summer dinner – dinner prompt

Harvest

July 30, 2015October 7, 2019Leave a comment

If you don’t like kale, or are afraid to try it (still), then substitute something else. I start with that so you won’t think “I hate kale; I’m never eating a kale salad” and miss the entire idea here: it’s summer harvest time, so you should enjoy the bounty available at the market. If your idea of a perfect summer salad does not include kale, or blueberries, or any of the other suggestions here, then use something else: basil and peaches, or celery and cherries, or whatever makes you happy.

Blueberry & Kale Salad

Love to Cook: Get your gourmet on with this Massaged Kale Salad with Creamy Blueberry Vinaigrette and Rosemary Candied Walnuts.

Weeknight Reality: This Best of Summer Kale Salad from Iowa Girl Eats is easy to prepare, if you’ve not intimidated by making your own salad dressing. The blueberry-balsamic dressing is good on just about any salad, in fact, so make a double batch. And her recommendation to massage the kale with salt only, not oil, works well. A vegan alternative is this version from the Blueberry Council.

Need a Miracle: Bagged kale, blueberries, seasoned nuts and prepared dressing. And cheese, or fish, if you like.

Purple

July 28, 2015October 7, 2019Leave a comment

The good news is that even the “Love to Cook” suggestion for today’s prompt is quick and easy (other than calling for pomegranate molasses). Also delicious. Whether you use regular deep purple eggplant or another variety, large or small, eggplant is in top form this time of year. Like mushrooms, eggplant will pick up flavor quickly and improve with time to develop. If you’ve never cooked with eggplant, here’s a quick primer from The Kitchn on getting the bitterness out.

Love to Cook: This recipe, from David Tanis, for Smoky Eggplant Salad calls for charring the eggplant on the grill, but you can do it in the oven, under the broiler if grilling isn’t an option. A green herb salad tossed in lemon and olive oil and some warm pita bread round out the plate.

Weeknight Reality: Here’s an alternative Tanis recipe, one that doesn’t require any special ingredients beyond what you can likely find at the local grocery.

Need a Miracle: Look in the international section of your grocery for eggplant relish; serve with warm pita, some olives and crumbled feta, and a green salad (an herb blend, if you can find it).

Platter + Dessert

July 24, 2015October 7, 2019Leave a comment

Whether it’s just your family or a small gathering, a charcuterie board or assortment of small-plate items can provide plenty of nourishment in a more casual way. End the evening with some decadent chocolate cupcakes (continuing the single-serve theme), and everyone will go to bed happy.

Love to Cook: Two recipes that are worth the time, if you have it, both to hunt down the ingredients and to prepare/bake: The Cupcake Project’s Ultimate Chocolate Cupcake and Josey Baker’s Adventure Bread (via David Lebovitz) – a flourless, gluten-free, hearty loaf that is just delicious. Serve with a classic heirloom tomato-basil salad, an assortment of cheese and sausages, and some fresh blueberries.

Weeknight Reality: A multi-grain loaf from the grocery bakery, sliced, spread with goat cheese and topped with cherry tomatoes and basil, served with a platter of sliced, grilled sausages and a green salad with seasonal herbs and fruit (blueberries, mint, peaches, perhaps) will leave plenty of time to make these easy chocolate cupcakes, topped with fresh whipped cream instead of frosting.

Need a Miracle: Aidell’s sausages are our go-to brand; all varieties are tasty, and they’re free of nitrates. For the tomato salad, toss some cherry tomatoes, halved, in olive oil, lemon juice, salt and basil (or prepared pesto). Add pre-cut fruit, a box or two of Raincoast Crisps, a log of goat cheese and some cupcakes from the bakery, and you’re set.

Jerk

July 22, 2015October 7, 2019Leave a comment

Before walking away from the idea that eating spicy food in hot weather actually helps keep you cool, at least give it a try. A traditional Jerk-style marinade works on everything from turkey to tofu. In our house we like boneless, skinless chicken thighs (used in most of the recipe links below), but substitute whatever suits you and your people. Most preparations call for at least two hours’ worth of marinating time. The longer the better, for sure, but on a busy weeknight sometimes 30 minutes just has to work.

Love to Cook: These Jerk Chicken Bites and these Caribbean Chicken & Pineapple Kebabs are variations on the same theme; although the list of ingredients for the marinade is long in both recipes, the actual preparation is pretty simple. For a cool companion dish, try a salad with this no-oil/no-cream avocado-citrus dressing.

Weeknight Reality: Ok, so the marinade’s the thing. This version, prepared in a blender, can be used to marinate and coat whatever protein you pick. Again, the longer the marinating time, the richer the flavor. For the salad, toss chopped avocado and fresh greens in a lime-cilantro dressing like this one.

Need a Miracle: Your go-to miracle dinner, the rotisserie chicken, to the rescue: toss shredded chicken in some bottled sauce and served atop a green salad with fresh avocado slices.

Creole

July 21, 2015July 21, 2015Leave a comment

Shrimp Skewers | Creole Caesar Salad

It’s summer and it’s hot, so might as well add some spice.

Love to Cook: If you have the time, talent and inclination, Brennan’s Creole Martini Caesar Salad ought to delight you – for the fried crabmeat olives if nothing else. The recipe serves six as a first course or 2-4 as dinner (on plates, not martini glasses), topped with grilled shrimp, marinated or brushed with some spicy Cajun seasoning.

Weeknight Reality: This salad recipe is a bit easier, provided you have the ingredients on hand. Or you could make a standard Caesar salad and top with Grilled Garlic Cajun Shrimp.

Need a Miracle: How about this: chilled cocktail shrimp, tossed in Creole dressing, served on any green you choose with a side of toasted bread.

What’s up the rest of the week?