Red White and Blueberry Salad

Go patriotic this Memorial Day with my Red White and Blueberry Salad.  It's filled with plump red strawberries, mild feta cheese, and juicy blueberries on a bed of spring greens to make the perfect salad!

 

Red White and Blueberry Salad

Memorial Day is a day for remembrance for those that have died in service to our country.  To many it is the unofficial start of summer and the grilling season.  To honor and celebrate those we tend to have a big outdoor feast, grilling up American favorites such as hamburgers and hot dogs with all the side dishes.  Today's recipe is my Red White and Blueberry Salad which is perfect for Memorial Day, 4th of July, or Labor Day celebrations.

A based of tender spring greens is topped with the most luscious strawberries, blueberries and crumbled feta to represent the red, white, and blue.  They are also accompanied by crunchy walnuts and slices of red onion.  Then we top it off with a creamy balsamic dressing that is to die for!  The flavors blend together so well that this will become a go to salad during the summer months when berries are in season.

Enjoy!

What Ingredients do I need?

Salad:

• spring greens

• strawberries - buy ripe juicy ones

• blueberries - fresh during the season is best

• walnuts - whole or pieces will do

• red onion

• feta cheese - I always by feta in a block and then crumble it, slice it as I need it

Dressing:

• balsamic vinegar

• extra virgin olive oil

• plain Greek yogurt

• Dijon mustard

• garlic powder

Substitutions and Variations

• Nuts - for allergies, leave them out.  Try pecans or almonds for a change

• Cheese - try goat, white cheddar, or Monterey jack.  

• Greens - spinach, red leaf, or butter lettuce would all be good choices

• Onions - leave them out if you prefer or try green onions, or a sweet Vidalia onion for a change

• Use your favorite store bought dressing

• Add protein - grilled chicken or deli turkey would turn this salad in to a meal

Kitchen Tips and Notes

• Great for low carb diets as the berries are low in sugar while being rich in antioxidants

• You'll get healthy fats from the olive oil and the walnuts

• You can toast your nuts in a pan for a few minutes you'll get a deeper flavor.

• Don't care for raw onion?  Soak onion slices in cold water for 5-10 minutes will reduce the pungency

• Meal prep friendly - this would be easy to divide the salad in to containers.  Just leave the salad undressed and then place dressing in a container on the side.  If using a mason jar, place the dressing on the bottom, them place the greens on that and then layer the rest of the salad.

HUNGRY FOR MORE? Subscribe to emails at the top of this page and follow along on Facebook,  and Pinterest for all of the latest updates.

Red White and Blueberry Salad

serves 4

Salad

10 oz spring greens
6-8 medium strawberries hulled and sliced
1/2 pint blueberries
1/3 cup whole walnuts
1/4 medium red onion, sliced
½ cup feta cheese crumbled

Creamy Balsamic dressing

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt, I use full fat
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

In a small bowl or jar make the salad dressing.  Add all the ingredients and whisk or shake vigorously until combined.

In a large bowl or platter add your spring greens and tope with the strawberries, blueberries, walnuts, onions, and feta.  Either drizzle dressing over the salad or allow each person to dress their own.

4th of July Bash on the Grill: Mushroom Stuffed Cheeseburgers

Juicy cheeseburgers stuffed with jazzed up mushrooms are on the grill for the 4th of July celebration!  Made with your choice of meat and topped just the way you like it!

Mushroom Stuffed Cheeseburgers

Time to warm up that grill and get to cooking some burgers for the 4th of July!  After a year in lock-down we are so ready to celebrate!  We go for the "All American" menu for our 4th of July bash.  First up is a juicy hamburger.  This one is special because it's has the addition of cheese and mushroom.  But the best part is they are not on it....they are inside it!  Yes, that's right a burger stuffed with jazzed up mushrooms and cheese.  Doesn't get much better than this.

