I Finally Cooked Something!

 

     It isn't all that often that my husband actually requests me to make a recipe. So, when he goes to the trouble to actually cut out a recipe and ask me to make it, how could I say no? He found the recipe in the Wall Street Journal and thought it looked good and also healthy enough to fit in with the way we eat these days (most of the time). I did have to "tweek" the recipe a bit based on what I had and what was available in small town Illinois. The actual recipe was called Grilled Shrimp with Watermelon, Basil, Corn and Burrata. Of course I had no idea what Burrata was and when I did figure it out, I knew that I wouldn't find it in my little town. I did find that a good substitute for Burrata is Fresh Mozzarella Cheese. Burrata is an Italian fresh cheese that oozes with cream in the center. Doesn't that sound good? I guess the texture on the outside is very much like fresh mozzarella, but it has a gooey, creamy center.

 

Grilled Shrimp with Watermelon, Basil, Corn and Mozzarella

 

1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined

3 1/2 T. olive oil, plus a little extra for drizzling

2 tsp. minced garlic (I left out, we don't like it)

4 T. finely sliced fresh basil

salt and pepper

kernels from 4 ears of corn

1 1/2 T. balsamic vinegar (aged balsamic is worth the extra cost)

3 cups cubed watermelon

1 ball of fresh mozzarella, quartered

 

Toss the shrimp (raw) with 2 T. of the oil, the (optional) garlic,

and 1 T. of the basil along with the salt and pepper. Set aside.

 

     I didn't peel and devein my shrimp until after they were grilled, because they were frozen. Next time I would buy raw shrimp that were already peeled.

 

     The recipe did not call for the corn to be blanched, but I did mine. I didn't want it to be raw. I simply dropped it into boiling water for just a minute or so. Remove the corn, dry and cut the kernels off the ears. Let the corn cool a few minutes before mixing with other ingredients.

 

 

In a large bowl, mix the watermelon with

the remaining basil, remaining oil and vinegar.

 

 

Toss in the corn kernels.

 

Slice the cheese into 4 pieces and set aside until serving.

 

     Grill the shrimp over medium-high heat until pink (1-2 minutes per side). After making this, I decided that while the grilled shrimp does add some color and extra flavor...once the ingredients are tossed together, you can't tell as much that the shrimp was grilled. I think this would be almost as good if you simply added boiled shrimp.

 

     Add the shrimp to the watermelon and corn mixture. To serve, divide the salad onto 4 plates and place a hunk of cheese next to it. Sprinkle the cheese with salt and drizzle with olive oil.

 

Here is the picture from the Wall Street Journal.

I think mine turned out looking similar.

 

It is a delicious, fresh summer dish that I will

be making again soon!

 

I am joining Kim @ Savvy Southern Style for

Wow Us Wednesdays

and

I will be joining Michael @ Rattlebridge Farm for

Foodie Friday

Simple Holiday Salad and My Sister's Table

     For the past few years, my husband, son and I have spent Thanksgiving at home, just the 3 of us. With family scattered, it was just the way it worked out. We really didn't mind, most years we just ordered our meal from Cracker Barrel because I wasn't going to cook all that food for 3 people. This year, when my sister invited us to her house (about an hour and half away) we said yes. She cooked, I cooked, and while both of us had one of our kids who couldn't make it, we did have 4 of our 6. One of the things I took was my mother's very easy recipe for Cranberry Relish/Salad. I don't like the "normal" cranberry sauce, but I like this and it is so simple to make.

Ingredients:

2 bags of fresh cranberries, rinsed

2 oranges, washed and with just the stem end removed

2 cans crushed pineapple, drained

1 cup celery, chopped

1 cup (or more) nuts-chopped (walnuts or pecans)

1 1/2 cups sugar

In a food processor, coarsely chop the cranberries,

place them in a large bowl.

Next, place the oranges in the food processor

and chop them peeling and all. Add to

cranberries in the bowl.

Chop the celery, add to the mix.

Add the cans of drained pineapple.

Add the sugar and the nuts and mix well.

This is a colorful and really fresh tasting salad/relish.

 It not only works well for Thanksgiving,

it is also perfect for Christmas.

     It was the first holiday meal my sister and I had been together without our parents. My dad was in Florida and my mom has now been gone a year and a half.

My sis had the table set beautifully.

She used my mom's china, sterling flatware and crystal.

We had all the trimmings, way too much food and a really great day!

I am joining Susan @ Between Naps on the Porch

for Tablescape Thursday, and

Michael @ Designs by Gollum for Foodie Friday

Caprese Pasta Salad

     Well, summer has ended but many of us still have some of our wonderful summer produce to enjoy. I have been making Caprese salad all summer long, but I decided to add a little more texture to it as we move into a new season. I started with 3 garden tomatoes, but you can use as many as you like.

I still have beautiful basil growing, and after a

quick rinse and chop...the kitchen smelled wonderful.

     Chop the tomatoes into bite size pieces. I only peel tomatoes from the grocery store, garden tomatoes we eat peel and all.

      You will need some fresh mozzarella cheese. I most often buy the large ball, but the smaller pearl mozzarella would also be fine for this recipe. Cut it into bite sized pieces.

Select your favorite pasta and prepare it according to directions. Drain.

     In a large bowl, place tomatoes, basil, and cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Add 1/3 cup olive oil and 1/4 cup lemon juice or balsamic vinegar and toss the mixture well.  Fold in the pasta and stir to coat evenly with dressing. I like to use the pasta when it is still hot so it will make the cheese a little bit "melty". This salad is great as a side dish and hearty enough to use as a main dish. Enjoy.

I am joining Michael @ Designs by Gollum for Foodie Friday.

