A great lunchtime salad for a warm day, colorful and refreshing.
2 (5 oz.) pkgs. mixed salad greens
2 C fresh nectarines, sliced
1 (13 1/4 oz.) can sliced beets, drained
1/2 C balsamic vinegar
1/2 C feta cheese, crumbled
How to Make It:
Place the salad greens into a large salad bowl.
Spread the nectarine slices evenly over the greens.
Add the beets into the salad.
Drizzle the balsamic vinegar over the entire salad and toss to coat.
Top with the cheese just before serving.
Serves: 8
This salad is very quick and very inexpensive to make.The beets are optional in this salad but do give the salad a special taste.Serve it with a pasta main course for a simple but filling meal.
2 apples, peeled and diced
1 lb strawberries
2 kiwis, peeled and diced
8 oz. raspberries
1 T brown sugar
2 T white sugar
3 T any flavor fruit preserves
10 (10 in) tortillas
2 C cinnamon sugar
Butter flavored cooking spray
How to Make It:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cut the tortillas into wedges.
Spray both sides of the wedges with the cooking spray.
Place the wedges in a single layer on a cookie sheet.
Sprinkle one side of the wedges with the cinnamon sugar.
Bake for 8 minutes or until crisp.
Remove and allow cooling to room temperature.
Place the apples, strawberries, kiwis and raspberries into a large mixing bowl.
Add the brown sugar and white sugar.
Stir until blended.
Add the preserves and mix together well.
Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
1/2 medium cantaloupe, very ripe
1/4 C milk
Sugar to taste
How to Make It:
Scoop out the melon from the rind.
Place it into a bowl and place the bowl in the refrigerator.
You want the melon to be very chilled.
Once chilled place the melon and the milk in a blender.
Blend until very smooth.
Add the sugar to taste.
Let stand 3 minutes before pouring into a glass.
1 fresh pineapple
1 pint fresh blueberries
1 pint fresh strawberries cut in half
1/4 C maple syrup
1/4 C orange juice
1 T fresh mint, chopped
Pepper to taste
How to Make It:
Cut the bottom and top off of the pineapple,
Peel the pineapple.
Cut the fruit into 8 slices.
Spray each pineapple slice with a non stick cooking spray on both sides.
Heat the grill to medium temperature.
Grill the pineapple slices 6 minutes per side or until lightly browned.
Cut each grilled pineapple slice into 8 wedges.
Place the pineapple wedges into a large mixing bowl.
Gently fold in the blueberries and strawberries.
Add the maple syrup, orange juice and mint.
Mix together well.
Add the pepper and stir.
2 T unsalted butter
1 lg. onion, chopped fine
1 sweet red pepper, diced
3 small zucchini, diced
1/4 t cayenne
1 lb white potatoes, peeled and diced
2 C water
2 C soy milk
2 C fresh corn
1/2 t salt
1/8 t pepper
2 T fresh parsley, chopped fine
2 T cilantro, chopped fine
How to Make It:
Place the butter in a kettle over low heat.
When butter melts add the onion, sweet pepper and zucchini.
Cook on low 8 minutes, vegetables should be fork tender.
Stir in the cayenne.
Add the soy milk and potatoes.
Over low heat bring mixture slowly to a boil.
Add the water.
Cover the pot and cook 25 minutes.
Add the corn.
Continue cooking for 5 minutes.
Stir in the parsley and cilantro.
Serve hot.
1/4 C mayonnaise
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 T lemon juice
1/8 C olive oil
1 C red bell peppers, sliced
1 zucchini, sliced
1 sweet red onion, sliced
1 yellow squash, sliced
1 loaf Italian bread, sliced vertically and then horizontally
How to Make It:
Mix the mayonnaise, garlic and lemon juice together in a mixing bowl.
Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Brush the grate of the grill with olive oil.
Heat grill to high.
Brush the vegetables with olive oil on both sides.
Place the zucchini in the middle of the grill.
Place the peppers around the zucchini.
Put the squash around the peppers.
Put the onions to the outside.
Grill for 4 minutes.
Flip and continue grilling 4 more minutes or until as tender as you like.
Open the bread pieces.
Spread each piece of bread with the mayonnaise mixture.
Place the bread on the grill mayonnaise side up.
Close the lid and grill for 2 minutes.
Place the grilled vegetables on one piece of bread and top with another piece of bread to make the sub.
2 apples, peeled, cored and diced
2 ripe pears, peeled, cored and diced
1 small fennel bulb, trim and dice
1/2 C raisins
2 shallots, finely minced
1/2 C fresh orange juice
2 T lemon juice
1 T olive oil
Freshly grated orange rind
Freshly grated lemon rind
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 C chopped walnuts, toasted
How to Make It:
Sprinkle the apples and pears with a little lemon juice.
Place the apples, pears, fennel, raisins and shallots in a large mixing bowl.
Pour the orange juice and lemon juice together in a mixing bowl.
Add the olive oil, salt and pepper.
Whisk until thoroughly combined.
Fold in the orange and lemon rind.
Pour over the apple mixture.
Scatter the walnuts over the salad.
Serve immediately.
As a banana gets old, the skin will get thinner. It will turn black and oily looking. At this point, the fruit inside will have soft bruised spots and will break apart easily. At this point, the best choice for Mr. Banana is not to throw him away, but to bake him into bread.
Banana bread is the best specialty bread I know. Even when I wasn’t in love with the banana, I was in love with banana bread. My mother told me that the best banana bread is made with overripe bananas. When the skin starts to turn black and the stem won’t hold the banana anymore, they are ready to use. Bananas in this stage are very sweet. You don’t need very much sugar for your bread mixture.
Bananas are sliced up on cold and hot cereal as well as in yogurt and on bread with some mayonnaise (a Southern thing!). They work as a dessert too. Ever had a banana split? Find new uses for those more than ripe bananas.
Bananas are one of the most widely eaten fruits. They are easy to handle, go anywhere, and kids love them. I never used to like bananas when I was a child, but I have found a new appreciation for them as an adult.
I remember that commercial with the girl who had the basket of fruit on her head. It was a commercial for Chiquita bananas. Bananas are portrayed as a food for monkeys and other primates, but humans love them too. They are filled with much needed potassium and not too sweet.
Bananas are available year round. They are imported from South America to the United States. Bananas are yellow in color and come in bunches. A fully yellow banana is ripe for eating. If you don’t plan on eating the entire bunch in the next few days, consider buying a bunch of bananas that is at least half green. The bananas will continue to ripen in your kitchen.
