Fig, Tomato, and Sweet Onion Salad

I know that temperatures have been in the 60's this week here in North Carolina, and Fall has officially arrived, but I just can't seem to stop making some of my favorite summer dishes. This salad was featured in Cooking Light back in June and it was fantastic. The recipe called for fresh mint but since I prefer basil I went that route and it was delicious. The simple red wine vinaigrette is very light and really makes the flavors of the figs, cherry tomatoes and Vidalia onions stand out. If you want to make this a complete meal I bet adding grilled shrimp or chicken would be divine. Make this summer salad before it is too cold!

You Will Need:

• 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 2 cups fresh figs, quartered (about 1/2 pound)
• 2 cups torn romaine lettuce
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 3/4 cup sliced Vidalia onion
• 3 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
• 1/4 cup (1oz) feta cheese, crumbled

Here We Go:

• Combine first three ingredients in a large bowl; stir well with a whisk
• Add figs, lettuce, tomatoes, onion and basil
• Toss gently to coat
• Sprinkle with feta cheese

Serve 4 as a side
Happy Feasting!

Tomato Pie

As we unofficially say goodbye to summer, now that it is September and the cooler temperatures have made their way to North Carolina, I find myself frantically trying to cook all things summery before it is too late. I had not made a tomato pie all summer, and I knew that before all of the delicious local tomatoes left the shelves I had to make one of these southern summer favorites. This is a recipe that I have had since college and I have to give credit to my friend Sarah Bourgeois for this wonderful pie. A tomato pie is relatively easy as long as you drain the tomatoes long enough (ie: about an hour). Not draining the tomatoes long enough can result in a soggy pie, which is still tasty, but definitely not as pretty!

 You Will Need:

• 4 tomatoes, peeled and sliced
• 10 fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 1/2 cup green onion, chopped
• 1 (9 inch) pre-baked dip dish pie shell
• 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• salt and pepper to taste

Here We Go:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Place the tomatoes in a colander in the sink in 1 layer
• Sprinkle with salt and allow to drain for about 1 hour
• Layer the tomato slices, basil and onion in the pie shell
• Season with salt and pepper
• Combine the grated cheese and mayonnaise together in small bowl
• Spread cheese mixture on top of the tomatoes and bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown
• Cut into 8 slices and serve warm

Happy Feasting!

Quick Pasta Salad: Orzo with Cherry Tomatoes, Feta & Scallions

This pasta salad is so quick and easy! You can use another type of pasta if you want to, but orzo happened to be what I had in my pantry. This pasta salad is crisp and refreshing with bold Mediterranean flavors. It makes a great lunch on its own or pair it with dinner for a tasty side dish. You can also add black olives or pine nuts to this recipe for even more flavor.

You Will Need:

• 1 cup uncooked orzo
• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 1/2 cup feta, crumbled
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar

Here We Go:

• Cook orzo according to package directions
• Drain pasta and return to pan
• Mix in cherry tomatoes, feta, scallions, salt, pepper, olive oil and red wine vinegar
• Stir all ingredients together and chill in refrigerator for an hour or so before serving

Serves 4-6 as a Side
Happy Feasting!

Grilled Cobia with Mango Avocado Salsa

Last weekend my husband was on a bachelor party and they went fishing! He brought home massive amounts of cobia and after freezing as much as I could I took the remaining fish fliets and decided that grilling the fish would be the perfect way to break in our new shiny grill. The great thing about this recipe is that any other flakey white fish would work with this tangy salsa - halibut, tilapia or mahi mahi. The mango, cherry tomato, avocado and fresh basil create the most unique fresh summer flavor. If you don't have a grill, rest assured, you can absolutely cook the fish in the oven.

Source: bon appetit June 2011

You Will Need:

• 1 medium ripe avocado, peeled and cut into 1/2" dice
• 1 medium ripe mango, peeled and cut into 1/2" dice
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 4 large fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
• 3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for brushing
• 3 Tbsp fresh lime juice, divided
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 6-ounce cobia fillets (or any other white flakey fish)
• 4 lime wedges

Here We Go:

• Prepare a grill to medium-high heat
• Gently combine the avocado, mango, tomatoes, basil, 1 Tbsp oil, and 1 Tbsp lime juice in a large mixing bowl
• Season salsa to taste with salt and pepper and set aside at room temperature, gently tossing occasionally
• Place fish fillets in a 13x9x2" glass baking dish
• Drizzle remaining 2 Tbsp oil and 2 Tbsp lime juice over and season fish with salt and pepper
• Let marinate at room temperature for 10 minutes, turning fish occasionally
• Brush grill rack with oil and grill fish until just opaque in center, about 5 minutes per side
• Transfer to plates and spoon mango-avocado salsa over fish
• Squeeze a lime wedge over each and serve

Serves 4
Happy Feasting!

Corn and Avocado Salad

I am loving all of the recipes in these summer food magazines. Real Simple's July magazine was full of three ingredient recipes and their tag-line was "Fast, Fresh, Delicious." Well, they were right! This corn and avocado salad was all the above. Serve it as a side with BBQ chicken or bratwursts. You can also serve it on top of a fresh grilled fish such as mahi mahi, talapia or halibut.

Source: Real Simple July 2011

You Will Need:

• 3 ears of corn, cooked
• 1 avocado, coarsely chopped
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt

Here We Go:

• Using a sharp knife, cut the kernels off 3 ears of corn
• In a medium bowl, toss with avocado, scallions, olive oil, salt and pepper

Serves 4
Happy Feasting!

