Tag: refreshing

Fish

BBQ Salmon Bowls With Mango Avocado Salsa

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BBQ Salmon Bowl with Mango Avocado Salsa is absolutely delicious! The salmon is so quickly roasted in the oven and 6 minutes was perfect for the salmon filet I made. The mango salsa is delicious by itself. I served this dish with the Cucumber Edamame Salad. Eating the leftovers, cold, was great the next day and so refreshing on a hot day. I’ll be making this recipe over and over again.

BBQ Salmon Bowls with Mango Avocado Salsa

INGREDIENTS:
  • Salmon:
    • 1–2 lbs. fresh salmon
    • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
    • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
    • 2 teaspoons onion powder
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
    • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (more for a larger filet)
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Mango Avocado Salsa:
    • 2 mangoes, diced
    • 1 avocado, diced
    • 1/4 cup minced cilantro
    • 1/4 cup minced red onion
    • 1/2 jalapeño, minced (optional, to taste)
    • 1 teaspoon honey
    • 2 tablespoons lime juice + 1 teaspoon lime zest
    • salt to taste
  • For Serving:
    • 1 1/2 cups of rice cooked according to instructions
DIRECTIONS:
  1. Mango salsa: Toss all ingredients in a bowl to combine. Taste, adjust, try not to eat the whole bowl.
  2. Cook your rice: Get your rice cooking according to package directions.
  3. Get the oven ready: Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil. Alternatively, you can set it to 500 degrees on the broil setting for medium rare with a yummy crispy top – the risk here is that you have to watch closely so it doesn’t burn the sugar. If taking this route, make sure one of the oven racks is close-ish to the top, about 6 inches or so.
  4. Salmon: Mix the spices and the olive oil to make a paste. Place the salmon skin side down on the baking sheet. Rub the paste liberally over the top part of the salmon. Bake for 6-12 minutes depending on the thickness of your salmon and your desired doneness. See notes if you’re not sure.
  5. Bowl it up: Pile up some rice, pull off some of salmon, and spoon that mango avocado salsa over the whole thing. Add a lime squeezer for good measure. IT’S SO GOOD.

Recipe from PinchofYum

Salads

Golden Beet, Feta, Lemon & Pistachio Salad

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What flavorful salad with golden beats, feta, lemon, and pistachios. The vinaigrette is so fresh and would be delightful on many salads. I used the honey roasted beets from an earlier post, but feel free to buy a package at the grocery store in the refrigerated produce section.

Golden Beet, Feta, Lemon & Pistachio Salad

INGREDIENTS:
  • 4-5 roasted golden beets
  • 2 cups arugula
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
  • 2 tablespoon pistachios – chopped
  • For the lemon vinaigrette:
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
  • 1 clove garlic, minced (of 1 tsp.)
  • 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon honey
  • 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
DIRECTIONS:
  1. Add sliced beets to a serving dish, top with arugula, lemon zest, feta and pistachios.
  2. To make the vinaigrette, add all of the ingredients to a small bowl and whisk together.
  3. Top salad with vinaigrette and enjoy.

Recipe slightly altered from loveandlemons.com

Asian Dishes · Salads · Vegetables

Cucumber Edamame Salad with Sesame-Ginger Dressing

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This salad! Wow! I made it expecting it to be good but it was amazing! I shared the salad with my two daughters, who agree this is a winner. The dressing is amazing and I will have on hand most of the summer for other salads as well. For leftovers, perhaps omit the avocado and serve it fresh with the salad to avoid brown avocado bits the next day. We are planning a family dinner with other Asian dumplings and dishes to serve with this new favorite, refreshing summer salad.

Cucumber Edamame Salad with Sesame-Ginger Dressing

INGREDIENTS:
  • Sesame-Ginger Dressing
    • 3 Tbsp. avocado oil (or grapeseed oil)
    • 3 Tbsp. rice vinegar
    • 2 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil
    • 2 tsp. lower-sodium tamari or soy sauce
    • 1 1/2 tsp. freshly grated ginger
    • 1 garlic clove, grated or minced
  • Cucumber Edamame Salad
    • 1 lb. English or Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced
    • 1 cup shelled edamame
    • 1 large avocado, cut into cubes
    • 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onion
    • 2 Tbsp. toasted sesame seeds
    • A pinch of Aleppo pepper flakes (optional)
DIRECTIONS:
  1. Prepare Sesame-Ginger Dressing by combining all dressing ingredients in mixing bowl or large glass measuring cup; whisk well to combine.
  2. In a large bowl, combine cucumber, edamame, avocado, green onion, and sesame seeds. Season ingredients with a pinch of sea salt.
  3. Add dressing and a pinch of Aleppo pepper flakes; toss to coat. Serve immediately, or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Recipe from DishingOutHealth.com

Book Club · Gluten Free · Health · New Favorite · Salads · Skinny · Vegan · Vegetarian

Watermelon Heirloom Salad

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Book Club almost always inspires me to try making something new and the Watermelon Heirloom Salad has been on my list of ‘must try’ since my sister-in-law, Betty, told me about it.

