Marinated Zucchini

 
This is hardly a recipe but so worth mentioning because it is very simple and delicious.  And requires no cooking- well at least with heat. 

With a vegetable peeler, peel the zucchini in strips.  Place in a bowl.  Once you have shaved off enough slender pieces of zucchini, drizzle with lemon juice and kosher salt.  If you want to be really fancy add some oilve oil, garlic and tomatoes.  But honestly when I just drizzled the lemon juice and salt on it- I could not stop eating it.  Delicious!

Flax Seed and Blueberry Granola Bars

Dehydrated blueberries are pretty pricey at the store.  I figured I'd give them a try.  Some things dehydrate well- apples, pineapple and bananas.  Blueberries, well, lets just say it had its challenges.  In the end it was worth it though.  I tucked most of it away for winter time munching and baking but saved a few to add to these bars.  The bars were sensational. I love the flax taste and the chewiness that the coconut adds.

I went a little wild and slathered some white chocolate on top, yah know, to get the kids to get my one daughter to eat them more.  My husband thought that was a fine idea and gobbled the rest of them up.  Gone!

Flax Seed and Blueberry Granola Bars

4 ounces butter
2 cups old fashioned oats
3/4 cup flax seed meal
1/2 cup coconut, flaked
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
4 tablespoons blueberry honey (you could use whatever honey you like)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup dried blueberries
1 egg white, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 350F.  Line and 8 x 8 baking sheet with parchment paper, extending it ove the sides.  Mix dry ingredients with egg white, set aside.  In a saucepan combine butter, honey and brown sugar.  Bring to a boil.  Remove from heat and add to oat mixture.  Stir in vanilla.

Pour mixture into baking pan and bake for 30 minutes or until golden.  Cool on wire rack. Lift bars when cooled to cutting bars and cut into whatever size pieces you like.

Vanilla Pudding with a Side of Random Thoughts

Some cool vanilla pudding goes down real easy in the summer time.  Creamy and delicious and very refreshing.  Simple.  Sprinkle some blueberries or any other fresh fruit that you love and voila- yumminess.

Had to share a few random things with you.

This first photo is my daughter's discovery.  She urged me to share it with all of you.  A pretzel with hummus and a pickle.  I know this kind of thing isnt really new but it was new to her.  I use to get shawarma pitas at a local Lebanese restaurant and there would always be a pickle in there.  A nice sourness filling every bite.  It was superb.

The fact that my daughter was excitedly dippin' in for more beany goodness was certainly very exciting for her Mamma. I had mine with Pita Chips.  Yumminess- I made another batch of those sour pickles just so we could eat the hummus with the pickles.  My other daughter dipped her pickle into the hummus. She was not as impressed as we were. She thought she was pretty funny though dipping her pickle in the dip instead of her pretzel.  This is after all, five year old humor at it's finest.

Then this next photo was a surprise visito that was about 2 inches long.  I was working with some dill I had bought at the Farmers Market and there sitting on the branch was this creature.  Love the colors- so vibrant. 

 

As pretty as he or she was, I took it outside and snipped off that limb.  No offense Mr. Capatiller (my daughters favorite name for him).


Vanilla Pudding


Recipe adapted from this recipe at Allrecipes

2 1/2 cups milk, divided
Pinch salt
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 egg yolks
1/2 vanilla pod scraped
1 tablespoon butter

Place 2 cups milk and salt in a saucepan. Sprinkle sugar on milk and do no stir; heat over medium-high. Combine cornstarch with remaining milk; add egg yolks and mix well, set aside. When milk comes to a full boil, remove saucepan from the heat.  Slowly add about 1/2 cup of hot mixture to the cornstarch and milk mixture. Then stir back into saucepan, whisking as you go.   Return to the heat and cook for 1 minute. Pudding will begin to thicken.  Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla seeds and butter. Pour into individual dishes.  Eat warm or chill.

Acai Berry Fruit Drink with Veev

A little while ago I was contacted by a PR firm in regards to this new fruit alcohol made from acai. I have always pronounced it with a hard c sound. Wrong. Correct pronunciation is "ah-sigh-ee".  The liquor is called Veev.  You may have heard of the health benefits associated with acai... increased energy, weight loss, improved sexual function, healthier skin, stronger heart...  (see this site for acai health benefits).  So while you are drinking that lovely little drink you can  lie to tell yourself it is all for the benefit of my health.  Yeah, tha'ts it... Yeah.  But seriously, it is delicious.  Great flavor.  One drink, once in a while is beneficial, especially if you are pretty strung out.  R-E-L-A-X-A-T-I-O-N.  Of course you could receive the same benefits and more by meditating.... Okay, you can see here clearly how I argue with myself. 

I tasted it by the teaspoon full.  It has great flavor- very berry- ish.  I thought I would pair it with blueberries.  I thought about adding vodka in there as well but I thought the drink had some nice flavors going on and I wanted to leave it as such.  I may try adding a bit of vodka the next time just to try it.

I hope to put together another drink for you all... stay tuned.

