Tag: summer recipes
Tomato and Mozzarella Salad
Simple summer salad!
- 1 cup small mozzarella balls, sliced in half
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
- 2 garlic cloves, grated
- 3 to 4 tablespoons balsamic glaze
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
- ½ cup basil, chopped
Add the mozzarella balls, tomatoes, garlic, balsamic glaze, oil, salt, pepper and basil in a medium bowl. Mix well and check for seasonings. Let sit for 30 minutes before serving.
Jalapeño Fontina Cheese Burgers
These are the most delicious burgers ever! Perfect for the upcoming long weekend…
- 1 pound ground beef
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- 3 large jalapenos, sliced in half and deseeded
- 4 to 5 garlic cloves, with skin on, wrapped in aluminum foil
- Drizzle of olive oil
- Salt
- ½ cup cilantro
Add the jalapenos cut side down onto a lined cookie sheet. Add the wrapped garlic cloves. Drizzle the olive oil over the peppers and sprinkle some salt. Roast for 20 to 30 minutes until the peppers are soft. Take out of oven and let cool. Scrape the skin off the peppers. Squeeze the garlic out of the skins and add to small processor. Add the peppers and cilantro. Process till smooth. Add to the ground meat. Add some salt and mix well. Form into four patties and let sit for an hour or so.
- 4 slices Fontina cheese
- 4 ciabatta rolls
Jalapeno Mayonnaise
- ¼ cup non-fat Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 to 4 tablespoons chopped pickled jalapenos
Add the yogurt, mayonnaise, garlic powder, salt and jalapenos in a small bowl. Mix well and serve with burgers and rolls.
Assemble the cooked burgers with melted fontina onto the toasted buns with the jalapeno mayonnaise.
Herbed Cheeseburgers
These burgers are absolutely delicious… filled with herbs and something different- ricotta cheese. It makes a delicious , tender burger…. perfect for the grill…
- 1 pound grass fed ground beef
- ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
- ¼ cup parsley, chopped
- ¼ cup dill, chopped
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
- 2 green onions, chopped
- 1/3 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg, beaten
- Cheddar slices
Transfer the cilantro, parsley, dill, jalapeno and green onions to a food processor. Add the processed herbs to a medium bowl. Add the ground beef, ricotta cheese, salt and egg. Mix well and form into 4 to 6 patties- depending on the desired size. Cook the burger patties and top with cheese. Serve on Ciabatta rolls.
Grilled Vegetables with Potatoes
- 1 pound green beans, washed and trimmed
- 2 squash, sliced
- 5 to 6 variety of potatoes, sliced and cooked
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4 to 5 garlic cloves, grated
- Salt
- Pepper
Add the green beans, squash and potatoes into a large bowl. Add the oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Mix well and add to a grill pan. Add to the grill and cook on medium heat. Stir occasionally making sure the vegetables don’t burn. Serve warm with the burgers.
Pan Seared Scallops with Salsa Verde
This is a fantastic recipe to entertain with. I made it through the week as my daughter was complaining about missing scallops. I simply seared the scallops in a non-stick pan till golden brown. I also made a delicious sauce with basil, pistachios and capers. The sauce can be used with other meats as well as pasta…
Salsa Verde
- 1 cup fresh basil, leaves only
- ½ cup fresh mint, leaves only
- 1 garlic clove, smashed
- ¼ cup pistachios, toasted
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon capers, drained and rinsed
- 2 anchovies
- Zest of one lemon
- Juice of half a lemon
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Process all the ingredients together in a food processor. Transfer to a bowl, cover and let sit for an hour or two before serving.
- 1 to 2 pounds scallops, cleaned
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
Heat some oil to a frying pan on medium high heat. Sear the scallops on high heat for a couple minutes on each side- careful not to over cook. Serve the scallops with the salsa verde and sautéed green beans.
Porterhouse Steak with Smoked Paprika and Nectarine Guacamole
- 2 large Porterhouse steaks (between 1½ to 2 lbs each)
- 4 garlic cloves
- ½ cup cilantro
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Add the garlic, cilantro, smoked paprika and salt into a mortar and pestle. Pound the mixture till the garlic and cilantro are mushy. Add the olive oil and mix well (you can process the mixture in a food processor as well). Marinate the steaks with the mixture in the fridge for 5 to 6 hours.
Grill the steaks according to desired doneness on an outdoor or indoor grill.
Nectarine Guacamole
- 2 avocados, chopped
- 1 white nectarine, chopped
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
- 2 serrano chilies, deseeded and chopped
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons salt
- Juice of one to two limes
Mix the avocados, nectarine, cilantro, chilies, smoked paprika, salt and lime juice in a medium bowl. Serve on top of the steak.
Greek Style Turkey Burgers
- 2 pounds dark meat ground turkey
- ½ cup pitted kalamata olives
- 2 tablespoons fresh oregano
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 medium shallot, chopped
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 eggs, beaten
Process the olives, oregano, garlic and shallot in a food processor till chopped well. Add the mixture to the ground turkey with the salt. Add the eggs and mix well. Transfer the mixture to the fridge for a couple of hours.
Form into 8 patties and keep aside.
Grill the burgers till cooked well inside.
Tzatziki Sauce
- ½ cup non-fat Greek yogurt
- 1/3 cup grated cucumber with excess water squeezed out
- 2 garlic cloves, grated
- Juice of half a lemon
- 2 to 3 teaspoons salt
Mix the yogurt, garlic, lemon juice and sauce in a small bowl. Assemble burgers on toasted ciabatta rolls with a generous dollop of Tzatziki sauce and serve.