Shrimp Salad In Cantaloupe Rings
2 servings
Ingredients
8 oz cooked shrimp, diced into small pieces
¼ cup finely chopped onion
¼ cup finely chopped green bell pepper
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1 hard-boiled egg, chopped
2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
Salt and pepper to taste
2 center-cut slices of cantaloupe kept in circles, about 1-inch thick, peeled and seeded
Directions
Combine the salad ingredients in a mixing bowl. Chill in the refrigerator for several hours.
Place a cantaloupe circle on each of the two plates. Divide the shrimp salad in half and pole into the cantaloupe rings and serve with the Zucchini Salad and muffins.
Zucchini Salad
2 servings
Ingredients
Salad
1 medium zucchini, sliced into very thin circles
1 small shallot, finely chopped
1/4 cup toasted walnuts
1/4 cup dried cranberries
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Lemon Vinaigrette
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 small garlic clove, grated
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon sea salt, more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon honey
1/4 to 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Directions
Whisk together the dressing ingredients and set them aside.
In a medium serving bowl, combine the salad ingredients. Add half the dressing and mix well. Use the remaining dressing for another recipe.
Mini Corn Muffins
Ingredients
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons canola oil
Directions
Combine the cornmeal, baking powder, sugar, flour, and salt in a bowl. Whisk in the egg substitute, milk, and oil together.
Fill your mini muffin cups with batter up to three-fourths full.
Set your oven to 400 degrees F. Place the muffin cups inside the oven then let them cook for ten to twelve minutes or just until the toothpick inserted at the middle of the muffin does not have anything sticking to it when pulled out. Then allow them to cool down for five more minutes then place them on the wire rack.
Cavatelli with Basil Pesto and Green Beans
4 servings
Ingredients
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 oz green beans, cut into 2-inch lengths
1 lb dried cavatelli pasta
1 cup grated Pecorino-Romano cheese, plus more for serving
½ cup basil pesto, see recipe below
Directions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta to the pot of boiling water. Let cook to al dente, about 3 minutes less than the package instructions. Add the green beans and cook for the remainder of the time. Reserve ½ cup of pasta cooking water. Drain the pasta. Place in a serving bowl. Gently mix in the [esto, pasta water, and cheese. Serve in individual serving bowls.
Basil Pesto
Ingredients
4 packed cups of washed basil leaves
½ cup shelled pistachio nuts, pignoli, or walnuts
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Directions
Place the pistachios, garlic, salt, and pepper in a processor bowl. Process until the nuts and garlic are chopped.
Add the basil leaves and process for a minute or two. In the opening spout at the top, pour the olive oil as you process.
Keep processing until the mixture is smooth. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator.
Caprese Salad
2-3 servings
Ingredients
2 large vine ripe tomatoes
4 oz fresh mozzarella
Black Olives
Extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup fresh basil leaves, sliced thin
Directions
Slice the tomatoes and mozzarella cheese into 1/4″ slices.
Assemble the salad by layering slices of tomato, mozzarella, and basil leaves on a serving plate.
Season with salt, pepper, and drizzle with olive oil.
Scatter a few olives around the serving plate and serve.
Pasta Aglio E Olio With Zucchini
Ingredients
8 oz spaghetti
1 tablespoon salt for the pasta
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
¼ of a small onion, minced
1 small zucchini, finely chopped
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ cup Parmesan cheese
Directions
Cook pasta in boiling salted water according to package directions for al dente. Drain.
While the pasta is cooking, saute the oil, onion, garlic, red pepper, and zucchini just until the zucchini is slightly softened. Toss with the cooked pasta and then with the cheese.
Arugula, Avocado, Bell Pepper, Tomato, and Cucumber Salad
Ingredients
3 cup arugula
1 large tomato cut into bite-size pieces
1 large avocado cut into bite-size pieces
1 Cucumber cut into bite-size pieces
1 small red bell pepper, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 small red onion cut into bite-size pieces
Ranch Dressing
Place the arugula and vegetables in a salad bowl. Mix gently. Dress with Ranch dressing to taste.
