Showing posts with label summer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label summer. Show all posts

Tuesday, September 3, 2019

Flat Bread Pizzas

Super quick and super delicious.  Having your flatbreads all cooked up on the weekend means a quick meal on a week night. It can all be done at once if  you so choose.  Either way, they are delicious with whatever toppings  yo choose.  Here I did a basil pesto with mozzarella and a peach, prosciutto and mozarella.  Sprinkle it with some fresh arugula when it exits the oven.

Super quick and super delicious.  Having your flatbreads all cooked up on the weekend means a quick meal on a week night. It can all be done at once if  you so choose.  Either way, they are delicious with whatever toppings  yo choose.  Here I did a basil pesto with mozzarella and a peach, prosciutto and mozarella.  Sprinkle it with some fresh arugula when it exits the oven.

Flatbread

4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
7 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups milk

In a microwave safe dish or a pot on the stove, heat the butter with the milk.  You wanted it to bubble a little, not boil. Let cool so that you can stick your finger in it comfortably.  Pour into flour and salt.  Mix until it comes together.  Turn out on a floured surface and knead.  Set aside to rest for at least 30 minutes.  Prep you pizza toppings whatever they may be.

Divide dough into approximately 18 balls for smaller type flatbreads, less if you want them larger.  Roll out to circles.  Make sure you cover the dough as you are rolling out your discs.  It will dry quickly.

Place on heated skillet and cook until the dough is not shiny anymore.  Flip and heat a few mroe minutes. Stack on a dish. 

Monday, July 25, 2016

REFRIGERATOR PICKLES


Make whatever size you like.  You can easily halve this.  I did two large containers because once everyone tastes these, then they go like crazy.  Today, I sent a few on with the family as they headed out for a picnic.  Me?  Yes, well, I stayed home and painted my bedroom.  Yeah!  I really wanted to go but I have been wanting to paint our Master bedroom for ten years.  Yup, ten years, where did the time go?  By the time this posts everything will be done and back in the room.  Right now I am writing with blue, paint stained fingers waiting for things to dry before I go on to Round 2.


REFRIGERATOR PICKLES
The amount of cucumbers will vary depending on how you slice them or if you leave them whole.

About a 1/2 peck of cucumbers, give or take
1 teaspoon chili pepper flakes per jar
8 cloves of garlic, minced- I used cheater garlic
2 large sprigs of dill fern or dill heads per container
2 quarts or 64 ounces water
1/2 cup Kosher salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup vinegar, white or apple cider
1/2 teaspoon alum

Slice up all of your cucumbers, discarding the ends.  The blossom end will continue to ripen your cukes, making for soggy pickles.  Place heads of dill at bottom of jars as well as garlic and chili flakes.  Pack in your cucumber slices.  Bring water, sugar, vinegar and salt to a boil.   Boil for one minute.  Pour into prepared cucumber jars. Cover, let sit until it reaches room temperature.  Place in refrigerator.  They will be ready with their full flavor in five days

Saturday, July 19, 2014

Zucchini Ribbons

I bought a new kitchen toy- a zucchini ribbon maker- Pampered Chef. Since I love doing zucchini this way I was totally jazzed about buying it. 

  This is what the gadget looks like.  You can click here to go to the Pampered Chef web site.  I am not being paid to say any of this- just wanted to let you know about my new kitchen toy.

After you are done making your pretty ribbons.  Note: you could also use a vegetable peeler for long thin slices.  Toss with the dressing below.  Refreshing and delicious. You could add a little olive oil and arugula leaves as well.

Citrus and Herb DressingLargely adapted from this recipe from Shirl Cieutat, New Orleans, Louisiana, AUGUST 2004.

3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Whisk together.

Thursday, May 8, 2014

Layered Jello Dessert With Sour Cream


With summer fast approaching I wanted to share this delicious recipe that is very refreshing.  While I made it, I thought I would like to try it again with fruit juice and gelatin for a more natural approach.  I will put that on the docket.

