Quick Cucumber Salad

Once again we have a bumper crop of cucumbers. They seem to be the only thing we can grow in our tower garden. Time to make cucumber salad, a nice, light side dish to a dinner in which the husband grilled burgers, sausages and chicken (for the week, not just one dinner!)

Even the kids LOVE this cucumber salad. I prefer it to the creamy Hungarian version, but that's good too. Put this on your culinary radar for when you have an abundance of cucumbers.

XOXO,
Amy

Quick Cucumber Salad
2 medium cucumbers, thinly sliced (I used the 1/16" setting on my mandoline.)
1/3 cup vinegar — apple cider or white
1/3 cup water
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon fresh or jarred dill weed or parsley, if desired (I much prefer dill.)

Place sliced cucumbers in small glass or plastic bowl, preferably one that has a lid that fits.

Combine remaining ingredients and pour over the cukes. Cover and refrigerate at least three hours to blend the flavors. Drain cucumbers. Sprinkle with dill weed (or parsley). Serve.

Confession: I have made this when I've only had time to let the cukes sit and marinate for one hour, and nobody could tell as they were too busy stuffing their faces.

Grilled Eggplant Caprese

Oh, sweet eggplant. Paired with tomatoes, basil, oil and balsamic, this purple beauty really shines.

If you are enjoying an abundance of tomatoes from your garden or farmer's market, this dish is a great way to put that fresh summer taste to work. The eggplant caprese makes a great side salad, appetizer or vegetarian main dish.

Never grilled eggplant before? It's a quick way to get a mellow, smoky flavor, and the eggplant will hold up well the next day, too. If you like, you can grill the eggplant ahead of time.

If you are like me and just can't get enough of grilled eggplant, try these dishes, too — Grilled Eggplant with Chimichurri Sauce or Grilled Eggplant Salad. 

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Grilled Eggplant Caprese

1 medium eggplant, sliced into 1/4 slices
Olive oil (about 1/2 cup, plus more for drizzling)
Balsamic vinegar (about 1/2 cup, plus more for drizzling)
4 to 5 medium tomatoes, sliced
15 basil leaves, divided
1 pound fresh mozzarella, sliced
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh salad greens, optional

Heat your grill to medium. Brush both sides of eggplant slices with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Place eggplant slices on grill and cook until lightly browned, about 3 to 4 minutes. Turn over and grill another 3 minutes or so, until eggplant is softened and nice grill marks appear. Remove from grill and set aside.

Layer salad greens on a serving platter. Arrange eggplant slices on greens. Top each piece of eggplant with a slice of mozzarella cheese, 1 basil leaf and a slice of tomato. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Slice any remaining basil leaves into thin strips and sprinkle on top of eggplant stacks. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Fried Apples

My oldest son Max loves fried apples, and when he asks for them it's usually because he sees a package in the refrigerated section of the grocery store.

When he requested them for dinner recently, I decided to make them on my own. Super simple and so tasty as a side dish, fried apples also make a great dessert. Max even took leftovers in his school lunch.

Many recipes for cooked apples call for lots of white sugar, but you don't need that much. Use a smaller amount of brown sugar and let the sweetness of the apples stand on their own.

I love to pair cooked apples with pork, which is what we did when I made these. They're also excellent with vanilla ice cream.

Mangia! Mangia!

Andrea

Fried Apples

4 large apples, cored and sliced (I used 2 Fuji and 2 Granny Smith)

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons brown sugar

Warm a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add butter and let it melt. Add apples, cinnamon and brown sugar. Cook, stirring often, until apples are softened and sauce is bubbly.

Once apples are tender, heat a little longer until sauce thickens. You can up the temp a bit to make this happen.

Serve warm with pork chops or over ice cream.

Carolina Collard Greens

My younger daughter -- and the more adventuresome eater of my two girls -- turns 7 tomorrow. We celebrated on Saturday with a home cooked early birthday dinner. Penny's taste buds were set on having collard greens.

Yes, my child is weird. A child of the South and a weird collard craving, blue cheese nibbling, quinoa salad lunching kid. But finally someone else in my house other than me appreciates collards, so I happily fixed a big mess of greens.

Here are some Southern inspired dishes that would go well with collards: Family Cornbread, Slow Cooker Pulled Pork, Tangy Slow Cooker Pork with Onion Jam, Slow Cooker Chicken & Biscuits, Pecan-Crusted Chicken Breasts and a Deviled Egg Sampler.

