Easy Fattoush

This is perfect for summer or anytime.

Salad

1 head romaine lettuce

1 cucumber, chopped

1/2 c. radishes, sliced

2 roma tomatoes, chopped

3/4 c. pita bread cut into pieces

2 T. oil

1/4 c. green onions, chopped 

1 lemon halved

Dressing

1/4 c. olive oil

1 T. lemon juice

1/4 tsp. each: salt, pepper, dried parsley

1 clove garlic, crushed, chopped

Cut pita bread into pieces, set aside.

Cut ends from, rinse lettuce. 

Crush, peel, chop garlic, set aside.

Cut lemon in half, set aside. I’m

Dry lettuce in a clean kitchen towel or use a salad spinner.

Cut lettuce into pieces and place lettuce in a salad bowl.

Rinse, cut ends from, chop remaining vegetables,  place in salad bowl, set aside.

Heat skillet to medium high heat, lower heat to medium low, add oil.

Add pita pieces to skillet and fry on 1 side for a couple of minutes. 

Flip pita pieces over to fry on other side for a couple of minutes more.

Add pita pieces to salad. 

In a clean measuring cup, combine oil, salt, pepper garlic, parsley. Squeeze some of the lemon into oil mixture, stir with a clean fork to mix.

Drizzle some of the dressing over salad if desired.

Serves 4.

Kitchen Jar Ice Cream

Summer’s coming.

What’s a better way to celebrate summer than enjoying ice cream. 

2 - 3 c. heavy cream

Pinch of salt

1/8 - 1/3 c. sugar

1 - 2 tsp. vanilla

1 - 2 T. cocoa powder

1/4 - 1/2 c. chopped fresh strawberries 

Rinse, remove stems from and chop strawberries.

In 4 clean jars combine majority of ingredients except for cocoa & strawberries. 

Screw lid on jars and shake jar for 5 min. 

Remove lid from jar and add strawberries or cocoa powder if desired. 

Screw lid back on jar and place jar in freezer to chill for a few hrs. 

Serves 4.

Grilled Melon

This is perfect for summer or anytime.

1 melon (cantaloupe or honey dew)

4 T. oil

1 - 2 T. rum

1 T. sugar

Cut melon into slices, brush melon with oil, then with rum.

Preheat grill pan to medium heat. 

Place melon slices on grill and cook on 1 side for a couple of minutes.

Flip melon over and cook on other side for a couple of minutes more or until done.

Sprinkle melon with sugar.

Serves 4 - 6.

Holiday Steak

This weekend is the unofficial start of summer and grilling season.

This steak is perfect for Memorial Day Weekend or anytime.

I’ve used a grill pan but this also works on the grill too.

1 lb. steaks

1/4 - 1/2 tsp each: salt, pepper, granulated garlic

2 T. oil

1 T. each:  Worcestershire sauce, red wine vinegar 

1/4 tsp. dried parsley

Heat grill pan to medium high heat. 

Lower heat to medium,  add oil and place steak on grill pan.

Sprinkle garlic, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, parsley on steak.

Pour vinegar on steak and cook on 1 side for 7 - 10 minutes. 

Turn steaks over and repeat cooking process until desired doneness.

Serves 3 - 4.

Citrus Chicken

This is perfect for dinner or anytime.

4 boneless skinless chicken thighs

2 - 3 T. oil (olive or canola)
1 - 2 T. low sodium soy sauce
Juice of 1 orange
1/4 tsp. each: black pepper, salt

Cut one orange in half. 

Heat skillet to medium high heat. 

Reduce heat to medium and add oil. 

Add chicken. 

Salt and pepper chicken on both sides. 

Pour soy sauce over chicken.

Squeeze some of the orange juice over chicken.

Cook chicken on one side for 10 min or until done.

  Turn over and squeeze remaining orange over chicken. 

Repeat cooking process for 10 min or until done. 

Serves 4.

Coronation Scones

 This is perfect for watching the coronation, Mothers Day brunch or anytime.

3 -  3  1/4  c. flour  (regular or gluten free)

2 eggs

1 c. milk

1 stick cold butter, cut into pieces

1/3 - 1/2 c. sugar (regular or dietetic)

5 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1/3 - 2/3 c. blueberries

non stick cooking spray

Preheat oven to 400°. 

 Spray non cooking spray onto 1 - 2 baking sheets.

Rinse berries through colander, set aside.

Crack 1 egg into bowl and whisk slightly, set aside.

Crack other egg into a small bowl, beat slightly. 

Add milk, mix slightly.

Remove butter from refrigerator and cut into small pieces. 

In a large mixing bowl combine: 3 c. of the flour,sugar, salt, baking powder.

Add butter and incorporate into flour mixture with a pastry cutter.

Add blueberries to flour mixture.

Add egg milk mixture and work into flour until the flour is all wet. Be sure not to overwork dough. 

With very clean hands, sprinkle remaining flour onto your hands, rolling pin and work board so that dough doesn't stick. 

With your floured hands knead lightly and form dough into a ball. Place dough ball onto work board.

With a rolling pin, roll dough out to 1/2 inch thickness. 

With a clean knife, cut dough into 8 wedges and place on greased baking sheet.

Brush both sides of dough with beaten egg and place in oven. 

Bake for 15 min. approx. or until golden brown. 

Remove pan from oven when done and let cool.

Makes 8 scones.

Earth Day Salad

 Happy Earth Day all!

For Earth Day, I decided to eat vegetarian this weekend and make a salad for dinner.

This salad is perfect for Earth Day, a light lunch, for dinner or anytime.

I used baby spinach but you can use what leafy greens you like instead.

I’ve used a clean dish towel to pat dry spinach, but you can use a salad spinner to dry spinach if preferred instead.

I’ve used almonds, but you can omit almonds if there’s a nut allergy.

I also used feta cheese but you can use bleu cheese if preferred instead.

2 - 3 c. baby spinach

1 onion sliced

1 cucumber sliced

1/3 - 1/2 c. each: feta cheese, fresh blueberries, toasted almonds (optional)

1/4 c. sunflower seeds

Rinse blueberries in a clean colander, set aside to drain.

Rinse, snip ends off and pat dry spinach.

Peel, rinse, slice onion.

Rinse, cut ends of, slice cucumber.

In a clean salad bowl, place spinach.

Arrange vegetables on top of spinach.

Top salad with the blueberries, cheese and almonds.

Sprinkle sunflower seeds on top of salad.

Serves 4.