It's been downright hot here this past month and cooking dinner in a steamy kitchen seems like the last thing I want to do. We transition our menu during the summer months to more salads topped with grilled meat, fish, vegetables and even fruit. I'm going to write out a few of my favorite recipes below and then attach them to the email we send this blog post out in to make it easily accessible. If one strikes your fancy, give it a try and let me know what you thought of it. (You can always just tell Myles when he is training you and he will pass it on!)
Summer Grilled Peach, Chicken and Blue Cheese Salad
-Big bowl of mixed greens
-3 peaches, firm but ripe peel on
-1-2 ear of fresh corn
-1 red onion- thickly sliced
-1 avocado
-blue cheese crumbles
-Vinaigrette of your choice
-protein of choice (we grill chicken breasts, but shrimp, or pork, or even steak would be delicious) (vegetarian option would be to add some cannellini or garbanzo beans)
Directions: Wash and prep the greens for the base of the salad. Toss in the avocado and blue cheese crumbles. Cut the peaches in half, remove pit and lightly oil with EVOO. Grill the peaches skin down first, then flip to flesh down. Grill the thick onion slices, corn on the cob, and whatever meat you plan to use as well. Roughly cut the peaches and onion and toss into the greens. Toss with dressing (the warm peach and onion will slightly wilt the lettuce and melt the blue cheese) Top each serving with thinly sliced protein and enjoy!
in and enjoy!
Vegetarian Quinoa Salad
-2- 3 cups cooked quinoa
-2 Red peppers (diced)
-1 White onion (diced)
- Kalamata olives (pitted and cut in half)
-Sundried tomatoes
-1 can Garbanzo beans (drained and rinsed)
-Cilantro or basil (finely chopped)
Combine all ingredients and dress as desired.
Dressing: Mix all together and wisk or shake vigorously
Lemon juice (2 lemons)
Tahini (1-2 tbsp)
Dijon mustard 1 tsp
Smoked paprika 2 tsp
Garlic powder 1 tsp
Honey 2 tsp
Olive oil ¼ cup
Shrimp and Couscous Salad
-Mixed greens or red leaf lettuce
-1 red and 1 yellow bell pepper (thinly sliced)
-1/2 sweet white onion (thinly sliced)
-1 avocado (thinly sliced)
- 1 cup cooked whole wheat or regular couscous
-6-12 medium size thawed or fresh shrimp, tail removed
-2 tbsp butter
-1/4 white wine
-1 tbsp lemon juice
- one clove garlic- diced or smashed
-salt and pepper
-vinaigrette of choice (homemade or store bought)
Directions: Toss greens in a bowl and lightly dress with vinaigrette. Heat butter in a sauté pan and melt while adding garlic and some of the onion to lightly brown. Toss in shrimp and white wine and cook quickly 1-2 min per side flip when they turn pink. Add the lemon juice as you flip the shrimp. Remove from heat quickly so you don't overcook them. (You can also grill the shrimp if you prefer that method).
Plate some of the lightly dressed greens, Scoop about 1/4 cup (or less) couscous on the greens. Add some of the sliced peppers, onion and avocado. Top with 4-8 shrimp depending on your appetite. Drizzle more dressing on top of the whole plated salad. Fresh ground pepper.
Comments