Secret Fruit Salad Recipe

Secret Fruit Salad Recipe

2 tablespoons dry instant vanilla pudding mix
1 pound of strawberries, quartered
1/2 pint blueberries
1/2 pint raspberries
1/2 pineapple, cubed
1 bunch grapes

Sprinkle fruit pudding powder and stir. Serve immediately or allow to sit overnight.

Strawberry Salad with Haloumi

Strawberry Salad with Haloumi

300g strawberries, hulled and cut in half or quartered
balsamic vinegar
juice of 1/2 a lemon
extra virgin olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
olive oil
250g halloumi cheese, cut into 8 slices
a small handful of mint leaves
a handful of mixed salad leaves

In a bowl, drizzle the strawberries with a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, a squeeze of lemon juice and a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. Season with sea salt and pepper.

Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan and pan fry the halloumi slices on both sides until golden brown (about 1-2 minutes per side should do).

Combine the salad leaves and the mint with the balsamic strawberries and toss well to combine. Place the halloumi slices on plates, top with some salad and strawberries and drizzle with the remaining dressing.

Summer Dessert Pizza Recipe

Summer Dessert Pizza Recipe

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon extract
• 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• GLAZE:
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• TOPPING:
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 cup whipped topping
• 1 firm banana, sliced
• 1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
• 1 can (8 ounces) mandarin oranges, drained
• 2 kiwifruit, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup fresh blueberries

Directions

• In a small bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and extracts. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture and beat well. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Press dough into a greased 12-in. x 14-in. pizza pan. Bake at 350° for 12-14 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack.
• For glaze, combine sugar and cornstarch in a small saucepan. Stir in the water and orange juice until smooth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
• For topping, in a small bowl, beat cream cheese and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Add whipped topping; mix well. Spread over crust. Arrange fruit on top. Brush glaze over fruit. Store in the refrigerator. Yield: 12-16 servings.

(Source)

Refrigerator Cucumber Salad Recipe

Refrigerator Cucumber Salad Recipe

4 thinly sliced cucumbers 1-large  sliced red onions 1-large  sliced green peppers 1-tbsp salt 2-cup white vinegar 1 1/2-cups sugar 1-tsp celery flakes 1-tsp red pepper flakes

Mix cucumbers, onions, peppers and salt; set a side. 

Put vinegar, sugar, celery flakes and pepper flakes  in a pot and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and  add 2 handfuls of ice until melted.

Place all veggies in large mouth canning jars (2 quarts or 1 half gallon jar)

Pour mixture over cucumbers,  store in refrigerator.

Will keep up to 2 months

Makes 2 quart jars

Summer Strawberry Sour Cream Pie

Pie Crust Ingredients: (or you can use an unbaked, prepared crust)
2 cups flour
1 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup cold lard (non-hydrogenated if available)*
1/2 cup cold butter, chopped
3-4 tablespoons ice cold water
1 egg and 1 teaspoon heavy cream for egg wash
*you can substitute vegetable shortening here if you wish, but I highly recommend the lard!

Filling Ingredients:
1 quart fresh strawberries
1 cup flour
1 1/4 cup sugar, reserve 1 tablespoon
Dash salt
1 cup sour cream (not fat-free)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. To make the crust, pulse flour and salt together to combine. Add scoops of lard and pulse into the mixture has the texture of coarse sand, about 10 seconds. Add in chunks of butter and pulse until butter pieces are no larger than small peas, about 10 pulses. Add minimum amount of water and pulse on low. If dough remains crumbly and doesn’t come together, add another tablespoon of water. Add as little as is required to enable the dough to be rolled into a ball. Form the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 20-30.

Roll disk of dough out to around 2 inches larger than your pie plate and transfer it, situating it in the plate. Fold the excess dough around the edges and crimp, trimming where necessary. 

Hull and wash the strawberries and slice them in half. Set aside. Sift flour, sugar, and salt into a large mixing bowl. Add sour cream, blending until creamy. Gently fold in the berries without overmixing. Pour fruit into pie shell and spread to edges without packing down — there should be spaces throughout the filling. Sprinkle the top with the last 1 tablespoon sugar. 

