Summer Fresh Recipe Series: Mediterranean Style Lentil Salad

This Mediterranean Style Lentil Salad is filled with protein, bursting with summer flavors from the tomatoes and cucumbers, and the tangy bite of feta cheese.  All doused in a wonderfully light Mediterranean vinaigrette.  Perfect along side all your summer dishes.  

Mediterranean Style Lentil Salad

Another great salad to add to our Summer Fresh Recipe Series.  This highlights summers fresh tomatoes and cucumbers.  Tossed with fresh spring greens, feta cheese, lentils, and a light and bright homemade dressing and you have a great side salad.

Perfect for all the summer grilling dishes, this salad goes with fish, chicken, pork or steak.  It's filled with healthy items but it is hardy on it's own.  This is one tasty salad!  Enjoy!

What Ingredients do I need?

• olive oil
• red wine vinegar
• dried oregano
• spring greens
• cherry tomatoes
• cucumber
• parsley
• feta cheese
• brown or green lentils

Substitutions and Variations

• Add chicken for a main dish salad
• Omit the greens
• Try Persian cucumbers
• Add fresh herbs such as basil or mint
• Try this with ricotta salata or goat cheese
• Substitute spinach, kale, or swiss chard for the greens

Kitchen Tips and Notes

• Make a batch of lentils ahead of time and serve them as a side dish, stir in rice, toss in salads.

• Mason jars are great for making and storing salad dressing.

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Mediterranean Style Lentil Salad

serves 4

Dressing
1/4 cup olive oil
1/8 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp dried oregano
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Salad

4 cups spring greens
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1/2 large English cucumber, diced
1/3 cup parsley
1/3 cup Feta crumbled
1/2 cup brown lentils cooked and cooled according to package directions

In a small bowl or mason jar add the ingredients for the dressing whisking or shaking until combined.

In a large bowl add the salad ingredients.  Drizzle with dressing and toss to coat.  Serve.

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

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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.

Summer Fresh Recipe Series: Spinach and Watermelon Salad with Feta and Walnuts

Summertime is the perfect time to whip up this refreshing variation on a traditional watermelon salad.  With the addition of spinach, walnuts, and an oregano vinaigrette this salad is loaded with flavor!

Spinach and Watermelon Salad with Feta and Walnuts

Everyone needs a good side salad, and as part of my Summer Fresh Recipe Series this one is a winner!  Bursting with refreshing summer watermelon, spinach, feta cheese, and walnuts for crunch, this salad is quick and easy to pull together any night of the week.  Top it off with a flavorful oregano vinaigrette and those flavors will be popping in your mouth!

This is a great salad that will go along with any main course.  Perfect for picnics, BBQs, family get-togethers, even your 4th of July celebrations.  Trust me when I say that you'll be wanting this salad all summer long.

What Ingredients do I need?

• olive oil
• red wine vinegar
• Dijon mustard
• honey
• salt & pepper
• dried oregano
• baby spinach
• watermelon
• feta cheese
• walnuts

Substitutions and Variations

• Use arugula or mixed green instead of the spinach
• Use pinenuts, pistachios, or sliced almonds instead of walnuts

Kitchen Tips and Notes

• You will only use 1/2 of the dressing for this salad.  Store the remaining dressing in a container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

• I use a mason jar to mix dressing in and shake vigioursly, then I store in that container as well.  Less dishes to wash!

• The salad should be served chilled or at room temperature.  Watermelon tends to weep as it gets hot.

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Spinach and Watermelon Salad with Feta and Walnuts

serves 4

Oregano Vinaigrette:

1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Kosher salt and black pepper

 
Salad:

1/2 cup crumbled feta
1/4 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
4 cups baby spinach
1 to 1 1/2 cups cubed watermelon

For the oregano vinaigrette: In a small bowl or mason jar, add  olive oil, vinegar, Dijon, honey, dried oregano and some salt and pepper.  Whisk or shake vigorously to combine.  Note:  You will use about half so you may store the leftover vinaigrette in a container in the refrigerator for another use.
 

To make the salad: Set aside some feta and walnuts to top off the salad before serving.  Add the spinach and watermelon, remaining feta and walnuts to a large bowl.  Drizzle with about 1/2 of the dressing and toss to coat.   Garnish with the reserved feta and walnuts before serving.