With a little pre-prep of the mushrooms these burgers will be on your table in no time.  Another plus is that you can pick your meat of choice.  We made both beef and turkey burgers.  Toppings can be anything you choose.  We had a standard burger topping bar or lettuce, onion, tomatoes, mayo and mustard.  One bite and the stuffing flavors explode in your mouth!  This is one great burger.

What Ingredients do I need?

• ground beef sirloin (10%) or ground chicken or turkey
• Worcestershire sauce
• ground black pepper
• provolone cheese
• baby bella mushrooms
• garlic
• white wine
• butter
• olive oil
• Hamburger buns
• Toppings: lettuce, onion, tomato

Substitutions and Variation

• Choose a different ground meat, turkey and chicken are great options

• Choose a different cheese, cheddar, Gouda, or Swiss
• Don't like mushrooms, leave them out!
• Don't want wine in the mushrooms? leave it out
• Kaiser rolls make great buns
• Brioche buns are a treat
• Flavor the meat with steak sauce instead of Worcestershire sauce
• Make this Asian by adding soy sauce and Hosin

Kitchen Tips and Notes

• Great for making ahead.  Stuff the burgers early in the day and refrigerate until time to grill

• Kids will love a stuffed cheeseburger!
• I always form the bottom patty a little larger and then pinch the top to the sides to cover all the stuffing 

• I always use 10% fat ground sirloin for the flavor.  If you like a juicier burger go for 15 - 20% ground chuck

HUNGRY FOR MORE? Subscribe to emails at the top of this page and follow along on Facebook,  and Pinterest for all of the latest updates.

More burgers to choose from:

Grilled Ranch Chicken Burgers

Grilled Santa Fe Burgers

Blue Cheese Stuffed Burgers

The Best Stuffed Grilled Cheeseburgers

Butter Burgers

Mushroom Stuffed Cheeseburgers

serves 4

1 lb. ground beef sirloin (10%) or ground chicken or turkey
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 slices provolone cheese, halved

1 cup baby bella mushrooms, sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

2 Tablespoons white wine

1 Tablespoon butter

1 Tablespoon olive oil

4 Hamburger buns
Toppings:  lettuce, onion, tomato

In a large skillet, medium high heat, add butter and olive oil.  When hot add the mushrooms.  Cook about 1 minutes until starting to brown and wilt.  Add in minced garlic and the wine.  Continue to cook until mushrooms are brown and tender.  Remove from the pan.  

In a large bowl, combine beef, Worcestershire sauce and pepper, very lightly mixing to combine.  Divide the mixture in half and take one half, forming 4 thin patties.  Top 2 of the patties with 1/2 slice of cheese and 1/2 of the cooked mushrooms.  Top with the other two remaining patties and press edges to seal and make sure that the stuffing is all inside.  Repeat with the remaining half of the ground beef to make two more burgers.  

Grill burgers, uncovered, over medium-high heat 5-6 minutes on each side or until a thermometer inserted in meat portion reads 160 degrees.  Toast your hamburgers buns on the grill and serve.

Roasted Vegetable Farro Salad

This easy, Italian salad features farro, a whole-grain hero. Mixed with roasted zucchini, peppers, and onion, and topped with a lemony dressing this salad pairs perfectly with any entrée.

Roasted Vegetable Farro Salad

Today's salad doubles as a side dish for any entrée.  The star of the dish is farro, a delightfully nutty grain that full of protein and fiber.  Use it as you would quinoa or rice.  When paired with perfectly roasted vegetables you have a winning combination.  This salad is best with a light dressing and my lemony vinaigrette brings a burst of brightness to the dish.  Top this off with some fresh herbs and a crumble of tangy feta and voila, a masterpiece is born!

This salad is served warm or at room temperate, however, it will keeps several days and will taste just a wonderful eaten cold.  This would be a great dish to serve during the summer grilling months.  Perfect for BBQs, Memorial Day, 4th of July, and even picnics in the park! Enjoy!