Bake the pie for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 degrees F (I leave the oven door open a minute during this period to let the temperature drop a little) and bake an additional 30 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

Broil the pie for 2-3 minutes to brown up the top. Allow to cool completely before cutting, and serve with fresh whipped cream or ice cream.

(Source)

Cucumber and Avocado Summer Rolls with Mustard-Soy Sauce

Cucumber and Avocado Summer Rolls with Mustard-Soy Sauce

Ingredients:

• Juice from 1/2 lime
• 2 Tbs. rice bran or canola oil
• 1 Tbs. rice vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp. soy sauce
• 1 tsp. brown sugar
• 2 Haas avocados
• 20 rice paper rounds, 6 or 8 inches in diameter
• 10 green lettuce leaves
• Leaves from 1 bunch fresh basil
• Leaves from 1 bunch fresh mint
• 2 carrots, coarsely shredded
• 1/2 English cucumber, cut into thin strips

Directions:

In a small bowl, stir together the lime juice, oil, vinegar, mustard, soy sauce and brown sugar until the sugar dissolves; set aside.

Halve, pit and peel the avocados, and then cut them into 1/2-inch dice.

Place a wide, shallow bowl of warm water on a work surface. Lay a clean kitchen towel next to the bowl. Dip 1 rice paper round into the water for a few seconds to soften, then lay it flat on the towel. Dip a second round into the water and lay it directly on top of the first one. Using another towel, pat the top of the rice paper dry.

Center a lettuce leaf on top of the stacked rice papers. Starting about one-third in from the edge closest to you, arrange a few of the basil and mint leaves in a line across the lettuce. Top with a small row each of the carrot, cucumber and avocado; be careful not to overstuff the roll. Lift the bottom edge of the rice paper up and over the filling and then roll once to form a tight cylinder. Fold in the sides of the rice paper and continue to roll the paper and filling into a tight cylinder. Set aside, seam side down. Repeat with the remaining rice paper and filling ingredients to make 10 rolls.

Cut each roll in half crosswise and arrange, cut side up, on a platter. Place the sauce alongside for dipping and serve immediately. Makes 20 rolls; serves 8 to 10. 

(Source)

Shrimp Summer Roll

Shrimp Summer Roll

Ingredients

• For The Summer Rolls

  • 4 ounces rice vermicelli noodles
  • 12 spring roll skins
  • 24 cooked medium peeled deveined shrimp, halved lengthwise (about 1 pound)
  • 1 cup Thai basil leaves (or Italian basil leaves)
  • 1 packed cup finely shredded napa cabbage
  • 1 medium carrot, peeled and julienned

• For The Dipping Sauce

  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 jalapeno, minced
  • 1/4 cup chopped palm sugar (or brown sugar)
  • Juice of 2 limes (1/4 cup)
  • 1/3 cup fish sauce
  • 2 scallions, white and pale green parts minced, dark green tops thinly sliced

Directions

1. Make the summer rolls: Place noodles in a heatproof baking dish, cover with hot water, soak 8 to 10 minutes, drain, and rinse under cold water.
2. Place 1/2 inch of cool water in a pie plate. Submerge a spring roll skin in water for 10 seconds. Remove from water and transfer to a clean work surface. Place 4 shrimp halves, cut side up, in a straight row across lower third of spring roll skin. Top shrimp with a few basil leaves, a few tablespoons of shredded cabbage, a pinch of carrots, and 1/3 cup rice noodles.
3. Carefully lift edge of spring roll skin nearest you up and over filling. Fold sides over filling and continue to roll away from you until edges are sealed. Transfer summer roll to a platter, cover with a damp paper towel, and continue building remaining rolls.
4. Make the dipping sauce: In a medium bowl, whisk garlic, jalapeno, sugar, lime juice, fish sauce, and scallion to combine. Transfer to dipping bowls and garnish with sliced scallion tops. Serve with summer rolls.

(Source)

Strawberry Shortcake Popsicles

Strawberry Shortcake Popsicles

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cup pureed strawberries
• ½ cup crushed vanilla Oreos
• 2 cups vanilla yogurt

Instructions:

1. Puree strawberries. Place Oreos in a food processor and pulse until cookies become fine crumbs. Alternatively, place Oreos in a Ziploc and using a rolling pin to crush cookies. Add crushed Oreos to the yogurt and mix until combined.