I also wanted to share a story from a few years back. Oh, so scary, and in looking back afterwards, had other scary points that I had not realized.  Many summers ago, when my daughter was about 4 1/2 we were visiting my brother in Tennessee.  We were at his in-laws, hanging out by the Tennessee River.  We were all standing at the dock when my Dad, who is a great swimmer, and daughter decided to go into the river.  We watched my daughter go in and about five minutes later, after entering the water, my daughter began to panic.  Mainly because she could not feel the bottom- she did not expect that.  She started to climb on my Dad. A classic for a person who is drowning.  Yes, I said my father was a great swimmer but he was older- at the time he was about 78 years old.  He was trying to get her to settle down for a few but then he was looking up at us.  Things started to seem strange.  Time slowed, there was about five of us on deck watching this scene unfold.  No one moved.  I guess we all had it in our heads that my Dad would correct the situation. But the scene was not changing.

I just want to stop right here and add in that I actually had taken life guarding classes in high school. I am not a freeze in the face of emergencies type person.  I am a reactor who jumps in and does whatever, ie, saving choking children.

Fortunately, for my Dad and quite possibly my daughter, my brother took off his socks, shoes and shirt and jumped in.  He had the foresight to know that things did not look right and needed some intervention.

Incidentally, my Dad who has a hard time asking for help was very grateful and very shaken up at that time.  Honestly, it brings tears to my eyes to think how horrific it was watching my little girl nearly drown my Dad.

I found this article today called Drowning Doesnt Look Like Drowning on a site called gCaptain.  I highly recommend that you read it.  Please take a moment now and do that.  It may save someones life this summer.

Now, back to some deliciousness after that scary scene I painted for you.
Layered Jello Dessert

4 to 6 (3 ounce) packages of Jello - different colors
1- 16 ounce container of sour cream

I have a dish that is slightly smaller than a 9 x 13.  I use that when I make this.  If you only have a 9 x 13- that totally will work but you might want to use 6 instead of four packages of Jello- just to get the dessert a little bit higher in the dish.

Boil water.  Mix one package of Jello with 1 cup of water.  Stir to dissolve.  Pour 1/2 of a cup into another bowl and stir in 1/3 cup of sour cream.  Pour the sour cream one into the dish and place in the refrigerator.  Note: I started with the clear Jello but like the clear Jello to be on top.  Eh, up to you.

Once that sets, which will be pretty quick, spoon the clear one over top of that and refrigerate again.  If you pour it on it will create a hole wherever you are pouring.  I highly recommend you spoon it.

Keep going, repeating this process until you have done all the layers you want.  Yes, it is a slightly exhaustive process but you don't have to bake and that is a bonus in the summer.  Really, it is a great dessert to do while you are cleaning.  Stop do a layer, clean. Stop do a layer, clean.  Before you know it- its done.

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Hearts of Palm Salad

One of the things that is a must for me in the summer is a Hearts of Palm Salad.  So good! And really it is the best for me if accompanied by tomatoes and avocado.  Those flavors just play so nicely with each other.

Where to find Hearts of Palm:  I have seen it at Trader Joe's, Wegman's and BJ's Wholesale.

What is Hearts of Palm: 

Other names: fresh heart of palm, hearts of palm
"The heart of palm is the central part or heart of certain types of wild palms, native of the Amazon region. The principal variety of cultivated heart of palm is Bactris gasipaes, or peach palm...

The heart of palm is sweet, soft, yet crispy, ivory-colored, firm in texture and delicate in flavor.

The palm heart or palmetto does not discolor upon being cut and has a shelf life of about 2 weeks if kept refrigerated at 40°F, and wrapped in food-grade plastic."


You can read more about that here at Gourmet Sleuth

40 calories per cup of Hearts of Palm

What does it taste like:  Someone I know likened it to an artichoke and I would have to say that would be the closest approximation.

Hearts of Palm Salad

1 large tomato, chopped
1 avocado, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, minced
1/4 cup purple onion or Vidalia
4 Hearts of Palm's, sliced
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
salt and pepper 

Mix altogether and enjoy.