Thai Turkey Lettuce Wraps

These lettuce wraps have so many levels of contrasting yumminess - from the warm filling to the crisp cool lettuce leaves, the savory curry flavors mixed with the cool basil and cabbage. It's the perfect summertime meal if you love a good mix of Thai flavors. 

Ingredients: 

1 lb ground turkey

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp Thai Kitchen Red Curry Paste

1 tbsp minced ginger

4 cloves minced garlic

1 red bell pepper sliced in thin strips

1 cup finely shredded cabbage

1/4 cup hoisin sauce

Salt and pepper to taste

4 green onions chopped 

6-10 leaves fresh basil, shredded

1-2 romain hearts

Instructions:

The trick to putting this meal together is to do the chopping ahead of time because the cooking really goes fast and you won't have time to chop while things are cooking. 

1. Prepare lettuce leaves by chopping off bottom end, washing and setting aside. Place on a plate or in a bowl for serving later. 
2. I like to use ramekins or small bowls to chop fresh ingredients and set aside so they are quick to grab and dump into the recipe. Shred Cabbage and set aside. Slice red pepper into thin strips and set aside. Mince ginger and garlic and set aside. Chop green onions and set aside. Slice fresh basil and set aside. 
3. In a large skillet, heat oil and ground turkey. Cook until browned all the way through, breaking up any large chunks with a wooden spoon. 
4. When turkey is cooked add garlic, ginger, peppers and cabbage and stir-fry for a minute. Then add curry paste and fry for 2 more minutes. Add hoisin sauce and heat through. Remove from heat and toss with green onions. Sprinkle in about 1/2 of the basil leaves and toss again. 
5. Transfer mixture to a heat-safe bowl and serve by spooning mixture onto washed romaine lettuce leaves and eating like tacos. Each wrap should be prepared right as it is eaten so that lettuce will not wilt.

I usually make a double or triple batch of this if we want any leftovers for our family of four. It can also be served with a bed of rice for a heartier or winter time dinner option. 

Mexican Tinga Tostadas

The last few days the temperatures have been rising here and we're trying to find light summer dinners that don't heat up the house. Lately we've been trying lots of different tacos and tostadas and this is one of our favorites that we learned from some friends and is a traditional Mexican dish that consists of sauteed onions, shredded chicken, and tomatoes and chipotle chiles-a flavor that is becoming a staple in our house. If you are adverse to onion, you may want to change it up a bit as the original dish has just as much onion (or maybe even more) than the chicken. My husband would prefer that I'd leave them out completely or blend them to nothing, but I personally love sautéed onions, so I give this 5 stars!

Ingredients for the Tinga:

• 5 large chicken breasts (or really any part of the chicken that you want to shred)
• 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 3 large or 4 yellow onions
• 2 cans diced tomatoes
• **1-2 chipotle chilis in adobo sauce
• 2 bay leaves
• salt
• chicken broth as needed

To serve:

• tostadas
• sour cream
• cilantro
• Queso cotija (Mexican crumbling cheese--this can be found in most grocery stores)
• lime
• any other garnishing that you prefer - I've seen some people add avocado, shredded lettuce, and even sliced radishes on top. Get creative and make it how you will love it!

Instructions:

Cook chicken prior to making the sauce. (I like to make mine in the crockpot or roast it in the oven for simple shredding). Cook Puree tomatoes and chiles in the blender. Sauté onions in olive oil until they are soft and translucent. Add puree to the onions and let simmer with bay leaves. Add chicken broth to your desired consistency and flavor. Add shredded to chicken at the end so as not to over cook. 

When the Tinga mixture is ready, spread sour cream on the tostadas, top with Tinga, crumbled cheese, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime. Enjoy!

**Chiptole peppers in adobo can be found in the Mexican food section of your grocery store. We like La Costeña brand, but I'm sure any brand will do. Any extra peppers will store for quite  awhile in the refrigerator and you can even freeze them in the sauce and use them at a later date. I do this quite a bit as they are quite strong and I never need an entire can of them. 

