Summer Salad Recipe Roundup

What are you doing for the 4th of July this year?  I am staying in town and working extra hours and cover for a co-worker who is taking a few days off.  Then on the 4th Im planning on hanging out at my parents house with my dog while they are out of town.  They have a nice deck looking over their beautiful yard, so I think I will get some much needed Vitamin D while I read and relax.

Then in the evening on the 4th, a few good friends and I will be going to my office in downtown Spokane to watch the Riverfront Park fireworks go off at dusk from our private balcony.  It should be lots of fun, although I will miss Kevin.  My husband is heading out to Sequim, WA today to go with his family on their annual trip to Ocean Shores for the 4th.  I went last year and had a hoot, but I have to stay behind this year for my girlfriends Bachelorette Party on the 5th.

Now on to the recipes!  Summer BBQs, picnics, and pot-lucks can often be hard times for those following a Nutritarian lifestyle.  I cant tell you how many times Ive had to bring my own bean burgers to a party!  Another go-to is to bring a colorful salad for everyone to have.  You may be surprised to see those die-hard meat-eaters going back for seconds on some of these!

Patriotic Grain Salad

(Patriotic Grain Salad)
Celebrate the red, white, and blue this summer with
this (somewhat) color-coordinated salad.
With a tzatziki-like dressing, this one is sure to be a hit!

Crisp Cucumber Celery Salad

(Crisp Cucumber Celery Salad)
This salad is super crisp and perfect for summer parties.
Feel free to chop the celery and cucumber as small
as you like for easier serving as well.

(Ginger Kale Slaw)
This is one of my all-time favorite salads!
I made it a few summers ago trying to copy-cat a healthy
version of a ginger dressing from a local teriaki place.
In the end, I love this more than I ever did the SAD salad! 

(Lemony Israeli Cous Cous)
This unique take on cous cous is not only
delicious and satisfying, but will leave party-goers
asking you for the recipe. :)

Kittys Asian Slaw

(Kittys Asian Slaw)
This is one of my moms go to salads that she makes for pot-lucks.
It is quick to throw together and has a sweet
 sesame flavor that everyone will enjoy.

(Pomegranate, Lentil, and Wheat Berry Salad)
This salad really packs a pop of flavor and the contrast
of the green kale and red pomegranate make it visually
appealing to those passing down the buffet line.

Flavorful Tahini and Grain Salad

(Flavorful Tahini and Grain Salad)
Serve this grain-based salad on its own or
with some chopped spinach or kale mixed it.

Amys Notes:


Final Recipe Picture

Pinterest Reference:

Read More..

Summer Vegetable Corn Chowder

I cant believe it has been so long since I last wrote a post.  Kevin and I went on a trip to Houston and a weeklong cruise that left out of Galveston, we took a quick weekend trip to Montana to meet my new twin nephews, and I just got back from a long weekend trip to Las Vegas with some of my best girlfriends to celebrate one of their bachelorette parties.  I had sooo much fun, although my apartment is in disarray from all of the packing and unpacking.

I also needed to go grocery shopping, badly!  I saw bell peppers, zucchini, yellow squash, and fresh corn on sale, so I got some inspiration to make this yummy yummy soup.  The smell in my house was such a hit with Kevin, he happily chowed down two bowls and voiced claim over some of the leftovers.  After so much traveling and eating out, nothing can be better than a homemade meal (but no one tell my veggie-snubbing husband just how many are in this recipe!).

Summer Vegetable Corn Chowder
Time: 60 minutes
Servings: 6-8 servings

Ingredients:
        4 medium zucchini, ends removed, halved and quartered
        4 medium yellow summer squash, ends removed, halved and quartered
        4 ears of corn, husks removed
        1 red bell pepper, diced
        1 orange bell pepper, diced
        1 yellow bell pepper, diced
        1 Anaheim or serrano pepper, diced
        1 yellow onion, diced
        1 12 oz package of soft silken tofu, undrained or pressed
        2 cups vegetable stock
        1 7 oz can fire roasted diced green chiles, undrained
        1 Tbsp chili powder
        1/2 Tbsp ground coriander
        1/2 Tbsp dried oregano
        2 tsp cumin
        1 tsp smoked paprika
        1/2 tsp cayenne pepper to taste
    Optional Toppings:
        fresh chopped cilantro
        sliced green onion
        fresh diced tomatoes
        hot sauce
        salsa
        pico de gallo