What Ingredients do I need?

• farro
• green onions
• red bell pepper
• orange bell pepper
• zucchini
• onion
• parsley
• feta cheese
• lemon
• garlic
• olive oil

Substitutions and Variations

• Try different roasted vegetables such as broccoli, summer squash, tomatoes, carrots, asparagus, or cauliflower

• Leave out the cheese or use ricotta salata

Kitchen Tips and Notes

• This can be made ahead and served at room temperature

• This salad will keep several days in the refrigerator

HUNGRY FOR MORE? Subscribe to emails at the top of this page and follow along on Facebook,  and Pinterest for all of the latest updates.

Roasted Vegetable Farro Salad

serves 4

1 cup farro, 
2 green onions, sliced thin, whites and light green parts
1 1/2 bell peppers, orange and red cut into thin strips
2 zucchini, cut into chunks
1 small yellow onion, sliced
extra virgin olive oil to coat
salt & pepper

1 tablespoon flat leaf parsley, chopped

2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese

For the Dressing:
1 garlic clove, minced
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cook farro according to package directions.

While farro is cooking make the dressing: Combine all the dressing ingredients, except parsley, in a bowl, and set aside.

When the farro is tender, drain and let cool a bit. Toss farro and dressing together, set aside to let the flavors combine.

Place vegetables on rimmed roasting pans so they fit in a single layer, toss with olive oil and salt and pepper.

Roast until tender and beginning to brown, about 25 min.  Remove from the oven and toss with vegetables with the farro.  Add parsley and feta and serve.

Labor Day Bash: Grilled Ranch Chicken Burgers

Hot off the grill, juicy chicken burgers filled with zesty ranch, garlic, Parmesan cheese, and Worcestershire sauce. Man, these burgers are good! 

Can you believe that it is September already?  Where did the month of August go?  But this brings us to another holiday and Labor Day is approaching quickly.  Let's get that grill out and make something scrumptious to eat!

Burgers and hot dogs are standard but let's amp it up a bit and try a variation on a burger.  We're going to make Grilled Ranch Chicken Burgers!  Who doesn't love ranch dressing on salads or as a dip?  So believe me when I say that it doesn't disappoint in this this burger either!

GRILLED RANCH CHICKEN BURGERS

I'm a beef burger lover and MGG loves his turkey burgers, but today we decided to mix it up and make a burger using ground chicken.  Yes, they make great burgers too, but they do tend to be a bit bland and a little dry.  To correct that I added some flavor pops to the mix such as garlic, Worcestershire sauce, Parmesan cheese, and ranch dressing!  Yum Yum! These Grilled Ranch Chicken Burgers are bursting with flavor. 

These burgers are so easy to customize as well.  Not only do I use ranch dressing in the patty but I also use it as a spread on the bun.  Double the flavor!  

Enjoy!

Grilled Ranch Chicken Burgers

serves 4

1 lb ground chicken

1/4 c ranch dressing

1/4 c panko bread crumbs

1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese

1 tsp.  Worcestershire sauce

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1 Tbsp olive oil

4 hamburger buns, split 

In a medium bowl add the ground chicken and the next 7 ingredients (through the black pepper).  Gently and lightly mix to combine.  Do not handle the meat too much.  Divide in to 4 sections and form 4 patties.  Place on a tray.  Brush olive oil on each patty, both side.  Place in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to firm up.

Grill burgers over medium heat 5-6 minutes per side, turning once until meat is cooked through.   Grill buns to toast.  Serve on buns with desired toppings.

Lighter Strawberry Crisp

Yum

They've been saying that we've had so much rain here in Southern California that the strawberries have taken a hit this year, but I'm here to tell you "nuh uh!, this year's strawberries are super juicy and sweet!"

This leads me to pick up a pound of strawberries each time I go to the store, and I go to the store quite often, so the strawberries are starting to pile up!