Grilled Corn Tacos with Zucchini Radish Pico

If I had to choose one type of food that I had to eat for the rest of my life, I'm pretty sure it would be Mexican food. You just can't go wrong with tortillas and the countless ways to fill or fry them. My girls and I spent a week with summer with my mom and my sister at her house in Oregon. While we were there, we tried some new delicious recipes . . . ones that wouldn't necessarily fly as "dinner" at my house since my husband doesn't prefer dinner dishes that don't have any beef, chicken, or fish in them. Now, I know this isn't necessarily an "authentic" Mexican dish, but I'd still classify it as Mexican-inspired dinner. And a quick and healthy one at that!

Pico Ingredients:

1 bunch red radishes

1 small zucchini

2 limes

salt and pepper

cumin

Filler Ingredients:

4 ears corn on the cob

2 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 bunch cilantro (or more if you like)

1/2 cup queso cotija (crumbled)

1/4 tsp chipotle powder

12 small corn tortillas

Begin by preparing the pico. Slice the zucchini and radishes into small pieces. Salt, pepper, and cumin to taste. Add juice from one lime and mix. Set aside and let flavors soak.

For the filling: Grill 4 ears corn on the cob. When ears cool enough to handle, slice corn from the cob and set aside. Salute onion in butter and olive oil until translucent. Add garlic and let onions caramelize. Add corn on the cob and heat through. Remove from heat and add the juice of one lime, chipotle powder and cilantro. 

Heat tortillas in frying pan until they bubble. Keep in aluminum foil or tortilla warmer wrapped in a towel until ready to serve tacos. 

Fill each tortilla with a couple of small spoonfuls of the filling and pico. Top with crumbled cheese and more cilantro, if desired. Garnish with anything you like (i.e. sour cream, avocado, spicy salsa). Eat and repeat until satisfied. 

Grilled Salmon with Guacamole

Before grilling season is over and everyone is making soups to stay warm, I thought I'd keep my promise to my dear friend, Lisa, and post this recipe that my family and I loved. It was the perfect summer evening meal and was super quick to throw together.

Ingredients for Salmon Spice Rub:
2 lbs salmon, pre-portioned or cut into 4 pieces
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika powder
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp black pepper

Ingredients for Guacamole:
2 avocados, mashed
1/2 small red onion, diced fine
2 limes, juiced
1/2 bunch finely chopped cilantro
salt, cumin, and pepper to taste (I usually add much more salt than cumin, and less pepper than cumin)

Mix the ingredients for the rub and rub the salmon fillets with olive oil and the seasoning mix.
Let the salmon rest for 30 minutes and take in the flavors from the rub.
In the meantime, combine the guacamole ingredients and mix well.
Heat the grill (I like to use my George Foreman for convenience and speed). Grill salmon to desired doneness (4-5 minutes).

Top with guacamole and serve with grilled corn and watermelon.

Banana Walnut Chip Ice Cream

I've always loved making homemade ice cream and remember family reunions when I was a little girl - Great-Grandma Thomas's homemade vanilla ice cream was always being hand-churned by someone. The ice cream never made it to the freezer because everyone ate it as soon as it was thickened. I've always been partial to homemade vanilla ice cream because of that childhood tradition. And I've always had an ice-cream maker for days when I craved Great-Grandma's homemade ice cream, and had that time to make it. Those days didn't come very frequently because of the time it took to freeze it . . . the patience of adding more ice and waiting and waiting until it was ready. That problem is now solved thanks to my generous sister, Lilly. Last spring, I visited her in Texas and she had a modern mini ice cream maker that you kept the bowl in the freezer at all times so that whenever you had an inkling for ice cream, all you had to do is whip it up and it would be frozen in15-20 minutes. While we were there, we made a root beer float ice cream . . . I fell in love with her machine and for my birthday in April she sent me one too. Since then I've strayed from the homemade vanilla a bit and have been trying some delicious frozen yogurts and rich gourmet ice creams. This recipe came with the instruction manual and has become a family favorite this summer so I thought I'd share.