Adding goat, blue or feta cheese can enhance the salad depending on what you are serving with it. Since I served it with a quiche, I did not add cheese to the beet salad.
Roasted Beet Salad
Ingredients
1 pound medium beets tops and roots trimmed (about 3 beets)
2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
1 small apple diced (a sweet/crisp apple such as Honeycrisp, or tart such as Granny Smith)
1 large radish, sliced thin
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
¼ cup diced red onion
1/3 cup dried cranberries
½ cup chopped toasted walnuts
Directions
Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the beets in a 9×13-inch baking dish or similar dish large enough to hold them comfortably in a single layer. Pour a thin layer of water into the bottom of the dish, cover with foil, and bake until the beets feel tender in the center when pierced with a small, sharp knife, 50 minutes to 1 hour 10 minutes or longer depending upon the size of your beets.
Transfer the beets to a cutting board and let stand until cool enough to handle. If you are concerned about staining your cutting board, lay a sheet of parchment paper over it first. You can also wear gloves to protect your hands,
Once the beets are cool enough to handle but are still warm, with a paper towel, rub away the beet skins. If they are stubborn and stick, peel them with a small, sharp knife. Slice the beets and place them in a bowl. Set aside.
When ready to assemble the salad, use an attractive serving bowl or plate. For the first layer, circle the dish with sliced beets. Then add a thin radish slice. Scatter the onion over the beets. Place the lettuce in the center, top with the tomatoes, and scatter the nuts and berries around the plate. Drizzle with some of the dressing. Pass the remainder of the dressing into a serving bowl and serve with the salad.
Lemon Dressing
ingredients
1 lemon
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1-1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
Two 3- to 4-inch sprigs of fresh chives
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Directions
With a vegetable peeler, peel the zest from the lemons into strips. Remove any white pith from the strips of zest, if necessary.
In a small saucepan heat, the lemon zest, oil, and garlic over low heat until the oil just begins to bubble, 3 to 5 minutes. The garlic should not brown, or it will taste bitter. Remove the zest. Squeeze the lemon and add the juice to the butter mixture.
Transfer the mixture to a small heatproof bowl and let cool to room temperature. Stir in the chives and parsley.
Chef’s Salad
Ingredients
Any combination of vegetables and deli meats that you like can be used for this salad. The attractive arrangement of the salad ingredients makes it eye-pleasing.
I used the following to make two salad plates.
2 hat boiled eggs, quartered
10 olives
1/4of an onion, sliced thin
1/4 of red bell pepper, sliced thin
1’3 of a cucumber, sliced thin
1 celery stalk, chopped
12 grape tomatoes
1/2 an avocado, sliced
2 slices of deli turkey, cut into thin strips
2 slices deli ham, cut into thin strips
2 slices of Swiss or cheddar cheese
Lettuce
Ranch dressing
Directions
Arrange lettuce leaves over the bottoms of two dinner plates. Add the remaking ingredients in small groups around the plates. See photo. Drizzle each plate with dressing and serve.
Ham and Bean Soup
For this recipe, I used a ham bone I had in the freezer from my Easter ham. If you do not have a ham bone, use two ham hocks
Adapted from America’s Test Kitchen
6 to 8 servings
Ingredients
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
6 cups water
1 large ham bone
1 pound dried navy beans, soaked overnight (see below}
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
½ teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
The day before
Soak the beans in cold water for at least 8 hours (or up to 24 hours) before cooking.
Directions
Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat until just smoking. Add onion, carrots, and celery and cook until softened, about 8 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
Stir in broth, water, hocks, and beans. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until beans are completely tender and soup is slightly thickened, 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours.
Remove the ham bone from the pot to cool, then shred the meat and add to the soup.
Stir in thyme, pepper, and vinegar. Serve for lunch or dinner.
