Costa-Rican Hearts of Palm Salad + Burgers

Here in Montreal, it’s been hot and humid for the last 2 days.  This salad is perfect with this heat.  It’s cold and refreshing.  And the colors are great.

It’s great how our tastes can change as the years go by.  A few years ago I tried hearts of palm and artichokes and didn’t like that.  Now I like both in recipes.  I can’t say I’d eat hearts of palm and artichokes only plain.  Not sure yet.

Is there something you learn to like that you didn’t like before?  You can share recipes in the comments 😉

Here is the recipe for the salad :

Costa-Rican Hearts of Palm Salad
From Food.com
4 servings

• 2 (16 ounce) cans hearts of palm
• 1/3 cup choppedred bell pepper
• 1/3 cup chopped yellow bell pepper
• 1 tablespoon choppedparsley
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoonDijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons low sodium chicken broth (remove fat)
• 1 tablespoonolive oil
• ground pepper
• very small amount salt (optional) (I omitted it)
• lettuce leaf

• Drain the hearts of palm, cut them into ½-inch pieces, and put them into a large bowl.
• Stir in the red pepper, yellow pepper, and chopped parsley.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, mustard, chicken broth, and olive oil. Drizzle the dressing over the hearts of palm mixture and toss gently.
• Season to taste with salt (optional) and pepper.
• Line a serving bowl with lettuce leaves, spoon the salad on top and serve.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This salad would be perfect with a burger on the bbq 🙂  This recipe I made it 2 times in the last week.  It’s very simple and it had a really good taste.

Barbequed Cheddar Burgers
From Food.com
6-8 servings

• 3 1/2 lbs lean ground beef (I used 1 lb for 3 people)
• 1/2 cup barbecue sauce, purchased (since I used 1 lb of lean ground beef, I used only 1/8 cup of barbecue sauce)
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• cheddar cheese, grated

1. Mix first 5 ingredients and form into patties. Cook by preferred method and melt cheddar cheese on top.

I wish you all a nice summer.  Enjoy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I have to share with you that even in this heat, I’m knitting a hat with 100% wool.  I’ll be ready for winter 😀

Here is the pattern : Butterfly Hat

Went to the Orchard + Recipes

2 weeks ago we went to the Orchard to pick fresh apples.  We were back home with 18 pounds of Cortland apples.  My favorite are Empire but it was too early in the season.  So I’ll have to go back soon 😀  And also I used all these apples in these recipes :

Honey Roasted Applesauce (my son really liked this one)

Puffed Apple Pancake (so yummy, it was perfect for the mornings before going to work, just reheat in the microwave)

Crock Pot Applesauce (great taste, and the smell was amazing while cooking)

Scalloped Apples Ann (great dessert easy to do and not too sweet)

Apple Broccoli Salad (I used half yogurt and half light mayonnaise in it)

Applesauce and Peanut Butter Spread or Dip (this recipe is really good, I tried it on toasted bread this morning)

What are you favorite recipes with apples?  Please share 😀  I love apple pies and apple crisp.  I’ll have to do that soon 😀

**************************

I just added a button for Email subscription 😀

Recipes with fresh tomatoes

I have plenty of fresh tomatoes from my garden to use so I’m looking for different recipes.

I made a caprese salad yesterday.  Very simple and easy.  My boyfriend loved it.

I also made this cream of fresh tomato soup from the Barefoot Contessa that uses 4 lb of fresh tomatoes.  And it’s really yummy.

And last Friday night I made this Roasted Tomato Sauce.  So easy to do.  And the taste is great.  wow!  Next time I’ll double the recipe.

Roasted Tomato Sauce
From Food.com

6 servings

• 1 lb tomato
• 1/2 onion
• 6 garlic cloves
• 1/4 cup fresh basil
• olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 450.
2. Cut the tomatoes in half and dump them into a roasting pan or a baking sheet with sides.
3. Chop up half an onion and a few cloves of garlic per pan, or more if you like, and dump that in too.
4. Coarsely chop some fresh basil and add that.
5. Stir this all together and spread it out evenly; crowded is fine but no more than a single layer.
6. Drizzle on some olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
7. Roast for 20 minutes or until the tomatoes collapse and the skins look browned and wrinkly. Let the pan cool and then scrape everything into a blender or food processor and puree. Use or freeze.

Broccoli Salad

I don’t like raw broccoli.  I wanted to try this salad mostly because of the dressing.  And finally, I love this salad.  The dressing helps a lot for me.  It’s sweet.  My boyfriend doesn’t like it because he finds it too sweet.

Broccoli Salad
From RecipeZaar
6 servings

• 4 heads broccoli, chopped
• 1 medium red onion, chopped
• 3/4-1 cup raisins
• 6-8 slices bacon, chopped (or 2-3 tablespoons bacon bits)
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 4 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1. Mix all ingredients together.
2. It’s best if you refridgerate at least 2 hours before serving.

