Peach-Cantaloupe Salsa

When life hands you a cantaloupe, make salsa out of it! Except that my original plan was foiled when I cut into our brand new cantaloupe and smelly goop poured out of it all over my cutting board. Panic ensued until Joe suggested I chop up a peach instead. So my cantaloupe salsa turned into peach-cantaloupe salsa.

I really love variations in texture, temperature, and flavor in the food I eat, so this salsa on top of freshly grilled mahi-mahi was perfection. The heat of the mahi mahi contrasts with the coolness of the salsa. The soft, sweetness of the fruit contrasts with the crunch and the heat of the onions and peppers. Per usual, I was worried about the salsa not being hot enough, so I left in the membrane and seeds. Bad idea. Good thing I rationed my avocado to help me quench the flames. You can also take out the membrane and seeds to modify the heat. This salsa would go equally well over a seasoned, grilled chicken breast, and it looks and sounds a lot fancier than it is.

Peach-Cantaloupe Salsa
adapted from Smitten Kitchen
Yields 2 cups of salsa

Ingredients
1 cup diced cantaloupe
1 cup diced peach (about 1 medium-large peach)
1 diced serrano pepper, seeds and membrane removed
1/4 cup diced sweet onion or red onion
2 tbsp fresh-squeezed lime juice
salt to taste

Preparation
Mix all ingredients together and eat immediately.
2 tbsp lime juice

Tourlou Tourlou

I have to admit, I'm a teensy bit jealous of people who have a strong cultural background. They state confidently that they are Greek or German or Italian, and they have the food traditions to go along with it. But me? I'm about as WASPy as they come, so I have to borrow from my Greek and Italian and German friends to get some good recipes. Like this one. Don't worry if you can't pronounce the name. You can just call it "roasted vegetables of heaven" since that's what they taste like.

Before going into the oven for two hours, this amalgamation of chopped up vegetables is a perfect way of using up the summer harvest: eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, potatoes, bell peppers, or whatever else you have lying around that sounds good. When I picked up my CSA, I nabbed a bouquet of herbs that included parsley, sage, thyme, and a little basil (no rosemary though!) from another vendor at the farmers market and added it to this. After two hours, the vegetables had turned to butter, so smooth and sweet and creamy. Perfect for eating alone or as a side dish for some roast chicken thighs. I suppose that's a Greek take on a Southern Sunday supper.

Tourlou Tourlou
source: Elly Says Opa!

Ingredients

1 eggplant, sliced into about 1/2″ slices (peeled or unpeeled depending on preference)
2 large zucchini, sliced
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 large yellow or vidalia onion, cut in half and then sliced thinly
4 cloves garlic, minced
1.5 lbs. potatoes, peeled and sliced or cut into chunks
1 green bell pepper, sliced or cut into 1″ bites
1 bunch of fresh mixed herbs
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup crushed tomatoes
salt and pepper

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 375. Toss all the vegetables, salt (use a healthy amount, it’s a lot of vegetables!) and pepper, and the herbs with the olive oil in a large pan. Mix the crushed tomatoes with 1/2 cup of water and then pour the mixture over the whole pan.

Place the pan in the oven and bake for about 2 hours.

Corn and Basil Cakes

The last time we were at Trader Joe's, I gave in and bought a basil plant. Our condo has exactly three windows (though they are big windows!), so there were only a few places I could put it. Now it balances on the top of the piano, and I pray that the cat doesn't knock it over. Because there's no better time than summer to have access to fresh basil. And for the price I bought that plant for, I could buy about one small plastic clamshell of basil. However, I don't know if I would have thought to use the basil in a savory corn pancake. But then again, that's why I read cooking magazines. These cooked perfectly, and the crunch and sweetness of the corn went beautifully with the basil. Plus, they're quick. And who doesn't like having pancakes for dinner?

Corn and Basil Cakes
source: Eating Well August 2010 
Yields 10 cakes (But I only got 9)

Ingredients
1/2 cup white whole-wheat flour or all-purpose flour
1/2 cup low-fat milk
2 large eggs
2 tbsp canola oil, divided
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
2 cups fresh corn kernels (about 2 large ears)
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

Preparation
1. Whisk flour, milk, eggs, 1 tbsp oil, baking powder, salt and pepper in a medium bowl until smooth. Fold in corn and basil.
2. Brush a large nonstick skillet or griddle lightly with some of the remaining tablespoon of oil. Heat over medium heat until hot (but not smoking). Cook 4 cakes at a time, using about 1/4 cup batter for each, making them about 3 inches wide. Cook until the edges are dry, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook until golden brown on the other side, 1 to 3 minutes more. Repeat with the remaining oil and batter, making 10 cakes total. Reduce the heat as necessary to prevent burning.