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Simple Fall Salad

     The temperature may still be 100 degrees this week in Illinois, but the apples are on the trees, the calendar says September and I'm starting to crave fall weather, colors and foods. Last night I wanted a light dinner, so I made a very easy salad that was pretty enough for company. I opted to not add any meat to the salad, but thinly sliced chicken breast or grilled steak would be a delicious option.


Ingredients:
3 T.olive oil
2 T. vinegar (cider, white or any fruit flavored vinegar-I used a white peach balsamic)
1 T. honey

1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 tart apple cored and thinly sliced
mixed baby greens (I used one of those plastic cartons from the grocery store)
1/2 cup toasted walnuts (almonds or pecans would be fine)
goat cheese

Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar and honey. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the dried cranberries. In a large bowl mix the sliced apple with the baby greens (don't forget to wash the greens even if they say pre-washed)!

     Pour the cranberry dressing over the greens and toss gently. Place salad on serving plates and top with a few of the toasted nuts and globs of goat cheese (that is my technical cooking term). Enjoy!

I decided to show you how it looked plated.

I didn't make it pretty, just our everyday plates and ready to eat.

I am joining Michael @ Designs by Gollum for Foodie Friday.

Make sure you head over and see all that wonderful food!

Not Your Grandma's Potato Salad

     I've been trying to find ways to lighten up some favorite comfort foods. When I saw a lighter version of potato salad in Southern Living Magazine lately, I decided to try to make something similar. 

Ingredients:

2 pounds new potatoes, cut in large cubes and boiled until tender in salted water.

2 T. vinegar

1 T. olive oil

1/2 cup light sour cream

1/4 cup light mayonaise

1 T. brown spicy mustard

salt and pepper

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup fined sliced carrots

1/2 cup sliced radishes

1/2 cup sliced cucumber

1 T. lemon zest

Drain boiled potatoes and place in large bowl.

Drizzle on vinegar and olive oil and toss. Cool for 1 hour.

In separate bowl add sour cream, mayonnaise and mustard.

Add chopped vegetables, lemon zest, salt and pepper, mix well.

     Fold veggie mixture into cooled potatoes and chill before serving. We really enjoyed this salad. I would probably leave out the lemon zest next time simply because I didn't think it added to the flavors. The soft potatoes and the crunch of the veggies was a great combination and a nice change from regular potato salad.

I am joining Michael @ Designs by Gollum for Foodie Friday.

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Fresh From The Garden Salad

     This is one of those "recipes" that I didn't have a recipe for. I just threw a few things together and it worked! It all started with some local sweet corn. I used 6 ears, plunged them for a couple of minutes into boiling water and let them cool.

     Remove the corn from the cob. I have tried several methods for this. Some suggest doing it over an angel food cake pan to catch the kernels. I have found that using a cookie sheet with an edge works best for me.

     A trip outside to our "garden" and I had a couple of peppers and some fresh basil. Chop them both into small pieces.

     At this point, add what you have in the house. I grabbed some celery and baby carrots and chopped them into small pieces. Grape tomatoes, olives, black beans, cucumber etc. would also be good in this salad.

     I made a simple dressing. I used 1 Tablespoon of olive oil, 1 T. of Dijon Mustard and 1/4 tsp. each of salt and pepper.

     Wisk in 3 Tablespoons of good quality balsamic vinegar. Actually, any vinegar would work, but once you have tried a true aged balsamic vinegar (mine is from The Olive Mill) you will never want to use the stuff from the store again, this is so much thicker and richer. It is so good you could almost drink it!

This makes a very colorful and filling salad.

I served ours with a roasted pork loin.

I am joining Michael @ Designs by Gollum for Foodie Friday.

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Spring Salad Season Is Here

     As the weather gets a little warmer, I start thinking of favorite salad combinations. One of my favorites is the combination of spinach and goat cheese. I really don't have a recipe. I use a bag of baby spinach, rinsed and drained. I add a generous amount of crumbled goat cheese and some sliced strawberries. I top it all off with about 1/2 cup of toasted pine nuts. Toasting the pine nuts is simple. I put them on a piece of foil in a 350 degree oven for just a few minutes until they start to brown a little. Watch them closely.

     For a simple dressing, I mixed 1 Tablespoon of vegetable oil (olive oil would be a bit heavy for this dressing) with about 2 Tablespoons of good quality Balsamic Vinegar and a Tablespoon of strawberry jam. I added a pinch of salt and pepper. It is very thick, almost like molasses. A little goes a long way, put it on the salad just before serving.

I served it with a bacon and swiss quiche.

You can find the quiche recipe here.

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Kiwi Chicken Salad-Foodie Friday

     I was going through my recipe box last week looking for something different (and cool) to make for dinner. I found my recipe for Kiwi Chicken Salad. I had forgotten how good it tastes and how pretty it looks. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

4 cups cooked chicken shredded ( I prefer to boil boneless skinless chicken breasts with 1 tsp. of rosemary and a pinch of salt, but you could use any cooked chicken)

1 small green or yellow pepper, chopped

1-11 oz. can mandarin oranges, drained

1/2 cup mayonaise (I used light)

3 Tablespoons slivered almonds, toasted (you can see how to toast nuts on this post)

1 T. lemon juice

2 kiwi, peeled, sliced lengthwise and then cut each slice in half

salt and pepper to taste

Cook chicken until very tender. Drain, cool and shred.

     Add pepper, oranges, lemon juice, almonds and mayonaise and stir gently. Add kiwi, salt and pepper and mix. Chill until ready to serve. My husband likes his in a sandwich. I prefer mine with a little bit of lettuce and crackers.

I'm joining Michael @ Designs by Gollum for Foodie Friday.

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