Some of my favorite food/drink photos

1. PMS Cure-All (Cocktail), 2. Brussels Sprouts & Apple Salad, 3. Lemon Squares with Cream Cheese – 90 calories, 4. Chop Soui from Ricardo, 5. Minestrone, 6. Halleluiah Waffles, 7. Stoli Spiced Pear Martini, 8. Maple Syrup Pie, 9. Hpnotiq Margarita, 10. Peanut Butter Maple Syrup, 11. Berks County Bread Machine Pizza Crust, 12. Baked Cranberry Nut Bread Oatmeal, 13. Millionaire’s Pie, 14. I’d Like a Baked Apple Right Now, 15. Avon Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting, 16. Apple Peanut Butter Cookies, 17. Warm Strawberries in Strawberry Sauce for Ice Cream, 18. Eight Animals Bake-a-cake Pineapple Upside down Cake, 19. Kellymac’s Baked Grapefruit, 20. Spinach Salad With Warm Maple Dressing, 21. Tomato and Garlic Crouton Salad, 22. Marinated Chicken, 23. Grilled Cheese with a Twist, 24. Creamy Clouds over Tranquil Turquoise Seas, 25. White Sangria

** I noticed that if you want the recipe, it brings you to my page on Flickr.  But then I authorize friends and family to see my photos. So you’ll have to add me and then I add you as friends**

Brussels Sprouts & Apple Salad

Last week I made this recipe from the Healthy Heart Cookbook from the American Medical Association.  It’s a great side-dish if you like the taste of plain yogurt.  My boyfriend didn’t like because of the yogurt.  I love the taste with the toasted walnuts and lemon zest.  Without that, it’s not the same.

Brussels Sprouts & Apple Salad
From Healthy Heart Cookbook

4 servings

• 2 tablespoons walnuts, chopped
• 1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons maple syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (I omitted it)
• 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 apple, halved, cored, and thinly sliced (I used a granny smith apple)
• 1/2 lb brussels sprouts, trimmed and quartered
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest, grated

1. Put the walnuts in a small, dry frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring often, until fragrant and lightly toasted, 3-5 minutes. Immediately transfer to a plate to cool and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, maple syrup, salt, pepper, and 1 teaspoon of the lemon juice. In a small bowl, toss the apple slices with the remaining 1 teaspoon lemon juice and stir into the yogurt mixture. Set aside.
3. In a saucepan fitted with a steamer basket, bring 1 inch of water to a boil. Add the brussels sprouts and steam until tender-crisp, about 4 minutes. Let cool slightly.
4. Add the brussels sprouts to the bowl with the yogurt mixture and apples and toss gently to coat.
5. Divide the salad among individual plates and sprinkle with the lemon zest and toasted walnuts. Serve immediately.

Healthy Salads

I don’t like all kinds of salads.  I don’t like bitter green, endives…  I like spinach but not in every way.

In this spinach salad, the dressing makes it really good.

Spinach Salad with Warm Maple Dressing
From RecipeZaar
4 servings

• 2 tablespoons chopped pecans
• 1 (10 ounce) package fresh spinach, torn or 12 cups baby spinach
• 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch slices (I didn’t peel it)
• 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup shredded smoked cheese (such as Gouda) or cheddar cheese (I used smoked Gouda, it makes it delish)

1. Toast pecans in a small dry skillet over low heat, stirring often, until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and let cool.
2. Toss spinach and cucumber in a salad bowl.
3. Heat oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Add shallot and cook, stirring, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add vinegar and maple syrup and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Immediately pour dressing over the spinach and cucumber. Toss well and sprinkle with cheese and toasted pecans.

********************************

I don’t like to eat plain tomatoes.  Even with salt and pepper on it, I don’t like.  It has to be in a recipe.  Last year I tried this recipe.  I loved it so much.  I made it last week.  I even doubled the recipe.

Sesame Tomato Salad
From RecipeZaar
1-2 serving

• 1 large ripe tomato, chopped
• 1-2 tablespoon mayonnaise (I always use Hellmans light, the one that has 40 calories per tablespoon)
• 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• salt (no salt for me)
• pepper (no pepper for me, it’s too good like that)
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds (optional)

1. Place the chopped tomato in a bowl. Mix in mayonnaise and sesame oil and mix. Salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle the toasted sesame seeds over the top.
2. Serve and enjoy!

**************************

There is a giveaway on the blog of Megan’s Munchies

First time trying Daikon

I found this recipe on The Kitchen Mouse.  At the fruit store, I already saw daikon but didn’t know what to do with that.  When I saw this simple recipe, I knew I had to try it.  In the recipe, I needed 5 inches of Daikon.  And the one I bought was near 10 inches and only 89 cents for this whole piece.  That’s not expensive.

Rutku-burkānu salāti (Daikon-Carrot Salad)

Daikon tastes like radishes but is not strong like some radishes.  I didn’t use cucumber in the salad cause I forgot to buy it.

So now I have to find a recipe for the remaining daikon I have in the fridge.  🙂