3rd of July salad

BBQ season began on July 3rd this year with a gracious invite from our friends Mark and Anita. I was asked to bring a salad. I put this together with a mixture of the leftovers I had in my fridge - squash from the vege lasagna and olives and feta from the Greek salad.  It was a HUGE hit. The lemony-parmesan dressing was perfect for eating outdoors. The lemon juice also keeps the cut veges from going brown so you can prepare it early and it will still look appetizing later.

1 zucchini - slice then cut into strips
1 yellow squash - cut like zuccini
10 baby carrots - slice thin in the long direction so they are about the same size as the squash pieces
1/2 avo ( I would have used more but my tree just is not ready) salt and pepper and 2-3 tbsp lemon juice, let it soak in while you chop
1/2 cup nuts - I used sliced almonds and macadamia nuts - saute to brown and bring out oils
12 kalmata olives - sliced in half
4 leaves basil, chopped

1/2 c lemon juice
1/4 c vinegarette
1/2 c parmesan cheese, grated
3 tbsp feta cheese, chopped very fine

1 bag chopped romaine lettuce

Mix all ingredients except the lettuce together and allow to marinate in refrigerator for a couple of hours.

Pour over lettuce right before serving.

Viuscitine

These cookies were my Italian Grandma's specialty. There was never a single moment that I was in her company that Viuscitine's (we pronounced them wisk-a-tina's - stupido Americanas) were not around.

They are made without any added fat, other than eggs, and were used within my grandmother's Sicilian family to sooth teething babies. They also make adults very, very happy.

Beat in mixer for 30 mins (remember, my ancestors did this by hand so it must be very very important)
3 eggs
1 1/8 c sugar

Add:
1 tsp vanilla
2 c flour

Let batter sit for 10-15 minutes.
Bake at 350 for 8-10 mins on lightly greased baking sheet.

Greek Salad - sort of

Wow, I just made the most amazing simple Greek-ish Salad. I did not take a pic, so I am highlighting the main ingredient - the kalamata olive.


Ingredients:
Salad greens - all I had was basic-traditional-available-everywhere head of green lettuce, it was perfect because it had so much moisture in it, good for a hot day.
1/2 diced avocado, salt and pepper and coat in lemon juice
Sliced in half Kalamata Olives
Feta cheese
Chunky diced cucumber
One thinly sliced, the long way, baby carrot
Lightly toasted sliced almonds - I toasted them right before putting them on the salad and eating so they were a little bit of warm added to the salad.

I added a little bit of Raspberry Walnut vinaigrette dressing from Paul Newman. The flavors were all just wonderful together. I am sure a tomato would have made it even better.

blueberry scones with strawberry cream

First:

Add sugar and a touch water to cut strawberries. Set aside in refrigerator for 30 mins.

Second:

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter
1 cup blueberries
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon unsulphered molasses

1. Preheat oven to 425*F (220*C). Grease a large baking sheet. Set aside.
2. Mix first 4 ingredients in a large bowl. Cut butter in flour mixture until mixture resembles tiny peas.
3. Add blueberries and mix lightly. Gradually add milk and molasses. Be gentle with dough so berries are not crushed.
4. On a lightly floured surface, shape dough into 1/2-inch thickness circle.
5. Transfer to prepared baking sheet. Score each top into 8 pie-shaped wedges. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until risen and browned.

Third:

Whip cream. Stir in strawberries. Cut scone in half. Pour strawberry cream over scone.

Vegetarian Enchiladas

Wow were these enchiladas tasty. I made a really simple red pasta sauce over the weekend with some leftover veges and JP had the wonderful idea to use it as a base to make enchilada sauce. I certainly had my doubts but with the help of my blender and some fantastic peppers they were so good!

1. Sauce
2 large cans whole tomatoes
1/2 can tomato paste
15 leaves basil
salt, pepper, just a little oregano, quite a bit of Italian red pepper - 1 tsp maybe
1 c green onion, chopped
1 c mixed red and orange peppers

Simmer all ingredients together for about 45 minutes. I made mine the day before, then when I was ready, I pulled it out of the fridge and blended it to a puree in small batches. Next I put it back on the stove.

While the red sauce it heating add:
1 finely chopped jalapeño - I did not use the seeds, but you can
1/3 coarsely chopped Anaheim Chile
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

Bring all to a boil then reduce heat and cover at a simmer for 30 mins.

2. Veges
Start with:
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves finely chopped garlic
2/3 Anaheim Chile, coarsely chopped
Saute 10 min

Add:
1/2 chopped white onion
20 halved grape tomatoes
Saute 10 min

Add:
2 large chopped mushrooms
1/2 large chopped zucchini
1/2 large red onion
Saute 10 mins

3. Cheese and Spinach
Shred a large block of pepper jack and half a small block of cheddar.
1/2 bag spinach, washed

4. Assemble:
Cover bottom of 9x13 glass pan with enchilada sauce.
Add veges, spinach, and cheese to each tortilla, roll and place in pan. Cover enchiladas with sauce and cheese. Top with a small amount of onion, tomato, and avocado.

5. Cover in foil and bake at 400 for 20 mins. Remove foil and bake for 10 more minutes.

Salmon Patty Sandwich

This recipe is a leftover recipe from making the Mediterranean Salmon. I made it into a salmon patty and served it as a sandwich. DELICIOUS. I recommend you make it immediately.

1. Place all veges other than tomatoes and spinach in food processor. Pulse to chop fine.
2. Break up salmon, and add half of the chopped veges. Also add a few tbsp fine breadcrumbs, a tbsp of lemon juice, and an egg. Form into patties.
3. Saute tomatoes, spinach and half of the chopped veges in olive oil, all mixed together, until tomatoes are hot and spinach is wilted. Keep warm.
4. Turn up heat and saute salmon patties until lightly brown.
5. Serve on bread (I used roasted garlic bread - a wise choice). Place lettuce on bottom of bread, then add salmon patty and cover with sauteed veges.

Spinach Quiche

My wonderful Mom/cook made this quiche on Mother's Day (she let me help) and it was delicious. It works out to be more veges than eggs, and making your own crust makes all the difference. I read recently not to wash mushrooms because they take in water and will make your crust soggy. Just wipe them clean with a damp towel.

For crust:

1 cup flour

1/2 cup shortening

2-3 tbsp water

Mom says the secret is to add tiny bits of water at a time, only enough to where it just barely holds together for rolling. Use a 9" pie pan.

For filling:

5 eggs

1 cup half & half
1 1/2 cups grated pepper jack cheese
3/4 cup cooked, cubed ham or bacon

3/4 cup chopped fresh mushrooms

1/2 cup chopped green onion
1 can green chiles, drained

1 can chopped spinach, drained


Beat eggs and milk together. Add rest of ingredients and mix. Pour into unbaked pastry shell and bake at 350 for 1 hour or until set. Allow to sit on counter for 10-15 minutes to set before serving.

She served it with fruit salad and cinnamon cake. It looked beautiful.