Fresh Summer Fruit Salad

Sometimes nothing is better on a hot summer day than -



1 Granny Smith Apple
1 Pear
1 Bunch Green Grapes
5-10 Strawberries, cut into quarters
1/4 of a small watermelon, cubed
1/2 of 1 pineapple, cubed
1 orange, each slice cut into thirds
1/4 cup sugar

Mix all together and enjoy!

Beer Brine Pork Chops & Garlic Thyme Mashed Potatoes

2 cups water
2 cups dark lager beer
1/4 cup coarse salt
3 tablespoons (packed) dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons mild-flavored (light) molasses
1 cup ice cubes
6 1- to 1 1/4-inch-thick center-cut bone-in pork chops

7 large garlic cloves, minced
3 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons dried sage leaves

Combine 2 cups water, beer, 1/4 cup coarse salt, sugar, and molasses in large bowl. Stir until salt and sugar dissolve. Stir in ice. Place pork chops in large resealable plastic bag. Pour beer brine over pork chops; seal bag. Refrigerate 4 hours, turning bag occasionally.

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Remove pork chops from beer brine; pat dry. Mix garlic, pepper, 2 teaspoons salt, and sage in small bowl. Rub garlic mixture over both sides of pork chops. Grill pork chops until instant-read thermometer inserted into center of chops registers 145°F to 150°F, about 10 minutes per side, occasionally moving chops to cooler part of rack if burning. Transfer chops to platter; cover with foil, and let stand 5 minutes. Serve.

Feedback: We got this recipe from Bon Appetit. We did make one variation because we are out of propane for the grill - that always means .. time to cook on the Foreman! I LOVED these porkchops though I think next time I'll go ahead and use boneless, skinless. I guess I am spoiled but it always irritates me having to cut around the bone on a pork chop.

Garlic Thyme Mashed Potatoes

3 pounds russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, quartered
4 1/2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
6 tablespoons (or more) warm whipping cream
1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme
1 tablespoon minced garlic

Boil potatoes until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain; return to pot. Add butter, 6 tablespoons cream, garlic and thyme; mash. Season with salt and pepper. Do ahead Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature. Rewarm over medium heat, stirring often and adding more cream by tablespoonfuls if dry.

Feedback: I made last week but mashed potatoes and pork chops just sounded more appealing. Not much to say about mashed potatoes but it's always nice to find some variation away from the norm - the thyme and the garlic provided just that. The Bon Appetit recipe did NOT call for garlic - but it was great!

Tilapia with Balsamic Butter Sauce

I got this recipe from the Bon Appetit web site. I wasn't sure how it was going to turn out after I began cooking because making the sauce the smell of the vinegar was SO strong. Think .. making Easter eggs.

BALSAMIC BUTTER SAUCE
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 cup (1 stick) plus 1 tablespoon chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes.

2 tablespoons olive oil
6 4- to 5-ounce tilapia fillets

Simmer vinegar and garlic in small saucepan over medium heat until reduced to thick syrup, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in each of 2 large skillets over high heat. Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper. Sauté fish until golden, about 2 minutes per side.

Rewarm balsamic syrup over medium-low heat. Whisk in 1/2 cup butter 1 piece at a time. Add remaining 1 tablespoon butter to peas; stir over medium heat until warmed. Season with salt and pepper.

Feedback: The sauce when finished wasn't at all overpowering and I think this may go into my book as one of my favorite tilapia recipes.

The asparagus risotto cake I can not take credit for. I purchased it at the deli of a local Oliver's Market (so it was sure to be wonderful). It was good, though if I purchased them again I believe I would sprinkle the top with fresh shaved parmesan cheese for slightly more flavor. For $1.99 a cake I can't complain ...