Grilled Zucchini Salad with Lemon, Almonds, and Parmesan

Even with only a half-share at our CSA, it's still slightly more produce than Joe and I can consume by ourselves, which gives us a great reason to have people over and take vegetables over to other people's parties. While I usually eat zucchini and summer squash lightly sauteed with a little garlic and olive oil, that can get a little tiresome. When I saw this grilled zucchini salad in the latest issue of Eating Well, I thought it would be a great addition to our Top Chef-watching party. I'm not sure if it completely balanced out the peanut butter-honey gelato, wonderful cookies from Love and Olive Oil, and the peanut butter pie, but I made a good faith effort! I altered the recipe slightly to make it a little easier. This would be perfect for a picnic or winery outing, especially since it's so good served at room temperature.

Grilled Zucchini Salad with Lemon, Almonds, and Parmesan

adapted from: Eating Well August 2010

Ingredients

1 medium lemon

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

1/4 tsp salt

2 lbs small zucchini, cut into lengthwise slices

1/2 cup sliced (or chopped) almonds, toasted

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation

1. Zest the lemon and set aside the zest. Squeeze the juice from the lemon into a small bowl. Add oil, pepper, and salt, and whisk to combine. Set aside.

2. Preheat grill or grill pan to medium-high heat until hot. Oil the grilling surface and grill zucchini slices, turning once, until tender, 6 to 8 minutes.

3. Arrange the zucchini on a platter and drizzle with the reserved lemon dressing. Serve sprinkled with almonds, cheese, and lemon zest

Five-Minute Indian-Style Cabbage

In the part of my life where I worked for an insurance company, one of my co-workers was an Indian women who brought in a smelly, yellow-tinted cabbage dish for lunch. At the time, I was repulsed by it, which was due, in part, to my idea that I didn't like cabbage. I don't know what I thought coleslaw was made out of. When two very large heads of cabbage arrived in my CSA box, I couldn't get that cabbage that my Indian co-worker used to bring out of my head.

This dish is very, very fast and very customizable. Next time, I want to throw a little ginger in and play with the spices a bit. You will want to have everything prepared and on hand before you start because once those mustard seeds start popping out of the oil and flying all over your kitchen, you're going to need to throw the rest of the ingredients in.

Five-Minute Indian-Style Cabbage

source: Herbivoracious

Ingredients

1/2 head green cabbage, cored and sliced thin
1 tablespoon vegetable oil or ghee (clarified butter), or mustard oil, or more to taste
1 tablespoon black mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
optional: garlic, ginger, unsweetened shredded coconut, fresh chilis or dried chili flakes, garam masala
optional garnish: cilantro, lemon juice

Preparation
Heat a large skillet or wok over a medium-high flame. Add the oil, wait 10 seconds, and immediately add the mustard seeds.
As soon as they start to pop, add the rest of the spices and any optional ingredients and stir-fry for 10 more seconds. Move quickly here so you infuse the flavor in the oil but don't burn them.
Add the cabbage and salt, and stir-fry until crisp-tender or tender, your preference. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Garnish with cilantro and/or lemon juice.

Chinese Sesame Kale

Part of my lack of blogging lately is that I haven't really been doing anything adventurous in the kitchen because I don't have to. Fresh, local, seasonal produce just doesn't require a lot. For example, for Sunday's dinner, I ate roasted kale and a microwaved sweet potato, and it was amazing. With the produce from our CSA and a stockpile of lean proteins (tofu, beans, chicken sausages, etc.), our meals have been pretty simple.

Another summer change to our lifestyle is that we've been having mini-dinner parties on weekdays. We'll have a friend or two over, partially to visit and partially to have someone else help us eat our CSA produce. With the longer, slower days, chatting and lingering on our patio over wine as the fireflies come out doesn't seem quite as indulgent as it does during the rest of the year. It just feels like part of the summer pace. So last night we had a friend, newly moved to Nashville, over for Spicy Asian Marinated Flank Steak, Asian slaw salad, and some of this kale. The recipe for this came from our CSA newsletter from Delvin Farms, and it was a flavorful accompaniment to the rest of the meal.

Chinese Sesame Kale
source: Delvin Farms CSA Newsletter

Ingredients
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch kale (I used Red Russian kale.)
2 teaspoons sesame seed oil
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds (I misread and used 2 tablespoons.)
Salt and pepper, if desired

Preparation
Mince the garlic cloves. Wash kale. Remove and discard the stems from the kale and tear it into bite-size pieces. Save the stems for another use, such as vegetable stock.
Heat the sesame seed oil in the skillet over medium-low heat. Add the minced garlic to the hot oil and sauté for about 20 seconds. Add the kale and water to the garlic and oil, and cover the skillet.
After 1 minute, stir the kale, then re-cover. After 1-2 more minutes, when the kale is wilted, stir in the soy sauce and sesame seeds. If desired, add salt and/or pepper to taste.