Ham Salad
4 servings
Ingredients
2 cups finely diced baked ham
2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Half medium onion, finely diced
2 celery stalks, finely diced
Half a bell pepper, finely diced
Salt and black pepper to taste
Directions
Combine the mayonnaise, mustard, and pickle relish in a large bowl. Add the ham, vegetables, salt, and black pepper to taste. Stir well and refrigerate until serving time.
This salad is also tasty mixed into cooked elbow macaroni for a ham and macaroni salad or as a sandwich filling.
Fennel Salad
Ingredients
Salad
1 orange zested, peeled, and cut into segments
1 medium fennel bulb, trimmed and thinly sliced crosswise
1 celery stalk, thinly sliced on the bias
2 radishes, thinly sliced
1/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives, drained
1/2 cup sliced red onion
Dressing
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper
Directions
Combine the salad ingredients in a medium salad bowl. Whisk the dressing ingredients together and pour over the salad. Toss gently.
Air Fryer Lamb Chops
Ingredients
4 loin lamb chops 1 1/2″ wide
4 teaspoons whole grain mustard
1/2 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
½ teaspoon crushed black pepper and 1/2 teaspoon of coarser sea salt
Directions
Preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees F
Sprinkle the lamb with salt to taste.
Combine the remaining ingredients and brush on the lamb.
Place lamb chops in the air fryer basket with some room in between.
Cook for 15 minutes for medium-rare (turning at 8 minutes.)
You can use a thermometer to test for doneness.
Serve with Tzatziki Sauce and warm pita bread.
Tzatziki Feta Sauce
ingredients
Half a large cucumber, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped
1 cup Greek yogurt
¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
1 large garlic clove, grated
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon dried dill
Salt t
Directions
Sprinkle cucumber with ½ teaspoon salt. Let sit in a colander to drain for 10 minutes, then squeeze out excess water.
Combine yogurt, cucumber, garlic, oil, dill, feta, and ½ teaspoon salt in a bowl. Mix well.
Turkey Noodle Soup
Broth
Turkey bones {I had a large turkey breast carcass from a 7 lb turkey breast with some meat still attached}
1 carrot halv4ed
1 celery stalk, halved
1 small onion, halved
2 garlic cloves, halved
12 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
Soup
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion finely chopped
1 large carrot peeled and chopped
2 celery ribs with leaves, chopped
8-10 cups turkey broth
2 cups cooked turkey chopped or shredded
2 teaspoons fresh thyme minced, or 1/2 teaspoon dried
8 ounces noodles {I use whole wheat because they do not become soggy in soup}
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Place the turkey bones and vegetables in a large Dutch Oven. Add the water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a bubbling simmer, partially cover the pot and cook for 3 hours. Strain the broth in a fine mesh colander and discard the solids, Add salt and refrigerate the broth until ready to make the soup.
Soup
Heat the oil in a large Dutch Oven and add the chopped vegetable. Saute until tender about 10 minutes. Add the prepared broth. You should have 8-10 cups. Bring to a boil. Add the seasoning and noodles. Cook the noodles in the soup for about 12 minutes. Add the chopped turkey. Taste and adjust salt. Serve in individual bowls or refrigerate for a later time.
Turkey Salad
Ingredients
3 cups leftover cooked turkey, chopped
1 medium onion, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 cup red grapes, halved
½ cup toasted and chopped walnuts
½ to ¾ cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon chopped chives
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Combine the turkey, onion, celery, grapes, and walnuts in a mixing bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in enough mayonnaise to moisten the ingredients. Sprinkle with chives. Serve or refrigerate until serving time.
