Well for starters, it’s so sharp that it could also double as a vegetable and cheese slicer. Both soft or hard cheeses. Hellllo. I was more impressed with the infomercial guy started peeling a whole pineapple using the Titan Peeler. Now that’s what we call a sharp peeler.

Right now there’s Buy One Get On Free for $14.99 plus shipping and handling.

(Images : Titan Peeler)

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The Titan Peeler

Brandon purchased all the vegetables at the Farmer’s Market, so not only was the dish fresh, it was also inexpensive. To find a Farmer’s Market near you, take a look at Local Harvest.

Brandon’s Caprese Salad

5 cups mixed tomatoes
1 cup mozzarella cheese, cut into bite-size chunks
1 bunch Basil, approximately 1 loose cup, sliced into thin ribbons
4 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt (I use Kosher) and pepper to taste

Cut the larger tomatoes into bite-size chunks. Place all the tomatoes into a serving bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients, then gently stir.

That’s it. Simple. Fresh.

Image credit: Michelle Smith

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Brandon’s Caprese Salad

On week days, even though I work from home I don’t like to spend too much time making lunch. On the other hand I don’t like processed frozen meals, I’d rather eat fresh and homemade whenever possible. So when an easy quick recipe comes along I give it a try.

With avocado and sun dried tomatoes, this wrap sounds like it’s just my style! I think I might have to add a little fresh cilantro to the mix, yum!

Southwestern Deli Wraps

Ingredients:
1 large whole wheat tortilla (or substitute flour or sun-dried varieties)
1/6-pound deli-sliced turkey or ham
Santa Barbara Bay® Caramelized Onion and Roasted Garlic Dip
Sun dried tomatoes
Shredded cheddar or Jack cheese
Sliced carrots
Diced avocado

Directions:
Lay the tortilla flat and cover completely with onion and garlic dip. Distribute deli meat across the top of the spread on the tortilla. Sprinkle with cheese, carrots, sun dried tomatoes and diced avocado. Roll ingredients up in the tortilla, cut in small pieces to serve, and enjoy!

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Summer Lunch Idea~ Southwestern Deli Wraps

There are so many original ideas when it comes to keeping cool in the heat of summer that I had a lot of fun picking out the ones I would like to bookmark and/or print out, and I hope you find some that interest you too!

Also, today may be Slurpee Day at 7-Elevens (free Slurpees!), but you can also try making your own!

~ Strawberry Basil Lemonade from Once In a Blue Moon

~ Frozen Peach Yoghurt at Eat Love Jump

~ Chocolate & Hungry Monkey Sherbet from Mochachocolata

~ Simple Berry Lemonade at Playing House

~ Strawberries & Cream Ice Cream from Hungry Cravings

~ Summer Berry Salad at Not Without Salt

~ Watermelon Margaritas from Brownies for Dinner

~ Strawberry Granita at Stylish Cuisine

~ Chilled Cantaloupe Soup from Cupcake Project

~ Mango Parfait at No Special Effects

~ Lemon Blueberry Panna Cotta from Good & Cheap Eats

~ Roasted Strawberry Balsamic Ice Cream at Closet Cooking

~ Beni imo Ice Cream from The Good Life

~ Homemade Cherry Garcia Ice Cream at Kiss My Spatula

~ Blueberry Cobbler from Cafe Zupas

~ Watermelon Ice Pops at Sea Salt With Food

~ New England Lobster Roll from Boston Food & Whine

~ Cold Tomato Zucchini Pasta Salad with Sherry Shallot Vinaigrette at The Cooking Photographer

~ Wild Blueberry Lime Coconut Ice Cream with Sfogliatine from What’s For Lunch Honey

~ Cantaloupe Sorbet at Dishing Up Delights

~ Blue Green Latte from Veggie Wedgie

~ Mascarpone Cinnamon Peach Ice Cream at Very Small Anna

~ Snickerdoodle and Lemon Ice Cream Sandwiches from Tartelette

~ Cherry Milkshakes at NoobCook

[image: flickr]

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Weekend Foodie Links

Grilled Beef Baja Chipotle (Image © Dexie Wharton)

INGREDIENTS :
beef chuck roast
2 cups of Lawry’s Baja Chipotle Marinade

2 simple ingredients, YES.

First, stab each side of the roast with a fork a few times. This helps tenderize the beef and soak in the marinate as well.

In a container, put the beef, then pour over the Lawry’s baja chipotle marinade. Coat both sides.

Marinate for 30-45 minutes or overnight. Grill each side in medium heat. Brush the marinade on the beef once or twice while grilling. 10-15 minutes on each side would be ideal.

This is very simple, and a quick idea for dinner. While I love making my own marinades, I appreciate the convenience of bottled marinades as well. I served this grilled baja chipotle beef with steamed green beans and potato au gratin.

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Grilled Beef Baja Chipotle

My brother in law makes the best salsa ever, so I talked him into giving me his super secret recipe. He says he doesn’t have an exact recipe, he just chops, dumps, and tastes until the flavors are just right (He cooks kinda like I do). If you use this recipe, make sure you tweak it a little to fit your own tastes. My brother in law uses a ton of garlic, and I love garlic so it’s OK with me. If you’re not a fan you may want to cut back a little.

(c) L Gerlach

Fresh From The Garden Salsa

3-4 medium tomatoes

1 bell pepper

1 banana pepper

2 hot peppers (Jalapeno, Pueblo, Habanera, your choice and heat)

1-2 Tablespoons of apple cider vinegar

3-4 cloves of garlic

cilantro (optional)

1 small onion

Give everything a coarse chop, then feed it all together into a food processor. Refrigerate the salsa when you’re done to let all the flavors blend together. This salsa is actually even better after a couple hours when the flavors are all melded together.