Instructions:
1.)  Wash the zucchini and squash, cut the ends off, then cut in half and then quarter.  In a large dutch oven, cover the zucchini and squash with water.  Bring to a boil, and then simmer for 20 minutes, until the squash is soft and lightly translucent.
2.)  With a pair of tongs, pull all of the zucchini and squash from the pot and into the blender.  Into the hot water, throw the peeled corn on the cob.  Bring to a boil and cook until tender.  While to corn is cooking, blend the zucchini, squash, and undrained silken tofu until smooth and creamy.
3.)  Once the corn is done boiling, remove and allow to cool.  Empty the water from the pot and begin to saute the red pepper, orange pepper, yellow pepper, Anaheim pepper, and onion over medium heat.  Add water as needed and saute until the onion is translucent.
4.)  Cut the cooked corn off of the cob and add it to the sauteed peppers and onion.  Add all of the spices and stir to combine well.
5.)  Add the blended squash and vegetable stock to the pot and stir to combine well.  Add water as needed to make the soup thinner if you desire.  Enjoy the soup chunky as is, or use an immersion blender like I did to lightly puree the soup.
6.)  Enjoy with one or multiple toppings mentioned above.  I served mine with tomato, cilantro, and green onion, drizzled with hot sauce.

Amys Notes:
If you dont happen to have silken tofu on hand, some substitutions could be 1 cup of white beans, or 1/2 cup cashews and 1/2 cup water.
When everything is combined in the end, feel free to blend as much or as little of the soup you want.  Like I said above, I used my immersion blender to give it a fine chop.  Please cater to your own soup preferences!

Read More..

SUMMER HERB FETA COURGETTE RISOTTO

I bought a little herb garden today as I am constantly buying herbs for recipes and then having to throw half of them away. I hate the waste so hopefully by growing my own I can avoid this….but we will see…I dont have much success in keeping herbs (or flowers) alive! 

This recipe requires lots of herbs so it is perfect for summer - I used the entire pack so there was no leftovers to bin! It was very easy to make and took about 40 minutes in total.

Ingredients for 4 people:

2 tbsp olive oil
500g courgettes, halved length ways and thinly sliced
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
350g arborio risotto rice
1.2 litres of vegetable stock
25g pack of fresh basil, chopped
20g pack fresh mint, chopped
150g feta cheese, chopped

Heat the oil in a large pan and add the sliced courgettes. Fry over a medium heat for 5 minutes until golden on both sides.

Add the garlic and season, then cook for a further minute.

Stir in the rice and cook for 1 minute until coated in oil.

Add the stock to the rice a ladleful at a time, stirring until each amount is absorbed.

Continue until all the stock is added and the rice is creamy and just tender - it should have a little bite to it. This will take about 20 minutes.

Take it off the heat and then stir in the feta and the herbs. I had chopped them using scissors in a mug.

Leave to rest for a couple of minutes.

Season further if necessary and then serve.

This risotto is perfect for this time of year - it tastes so fresh and summery with all the herbs and the feta reminds me of being on holiday in Greece. My husband Pascal always complains about not liking feta but he thought this risotto was so delicious and light - unfortunately my daughter Arabella wasnt such a fan as she doesnt like mint (I will remind her of this next time she wants one of my polo mints)! Still she ate it (with some extra Parmesan) and didnt moan too much. Hopefully next time I cook this it will be with my home  grown herbs!!

Read More..

Summer snacks

You know, I love summer. I really love it. I dont like when its hot. and actually prefer summer with cool-ish weather, and sometimes dont even mind rain. But. What I DO like in summer are the veggies and fruits. They taste so good, and maaaaan - so much better than the tasteless things of winter. I am now addicted to strawberries and blueberries, and tomatoes, and apricots... Boy.

My wonderful summer snacks...

We played tennis today for two hours. Then swam for half an hour... Then I did abs a little. But really I was too dead to do Meta... I mean cmon - nearly three hours of sporty activities!!!! So I took a bath and started working :)

Read More..