However, our birthday dinner was a little more eclectic. We had Parmesan and Yogurt Crusted Chicken, scalloped potatoes and a nearly flourless French chocolate cake.

Penny, by the way, had two helpings of collards.

XOXO,
Amy

PS: I call these Carolina Collard Greens in honor of Cam Newton, QB1 for the Super Bowl 50-bound Carolina Panthers. In an interview following the Panthers' NFC Championship win, Cam compared "instant grits" to "slow cooked collard greens" when asked to talk about what's happened to him since being drafted. Go, Panthers! Keep pounding!

PPS: You might recall that Erin is bringing you grits following the Seattle Seahawks' playoff loss to the Panthers. Grits are coming later this week.

Carolina Collard Greens

2 pounds of collard greens, each leaf cut in half to completely remove center stem/vein and torn into 2-inch pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 pieces bacon
2 onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
Pinch or two of crushed red pepper
4 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon red or white wine vinegar

Rinse prepared collard pieces under cold water and  set aside.

In your largest pot -- like a pasta or lobster pot -- heat olive oil over medium heat. (Trust me, the collards cook way down.)

Add bacon and cook for a minute. Add onions and cook until softened, about four minutes. Add garlic and red pepper and cook until fragrant, about one minute.

Remove bacon and cut into pieces and return to pot. (Or you can do what I do, which is use kitchen scissors to cut bacon while it is still in the pot.) Add collards and stir to incorporate with other ingredients the best you can. Add broth and vinegar.

Bring pot to a boil and then cover and reduce to a simmer for at least 45 minutes.

Use slotted spoon to serve.

Spiced Cranberry Sauce

Growing up I always liked cranberry sauce at Thanksgiving, even though all my family ever did was open up a can of Ocean Spray. Imagine my surprise when many years later, I discovered the awesomeness of homemade cranberry sauce.

At Thanksgiving 2006, I found my forever cranberry sauce -- the kind I have been making every year since and will contine to make for ... well forever. That year, my editor Mike and his wife Alison invited us to celebrate the holiday at their house. I was three weeks away from having my first baby, so you can imagine how relieved I was not to be cooking. I had nothing else to do but stuff my face. What I remember the most: the cranberry sauce, spiced with cloves. I liked the cranberry sauce so much that Alison kindly shared the recipe, which she'd gotten from Mike's mom.

I've shared my forever cranberry sauce recipe with so many friends and  now with you, dear readers. Enjoy and have a very happy Thanksgiving!

XOXO,
Amy

PS: Check out Erin's Thanksgiving Round-Up, in which she offers up Citrus and Ginger Cranberry Sauce a la her mother-in-law.

Spiced Cranberry Sauce
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1 pound fresh cranberries
1 cup pineapple juice

Combine all items in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Adjust heat down to medium or medium high and cook for 10-15 minutes. Serve hot or cold. This cranberry sauce can be kept in the refrigerator for several weeks or frozen, too.

One final thing: I always double this recipe so that there's enough for Thanksgiving leftovers and even some for Christmas. It's easy to do since the recipe calls for a pound of cranberries but Ocean Spray packages berries in 12 ounce bags; just buy three bags of berries to double.

Prosciutto-Wrapped Asparagus Spears

You know what goes nicely with Andrea's Buttermilk Spoonbread? You know what would make a tasty appetizer?

Prosciutto-Wrapped Asparagus Spears.

Cooking really can be that simple, my friends.

I made this combo for dinner the other night and it reminded me of a grown-up version of breakfast for dinner. Truthfully, my husband hates breakfast for dinner (a.k.a. brinner), so this was a genius move on my part.

XOXO,
Amy

Prosciutto-Wrapped Asparagus Spears

Equal number of asparagus spears and prosciutto slices
Melted butter or olive oil, couple tablespoons

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Trim asparagus. My mom has a friend who taught her how to trim the right amount and I think of Mom's friend every time I make asparagus. So with your sharp knife start at the very bottom of the asparagus and tap your way toward the top until you feel a slight give. When you feel the give, that's where you cut.

Wrap one piece of prosciutto around each stalk.

Brush each stalk with melted butter or olive oil.

Place in oven until asparagus is roasted and prosciutto is crispy, about five minutes.