Hubby Cooks - Red Wine Slow Cooked Roast

1 3-4 lb Beef Round Rump Roast
2 C Red Wine
1/4 C Worcestershire Sauce
1 Can Beef Broth
1 Large Yellow Onion
2 Cloves Garlic
Seasoning Salt
Salt
Pepper
4 Bay Leaves

Hubby cooked tonight and I must say I was fairly impressed. When I left the house this morning we knew we had thawed the rump roast but he wasn't quite sure what he wanted to do with it. We knew that we didn't want just another plain pot roast, nor did he want to make something to complicated.

Place several knife holes into the roast. After cutting the garlic cloves into 2-3 pieces each, stuff one piece into each hole in the roast. Sprinkle the roast with salt, pepper and seasoning salt. Place the roast into the slow cooker. Cut the onion into large chunks and place it around the roast in the slow cooker. Add bay leaves and pour wine and beef broth over roast. Slow cook on High for 5 hours.

The roast had a very good flavor - slight taste of the wine coming thru but not overpowering. I hope that he makes this again! We served it with rice pilaf and some cheese bread - yum!

Summer Chicken Corn Chowder

Summer is coming back and this is one of my favorite recipes. I am a HUGE fan of cilantro and the cilantro in this dish really converts it from a warm winter comfort food to something that doesn't seem so heavy. I've also cooked it in my slow cooker but it's not necessary.

I've also made it for people who don't like cilantro - just eliminate that ingredient - but to me it is soooo much more delicious with it!

2 slices bacon, chopped
1 onion, chopped
3 tbsp. flour
1 lb Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and chopped
6 cups reduced-sodium or homemade chicken broth
4 cups shredded cooked chicken
3 cups corn kernels
1/4-1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
3 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 avocado, pitted, peeled and chopped
1 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves
2 limes, cut into wedges
Freshly ground black pepper

(Please note that I did not use the limes or the avocado because I don't like either - the original recipe does call for them though).

1. In a large heavy pot over medium-high heat cook bacon until fat renders and meat starts to brown. Add onion, reduce heat to medium and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle with flour and cook, stirring, until flour smelled cooked (you should get a whiff of baked piecrust) but hasn't started to brown - about 3 minutes.

2. Add potatoes and broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to keep mixture summering and cook until potatoes are barely tender, about 5 minutes. Add chicken and corn and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and stir in cream to taste. Heat through, about 2 minutes.

3. Serve, garnished with tomatoes, avocado, cilantro, pepper & 1-2 squirts of lime to taste. (Again, I only garnished with tomatoes and cilantro).

Chicken and Dumplings - Slow Cooker

My husband Brian had never had chicken and dumplings so I decided, being Southern, that it was my duty to introduce him. I did a recipe with the rosemary in the dumplings though to give it a little "wine country flair." I've made it many, many times for him, and also for my family when I visited them in Mississippi, and everyone has always loved it. Hopefully one day I get a picture!

It's great in a slow cooker for nights that I work!

1/2 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 whole chicken (about 3 lbs) cut into pieces (I just used boneless, skinless chicken breasts)
1 Tbsp vegtable oil
4 large carrots, peeled and sliced 1 inch thick
2 stalks celery, slived 1/2 inch thick
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp dried rosemary
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup frozen peas

Dumplings
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
1 egg, slightly beaten

1. Combine flour, salt and pepper in a bowl. Add chicken pieces to mixture and coat. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook 8-10 minutes or until brown on all sides.

2. Add carrots, celery, onion and rosemary to slow cooker. Place chicken pieces OVER vegetables. Pour 1/2 cup of the broth into skillet and cook over medium-high heat, scraping up brown bits from bottom of pan. Pour pan juices into slow cooker with remaining stock or broth.

3. Cook and cover on high 4-6 hours or on low for 8-10 hours until vegetables are tender and stew is bubbling. Add peas to combine.

4. Dumplings: Whish flour, baking powder, dried rosemary and salt in a bowl. Combine milk and egg in a measuring cup. Mix well and add to flour mixture. Stir with a fork to make a lumpy dough (do not overmix - lumps are fine). Drop dumpling mixture over chicken pieces. Cover and cook on High for 25 to 20 minutes or until tester inserted in center of dumpling comes out clean.