Spring Peas with Mint

One day before theology class, I was sitting in the common room at the Divinity School when a friend came up to me and said that he had some food-related questions. On any given day, I would much rather talk food than theology. He asked me about this dish, which his wife had seen in Food and Wine magazine, and wanted to know what it would go with. I imagined a nice lamb dish with these peas as a side for a lovely Easter supper. A few more people started gathering around, and we had a very nice conversation about things that were totally not school-related!

Well, he got these peas stuck in my head, and they ended up as a side for our Easter supper, which also included the free Christmas turkey from Vanderbilt that we didn't have for Christmas because we were traveling. Whether they're for an Easter supper or just a nice spring dinner out on the patio, these peas are delightfully easy and flavorful. The red onion adds just enough bite to the vinaigrette, and who doesn't love mint? It's yet another example of how easy something can be when you have good ingredients.

Spring Peas with Mint
source: Food & Wine Magazine

Ingredients
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 cups fresh baby peas or thawed frozen green peas (The frozen peas worked just great.)
1/2 small red onion, cut into 1/4 inch dice
1 cup loosely packed mint, torn
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Preparation
In a bowl, whisk the olive oil with the vinegar. Add the peas, red onion and mint and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour. Transfer to a platter and serve.

Black Bean and Rice Stuffed Poblanos

Somehow the weather went straight from winter to summer, with spring being a few weeks of tornado-generating thunderstorms. After my exam on Thursday, I decided what would really make me happy would be to eat dinner out on our deck for the first time this season. And this meal fit the bill perfectly for the occasion.

It's a great light meal with a lot of flavor that is still filling. Joe helped me out in the kitchen by holding open the peppers for stuffing and putting together the salad. However, he neglected to remove the seeds and membrane from the jalapeno, so that was one HOT salad! I made a few changes and omissions based on what I did and didn't have in my kitchen, and Joe, who pretends he doesn't know anything about cooking, suggested I added a little cilantro to the salad next time and use lime juice instead of lemon. Little did he know that those things were actually in the original recipe!

This really came together pretty quickly for such a nice meal. I had dinner on the table within an hour without anything being prepped beforehand. We had quite a bit of stuffing leftover, but Joe quickly claimed the two leftover pepper halves and the stuffing to have with some tortillas and salsa while on-call at the hospital. He rarely likes leftovers, so this must've been a hit!

Black Bean and Rice Stuffed Poblanos with Creamy Corn and Avocado Salad
source: Ashlee's A Year in the Kitchen

Ingredients
Poblanos:

4 poblanos, 3 sliced lengthwise and gutted, 1 diced

3/4 red onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 12 oz. can diced tomatoes (I used a 10 oz can of Ro-Tel)

1 c. chicken stock (I used veggie stock)

1 c. quick cooking rice

2 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. chili powder

Dash of hot sauce

Salt and pepper

1 can black beans, drained (I used 2 cups of soaked and cooked dry beans.)

1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Corn Salad:

1 c. frozen corn kernels, defrosted but cold

1 avocado, diced

1/4 red onion, minced

1 tbsp. minced cilantro (I omitted)

1/4 jalapeno, minced

Juice of 1 lime (I used lemon juice.)

Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400.

Place 3 of the peppers in a baking dish, put in the oven while you prepare rice.

In a pot over medium heat, add 1 tbsp. EVOO, red onion, garlic, 1 diced poblano, salt and pepper. Saute vegetables for a few minutes, until slightly softened.

Add tomatoes, stock, spices, and bring to a boil.

Add rice, stir, bring back to a boil, cover, turn to low and simmer 15 minutes, or until rice is cooked.

Stir in black beans.

Take poblanos out of the oven, spoon beans and rice mixture into pepper cups, top with cheddar cheese, place back in the oven and cook for another 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and peppers are soft.

To make corn salad:
Add corn, red onion, cilantro, jalapeno, lime juice, salt and pepper to a bowl. Mix well.

Add avocado, gently fold in avocado, do not break it up too much.

Keep chilled until serving.

Joe's Birthday Dinner

Because I had class on Tuesday until 7 pm, Joe's birthday dinner needed to be something nice that could be on the table relatively quickly. Since we rarely eat steak, it definitely felt like a special occasion. I pan-fried the steaks in my cast iron frying pan after rubbing in some steak seasoning.

