Ready to Cook Up Some Fresh Summer Fare?!?

We had the funnest Summer Fare night at my house for RS... Food demos & sampling were what it was all about and it turned out to be a blast.  I learned a lot and had a great time socializing with the 50+ people here.  Mysti showed how to make a salsa with canned tomatoes (incredible- you must try- this has been my favorite recipe for years!), Kelly Beeson gave us the in's and out's of fresh salsa which was super informative and tasty, and Susie did two great demo's on refried beans (AMAZING!) and easy yummy guacamole.  Below is the handout and recipes!  Wish I had taken pics of everything but oh well... :-)  And the pic above was before the party started and I didn't get one of it brimming over with tasty food!

Yay for Spring & Summer Fare!

Such an important part of nurturing and being a mom or Grandma is bringing to the table fresh and healthy meals for your family.  Make mealtime important at your home!

Think Fresh!

·      Local in season produce…

·      Lots of fresh fruits and veggies to incorporate in meals! 

·      Superstition Farmers Market, Sprouts, The Backyard Farmer, Bountiful Baskets…

Think Healthy!

·      Great time of year to eat healthy because of all these in season fruits and vegetables!  Fresh yummy salads, salsas, fruits and veggies with every meal…

·      Grilling is a great way to eat healthy…

·      Dips and dressings are great for veggies and salads and we need to think healthy when for these too…

·      Making your own dressing/dips is so much healthier than the processed store bought kind!

·      Add cottage cheese for half sour cream in Dips Ranch and serve with veggies… Blend cottage cheese with milk for a ranch dressing instead of using mayonnaise…

Think Kids!

·      Kids are home for the summer!  If they aren’t already helping with setting the table, cleaning up after dinner, etc. assign them each a night!

·      Whether boy or girl they can be assigned a dinner night – so they can be in charge of cooking!  Great life skill to learn.. and great time spent together!

·      Teach them how to shop at the grocery store since you have them home so much in the summer! How to find best produce, best prices, look for expiration dates, etc.  Let them each choose a fruit of their own instead of a candy bar!

·      Let them make their own sandwich for lunch… they will most likely have fun doing it and eat more of it because they made it themselves!

·      If they are too little to be in charge of a dinner let them help with something… fruit kabobs… or putting napkins on the table… they love feeling like they are helping and are a part of things!

Think Fun!

·      Picnics at the park- egg salad sandwiches and chicken salad sandwiches are super yummy to pack for that…

·      Dinner up the canyon- tin foiled dinners, hoagies, dutch oven dinners are such a fun way to appreciate the out of doors and be together as a family! Smores by the fire

·      Fruit kabobs! A fun and yummy way to get kids to eat lots of fruits… and they love making them!

·      Bananas with peanut butter… 

·      Homemade fruit and yogurt parfait’s

·      Homemade sorbets… homemade fruit slushes… homemade popsicles… homemade fruit leather… root beer floats…

·      Summertime is a great time for blending up healthy and fresh and delicious smoothies.  Whether for breakfast or snack or dessert, smoothies are really easy and super versatile!

♥ SLOP ♥

Kim Dover

3 oranges, peeled OR 1 cup OJ

1/2 lime, sliced

1 cup pineapple, chopped and frozen

2-3 handfuls Spinach

1 handful of ice

Place ingredients in blender in order listed. Turn on and increase to high. Blend well. (Add 1/2 cup water too if you need it!)

♥ Bacardi Smoothies ♥

Kim Dover

1 Bacardi Mixer (Strawberry Daquari our fav!)

1 can Fresca

1 handful ice

Whatever frozen or fresh fruit we have on hand!

Just add fruit to taste/desired consistency. We love adding everything from berries and mangos to peaches and pineapples. The kids love helping make these and each adding their own choice of fruit. Gerron even loves to squeeze a lime in for a little kick.  Great for movie nights with popcorn too! ;-) NOTE: Bacardi Mixers are found in the Freezer section by frozen juices and are NOT alcoholic.

♥ Orange Smoothie ♥

Kim Dover

2 oranges, peeled and seeded

2 TBS sugar (can substitute Stevia etc)

4 cups ice

Place all ingredients in blender in order listed. Secure lid. Turn on blender and increase speed to high. Blend until smooth if you want a smoothie, or blend until four lump mounds form in mixture for sorbet! Serve immediately. (We love adding fresh strawberries too!)

♥ Mysti's Salsa ♥

Mysti Brown

28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes

1- 8 oz can tomato sauce

1- 4 oz can diced green chiles

1 bunch chopped green onions

1/2 bunch cilantro

3 diced hot chili peppers (they come in a jar)

1 tsp salt

3-4 TBS sugar

2 diced avocados

In a blender throw in all the ingredients except for the avocados. Pulse a few times so that it is all chopped up. Pour into a bowl and then add the avocados. Refrigerate!

♥ Guacamole ♥

Susie Dover

Avacodos (as many as you would like)

Herdez brand Salsa Verde(comes in 16oz glass bottle)

Chopped tomatos(optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

Mix/smash avacodos in a bowl then gently stir in chopped tomatos and then add around half of the Salsa Verde or to taste, the more you add, the more of a kick it will have!  Season with salt and pepper.

