Lisa: Taste of Summer

Wow, summer flew by. Here's a glimpse of what we've been eating. I love all of the fresh, bright colors of summer fruits and vegetables. Salads and wraps became standard fare for a stretch, and I got to try some interesting desserts at picnics. Finally, we grew some of our own produce and indulged in some icy homemade treats.

Romaine salad with carrots, heirloom tomatoes, strawberries,
yellow bell pepper, slivered almonds, carrots and grapes.

Chicken lettuce wraps with salsa and yellow bell peppers,
sugar snap peas on the side

Ricotta and spinach ravioli with marinara,
steamed broccoli, roasted red and yellow beats with goat cheese
par-baked french bread baked just in time for dinner

Grilled salmon (sorry, I mangled it taking it off the serving plate),
Japanese rice with furikake (seaweed and sesame seasoning),
caprese of heirloom tomatoes, mini mozzarella, basil,
green beans goma ae (sesame-soy dressing),
and strawberries

Spinach and jack cheese crepe

I did not make these, but tried them at a picnic:
chocolate-peanut butter-rice crisp bars
with graham cracker crust

My cousin made these:
"Watermelon" Rice Krispies treats
with chocolate chip "seeds"
Made in a round pan and cut in wedges

Massive blackberry!

Watermelon growing in our yard. We later harvested several.
Tasty, but had a tough time figuring out
when they were ripe.

Cantaloupes growing in our yard

Blackberries and strawberries
picked at a local farm

Kale-berry-banana smoothie
popsicle in shape of ladybug

Lisa: Father's Day Treats

My husband and I cooked a simple dinner together (for us, his dad, and his family) for Father's Day, and he made his own treats and grilled all the steaks (his idea).

Here's what we enjoyed:
Steak (grilled on the barbecue)
Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes (I love these)
Haricots Verts
Home made chocolate ice cream (Bi-Rite Creamery's Smooth and Mellow Chocolate Cocoa Ice Cream Recipe) topped with whipped cream and fresh raspberries
Banana Bread with Nutty Streusel (Miette cookbook recipe)
Fresh-squeezed lemonade

Miette Recipe:
Banana Bread with Nutty Streusel

Bi-Rite Creamery Recipe:
Smooth and Mellow Chocolate Cocoa Ice Cream
with Freshly Whipped Cream and Fresh Raspberries

Chilled, Freshly-Squeezed Lemonade

Also made banana, strawberry, spinach green smoothie earlier in the day, which the kids drank.

Happy Father's Day!

Lisa: Kale Chips

It has been years leading up to this point, and the day finally arrived. I got some Lacinato (Dinosaur) kale (in my produce box) and made kale chips. I had heard this type of kale is great for chips since it is flatter than the curly varieties. Seasoned with sesame oil and salt, 10 minutes in the oven. The kids and I both loved it and ate most of it right away. Probably, this is because it is actually similar to nori (seaweed sheets).

Note: Do not believe the recipes that say to leave in the oven for 20 minutes. If I had not checked at 10 minutes, I would've ended up with a bunch of burned chips. 

Lacinato (Dinosaur) Kale: Before

Lisa: What We're Eating: June 2012

Been busy eating and not posting.

I had the chance to get two free weeks of produce/grocery delivery from a new service in our area, so have been enjoying trying it out.

Here's what we've been eating.

-Crock-pot pulled pork on toasted French rolls with barbecue sauce

-Roasted carrots

-Roasted Yukon Gold potatoes

-Grilled Salmon (a weekly standard), cous cous and broccoli

-Pan-fried Pork Chops with Gravy - This comes together in less than 30 minutes with minimal prep, so it's a regular in the meal rotation.

-Sugar snap peas

-Roasted zucchini "coins" sprinkled cheese and broiled (per kids' request)

-Yogurt, fruit and granola "banana split"

-Home made granola with slivered almonds, pepitas, pecans, coconut oil, chia and shredded coconut

-Kale chips - first time making these, did it with sesame oil and salt, and kids loved them (as did I)

-Broccoli-cheese mini-quiches

-Strawberry-banana-spinach and strawberry-banana-kale green smoothies

-Blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, cherries, peaches, nectarines, pluots, tangerines

-Strawberry agua-fresca

-Fresh guacamole

-Roasted beets with goat cheese

-Baby squash

-French toast, pancakes, crepes, dutch baby

Organic Grocery Delivery Box, Week 1:
Broccoli, avocados, white nectarines, blueberries, carrots,
Yukon Gold potatoes,  green leaf lettuce, cucumbers, Super Rich peaches,
Valencia oranges, Zee Fire nectarines, strawberries

Grocery Delivery Box Part 1, Week 2:
Peaches, carrots, baby golden beets, Valencia oranges,
zucchini, Gold Nugget mandarins, Zee Fire nectarines,
blueberries, strawberries, Lacinato kale, Romaine lettuce

Grocery Delivery Box Part 2, Week 2:
Pastured eggs, Strauss cream top organic milk, spinach

Pastured eggs. Kids loved how they were all different.