Macaroni and Cheese

People can be picky about their macaroni and cheese. REALLY picky. So I'm always hesitant to try a new mac and cheese recipe and anyone other than my husband and I. I have a stack of recipes I wanted to try before I settled on calling one "my" recipe even though it seems odd to make variations of the same dish over and over. This version came from the book "Cooking in the South" with Johnnie Gabriel. Apparently she is great friends with Paula Deen which explains the massive amounts of butter!



4 quarts (16 cups) water
Pinch of Salt
1 (16 ounce) package macaroni
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon dry mustard
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cup low sodium chicken broth
3 1/2 cups whole milk
16 ounces Colby cheese, shredded
8 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
Salt and Black pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Coat a 13 x 9 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. In a large stockpot bring water to boil, add a pinch of salt and cook the macaroni until it is al dente. Drain and set aside. Do NOT put the macaroni back into this pot.

In the same pot add the butter and melt it on medium heat. Add the dry mustard and flour, cooking and stirring constantly to make a golden colored roux. Whisk in the chicken broth and milk, simmering 5-6 minutes or until it begins to thicken. Remove the mixture from the heat and stir in both shredded cheeses. Stir until completely melted and add salt and pepper.

Add the pasta to the cheese mixture and stir to combine all together. Pour this mixture into the prepared baking dish. Cover with bread crumbs if you wish. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the casserole is bubbling and the cheese melts.

Feedback: I made a few variations to this dish. I added garlic powder because I love it so much and I used boxed bread crumbs instead of making them from scratch as she recommended with Ritz crackers. I also didn't use ham which she offers as an option should you want this as a hearty main meal.

After having this dish I'm not even certain I will continue going through the stack of recipe's before deciding which will be my main "go-to" macaroni and cheese recipe. It was WONDERFUL. Everyone who ate it loved it - both adults and children (which was the real test with mac-n-cheese).

Ad Hoc Fried Chicken

I'd heard that this was the best fried chicken ever made so I had to try it. Forgive the poor picture - all I had was my cell phone at the time. I didn't make the brine from scratch - I found an "Ad Hoc Fried Chicken" kit from Williams Sonoma that kept me from having to purchase all of the ingredients - I will probably do the same next time I make the recipe.

http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/ad-hoc-fried-chicken-kit/

Brine:
1 gallon water
1 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons honey
12 bay leaves
1/2 cup garlic cloves, skin left on, smashed
2 tablespoons black peppercorns
About 1/2 ounce (3 large) rosemary sprigs
About 1/2 ounce (1 large bunch) thyme sprigs
About 2 ounces (1 large bunch) flat leafed parsley sprigs
Grated zest and juice of 2 large lemons

Coating:
3 cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons cayenne
2 teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 quart buttermilk
10 cups peanut oil
Kosher salt

For the brine: Combine all the ingredients in a large pot, cover, and bring to a boil. Boil for 1 minute, stirring to dissolve the salt. Remove from the heat and cool completely before using.

Rinse the chickens and place the chickens in the cold brine and refrigerate overnight or for up to 12 hours. Remove the chicken from the brine and pat the chicken dry, removing any herbs or spices sticking to the skin. With a knife and pair of kitchen shears, cut the chicken up into 8 pieces: 2 legs, 2 thighs, 2 breast halves and 2 wings.

For the coating: Mix the coating ingredients together in a bowl and place the buttermilk in a second container.

Bring the peanut oil to 330˚F in the 6 quart sauté pan.

Just before frying, dip each piece of chicken into the coating, patting off the excess, then into the buttermilk and back into the coating. Place the chicken on a parchment lined sheet tray.

When the oil has reached the proper temperature, carefully lower the pieces of dark meat into the oil. The temperature of the oil will decrease. Adjust the heat as necessary to bring the oil to proper temperature. Fry the dark meat for about 13 minutes, to a deep golden brown, cooked throughout and very crisp. Remove the chicken to a tray lined with paper towels and sprinkle with salt.