Summer Veggie Pizza

This summer pizza is packed  full of tasty veggies and the addition of feta gives it a nice little punch with every bite. Local farmers' markets are packed full of gorgeous summer vegetables right now so go out and get them and give yourself the opportunity to use them with this easy recipe. This pizza is a wonderful change from the traditional pepperoni or sausage pizza that is a little lighter on the waistline but you are still getting that great pizza flavor!

You Will Need:

• 1 ball pizza dough (white or wheat)
• 1 1/4 cups pizza sauce
• 1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
• 1/2 bag of mozzarella cheese (12 oz bag)
• 1/2 cup sweet onion, diced
• 1/2 cup red pepper, diced
• 1/2 cup green pepper, diced
• 1/2 cup yellow or white corn kernels
• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup zucchini, diced
• 2 Tbsp olive oil

Here We Go:

• Preheat oven to 500 degrees F
• Roll out dough to desired thickness using your hands or a rolling pin if you have one
• Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in small skillet and saute veggies until soft, roughly 5-7 minutes 
• Rub pizza stone with remaining Tbsp of olive oil and place dough on pizza stone or baking sheet
• Top dough with pizza sauce, cheeses and sauteed vegetables
• Bake for 10-12 minutes on top rack, or until golden brown

Makes 8 Slices
Happy Feasting!

Shredded Chicken Tacos with Tomatoes and Grilled Corn

In August's issue of Cooking Light they did a section of easy five ingredient entrees for summer. Their tag line read " These easy five- ingredient entrees mean you can spend more time chilling, less time shopping and chopping." They were exactly right! I bought a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken and this weeknight meal took less than thirty minutes from start to finish. The fresh avocado paired with the smokey corn and tomato salsa made this a very satisfying dish. If you want to spice things up a bit feel free to add salsa or Tabasco for more heat.

Source: Cooking Light August 2011

You Will Need:

• 2 ears shucked corn
• 1 (12 oz) package baby heirloom tomatoes
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 8 (6 inch) corn tortillas
• 2 cups shredded chicken, boneless rotisserie chicken breast
• 1 peeled avocado, cut into 16 slices
• 8 lime wedges (optional)

Here We Go:

• Preheat broiler
• Place corn on a baking sheet and broil for 18 minutes or until charred on all sides, rotating every 6 minutes
• Cut kernels from corn
• Place kernels in a medium bowl
• Cut tomatoes into quarters
• Add tomatoes to corn and sprinkle corn mixture with black pepper and salt
• Heat tortillas according to package directions
• Divide chicken evenly among tortillas and top each taco with 1/4 cup corn mixture and 2 avocado slices
• Serve with lime wedges, if desired

Makes 4 tacos
Happy Feasting!

Salmon with Strawberry Salsa

It feels great to be back in the kitchen! Having eaten out for pretty much three weeks straight, eating at home has been that much better. I wanted to make some good ole' salmon to get us back on track and when I came across this recipe I thought that it was screaming summer and I was definitely intrigued by the flavor combination - strawberry, scallion and tomato? As the other bloggers have also said, I wasn't too sure how all of these flavors would come together but it was quite the pleasant surprise. In fact, it was absolutely delicious and such a quick and easy weeknight meal idea.

Source: In Good Taste (Originally adapted from Annie's Eats via Good Things Catered)

You Will Need:

For the Salsa

• 1 cup strawberries, rinsed, hulled, and finely diced
• 1/2 cup grape tomatoes, finely diced
• 2 scallions, white and light green portions, sliced thin
• 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

For the Fish

• 2 salmon filets
• Freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
• Butter and olive oil

Here We Go:

• Combine all of the salsa ingredients in a bowl, and refrigerate until ready to serve
• Squeeze some fresh lemon juice over the salmon, and sprinkle with salt and pepper
• Heat a good pat of butter and a drizzle of olive oil in a saute pan
• Add the salmon, and cook until it flakes easily with a fork, about four minutes per side
• Serve the salmon topped with the salsa

Serves 2
Happy Feasting!

Happy Hour Friday: Watermelon Daiquiri

I have always been a fan of pretty party drinks. Nothing is better in the summer than a gorgeous, frozen cocktail.With temperatures rising across the US (the high is 95 degrees today), this frozen daiquiri is perfect for a summer picnic, cookout or cocktail party. I bought a whole watermelon at the grocery store earlier this week, and after we had eaten almost half of it and didn't think we could possibly eat anymore, I used the remaining melon for this tasty daiquiri. Serve it in a highball glass and garnish it with a lime. Your guests will be ever so thankful that you did!

Source: Food.com

You Will Need:

• 4 cups peeled seeded and cubed watermelon
• 1/2 cup light rum
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup triple sec
• ice cube

Here We Go:

Freeze watermelon in a shallow pan at least 6 hours

Combine frozen watermelon, rum, lime juice and triple sec in blender

Process until smooth, stopping once to scrape down the sides

Add enough ice to bring mixture to 5-cup level and process until smooth

Repeat procedure, if necessary, until mixture measures 5-cups

Garnish with a lime wedge and serve immediately

Serves 5
Happy Feasting!

Pink Cucumber Salad

This salad is so simple and delicious. It was given to me by my mother-in-law and it has quickly become a favorite in our house. I need to preface that these pictures do not do this salad justice. The sugar, salt and rice wine vinegar make the most wonderful flavor combination. You are just going to have to trust me on this and try it out for yourself!

You Will Need: 

• 1 English cucumber, peeled (if desired) and thinly sliced
• 1/2 red onion, very thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
• 3 Tbsp sugar
• 2 tsp salt

Here We Go:

• Combine all ingredients in a large bowl
• Cover & chill at least 1 hour

Makes 2 cups

Happy Feasting!