*Don't be intimidated by the multiple steps in this recipe. They are not difficult and once you try this delicious ice cream, you'll be willing to make those steps over and over again.  

Ingredients:

1/2 cup whole milk

2 cups heavy cream

1 whole vanilla bean, halved and seeds scraped

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon water

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 large bananas, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 1/2 tablespoons rum flavoring

1/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1/3 cup Ghiradelli 60% cacao dark chocolate chips

1/2 cup toasted walnuts, roughly chopped

Step 1

In a medium saucepan set over medium-low heat, bring the milk, cream, vanilla bean (including the pod), vanilla extract, and the salt just to a boil. Remove from heat, let mixture steep for 30 minutes.

Step 2
While the milk/cream mixture steeps, heat the sugar with water in a large skillet until it begins to sizzle.

Stir in the butter and heat until melted.

Add the bananas; cook for about 2 minutes, or until fragrant and softened.

Carefully stir in the rum and cook for an additional 2 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Remove from heat.

Using a slotted spoon, strain the bananas/sugar mixture, reserving the syrup and banas in separate bowls.

Step 3
Remove the vanilla pod from the steeped milk/cream mixture; discard pod.

Stir the lemon juice into the bananas and then mix the bananas into the steeped milk/cream. Cover and refrigerate mixture 1 to 2 hours, or overnight.

Step 4
Turn on the Cuisinart ice cream maker; pour the banana mixture into the frozen freezer bowl and let mix until thickened, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Step 5
While the ice cream is churning, melt the chocolate chips in a bowl set over a pot of simmering water; reserve.

Step 6
When the ice cream is almost fully churned, gradually add the sugar syrup; let mix until fully combined.

Once the sugar syrup has been mixed, add the walnuts through the top of the ice cream maker; let mix until combined.

Right before the ice cream is done, drizzle the melted chocolate into the churning ice cream. The ice cream will have a soft, creamy texture.

If a firmer consistency is desired, transfer the ice cream to an airtight container and place in the freezer for about 2 hours.

Serve and enjoy.

Quinoa & Veggie Stuffed Zucchini

In mid-July when we were at the height of having house guests and traveling to visit family in Wyoming, my garden started producing zucchini like crazy. I know, this is not a strange phenomenon. I didn't really have time to shred it all and freeze it and granted I could have just left them in the fridge and they would have been just fine for another week, but I had my mind set on trying out this delicious vegetarian recipe so I threw it all in a bag and hauled it to Wyoming with me and decided I could help my mom out and make a simple summer meal for the whole family. The 6 zucchinis that this recipe is for was not enough to feed my whole family so I doubled it and it turned out just perfect. And of course, I got so caught up on meeting my newest nephew that I never took a final product photo, so the process will have to do for now:

Ingredients:

2 T olive oil (or coconut oil if you prefer)

1 medium onion, diced

1 red or yellow pepper, diced

2 Roma tomatoes, finely diced

1 Tbsp thyme or 1-2 sprigs fresh thyme leaves

salt and pepper

6 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise

1 cup spinach leaves, chopped

1 cup cooked quinoa

3-4 large basil leaves

1 T. Parmesan cheese, grated

1/2 c. Mozzarella, grated

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375. In a skillet, saute onion and pepper in oil over medium high heat. While onions and peppers are sauteing, scoop the inside flesh of the 6 zucchinis out and dice into small pieces. When onions are translucent, add tomatoes and diced zucchini cook until soft. Add thyme and salt and pepper to taste. Saute for a couple of minutes and then add spinach leaves - cook until wilted. Remove from heat and add the cooked quinoa, fresh basil, and mozzarella to sauteed ingredients and mix.

 Distribute filling evenly into halved zucchinis.

 Top with parmesan and give another generous shake of salt and pepper on top and cover with foil. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 10 more minutes until cheese on top is golden

Remove from oven and serve.