I served this in July with tomatoes and watermelon in season. It is a refreshing salad especially during the hot days of summer. The salad was served with the feta on the side since some of our members are Vegan.  Easy peasy and satisfies all.  What a wonderful fusion of great flavors.  It’s now one of my favorite summer treats.

WATERMELON HEIRLOOM SALAD

3 large heirloom tomatoes (about 1.5 pounds), cored and cute into chunks or 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved (I used multi-color cherry tomatoes)
4 cups cubed watermelon
1/2 cup fresh mint, roughly chopped
1/2 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar (I used Champagne vinegar)
juice of 1 lime
Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup fresh feta (don’t skimp on the quality of the feta)
1 lime, cut into wedges

  • Combine the tomatoes, watermelon, mint and basil in a bowl.
  • In a separate bowl, mix together olive oil, vinegar, lime juice, salt and pepper to taste.
  • Pour olive oil mixture over the fruit and toss to mix.
  • Cover and refrigerate for several hours.
  • Just before serving, sprinkle the feta over the salad (or on the side). Serve with lime wedges and sea salt.

Recipe from FreyFarms

Cakes · New Favorite

Gin and Tonic Drizzle Cake

cathysmaha3 Comments

Gin & Tonic Cake sounded delicious when my sister-in-law, Betty, told me about it a few years ago.  Summer time evenings on the patio with a G&T and good friends inspired me to make this wonderful cake.  Warning…it is a bit boozy but oh, so delicious!

I converted the recipe to American measures (in parenthesis) and it worked well.  Instead of baking a big pan of cake, I baked in several smaller cake pans and froze a few cakes, minus the lime slices.  It freezes well.

GIN & TONIC DRIZZLE CAKE

Cake:
250g unsalted butter (8.8185 oz. or 1.102 cups)
250g sugar (8.8185 oz. or 1.102 cups)
250g self rising flour (8.8185 oz. or 1.102 cups)
5 medium egg
1 lime, zested

Drizzle:
75g sugar (2.6455 oz. or 1/3 cup)
5 tbsp. Gin
5 tbsp. Tonic Water

Icing:
200g powdered sugar (7.0548 oz. or .8819 cup)
3-4 tbsp Gin

Decoration:
1 lime, zested
lime sliced

For the Cake:

  • Grease and line a 2 lb. loaf tine (i used several small loaf pans instead).
  • Preheat the oven to 180 centigrade or 350 degrees fahrenheit.
  • Cream together the butter and sugar until light an fluffy.
  • Add in the eggs, flour, and lime zest. Beat again until smooth and combined.
  • Pour the cake ingredients into the cake pan(s) and bake for 40-45 minutes.  When baked fully, a cake skewer should come out clean and the cake shouldn’t be making a bubbling sound.
  • Remove the cake from the oven and cool slightly while making the drizzle.

For the Drizzle:

  • In a small pan, add the sugar, Gin and Tonic.
  • Heat on a low-medium heat while stirring.  Once the sugar is dissolved, remove from the heat.
  • Poke the cake lightly with a cake skewer and drizzle over the cake. Allow the cake to cool fully in the cake pan.

To Decorate:

  • Once the cake has cooled, remove it from the cake pan.
  • In a small bowl, add the powdered sugar and gradually mix in the Gin until you get a thick, pourable consistency.
  • Pour the icing over the cake, sprinkle with lime zest. Add lime slices to the top for decoration.

Recipe slightly adapted from Janespatisserie.com

Desserts · New Favorite · New Traditions · Vegan · Vegetarian

Cherry Granita

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Sour Pie Cherries are one of my favorite summer finds.  In the late summer, the Farmer’s Market has frozen tubs of cherries and I hoard them until Christmas when I make Cherry Kolaches. I froze the extra cherry juice to make  Cherry Granita. What a delightful, refreshing treat from extra juice.

CHERRY GRANITA

3 cups sour cherry juice
1 lemon, juice of
1/2 cup granulated sugar

  • Put the cherry juice in the saucepan over a medium heat, along with the sugar.
  • Cook until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat.  Cool.
  • Pour the cherry mixture into a shallow container and freeze, stirring about once every hour, bringing ice crystals from the edge into the center.
  • It will take about 5 hours to freeze completely.
  • To serve:  Remove from freezer 5-10 minutes before serving.
Blueberry Gooseberry Yogurt Smoothie
Beverages · Breakfast · Garden · New Favorite · Skinny

Blueberry Gooseberry Yogurt Smoothie

cathysmahaLeave a comment

How many ways are there to use Gooseberries? Not as many as one would think, at least not many that are documented.  I’ve never tried a smoothie with gooseberries until I found this recipe.  I  substituted almond milk for cow’s milk. Very refreshing!

BLUEBERRY GOOSEBERRY YOGURT SMOOTHIE

1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1/2 cup fresh or frozen gooseberries
1/2 of banana, frozen
1/2 cup lowfat vanilla yogurt (I prefer Greek yogurt)
1/2 cup almond milk

  • Put all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.  Enjoy!

Adapted from Sumptuous Spoonfuls