BBQ Artichokes

These are very delicious and are a great add to your barbecue fare. I just made artichokes last night, but since we have yet to get a new bottle of propane since our move I couldn't BBQ them. The trick is to boil/steam them until they are practically done (but not over done).

ingredients:

artichokes
olive oil
salt
pepper

directions:

For large artichokes you'll want to boil them for about 25-30 minutes, sometimes even longer. Then drain them(careful, because hot water can get stuck up in the leaves and can burn you). Then you want to cut them in half length wise. This is a little tricky, I like to hold them with a pair of tongs and then I cut starting from the top of the artichoke and go down. Then using a spoon scoop out the hairy junk in the middle. Drizzle them with olive oil and top with salt and pepper. Then you want to let them sit for about 10 minutes so the artichoke can absorb the olive oil. Put them cut-side down on the BBQ grill for about 5 minutes then turn over for another 3 minutes.

They come out with a delicious BBQ-y taste and you don't even need any sauce to dip it in.

bom apetite!

Dill Potato Salad

Ryan made this for lunch the other day and it is very good. I originally saw it on the Food Network and just had to make it.

ingredients:
-potatoes, peeled (I like using the potato medley from Trader Joe's, they come in 3 different colors- white, purple, and gold. This adds a little more color to the salad and it's quite pretty)
-1 cup mayonnaise
-1/4 buttermilk
-4 tablespoons Dijon Mustard
-1/2 cup fresh dill (chopped)
-1/2 cup chopped celery
-1/2 cup chopped red onion
-pepper and salt

directions: Place potatoes in a large pot of water and salt, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for about 10-15 minutes, until the potatoes are barely tender (poke with a fork or knife to test). Drain pot of water. Place the potatoes back in the pot and cover with a towel, to steam the potatoes for 15-20 minutes. For the dressing: mix mayonnaise, buttermilk, mustard, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, but still warm, cut into quarters (or however you like your potato salad). Then pour the dressing over them. Add celery and onions and more pepper and salt to your liking. Toss well, then cover and refrigerate for a few hours to allow all the flavors to blend together.

Serve cold or at room temperature.

bom apetite!

Fresh-Mex Salad

This is a great salad that is very simple with no cooking required (perfect for those hot summer nights). Although we heated up the black beans, if you truly don't want to turn on a stove you don't have to. It is also packed with protein and fiber.

ingredients:

lettuce/salad mix
can of corn
can of black beans (rinsed and well-drained)
diced bell pepper
diced jicama
diced avocado
chopped tomato
radishes (sliced)
feta cheese

for dressing:
2 tbsp. finely-chopped, fresh cilantro
1/4 cup of freshly squeezed lime juice
1/4 cup of olive oil
2 tablespoons of honey
1 garlic clove, minced
some diced jalapeno pepper, if you like some spice

Combine all and enjoy!

bom apetite!

Pesto Pasta

Fresh, homemade pesto sauce is so much better than the already-made store bought kind. The only thing is that you need to eat it right away or the sauce tends to turn brown. If you have left over sauce and want to save it, you can always put a thin layer of olive oil on the top of the sauce (in a sealed airtight container) to prolong the browning. I found a recipe that claims adding parsley to it will keep the color and not change the flavor. I have yet to try it with the parsley, but when I do I'll let you know. Here it is:

ingredients:
1 3/4 cup fresh basil leaves (packed tightly)
1/2 cup parsley (packed tightly)
2 tablespoons pine nuts (or any other nut that fancies you, walnuts are another good choice)
1 garlic clove
1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Salt
1/2 cup olive oil

Combine all of the ingredients except the olive oil and grind in a food processor. After ingredients are finely chopped, with the processor still running, slowly add the olive oil, and process until smooth.

This will make about 3/4 cup of pesto.

bom apetite!

Crispy Lemony Asparagus

Here's an easy and yummy way to make asparagus. The trick is to par-boil it (only 2 minutes) so it still has that crunch.

ingredients:
-asparagus
-shredded lemon peel & some juice
-shredded parmesan cheese
-olive oil
-salt n pepper

directions:
-first break off the bottom tough parts of the asparagus.
-then cut the spears into 1-2 inch pieces.
-boil asparagus for 2 minutes then drain and toss with the remaining ingredients.

bom apetite!