Roasted Carrots

Roasted Yukon Gold Potatoes

Crock-Pot Pulled Pork Dinner

Brunch: Scrambled Eggs with salsa and fresh guacamole,  Valencia oranges

Lunch: Israeli cous cous salad with mozzarella, tomatoes,
basil, cucumbers and balsamic dressing; broccoli cheese mini quiche,
strawberries and grapes

French toast topped with cottage cheese,
strawberries and blueberries

Lisa: Dinner for Rainy Day in June

It rained and got cool after days if warm summery weather, foiling plans for an outdoor preschool picnic. So, I had to throw together an unplanned dinner for six since grandparents were around today, too.

It was a good opportunity to try a new recipe for cheesy chicken pot pie. Not bad, but I still prefer the Joy of Cooking recipe even though it is not the healthiest. Still, a comforting meal finished with leftover fruit salad from a potluck earlier today.

Happy summer!

Lisa: Last Day of Preschool Treat

4-year-old finished preschool for the year today, and asked to make this treat. A healthier version of a banana split with yogurt, fruit, and granola. She assembled it herself.

Lisa: Today's Luxury: Fresh Mint Tea

I had fresh mint left over from mint lemonade. Surprisingly, it stayed fresh in the refrigerator for over a week in a small cup of water covered with plastic.

I inherited some simple syrup from my mother-in-law, so it was the perfect opportunity for fresh mint tea.

I boiled the whole bunch for around 6 minutes, cooled a little and stirred in some simple syrup. The house smells lovely and refreshing, and I am enjoying an afternoon tea with leftovers for later, perhaps iced and with lemon...

Lisa: Mother's Day Strawberry Goodness

My husband cooked Mother's Day dinner for both sides of the family this past weekend. We had a simple and excellent meal of grilled wild-caught local salmon, mixed grains cooked in chicken stock, green beans and French bread.

We also got some enormous organic strawberries and mint at the farmer's market. I decided to make strawberry-mint limeade for everyone to drink. Delicious! Also, fun to muddle the strawberries and mint together.

Strawberry-Mint Limeade

My husband baked shortcake, and we topped with some freshly-whipped cream, strawberries and fresh mint.

Strawberry Shortcake with Freshly-Whipped Cream and Mint

Lisa: Recent Meals

Finally, here are some photos from meals in the past few weeks.

Pea shoots from farmer's market with garlic and oyster sauce

Oven fried chicken

Roasted carrots. The kids love these.

The complete meal

Shelling favas

Favas ready to cook

Ice water bath for just-cooked favas

Fava beans and fusili 

Grilled salmon

Snow peas and sugar snap peas from the garden

Cooked peas, ready for dinner

The meal

Fruit and yogurt smoothie popsicle made in a muffin cup

Lisa: What We're Eating

Here's what we've been eating:

Veggie, tofu and turkey fried rice

Fixings for fried rice coming together

Honey-Maple Chicken (a.k.a. "Man-Pleasing Chicken" via Pinterest) done in the crock-pot
Artichokes from the farmer's market

Artichokes at farmer's market looked so fresh

Grilled salmon, heirloom long-stemmed broccoli from the farmer's market, cous cous/quinoa/grain mix
Grilled pork tenderloin - simple, with just olive oil and salt
Split pea and ham soup with carrots, celery and onion done in the crock-pot
Roasted beets with feta and green salad with mangoes, feta, roasted beets and roasted almonds
Roasted potatoes and sweet potatoes
Grilled asparagus with salt and lemon
Zucchini "coins" with assistance from kids - steam zucchini circles, top with parmesean, melt in oven
Breakfast: Dutch Baby, crepes and French toast (my husband is responsible for these)

Dutch Baby all puffed up out of the oven. It deflated seconds later.