
12 ounces pasta of your choice
5-6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/2 cup coarsely chopped, pitted Kalamata olives
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (about 3 ounces)
Toasted pinenuts
Mix the parsley, lemon zest and minced garlic in a small bowl and set aside.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, add 2-3 tablespoons olive oil then add the onion, saute until tender and translucent. Add the greens and saute until tender.
Pour drained cooked pasta to a large bowl, add the greens, 1-2 tablespoons remaining olive oil and toss. Stir in olives, feta and enough reserved pasta cooking liquid to moisten. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with the parsley mixture and serve with toasted pinenuts sprinkled over.