Not to worry.  I have the perfect solution for that...

LIGHTER STRAWBERRY CRISP

Oh yes, please!  Let's make a Strawberry Crisp that is bursting with juicy strawberries topped with a light crunchy topping.  It all but screams summer!  This dish is one of my go to desserts.  It will feed a crowd or a family (depending on how much you eat!).  We actually served this at out 4th of July party and it was the first item go.

Fruit is a wonderful item to create dessert from.  I've made this a little healthier by keeping the sugar content down as well as the butter.  It still has that homey, comforting feeling but is a much lighter and lower carb/calorie version.  Desserts don't have to be laden with fats and empty calories to taste good.  Just try this version for yourself and you'll definitely want 2nds or 3rds.  Go ahead...I won't tell!

Enjoy!

Strawberry Crisp

serves 6

6 c (about 1-1/2 pounds) strawberries, hulled and quartered

1 Tbls fresh lemon juice

2 Tbls all-purpose flour

3 Tbls light brown sugar, divided

1/3 c all purpose flour

1/3 c rolled oats

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp salt

3 Tbls cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Vanilla Ice Cream (optional topping)

Preheat oven to 375F.

Lightly grease an oval baking dish with cooking spray.

Add the strawberries to the bottom of the dish and toss with lemon juice. In a small bowl, combine the flour and 1 Tbls of brown sugar and mix until combined. Add this to the strawberries and mix to combine. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, oats, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and remaining brown sugar. Cut in butter with a pastry cutter or by rubbing with your fingers until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle crumb mixture over the strawberries. 

Place in the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until top is golden brown and fruit is bubbling. Remove from the oven and allow to cool 10 minutes. Serve with ice cream if desired. 

adapted from:  https://diethood.com/strawberry-crumble/

Easy Cinnamon Peach Cobbler (Family Sized)

Yum

We are hosting a huge summer bash in a couple of weeks for a bunch of friends and I've been researching and testing recipes.  The key is that they must feed a crowd but be simple to make.

Today is all about dessert!  I've been digging through our old family recipes again and came up with my version of a classic.  If you want a super easy and quick dessert to make look no further than this Easy Cinnamon Peach Cobbler.  I made this particular one family sized in an 8x8 pan for testing purposes, but just double the ingredients and place in a 9x13 pan for one that will feed a crowd.

There's nothing better than this southern dessert during the summer, especially when peaches are in season!  Oh! fresh peaches are the BEST!  We just picked up some delicious peaches that promised to be a 12 on the flavor scale (0-15, 15 being sweetest) and they sure were.  Juicy and sweet.  So make sure to use fresh ones if you can find good ones.  If not then frozen will work perfectly.

This is a cobbler that is cakey, instead of a biscuit topping or a pie crust.  You make a batter and pour it in the pan, then add the peaches on top.  The peaches sink down and the cake rises around the peaches to create a cake like cobbler. Yum!  I also added some cinnamon to the peaches to give it a little homey flavor which I adore.  Leave it out if you prefer just plain peaches.  This is excellent in taste, and couldn't be 

Bring a little South to your menu and enjoy this Easy Cinnamon Peach Cobbler (Family Sized) with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.  It can't be beat!

Enjoy!




Easy Cinnamon Peach Cobbler (Family Sized)

serves 6

1/4 cup butter

1 1lb. fresh or frozen peaches peeled and sliced

1 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 cups sugar, divided
3/4 cups self-rising flour
3/4 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Add butter to a 8x8 baking dish and place into the oven as it preheats to 375º F to melt.

To a small bowl add peaches and 1/4 sugar.  Stir to combine.  Set aside.

In a medium bowl add remaining sugar, self-rising flour,  milk, and vanilla. Whisk until well combined.  Remove pan from oven and pour batter on top of the melted butter.  Top with the peaches and their juices.  Do not stir.

Bake until the cobbler is golden brown, about 35 minutes. Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.