Mediterranean Salad

Change the ingredient amounts per your preference.  Great refreshing summer salad.

Mediterranean Salad

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
6 oz. or so dry pasta of your choice, cooked per package
1 medium cucumber, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped (I used orange for color)
2 tomatoes chopped
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced or chopped
1/2 c. chopped kalamata olives
1/2 -3/4 c. crumbled feta
1/3 c. fresh parsley, chopped
salt and pepper

Lemon-parsley Vinaigrette
1/2 c. EV olive oil
1/4 c. White wine vinegar
1 T. lemon juice
1 t. freshly chopped parsley

Mix the dressing and add to the salad.  Toss to combine.

Cajun Shrimp and Sausage Packets

Looking for a super satisfying spicy, low carb dinner option?  This.

Cajun Shrimp and Sausage Packets


Recipe for 1 packet:

6 oz. raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 cooked sausage link, sliced (I used spinach feta chicken sausage--it's what I had on hand)
1/4 of an onion cut in wedges
1/2 of a bell pepper cut in long slices
1/2 of a small zucchini sliced in rounds and then halved
2 t. Emeril's Cajun Seasoning (see the recipe for this from March 2017)
1 T. butter diced

1 sheet of aluminum foil about 18 inches long.

Line all the ingredients in the middle of the foil.  Sprinkle with the seasoning and top with diced butter.  Lightly roll the tin foil to form a packet with air space (Not packed tight). 

Bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes.

Chicken Kabobs

Looking for a good method and seasoning for chicken kabobs?  Look no further. Thanks to my sister for passing along this gimmesomeoven.com recipe.

Chicken Kabobs

Brine
4 chicken breasts
1 quart warm water
1/4 c. kosher salt

In a large bowl, stir the salt in warm water until disolved.  Add the chicken breasts and let them sit in the brine for 15 minutes.  Or, cover the bowl and put them in the fridge for up to 6 hours.    Remove the chicken, rinse it and pat it dry.

Seasoning
1 t. kosher salt,
1/2 t. black pepper
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. smoked paprika

Combine all in a bowl.

Cut the chicken into cubes and drizzle with 1 T. olive oil   Toss in the seasoning until evenly coated.

Skewer the chicken and grill until cooked through.

Skewer onion wedges, bell peppers, mushrooms that have been tossed in oil and seasoned with salt and pepper or whatever you like as a side

Pineapple Cranberry Punch

When my daughter's bridal shower was reimagined into a drive-by shower because of coronavirus, we serviced this non-alcoholic punch.  Would be great spiked with rum or vodka, too!

Pineapple Cranberry Punch

1 64 oz. can pineapple juice

1 32 oz cranberry juice cocktail

1 liter ginger ale

6 oz. orange juice concentrate, thawed

Combine all ingredients.  Serve over ice and garnish with berries, mint, and/or organge slices.

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oz = ounces

Mango Salsa

This is awesome on chicken or pork!  Feel free to alter your ingredients depending on how much you want to make.

Mango Salsa

1 Mango
1-2 Tomatoes chopped depending on size
1/4 red onion, chopped
Jalapeno, diced fine
Juice of 1 lime
salt
1/2 c. chopped cilantro

Sweet Potato Fries

Just try them.  Sweet.

Sweet Potato Fries

Peel the sweet potatoes and slice them in small to medium sized fries.  More like Wendy's size, less like McDonalds.  :)

Toss the potatoes in a bit of cornstarch.  Then dump the potatoes and cornstarch in a baggie.  The cornstarch will help crisp up the fries.

Sprinkle some olive oil and seasoning in the bag and toss together.  I used 5-spice.  The cinnamon was awesome sweetness!

Amounts all depend on how many sweet potatoes you use.  Just use your judgment.

Bake at 400 degrees for about 20-30 minutes depending on thickness and turn 1/2 way through.

One tip I saw was that after they are done baking, open the oven door a bit and let sit for 20 minutes.  That is supposed to crisp them up further.    Mine turned out a bit too crispy but you can adjust that if you decide to try it.

Lemon Herb Cauliflower

This is a fresh flavor that would pair well with fish or a lemon pepper chicken breast.

Lemon Herb Cauliflower

1 head cauliflower
2-3 T. olive oil
fresh thyme
fresh basil
salt
pepper
1 lemon

Cut the cauliflower into florets and toss in the olive oil.  add 1 T. fresh thyme and 1-2 T. fresh basil chopped fine.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. 

Zest on lemon and then juice it.  Toss it with the rest.

Roast it on a greased cookie sheet at 425 degrees for about 20 minutes.

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T = tablespoon