Summer Salad

Here's the 2nd great dish that's perfect for the upcoming 4th of July holiday.

This salad is one of our go-to salads during the summer months.  We tend to eat much lighter than the rest of the year, and we eat tons of fresh fruits and vegetables. MGG and I love going to local farmer's markets and picking in season items to make for dinner over the weekend.  It's a fun summer pass time.  

This year has been one of the best I can remember for strawberries.  they are so plump and juicy and need no sweetening.  I just can't get enough of them.  My Summer Salad features these wonderful berries and the combination of the sweet berries, tang from Gorgonzola cheese, and crunch of pecans is perfect.  Something you will enjoy over and over all summer.

I also love items that are quick to put together.  Who really wants to spend all day in the kitchen during the summer? Not me!

So make sure to round up your friends this weekend, and bring this salad.  They will request seconds....no doubt!

Enjoy!

Kitchen Tip:  Add some grilled or rotisserie chicken to make this a main course salad.



Summer Salad

serves 6

7 cups of romaine lettuce, torn (1 large head)
1 cup of Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
1 cup pecan halves
3 cups of fresh strawberries, sliced
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 T white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, minced

In a large bowl add the lettuce.  Layer on the cheese, pecans, and the strawberries. In a small mason jar add the oil, vinegar, salt, mustard, and garlic.  Place lid on and shake to combine.  

Pour dressing over the salad right before serving.

Asian Cucumber Salad

This is 4th of July week and I have a million things to do to get ready for the big day.

We always have a pool party and do some grilling with friends.  Then it's off to watch fireworks and I can't forget the dessert, which is something that involves fruit such as grilled pound cake and peaches or berries, or a delicious parfait.   But, we can't forget to top it with a scoop of homemade ice cream.  It's a tradition in our family to make ice cream on the 4th of July, and it would be sorely missed if we didn't make it. 

I have a lot of recipes ready for you this week to choose from for your Independence Day bash.  Let's start with a nice fresh side dish that has been in our family for quite some time. Our Asian Cucumber Salad is so refreshing and make the perfect side dish to sliders, chicken, burgers, and even ribs. Let's just say that this didn't last long in my house.  I even caught MGG in the kitchen later eating my leftovers I had saved for lunch!

Kitchen Tip:  If you use English or Hot House Cucumbers, you won't have to peel them (love that!). For regular cucumbers, you will need to peel them like I have done in these pictures.

I know you will enjoy this.  It's easy to put together, and you can make it ahead, which is always a plus in my book!

Be on the look out for more dishes over the next several days.  You won't want to miss them.
Enjoy!




Asian Cucumber Salad

Serves 8

4 large cucumbers, sliced, peeled if necessary, and chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped
Ground black pepper

In a large bowl, add cucumbers and salt and allow to stand 5 minutes to draw out the moisture. In a small mason jar add the vinegar, ginger, garlic, and crushed red pepper. Shake to combine and set aside. Drain your cucumbers of any collected liquid. Pour the dressing over the cucumbers and then cover and chill 1 to 24 hours. Before serving add your chopped mint, and toss to combine. Season with black pepper and serve.

Southwest Chicken Spaghetti - Slow Cooker Meal

I'm addicted to Pinterest.

I admit it.  It's really out of control.  

I pin...and pin...and pin all these recipes that have me drooling that my "to make" board is loading up so much I'll never make all these wonderful dishes in my lifetime.

I really need to limit myself.  Truly....I found this out the other day when I was looking for a recipe that I pinned last week and couldn't find it.  I had pinned so many other "to make" recipes after it that it was buried.  Buried I tell you.  So far down there that I would swear I pinned that months ago. One would think these are gold rather than recipes.  I'm a Pinterest hoader, that's what I am!   I think I'm wasting more time looking for things I know I pinned. This is NOT good.  Do you know the feeling?  Tell me I'm not alone.

So I decided to stop pinning items "to make" and get in there and make some of them.  Today's dish is something I've been wanting to try for quite a while now.  It's a convenient slow cooker meal which is a time saver on the weekends, or during the week when I want to come home and not have to cook.  Even in the summer the slow cooker can be your friend.  The other plus is that this is a spaghetti dish. Everyone loves spaghetti right?  You'll love this southwest variation.  It has such great flavors. 

I adapted the recipe from this blog (Lauren's Latest).  I love that is so easy to make, basically just dump and go.  The only thing you need to do is cook the spaghetti about 45 min prior to your eating time, which covers your cooking time and melding time with the chicken and the sauce.  So gooey and yummy!

The result is one Pinterest "to make" recipe down!  Woohoo!  ....and another item that I want to add to my repertoire.

Enjoy! 

Southwest Chicken Spaghetti

adapted from Lauren's Latest Crock-Pot cheesy Chicken Spaghetti

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

1/2 cup diced yellow onion
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 small can mild diced green chiles
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
salt & pepper, to taste
2 chicken breasts {about 1 lb.}
1 can cream of mushroom soup
3/4-1 lb. cooked spaghetti
2-3 cups grated cheddar cheese
a few splashes chicken stock {optional}

Directions:

Place chicken in the bottom of the crock-pot.  Add the onion, bell peppers, green chiles, cumin, garlic powder, salt, pepper, mushroom soup and 1 cup of grated cheese on top of the chicken.   Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low 7-8 hours or until chicken is fully cooked. Remove chicken and shred. Return chicken to the pot.   

Cook your spaghetti according to the package directions. Add the cooked noodles to the crock-pot and top with remaining cheese. Toss to coat pasta in sauce and melt cheese, adding in a few splashes of chicken stock if necessary to get sauce consistency you want. Cook another 20-30 minutes on low and serve.

Here's her freezer directions:
**Freezer directions: Place onion, bell peppers, green chiles, cumin, garlic powder, salt, pepper, chicken, mushroom soup and 1 cup of grated cheese together in a large plastic freezer bag. Seal and freeze. To cook, defrost in fridge, place in crock-pot and cook according to directions listed above.