Carefully add the white meat to the oil and fry for about 6 to 7 minutes until cooked.
Remove to the tray, sprinkle with salt and turn off the heat under the oil.

Feedback: This chicken was very good - I suppose it has to be because if it wasn't no one would go to all of the trouble that it required. It was amazing and I'd make it again but in a much smaller batch than I did this time (20-22 pieces).

I tried to cheat and use a deep fryer because I knew I could control them temperature and not have the grease splatter - bad idea. I could only cook 2 legs or wings at a time or one breast. I was standing at my fryer from 3:30p - 8:30p .... In fact company had ledt by the time the last piece came out!

Pasta with Asparagus and Pancetta

8 ounces uncooked pasta (I used what I call wagon wheel pasta)
1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut diagonally into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 ounces diced pancetta
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup (1 ounce) crumbled Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Preheat oven to 475°. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; add asparagus to pan during last 3 minutes of cooking. Drain. Sprinkle pasta mixture with garlic; return to pan, and toss well.

Arrange pancetta on jelly-roll pan. Bake at 475° for 6 minutes or until crisp.

Combine lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle over pasta mixture; toss well to coat. Sprinkle with pancetta, and cheese.

Feedback: I adapted this recipe from a Cooking Light recipe I saw online. Initially it called for pine nuts also but I'm not a big fan of those in pasta so I eliminated them. Overall this recipe was enjoyable nut I felt, as did my husband, that it didn't have enough of the sauce. If I chose to remake this I will probably double the ingredients for the sauce.

Because it was so light, and the asparagus so delicious, I could see this also being a great summer pasta salad - using leftovers the following day I could definatley take this for lunch!

Pasta with Spinach and Creamy Gorgonzola Sauce

1 lb package of pasta (ziti, penne or linguine)
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1½ cups low-fat milk or half and half
1/2 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese, or more to taste
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 (6-ounce) bag fresh baby spinach (about 6 cups), chopped
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.

While pasta cooks, melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add flour; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly with a whisk.

Gradually add the milk or half and half, stirring constantly with a whisk. Increase heat to medium-high; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat; simmer 3 minutes or until sauce thickens slightly, stirring frequently.

Remove from heat, and stir in cheese, salt, and pepper. Combine the sauce, pasta and spinach, tossing gently to coat. Toss again with with 1/4 Parmesan.

Feedback: I wasn't to sure about this because I'd never had gorgonzola cheese before - again, my attempt to try new foods and ingredients. After reading online that it was sharp like blue cheese I wasn't hesitant - I hate blue cheese. But, if I want to learn more about cooking and tastes I need to be willing to experiment. I LOVED this dish and husband had 2 servings - that should voice his opinion I suppose.

I could taste the similarity to blue cheese but it wasn't sharp and therefore I could handle it. Perhaps that mixed in parmesan cheese also helped. I would repeat this dish without doubt.

Smoked Salmon with Black Pepper Potato Chips and Lemon Crème Fraîche

1/4 cup crème fraîche or sour cream

1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lemon peel

16 large black pepper or salt-and-pepper potato chips

1 4-ounce package thinly sliced smoked salmon, cut into 16 pieces

Chopped fresh chives

Stir crème fraîche and lemon peel in small bowl. Arrange potato chips on plate. Divide salmon among chips. Spoon rounded 1/2 teaspoon lemon crème fraîche atop salmon on each chip and sprinkle with chives.

Feedback: I really enjoyed these, but I'm not sure how often I'd make them for a party. They aren't something that you can make ahead really easily and transport - perhaps only for a party at my home. They were very delicious but even though the salmon was smoked a lot of people who won't typically eat sushi wouldn't try them. Husband's feedback was that he ate them and they were good but I've done many more appetizers he'd rather have.