This is a lovely yet light salad. Great for getting back on track.
- 4 slices Italian bread
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, halved
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp. honey
- ground fresh pepper
- 1 cup green seedless grapes, halved
- 1 cup red seedless grapes, cut in half
- pint of multi- coloured cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 log of goat cheese, crumbled
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped fine
- 1/4 cup toasted pecans
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Brush 4 x 1 inch slices of day old Italian Bread with 2 tbsp. olive oil. Spread out on a baking sheet and bake until toasted, turning over once. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
Cut a garlic clove in half and rub the cut side on the toasted bread. Chop the bread into bite-size pieces. When done, it should measure about 5 cups.
Whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar with the honey in a large bowl. Season with a sprinkle of ground pepper. Add the grapes and tomatoes, tossing to coat.
Divide the bread cubes onto 4 salad plates. Spoon out the grape mixture over the bread, Sprinkle the goat cheese over the top along with the basil and toasted pecans.
This is delightful.
Lime Grilled Teriyaki Chicken With Light Pineapple Salad
Simple. Super Tasty. Great meal to have before going out to celebrate with friends and family.
- 4 boneless, skin removed, chicken breasts
- 1/3 cup lime juice, freshly squeezed
- 1/2 cup teriyaki sauce
- 3 tbsp. honey
- 2 tbsp. canola oil
- 2 tsp. lime zest
- 1 pineapple
- 1 English cucumber
- 1 cup seedless red grapes
- 1 tbsp. lime juice
- pinch of salt
Lay the chicken breasts (one at a time) between top and bottom layers of saran wrap and lightly pound out to a thickness of about 1/2 inch.
Whisk the lime juice, teriyaki, honey, oil, lime zest together in a bowl and reserve 1/4 cup of the marinade. Pour the balance into a large zip lock bag and add the chicken. Seal the bag, making sure to remove all the air. Let stand for 10-15 minutes.
Preheat your barbecue (yes, even during the winter) to a medium temperature.
Now combine 3 1/2 cups of the pineapple which has been coarsely chopped, 1 cup of the cucumber, and 1 cup of the grapes, halved. Stir in 1 tbsp. of lime juice and a small pinch of salt.
Oil the grill and grill the chicken about 5 minutes each side, brushing the surfaces with the reserved marinade during the last couple of minutes of cooking time.
Cut each breast into 3 pieces and set in the middle of the plate. Spoon the salad around the pieces and now you simply need a slice or two of garlic toast and, of yeah, some chilled wine.
Told you it was light and tasty..
Toasted Pecan And Blue Cheese “Truffles”
Okay , the word truffles is a bit of a push, but a fresh grape tucked inside a rich cheese wrap and crusted with toasted pecans make them little treasures. These are best made ahead and refrigerated to allow the flavours to meld. Simply bring to room temperature and serve. Trust me! Your guests won’t know what hit them when they see and taste these beauties.
- 4 oz. Blue Cheese at room temperature
- 8 oz. Philadelphia cream cheese at room temperature
- 2 tsp. fresh basil, finely chopped
- pinch of black pepper
- 30 seedless red grapes
- 1 cup finely chopped toasted pecans
- For garnish, fresh basil leaves and more grapes
Mash together the cheeses, basil and pepper until really well blended.
Scoop 2 tsp. of the mixture and insert 1 grape. Mold the cheese around the grape to completely cover. Roll in the nut mixture and lightly press to ensure it adheres to the cheese. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Repeat until all the grapes have been used. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
To serve: bring to room temperature and set out on a platter. Garnish with basil leaves (stems removed) and grapes. Have a pretty container on the table with fancy picks and cocktail napkins at the ready.
Barbecued Chicken And Potato Salad
While we can still enjoy sitting out on the deck and having a lovely late summer luncheon, try this one. Not much else is needed, unless you want to add some corn on the cob, grilled garlic bread, and don’t forget, a glass of chilled white wine, of course.
- 1 lb. of baby potatoes, scrubbed
- Pam spray
- 2 -3 lbs. chicken breasts, skin on, boneless
- 2 celery ribs, peeled and sliced thin
- 5 oz. red seedless grapes, halved
- 5-6 radishes, cleaned and sliced thin
- 2 hard boiled eggs, halved and then quartered
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 1 tbsp. grainy mustard
- 3 tbsp. fresh basil, chopped and stems removed
- pinch each of salt and pepper
- 1/4 cup olive oil
Boil the potatoes in a pot of water for about 20 minutes until tender. Remove and drain.
Cut the potatoes in half and put in a large bowl. Add the grapes, celery, grapes,radishes, and eggs.