Acai Berry Fruit Drink

2 cups blueberries
1.4 cup rasperry jam

2 ounces Veev- acai berry liquor

1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon lemon zest
a handfull of ice cubes.  If you are using frozen blueberries, skip the ice.

In a blender, whir the ingredients together until most of the ice cubes dissolve and the berries are mashed. Serve in chilled glasses with a straw.

Disclaimer:  I was contacted by The Baddish Group and asked if I would like to sample Veev.  I was offered the above bottles to use in a recipe.  I received no monetary compensation.

Arepas

In the summer, the light is good, perfect for taking pictures around supper time.  But I tell you in the summer it is hard for me to come up with new recipes to share with you all.  The reason is that most of the time, its all about freshness.  I like to roast my veggies or just dress them with some olive oil, that you all know how to do.  Like I cant tell you how many times I have eaten sliced radishes and cucumbers with olive oil and vinegar salt and pepper.  Not very exciting on the blog but very exciting to me at dinner time.  Then of course there are my summer favorites, like Crescent Dragonwagon's corn fritters/pancakes.  I adore them, I make them ad nauseum.  I cant help myself, they are so darn good.  And my mock crab cakes made with zucchini, when summer comes that is one of the first things that I am itching to make.

Things like arepas are vehicles to great food.  They are excellent backgrounds for summer freshness.  Mine don't look it here.  Why?  Because these were made at the end of winter and I am slowly but surely using up the remainder of my blog posts in que.  Too much summer fun, I tell yah! I promise you I will be sending things your way more regularly now because I have been re-inspired.

Arepas
video how to and recipe here at Foodwishes.


2 1/2 cups tepid water
1 teaspoon salt
about 2 cups of P.A.N. white corn meal

Mix together and let sit for a few minutes.  Form into patties and fry.


Next time I make these I want to try these cream cheese arepas.

Fresh Strawberry Pie

When I was picking strawberries the last time, a woman there who was picking asked if I have ever had fresh strawberry pie.  Out of curiosity I made the pie.  It has elevated itself to a definite yearly dessert.  Delicious.


It did not totally set up as you can see, probably because I slice them.  So when you make them, follow the directions and use small strawberries, uncut.

Charlotte Beach House, Rochester, NY

Fun at the beach

Chasing gulls

After a day out in the sun, this is a very refreshing pie.

Fresh Strawberry Pie
Adapted from this recipe at My Recipes.

2 cups ripe strawberries
1/2 cup water
2/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon zest of a lemon
6 cups small ripe strawberries
1 baked pie shell ( I try to make some of these or tart shells before the hot weather begins and then I freeze them)

Mash 2 cups strawberries with a fork or potato masher. Combine the strawberries and water in a small saucepan; bring to a boil, and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Press the strawberry mixture through a sieve into a bowl, and reserve 1 cup strawberry liquid (add enough water to measure 1 cup, if necessary). Discard pulp.

Combine 2/3 cup sugar and cornstarch in a pan; add strawberry liquid, stirring well with a whisk. Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Reduce heat, and cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in lemon juice.

Arrange a layer of small strawberries, stem sides down, in the crust. Spoon about one-third of sauce over the strawberries. Arrange the remaining strawberries on top, and spoon the remaining sauce over the strawberries. Chill for at least 3 hours.

Tortellini Salad

It's summer. A time for being out in the sunshine, walking the dog, playing catch, swinging on a swing, swimming in a pool or lake or ocean, drinking lemonade, sitting on the porch, picking fresh fruit at the farm.  Summer is about so many things.  We try and  do as much as we can while the days are long and the temperature is right. It's no wonder that summer slips away so fast.  So much to do.

We went to Stony Brook Park which is in Dansville, NY. A beautiful place, lots of trails and waterfalls.  The signs said no swimming but tell that to the 100's of people that were walking in the creek and standing under the waterfall.  So wonderfully refreshing standing under the waterfall.  Fresh, spring fed water pouring down on you.  Lovely!

The rocks are slippery so you have to super careful.  It is worth the risk though.  The air was 98 degrees F that day and the water was probably around 75F. 

You wouldn't know it from this photo but there were so many people standing under this later in the day.  Dogs too.  Our dog, Caina, was not exactly thrilled about swimming.  It was her first time in the water.  She seemed so shocked when she felt her weightlessness for the first time.  She looked like she was in a state of panic.  Every time we would head toward the falls, she would turn around with her doggy paddle and head the other way.

Peaceful, eh?

Well, summer, is also a time for salad.  Light and refreshing.  Real nice at the close of a really hot day.


Chicken Tortellini Salad
Recipe adapted from this recipe from Southern Living, June 2011


2 (9-oz.) packages refrigerated cheese-filled tortellini
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 cups chopped cooked chicken I used thigh meat)
1 cup frozen sweet peas, thawed
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

Prepare tortellini according to package directions.  Combine olive oil and next 4 ingredients in a blender until smooth. Stir into tortellini, chicken, and next 3 ingredients. Add salt and pepper to taste.