Serve with corn chips.

Beware! This salsa is addicting, once you start, it’s hard to stop.

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Fresh From The Garden Salsa

Potato Au Gratin (Image © Dexie Wharton)

INGREDIENTS :
3-4 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced thinly in rounds
1 1/2 cup of buttermilk (regular milk is fine)
1 cup of water
salt and pepper
Italian seasoning
generous amount of shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 355°.

In a medium size casserole dish pan, layer the potato slices neatly.

In a bowl, combine the buttermilk, water, salt and pepper together. Pour it over the potatoes. Add the cheese. Gently stir the whole mixture just to incorporate everything together. Lightly sprinkle with Italian seasoning on top.

Bake it in the oven for about 35 minutes or until golden brown.

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A Very Simple Potato Au Gratin

Other stories include a “lost recipe” created by a Puerto Rican pirate to boost the morale of his men while at sea in the 1800’s, to a bar in Carcao in the 1960’s that created and sold a similar drink to its patrons. Whichever story is true will probably never be answered, but it’s become a summer staple just the same!

The piña colada (Spanish for strained pineapple) is a perfect drink for a hot summer evening. Traditionally made with rum, coconut cream and pineapple juice, it can be served either stirred with ice or blended for a smoothie-type drink. Due to its origin it’s been the official drink of Puerto Rico since 1978.

A good starting recipe includes:

~ 3 oz light rum
~ 3 tbsp coconut cream
~ 3 tbsp crushed pineapple

Put all ingredients into an electric blender with 2 cups of crushed ice. Blend at a high speed for a short length of time. Strain into a glass and serve with a straw. Garnish with pineapple wedge or maraschino cherry.

Proportions of the standard ingredients can be easily played around with to suit your own taste, too.

A virgin, or non-alcoholic version, can be made easily enough by omitting the rum. Other variations include the Miami Vice, which is 1/2 strawberry daiquiri poured over 1/2 piña colada (do not blend together); the Lava Flow, which is a strawberry daiquiri and piña colada blended together; and the Belizean piña colada, where evaporated milk is used in place of the coconut cream.

Where is your favorite place to sit and enjoy a piña colada?

[image: flickr]

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If You Like Piña Coladas

Make some extra steak and you can whip up another salad for lunch the next day.

Grilled Sirloin Steak Salad

Prep Time: 10 minutes + marinating
Grill Time: 8-16 minutes
Amount: 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 ¼ pounds Stockman & Dakota™ Boneless Sirloin Steak
1 medium sweet onion, sliced ½-inch thick
¾ cup zesty Italian dressing, divided
1 avocado, pit and skin removed, quartered
2 medium tomatoes, cut into wedges
1 (5 ounce) package spring mix salad
½ cup crumbled blue cheese

Directions:

1. Place steak, onion slices and ½ cup dressing in a recloseable food storage bag; seal. Refrigerate and marinate several hours or overnight.
2. Preheat grill to medium heat. Remove steak and onion slices from bag; discard marinade. Place steak and onions on grill. Grill steak, turning once, 8-16 minutes (depending on thickness) or until desired doneness is reached (145°F for medium-rare; 160°F for medium). Grill onions until softened and slightly charred (about 10 minutes), turning once. Grill avocado quarters until slightly charred (about 3-4 minutes), turning once.
3. Thinly slice steak; set aside. Toss salad greens with remaining dressing; divide among 4 large salad plates. Top with steak, avocados, tomatoes and blue cheese crumbles.

Visit Stockman and Dakota for more recipes.

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Grilled Sirloin Steak Salad

I can see why some of the items are on the list. I have had three rice cookers, all three given to me by my dad, and I have rarely used them. I have a bread machine that I use constantly for pizza dough. I’ve only made bread in it a few times and one time I made a huge batch of dough for cinnamon rolls (I was a hit with the neighborhood kids), but for pizza dough, it’s a real time saver.

Also on that list - books. Books?  I love books. I have a large collection of cookbooks and while I do look things up on the internet, I love to sit down with my cookbooks and find new dishes. I’m never going to be a kindle person, because I love holding the book in my hands, looking at the glossy photos, making notes on the pages, looking at the books lined up neatly on the shelf. The idea that books might grow obsolete just does not make sense to me. It’s heresy. Honestly, it makes my stomach hurt a little.

Ice cream makers are lumped with bread machines, they don’t even get their own place on the list, the author finds them that worthless. I don’t have an ice cream maker now, but I did at one time and we would use it a couple of times a month. It wasn’t the most cost effective appliance, but the kids loved it and some things you do just because they are fun. The same goes for the Polaroid camera. Some things in life are not about ease, they are about the process.

When I was a kid, my grandma had an old school ice cream maker that required rock salt and an incredible amount of noise. I can remember the machine going at family reunions and the ice cream took forever in coming, but the taste of that fresh vanilla or strawberry desert was better than anything else I had ever tasted.

When I think about Grandma’s machine, the whole family reunion experience is there - in and out the back door with the cousins, the warm sun, smelling something on Grandpa’s barbeque, swimming in the pool, lots of hugs and kisses. Not everything is about fast, easy, and convenient. Slow down. Pull that useless ice cream maker off the shelf and make something cold and yummy with the kids.

Image credit: Directron.com

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Don’t Throw Out the Ice Cream Maker