Spray the barbecue grills so the chicken won’t stick. In your preheated barbecue, lay out the chicken breasts, skin side down, turn over and make sure of getting grill marks on both sides. When cooked through, remove from the heat. Slice the chicken breasts and add to the bowl. Carefully and gently, toss to incorporate all the ingredients.
In a small bowl whisk together the orange juice, grainy mustard, basil, salt and pepper. Drizzle in the oil whisking until incorporated.
Drizzle over the salad.
All I can say is YUM!
Delightful Focaccia Bread
This is a wonderful focaccia bread to have with a freshly made salad on the patio, chilled glass of…you know….sun shining, what more is there? You will love this and it is easy to make.
- 1 store-bought pizza dough (fresh)1 lb. wt.
- 2 tbsp. cornmeal
- 3 tbsp. butter, melted and cooled
- 1 cup seedless red grapes, halved
- 1 tsp. fresh rosemary leaves
- 1 400g container ricotta cheese
- 1 tbsp. unsalted butter, chilled and diced small
- 2 tbsp. Turbinado sugar (raw sugar)
- 2 tsp. fleur de sel
Place the dough in a large bowl, cover with plastic and set sit for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Invert baking sheet and sprinkle the cornmeal generously over it. Place the dough on the sheet. Dip your fingers into the melted butter and gently, but firmly, spread the dough out to cover the entire sheet. Brush the top with more melted butter.
Arrange the grapes, rosemary and ricotta cheese and cold butter evenly on top of the dough. Sprinkle the surface with sugar and salt.
Bake for about 15 minutes until the crust is a golden brown and puffed around the edges. Serve warm.
Was I right? Hmmmm? Yummy.
Zucchini Salad
With Canada Day around the corner, many communities get together to celebrate (block parties, family gatherings, picnics, neighborhood patio parties, etc) . This salad is the perfect to make and take.
- 1 small Romaine lettuce head
- 1 small Boston lettuce head
- 3 medium zucchini, washed, slice thinly
- 1 cup sliced radishes
- 1/2 cup seedless grapes, sliced in half
Wash, dry and chill greens. In a large bowl, toss the zucchini, radishes and grapes. Refrigerate, covered for at least an hour.
When ready to take, tear the romaine and lettuce into bite sized pieces and add to the vegetable bowl.
Add the garlic dressing (follows) and toss the salad until everything is well coated. (Don’t over drench with the dressing).
Cover, and away you go. With all the other foods that will grace the table, there won’t be anything left over.
Dressing
- 1/4 cup salad oil
- 3 tbsp. balsamic fig vinegar
- pinch of salt
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- pinch of freshly ground pepper
Whisk until well combined. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Summer Appetizers
We are now into summer and that means a lot of bbq’s, family picnics and visits with family, friends and neighbors. Today I will showcase a couple of new ideas to get you started AND excited to show off your new found recipe skills.
Firstly: Fresh Figs with Proscuitto and Blue Cheese
Note-the combination of flavours can’t be beat but your figs must be perfect. Ripe but not too soft. Use both green and purple figs for variety.
- 1/2 cup Blue Cheese
- 6 medium figs, cut into quarters
- 2 tbsp. of exceptional balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- pinch of mediterranean salt
- light pinch of pepper
- 1/2 lb. thinly sliced proscuitto, cut into strips.
Place 1/2 tsp. of the cheese on each quarter, gently pressing into the bottom of each fig piece. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet.
Mix the vinegar, oil, salt and pepper together using a whisk and brush each fig.
To assemble, wrap the bottom half of each fig with a strip of proscuitto. Do not refrigerate.
Secondly: Pecan, Brie and Grape Salsa Tarts.
To get the results of this recipe you should have a high quality Brie. This means it should be soft when cut into but never runny. If you make a mistake and buy an under-ripe wheel of Brie, you should be aware that it will not ripen further.
- 1 cup seedless grapes, cut in half
- pinch of salt
- 1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
- 2 tsps. olive oil
- 1/4 tsp. each of fresh rosemary aned minced garlic.
- pinch of pepper
- 48 prepared tart shells (you could make your own pastry)
- 1/2 cup roasted and chopped pecans
- 8 oz. Brie, rind removed
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Place grapes and salt in a processer and chop until coarse in texture. Transfer to a strainer and let stand for about 10 minutes. Mix together all the ingredients up to and including pepper. Fold in the grapes.
With a fork, fill the tartlets. This will avoid picking up any of the liquid. Bake until the cheese starts to melt (about 5 minutes). Do not over-bake. Serve immediately.
You have now become the queen of the appetizers for any occasion that crops up.