2 servings
Ingredients
12 oz boneless ribeye steak or tour favorite steak
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 tablespoon butter
3 cups romaine lettuce
1/ 2 cup diced tomatoes
½ cup thinly sliced cucumber
¼ cup thinly sliced radish
¼ cup diced red onion
1/3 medium avocado, sliced or diced
1/2 cup blue cheese
Ranch Dressing
Directions
Dry the steak with paper towels. Heat a medium skillet until very hot. Add the steak and cook without moving for three minutes. Turn the steak over and season both sides with salt and pepper. Top with the butter,
Cook the steak until it reaches an internal temperature of 120 to 125°F (49 to 52ºC) for medium-rare, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Transfer the steak to a cutting board and rest for 10 minutes. Slice the steak into ¼-inch thick pieces. Cut smaller if desired.
Arrange all the salad ingredients, except the avocado, in two large individual salad bowls. Top with the sliced steak and sliced avocados. Serve with ranch dressing and warm dinner rolls.
Pan-Seared steak
Ingredients
2 center-cut beef tenderloin steaks {filet mignin}, about 5-6 oz each
Sea Salt and Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Directions
Pound the steaks in plastic wrap until they are an even ½=inch thickness. Season generously with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Heat a nonstick medium skillet unit, very hot, about 5 minutes. Place the steaks in the pan, lower the heat to medium. Cook 3 minutes without moving the steaks. Turn them over, place one tablespoon of butter on each steak and cook for 3 to 4 minutes more.
Twice Baked Potatoes
2 servings
Ingredients
1 large russet potato, 12 ounces
Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1 slice bacon cooked and crumbled
2 tablespoons chopped chives
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Prick the potatoes all over with a fork. Brush lightly with the oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast on a sheet tray covered with foil until tender, 50 minutes to 1 hour.
While still hot, cut the potato in half lengthwise and scoop the potato flesh into a medium bowl, leaving a 1/4-inch shell all around on the potato shell. Season the insides of the potato shell lightly with salt and pepper.
To the bowl with the potato flesh, add the sour cream and butter. Use an electric hand mixer or potato masher and mix until almost smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Mound into the potato shells and bake for 15 minutes, then turn on the broiler to high and brown the tops of the potatoes,t. Sprinkle with bacon and chives.
Spinach Salad
2 servings
Ingredients
6 cups fresh baby7 spinach leaves, washed and spinner dried
½ cup diced red onion
2 radishes, sliced thin
½ cup dried cherries
½ cup crumbled blue cheese
½ cup toasted sliced almonds
Italian vinaigrette
Directions
Combine the salad ingredients in a medium bowl and toss until the ingredients are evenly distributed. Add enough of your favorite dressing to lightly coat the spinach leaves. Divide into two salad dishes and serve with the steak.
This is a refreshing dinner on a hot summer day. Make the extra salmon even if you only need two servings for dinner. Leftover Salmon has many uses..Salmon
Ingredients
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh dill
1 tablespoon fresh oregano
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 lemon
4 fresh salmon fillets, about 6 oz each
½ teaspoons salt
Directions
Mix the extra virgin olive together with the black pepper, the chopped fresh dill, and fresh oregano together in a non-metallic bowl. Stir well then add in the zest and juice of the lemon.
Place the salmon fillets into the marinade and turn them to coat. Set them aside in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 3 hours.
Once the salmon has marinated, place a heavy paced frying pan or skillet over medium-high heat and allow it to get hot.
Season the salmon fillets with the salt and then place the salmon presentation side down into the pan.
Cook undisturbed for 3 minutes. Carefully flip the salmon and cook for a further 3 minutes.
Greek Salad
Serve with warmed pita bread
Dressing
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon sugar or sugar substitute
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoon lemon juice
Salad
4 cups torn romaine lettuce
1 small bell pepper, diced
1/4 of red onion, sliced
Half English cucumber, sliced
1 medium tomato, diced
12 kalamata olives,
4 pepperoncini peppers
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
Directions
Pour all the dressing ingredients into a large jar and shake well.
Place the jar in the refrigerator for a few hours to blend the flavors.
Combine the Greek salad ingredients in a large serving bowl. Pour half of the dressing over the salad and toss. Add more dressing if desired.