Assembly:

1. To assemble as the seen in the picture, layer the yogurt portion first and let freeze for 30 minutes before adding the strawberry layer, let this second layer freeze for 30 minutes and then add the last yogurt layer. For a quick assembly, pour each layer on top of one another without any freeze time in between and then use a skewer or fork and gently swirl for a swirled Popsicle look.

(Source)

Avocado and Grilled Corn Salad with Cilantro Vinaigrette

Avocado and Grilled Corn Salad with Cilantro Vinaigrette

5 Ears Corn, husk removed, brush with olive oil and grilled, remove corn with sharp knife
2 Avocado’s, diced and sprinkled with lemon juice to prevent browning
2 C. Tomatoes, red and yellow cherry variety or equivalent
1 Small red onion, finely diced
¾ C. Feta, crumbled
1 ½ C. English cucumber, skin on and chopped small dice

Add to a large bowl and refrigerate until ready to use.

Cilantro Vinaigrette

6 T. Olive oil

2 T. Sherry vinegar
1 t. Garlic powder
2 T. Fresh cilantro, minced
½ t. Salt
10 Grinds of fresh ground pepper

Add all of the above ingredients in a small glass jar with a lid. Shake really well. Taste and adjust seasoning and ratios of oil and vinegar as you desire.

When ready to serve salad, add the dressing and gently toss.

Watermelon on A Stick

What a great idea for 4th of July! I can't wait to put watermelon on sticks, might even do it at my next BBQ!

Watermelon Lemonade

Watermelon Lemonade

(Click Here For Recipe)

Strawberry Peach Vodka Collins Popsicles

Strawberry Peach Vodka Collins Popsicles

6 oz pureed strawberry (about 10 strawberries)
2 oz peach syrup (recipe follows)
12 oz tonic water
2 oz plus 3 oz vodka (divided use)

Instructions:

1. Stir strawberry puree with 2 oz. of vodka. Place three teaspoons of strawberry mixture in the bottom of popsicle form; set aside.

2. Stir peach syrup with tonic water stir to combine. Add vodka and stir to combine.

3. Pour peach and vodka mixture over strawberry mixture and stir to combine.

4. Freeze for about 2 hours or until mixture starts to solidify enough to hold a popsicle stick upright. Insert popsicle sticks and finish freezing popsicles overnight. To release popsicles run hot water on the outside of popsicle molds for a 2-3 seconds.

Peach Syrup

(You will have more syrup than you need. Save for other cocktail uses)

½ cup sliced peaches (about 4 medium size peaches)
1 cup water
1 cups sugar

Instructions:

1. Wash, peel, and pit peaches. Place peaches in a blender or food processor and process until peaches are pureed.

2. Place water, sugar and peach puree in a pot and bring to a boil and continue to boil for 5 minutes.

BBQ in A Jar

BBQ In A Jar

Barbecue Sundaes
Makes 4 servings
Prep: 10 minutes

Divide 2 cups warm baked beans evenly among 4 Mason jars or large heat-proof cups; top each with 1/2 cup coleslaw, 1/4 pound warm shredded barbecued pork, and 1 to 2 tablespoons sauce.  Serve with dill pickle wedge, if desired.

Recipes to make from scratch:
Pulled Pork

Coleslaw

Baked Beans

(Original Source)

Pitcher Cocktail Recipe: Strawberry Basil Margaritas

Strawberry Basil Margaritas 

1 can (12 ounces) frozen limeade concentrate
10 strawberries (or 12 if you're using smaller ones from the farmer's market or your backyard.)
8 basil leaves
2 to 2 1/2 cups tequila (gold or silver)

Empty the limeade concentrate into a pitcher. Add 2 1/2 cans of water and 1 1/2 (18 ounces, or 2 1/4 cups) cans of tequila (or a bit less, if you don't want your drinks to be quite as strong).

Hull the strawberries, slice lengthwise, and add to the pitcher. Crumple the basil a little in your hands (this will help the basil flavor release into the drink) and add it to the pitcher, too. Place the pitcher, covered, in the fridge overnight, or for at least four hours.

When you remove the pitcher from the fridge, your margaritas will be a lovely pale pink color. Now all you have to do is serve them and wait for the compliments to pour in.

(Original Recipe)