Greek Salad Quinoa Salad

I eat quinoa every day. Every day. Usually, it's my Tomato-Avocado Quinoa Salad. But recently I needed to shake up my quinoa routine, so I created this yummy Greek Salad Quinoa Salad, using ingredients that I just happened to have on hand and that would normally go into a Greek salad.

Readers, I have found a new favorite quinoa salad.

PS: If you loved Erin's Bulgar Salad with Tomatoes and Cucumbers, you will love this, too.

Greek Salad Quinoa Salad

3 cups cooked quinoa
1 cucumber, seeded and diced
1 red pepper, seeded and diced
Heaping 1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
3/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
Ground pepper and sea salt to taste
Cherry tomatoes (if desired), cut in half, for serving
Greek olives (if desired), for serving
Fresh basil (if desired), for serving
Olive oil (if desired), for serving (FYI: I put a 1/2 tablespoon on the above serving.)

Combine quinoa, cucumber, red pepper, red onion, pepper and salt. When serving, add whatever combination of the "if desired" ingredients suits your fancy. Or maybe you can think of other toppings to make this dish your own. On the day I created this yumminess, I didn't have any fresh basil or Greek olives on hand.

BTW, the reason I add the tomatoes at the end is because I think the salad will keep better in the fridge and not get soggy.

Also, you can totally adjust the ratio of ingredients to suit your taste buds.

Finally, fyi, just as with the Hungarian Sour Cream Cucumber Salad, I got to use a cucumber grown on my Tower Garden!

Hungarian Sour Cream Cucumber Salad

We grew cucumbers! It only took two and a half months from seeds to cukes, but we did it!

Just before we harvested our first cukes from our Tower Garden, I asked friends on Facebook for their favorite recipes. My friend Brian suggested a sour cream cucumber salad and several friends backed that up. Apparently, this is a quintessential Southern summertime dish. While I have lived in Charlotte for the past 12 years and have also lived in Birmingham, Alabama, and Lexington, Kentucky, I had no idea! Definitely making this again!

XOXO,
Amy

PS: I added Hungarian to the name, because I saw other versions of this salad use that in the recipe phrase AND the hubby and I just visited -- and loved -- Budapest!

Hungarian Sour Cream Cucumber Salad
Inspired by Tasteofhome.com

1/2 cup sour cream (I use light)
3 tablespoons white vinegar
1 tablespoon white sugar
Ground pepper to taste
3-4 cucumbers, peeled (if desired) and thinly sliced
1 small sweet onion or 1/2 Vidalia onion, thinly sliced
Dill to taste

In a large bowl, whisk together the sour cream, vinegar, sugar and pepper. Add the cucumbers and onion, tossing to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least four hours. Top with dill and serve.

Note: When preparing this for a dinner party Chez George, I forgot to read the recipe sufficiently in advance, so I didn't know about the fridge time. The salad was able to sit in the fridge for only about an hour. It still tasted good, but it was definitely better the next day. Sometimes things just have to marinate.

Here is my younger daughter Penny, who harvested our first cucumbers from our Tower Garden.

Blue Cheese Corn on the Cob

One summer, years ago, Jeff and I attended a party at a reporter friend's lake house. Our friend Dan could cook and grill as well as he could write. Now he owns his own barbecue catering company and he's written a cookbook or two. Dan, you are living the dream!

Anyhow, Dan made this blue cheese corn on the cob that I have literally (and I don't use that word lightly) been thinking about every summer since. He pulled back and tied the husk to form a handle and then he dipped each ear into a vat of melted butter and blue cheese and he grilled it until the kernels turned a nice caramel color. I believe he brushed more butter and cheese over the ears in the grilling process.

This past weekend, I came up with a less messy, indoor version of Dan's corn on the cob. It's also a little kinder on the arteries, but, man, was Dan's corn the best.

XOXO,
Amy

Blue Cheese Corn on the Cob

Corn on the cob, cleaned  and husked
Soft or melted butter
Salt
Pepper
Blue cheese crumbles, about 1 ounce per ear of corn

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Place ears of corn on cookie sheet.

Brush each ear with butter. (BTW, I just invested in a French-style butter crock that allows me to keep soft butter on the counter top instead of the fridge. Should have done this years ago. Love it.)

Salt and pepper each ear.

Bake for 20 minutes, turning halfway through.