Rustic Tomato Tart

I remember when I happened upon this recipe, I was chatting on the phone about food with my hungry, expectant sister and described this recipe to her. She was so excited that she had all of the ingredients on hand as I read it to her. While she made it, I was left salivating and dreaming about this delectable tart. On my next trip to the grocery store, I picked up everything I needed and my friend, Lisa, and I whipped a couple of these up along with my peach basil pizza one evening after a long day at work. Today, my tomato plants in my garden are heavy with tomatoes that I hope will ripen soon and I've been daydreaming about this delicious tart so I can make this again soon. 

Ingredients:

2-3 ripe red and yellow tomatoes cored and cut into slices 1/8 in thick

salt

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

8 by 10 inch rectangle of frozen puff pastry, cut in half and thawed (in the fridge)

3/4 cup shredded mozzarella

4 Tbsp grated hard cheese

2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil

Olive oil for drizzling

Position rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 400F. Place the tomato slices on paper towels, season with salt, and let drain 30-60 min. Do NOT skip this step, it is vital as you don't want the juices from the tomatoes to make the crust soggy.

In a small bowl, combine the garlic and butter. Place the puff pastry rectangles on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush with the garlic butter and season with salt, leaving a 1/4 inch border.

Sprinkle crust with mozzarella and 2 Tbsp Parmesan. 

Arrange tomato slices on top. 

Sprinkle remaining Parmesan. 

Bake until golden  25-30 minutes. Sprinkle with basil and drizzle with olive oil. Serve right away.

Zipzicles - Homemade Ice Pops

Last June was quite a bit warmer than the 46 degree cold fronts we've been experiencing this June and when I saw these Zipzicle bags somewhere on Pinterest, I had to get some and try them out. Ice Pops or Popsicles are the perfect summer treat but they're usually so full of artificial everything that I hate to buy them. These were the perfect opportunity to have the yummy treats, but make sure I knew what was going into them.

 The girls had a great time helping me make them and were so excited to try them out after their hard work. We tried three different flavor combinations: Pinapple; Coconut Key-Lime; and Watermelon. 

Pineapple: 

For the pineapple, I just made my normal pineapple juice blend and poured it into the bag. Since the sweetness of each fruit is different, the sugar amount and water will vary for each recipe. The trick is to start with a little and add a little at a time, until it's just right for your liking. 

 Watermelon:

For the watermelon, I made my fresco de sandía (watermelon juice) and at the end, I just added a few chia seeds for the look of tiny watermelon seeds - chia is a super food that can be added to just about anything and is great for hydration, endurance, digestion, omega 3's, etc. 

Finally, I made a coconut key-lime with banana:

Coconut Key Lime:

1 can coconut milk - refrigerated

1/4 c key lime juice

1 banana

agave nectar or sugar to sweeten

Remember, do not over-fill them - there is a fill line on them. Make sure to stick to it so that when they freeze, they don't burst. 

Check out zipzicles.com for products and other recipe ideas!

Peach Basil Pizza

I made this delicious pizza last fall when the peaches were perfectly ripe and I was still harvesting basil from my garden. The recipe fell in my lap and I thought it was the perfect opporutnity to use some of the fresh ingredients that I had around. It turned out absolutely delicious and when I received a bag full of basil in my bountiful basket this week, I longed for some juicy ripe peaches. It must be spring time, cause I'm already looking forward to the yumminess that comes from fresh summertime fruits. I'll share today and you can pin or bookmark for future reference. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 loaf french bread, sliced in half length-wise
2 tsp olive oil
1 dash sea salt
4 ounces, sliced Brie or Mozzarella cheese
3 whole ripe peaches, pitted and sliced
1 cup balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp fresh basil

Instructions:
Place bread on a baking sheet and brush olive oil over each half. Sprinkle with a dash fo sea salt. Top each half with cheese and peaches.

Place panin the oven and bake for 10 minutes, then turn the oven to broil and let broil for 30 seconds or until the cheese gets a tiny bit brown and bubbly.

While pizzas are baking, place vinegar in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, cook until reduced to 2 tablespoons (about 5 minutes or so).

Drizzle balsamic reduction evenly over pizza and top with basil. Cut pizza into slices and serve.