♥ PINTO BEANS ♥

Susie Dover

2-3 cups cleaned pinto beans

Water

2-3 tsp salt

3-4 TBS honey

Shredded Cheese

Cayenne Pepper

Add 2-3 cups of cleaned pinto beans in a crock pot.  Fill to within 1" of top with water. Cook on high for 6-8 hours, stir occasionally. Stir in 2-3 tsp of salt and 3-4 TBSP of honey at end of cooking.  Turn crock pot off and let beans sit for 10-15 min to soak up the flavor of honey and salt.  Then transfer all of the beans and some of the liguid into a large bowl.  Add shredded cheese and cayenne pepper to taste.  Either mash them with a masher or mix them up with a hand mixer.  If you prefer not to mash them into refried beans, you can eat them as a soup with spanish rice!

♥ Kelly’s Basic Salsa ♥

Kelly Beeson

3 cups ripe tomatoes, chopped

1/4 white onion, chopped (more, if you cook your onion)

1/2-1 jalapeno or serrano, minced (more, if your peppers are mild)

6 cilantro sprigs, chopped

1-2 garlic cloves, minced

Juice of 1 lime

1/2 teaspoon salt

To assemble the salsa, I use the food processor. 

Start with an onion. Don't chop it too finely, or they get watery and taste very strong in the salsa. Cook them for a few minutes on the stove top in olive oil. Finely chop your garlic, and throw it in the pan with the onion for just a minute. Remove from heat. Sometimes I will chop a little extra raw onion to add at the end. The cooked and raw have very different flavors.

Next, process your tomatoes. Blend some more than others, so you get both sauce and chunks.  I like to use Roma and cherry tomatoes. They are fleshier, so my salsa doesn't get too watery. If you use other tomatoes, squeeze out a little liquid before you chop them, before you add the other ingredients.

How many tomatoes you use depends on the variety and size.  Put tomatoes aside in a separate bowl.

Next, remove seeds (and membranes, too, depending on the heat) of your peppers. I like serranos best, but I will use anything I can find in my garden or in the produce area at the 99 cent store! Even regular bell peppers make a great addition, although they taste better in combination with something hotter. If you are using regular jalepeños, you might only need one or less. You can also roast your peppers in the oven, to lessen the heat, and give the finished salsa a smoky flavor. Remember to use gloves! How many you chop really depends on how hot your peppers are and how hot you like your salsa. Process peppers a little, then add cilantro to the bowl of the processor and chop again. (The peppers help the cilantro chop more smoothly.)

Add onion/garlic to the tomatoes. Add pepper/cilantro mixture a little at a time, tasting in between until you get the right amount of heat. Add some salt and lime juice, then let it sit for a few minutes, and try it again. It will get saltier and spicier as it sits, so don't oversalt at the beginning! Too hot? Add more tomato!

Your salsa will taste best after a few hours in the fridge!

♥ Cowboy Caviar ♥

Melinda Anderson

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons lime juice

1/2 teaspoons tabasco hot sauce

2 tablespoon olive oil

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 firm-ripe avocado (about 10 oz.)

1 can (15 oz.) black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained

1 can (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed and drained

1 can (11 oz.) corn kernels, drained

2/3 cup thinly sliced green onions

2/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 pound Roma tomatoes, chopped

Salt

1 bag (6 oz.) tortilla chips or 2 cups finely shredded cabbage

In a large bowl, mix vinegar, hot sauce, oil, lime juice and pepper. Peel, pit, and cut avocado into 1/2-inch cubes. Add to vinegar mixture and mix gently to coat. Drain and rinse beans and corn. Add beans, corn, onions, cilantro, and tomatoes to avocado; mix gently to coat. Add salt to taste. Serve mixture with chips as an appetizer, or add cabbage and mix to make a salad.

♥ French Cream ♥

Lori Henningson

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese

1 cup powdered sugar

1 cup whipping cream

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 lemon, zested and juiced

Pineapple juice

Soften cream cheese and then whip with powdered sugar. Whip cream and sugar together until it forms soft peaks. Combine beaten cream cheese, whipped cream, lemon juice and zest; continue to beat, adding just enough pineapple juice to achieve desired consistency. Serve with fresh fruit tray or fruit salad.

♥ LAYERED CARIBBEAN CHICKEN SALAD ♥

Kay Scott

Salad:

4 cups torn romaine lettuce

3 cups cut-up chicken

1 can (15 oz.) black beans, drained, rinsed (Sometimes I use 2 cans)

1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes

2-3 ripe medium mangoes, peeled & chopped

Dressing:

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup lime juice

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 Tbsp. sugar

3/4 tsp. salt

dash of ground cinnamon

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

In a 3-qt. glass trifle bowl, layer lettuce, chicken, black beans, tomatoes and mangoes. in jar with tight-fitting lid, shake dressing ingredients. Drizzle over salad; serve immediately.  Or, cover and refrigerate salad and dressing separately up to 4 hours (make sure chicken is completely cooled before doing this so the lettuce doesn't get soggy on the bottom); drizzle salad with dressing just before serving.

Note: Sometimes I double the dressing, and marinate the chicken (with a little extra salt and pepper) in it for an hour or so before grilling. It turns out tender and flavorful.