After 20 minutes or when a few kernels have started to turn a nice caramel color, remove corn from oven and top with blue cheese. Return corn to oven and cook for 2-4 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Note that some of the yummy cheese will have slid off the ears and onto the cookie sheet. It would be a sin to let that stuff go to waste. Roll the ears of corn over that goodness or take a knife and spread it onto the corn.

Eat immediately.

Deviled Egg Sampler

I recently overbought on the egg front. What to do? Make deviled eggs, of course. Plenty of other good reasons to whip up deviled eggs, too. I love using my pretty deviled egg plate. Plus, my older daughter Lucy recently discovered a love of deviled eggs; she ate like six at a wedding reception.

What's better than deviled eggs? A deviled egg sampler, of course. In mine: traditional, poppy seed and curried.

Mmm. Mmm. Mmm.

At top: curried. On right: traditional. On left: poppy seed.

My favorite in this sampler: the curried. Anyone who knows me and my love of Indian food would  not be shocked. Lucy plopped two of the traditional style in her mouth in about five seconds. Penny went for poppy seed. The hubby tried them all and remains a traditionalist at heart.

I bet you will come up with varieties we haven't even thought of.

XOXO,
Amy

Deviled Egg Sampler
8 eggs, hard boiled (See directions below)
Salt
1 teaspoon ground mustard, divided in half
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds
3 tablespoons mayonnaise, divided in thirds

First, prepare the hard boiled eggs with this fool-proof method.

Take eggs out of fridge, so they start to come closer to room temperature. Add salt to a pot of water and boil. When water is boiling rapidly, use a slotted spoon to place each egg in the pot. Reduce to a moderate boil and cook eggs for 10 minutes. This timing is what ensures that the eggs are not overcooked; the yellow part of the eggs stays yellow and doesn't turn that gross green color around the edges.

Just before the egg time is up, fill a bowl with ice and cold water. When time is up, use a slotted spoon to gently remove each egg from the hot water and place in the bowl of ice and cold water. This last step ensures that  the eggs will stay nicely intact when you peel them.

Peel eggs immediately or drain water and place in fridge until you are ready to make your deviled eggs. I get better results if I peel immediately. I always make eight eggs to yield 12 deviled egg halves. By making eight eggs, I have enough eggs yolks to fill 12 halves and if I wreck two of the egg whites it's no big deal.

After you peel the eggs, slice in half and scoop out the insides. Divide the yolks evenly into three bowls. Add a bit of salt (to taste) to each bowl.

For traditional deviled eggs, add half a teaspoon of ground mustard and one tablespoon of mayonnaise to one bowl with egg yolk and salt. Combine/mash with a fork. Fill four eggs and top with paprika.

For poppy seed deviled eggs, prepare the a bowl as you did for traditional eggs and add half a teaspoon of poppy seeds. Combine ingredients. Fill four eggs.

For curried deviled eggs, add half a teaspoon of curry powder and a tablespoon of mayonnaise to  the third bowl with egg yolks and salt. Combine ingredients. Fill  four eggs and top with garam masala.

Eat immediately.

PS: A word on the mayonnaise. If you are using store-bought and you live in the South, you use Duke's. All other brands are lame.

Open-Grill Brussels Sprouts

You know how I mentioned in last week's post on Chili Lime Corn Salad how we Georges are eating simply -- because of our kitchen renovation? Well, the kitchen work continues and so do our challenges putting dinner on the table. But thank goodness it's summer and we can grill. So the other day the hubby was again grilling sausages and I whipped up these Brussels sprouts based on what I had on hand that was also easily accessible (i.e. not packed up in some box stacked in the dining room).

The results? Delicious. The hubby and I were fighting over the grilled onions, which weren't even the main event in this yummy side dish.

Also, BTW, I tend to make Brussels sprouts entirely on the fly. For example, check out my Roasted (Kitchen Sink) Brussels Sprouts.

XOXO,
Amy


Open-Grill Brussels Sprouts
16 ounces Brussels sprouts trimmed
1 red onion, cut into big hunks
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and ground pepper, to taste

Toss all ingredients and then put veggies into grill basket. Grill over open flame for about 10 minutes. Shake occasionally. Veggies are done and ready to be removed from grill when Brussels sprouts are browned on some sides and  onions are turning translucent.