The roasted brussel sprouts are our new favorite thing. I tossed halved brussel sprouts in some olive oil, used salt and ground pepper generously, and roasted them in a 400-degree oven for about 30 minutes, tossing occasionally to prevent them from sticking to the pan.

The baked potatoes were actually microwaved and turned out perfectly in a quarter of the time it would've taken to bake them. All in all, a very successful weeknight dinner that was also special!

Sauteed Corn and Salsa

Most of the time when I make Mexican food, I don't have a lot of energy or time to put into side dishes, and cans of refried beans kind of gross me out. So this was the perfect option for a quick healthy side dish to go with the enchiladas I made Monday night. I could throw it together while the enchiladas were in the oven. Browning the corn really brought out its sweetness which was nicely balanced by the heat and smokiness of the salsa I used.

Sauteed Corn and Salsa
source: Everyday Food via Cooking This and That
Makes 2 servings

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
10 ounce package frozen corn, about 2 cups
1/3 cup jarred salsa or 1/2 cup fresh salsa
kosher salt and coarse ground black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh chopped chives and/or cilantro

Heat olive oil in medium saute pan over high heat. Add corn and garlic, cook until corn begins to brown, stirring occasionally, 5-10 minutes.Remove from heat and add salsa and salt and pepper to taste. Top with chives or cilantro.

No-Knead Dinner Rolls

This was my first successful yeast recipe without using the bread machine to mix the dough. I had told my dad that I was going to try and make the rolls this year, but if I was unsuccessful, he might have to buy some. Lo and behold, I managed to do it. I've realized that if I am patient and don't get myself worked up into a frenzy, dealing with the consistency of the dough is not that difficult. However, I'm more apt to get myself worked up into a frenzy, so we'll see how long this streak of dough success will last.

These rolls were good, though a little on the dense side for my taste. They were delicious just out of the oven with some butter. I took mine out a little early than the cooking time recommended because they were already golden brown. I halved this recipe as well and ended up with 12 rolls plus a little extra dough.

Pioneer Woman's Dinner Rolls
source: The Pioneer Woman Cooks

Ingredients

9 cups flour
1 cup sugar
4 cups milk
1 heaping tsp baking powder
1 scant tsp baking soda
1 cup vegetable oil
2 tbsp salt
2 packages (4 1/2 tsp) active dry yeast

Preparation

Pour 4 cups of milk into a stock pot or Dutch oven. Add 1 cup sugar and 1 cup vegetable oil. Stir to combine. Now, turn the burner on medium to medium-low and "scald" the mixture. Before the mixture boils, turn off the heat. Allow the mixture to cool to warm/lukewarm (90-110 degrees).

When the mixture is the right temperature, add 4 cups flour and 2 packages yeast. Stir together until incorporated. Add another 4 cups of flour. Stir together and allow to sit, covered with a tea towel or lid, for an hour. After about an hour, it should've almost doubled in size. When it has risen sufficiently, add 1 more cup of flour, the baking soda, baking powder and salt. Stir (or knead) to combine.

Butter 1 or 2 muffin pans. Form the rolls by pinching off a walnut-sized piece of dough and rolling it into a little ball. Repeat and tuck 3 balls into each muffin cup. Continue until the pan is full. Cover and allow to rise for 1 or 2 hours.

Bake in a 400-degree oven until golden brown, about 17-20 minutes.

Whiskey-Glazed Carrots

We needed some sort of vegetable for Christmas dinner, and I wanted to do something different from the green beans we had for Thanksgiving. I love carrots, and Joe loves whiskey, so I thought this would be a nice touch of color and flavor to our dinner. I halved the recipe, but I wish I had made the whole thing. The carrots nearly disappeared on the first trip around the table!

Pioneer Woman’s Whiskey-Glazed Carrots

source: The Pioneer Woman Cooks

2 - 3 pounds carrots, peeled and cut into thick circles
1 stick (1/2 cup…1/4 lb) butter
1/2 cup Jack Daniels or other whiskey
3/4 to 1 cup brown sugar
1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper

Melt 1 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over high heat. Add carrots in two batches, cooking for 60 to 90 seconds each batch. Remove from skillet.
Pour in whiskey and allow to evaporate 30 seconds.
Reduce heat to medium, and add remaining butter.
When butter melts, sprinkle brown sugar over the top.
Stir together, then add carrots to skillet.
Cover, and continue cooking for 5 minutes.
Remove lid and add salt and pepper. Continue cooking until carrots are done and glaze is thick, about 5 more minutes.
Pour onto a platter and serve immediately. Sprinkle with chopped chives if desired