PS: I've mentioned grilling sausages in my last two posts. If you live in Northern Ohio,  check out Hasselbach Meats in Fremont. When visiting my family at Lake Erie, we stop by the award-winning family-owned Hasselbach meat shop and  fill up a cooler of brats, Italian sausages and what are called "fresh sausages" to bring home to Charlotte. Below is a pic of our grill with Brussels sprouts and Hasselbach's fresh sausages.

Chili Lime Corn Salad

We have been eating pretty simply this summer -- when we've been eating at home, that is. You see, we are remodeling our kitchen. It is exciting. It is stressful. In our upstairs main kitchen, we have use of our new dual-fuel range, but no sink. Luckily, we have a partial kitchen downstairs with a sink. At least I'm getting a workout while I cook.

So, anyhow, the other night while the hubby grilled sausages, the kids and I whipped up this corn salad that I just made up in my head as we went along. (For their part, the kids gathered the ingredients, spread  the corn and peppers on the cookie sheet and, otherwise, just kept me company.)

The kids were so-so on the dish, but hubby and I enjoyed it. I will make it again and will plan ahead to have fresh cilantro on hand. Cilantro would be a nice finishing touch -- taste wise and visually.

XOXO,
Amy

Chili Lime Corn Salad

16 ounces of corn (fresh or frozen)
1 red pepper, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt, pepper
1/4 medium to large red onion, diced finely
1 lime
1 teaspoon chili powder
Fresh cilantro, to taste (optional)

Spread corn and diced red pepper on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle the olive oil over the corn and peppers. Give the pan a light coat of salt and ground pepper. Roast at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until some kernels change to a nice caramel brown.

Combine into one bowl the corn, peppers and onion. Stir in the juice of one lime and one teaspoon of chili powder. Top with fresh cilantro if desired.

Zucchini Rice

I found Zucchini Rice on Pinterest forever ago, and I'm kicking myself for not trying this simple and delicious recipe sooner. It's incredibly flavorful, but still versatile enough to pair with just about anything. Pork chops, grilled steak, teriyaki salmon...My friends, you have found your side dish.

In addition to being tasty, Zucchini Rice is healthy! It's the perfect way to sneak an extra veggie into your meal. Your kids might not even know they're eating zucchini. And I won't tell them. Your secret's safe here, folks.

Let's get cooking!
Erin

Zucchini Rice
Adapted from: Dishing with Leslie
Serves: 6

1 tablespoon butter
1 cup rice
2 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 large zucchini, grated (about 2 1/2 cups)
Salt and pepper

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium. Stir in rice and allow it to toast until golden brown, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and allow rice to cook until tender, about 15-20 minutes. (It's okay if the liquid isn't totally absorbed. Just make sure the rice is tender.)

Stir in Parmesan, grated zucchini, and salt and pepper to taste. Cover skillet and allow to sit for 5 more minutes. Stir again and serve.

Family Cornbread

Growing up I don't think I ever knew you could make cornbread from a Jiffy box or that some "cornbread" is sweet. Now I'm more than all grown  up and here to tell you that cornbread should never come from a box or taste sweet.

My family always made homemade savory cornbread. That's why I call this Family Cornbread. My Ohio-born mom learned how to make it after marrying my Tennessee-born dad. Cornbread and homemade banana pudding with scratch-made (no box!) vanilla pudding.

Growing up we'd have Family Cornbread and beans for dinner. My grandma would make it to use in her cornbread stuffing, which also featured hard boiled eggs, the neck of the turkey and sage. (Note to self: Make grandma's stuffing.)

I serve Family Cornbread with all kinds of meals: beans, pulled pork, brisket -- to name a few. My BFF Andrea serves it with her Turkey, Black Bean & Sweet Potato Chili.

And while I don't keep  boxes of cornbread mix in my pantry, I do keep Ziploc bags of Family Cornbread mix. It's a trick I learned from Mom. Get an assembly line of bags going in your kitchen and add enough dry ingredients to each to make one cornbread. Smart.

XOXO,
Amy

Family Cornbread

3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 1/4 cup yellow or white cornmeal
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 beaten egg
4 tablespoons melted shortening (Mom and I just use olive oil.)
1 1/2 cup buttermilk (Mom and I use light buttermilk.)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease bottom and sides of 9-inch cast iron skillet; I use Crisco.

Combine ingredients -- dry first and then wet -- and pour into prepared skillet. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown at the edges and pulling away from the pan. Remove from oven and immediately flip the cornbread onto a plate. Cut into wedges and serve with butter. Enjoy!