Hot Summer Night Gazpacho
I'm lovin' the summer. The longer days, the joy and challenges of outdoor summer theatre, the opportunities for beer and barbecues make for memorable experiences. I must confess, however, that as much as I love running around barefoot in my cute summer clothes, the hot weather tends to make me a bit lazy in terms of cooking. Who wants to stand over a hot stove when temperatures are getting into the 90s and 100s? But a girl's got to eat, right? Let me introduce you to one of my all-time favorite quick and easy summer meals. This cold summer soup is refreshing and filling without being heavy. Full of veggies and a bit a spicy zip, its perfect no matter how hot it gets!
Ingredients
- 1 32 oz. bottle mixed vegetable juice (such as V-8)
- 1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced
- 1 small red onion, diced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely diced
- 4 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
- 1 tsp. hot sauce
- 1-2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
- juice from 1 lemon
- 1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
- 3Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp. of sugar
- salt and pepper to taste
- avocado slices
Placed prepped vegetables in a large Tupperware container. Season with sugar, lemon juice, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, olive oil, and vinegar. Stir to combine and pour in vegetable juice. Stir to combine all ingredients. Season with salt and pepper and extra hot sauce to taste. Refrigerate until cold. Serve with avocado slices. Yum! It gets better after a day in the fridge when the ingredients have time to meld together. So good. So fast!
Cornmeal Crusted Trout Fillets with a Simple Springtime Salad
After my four days of Midwest fried food and beer indulgence (and last night's rather rich mac n' cheese) I was definitely in the mood for something on the lighter side. One of my favorite quick and healthy go-to recipes is a nice piece of seared salmon over a bed of baby greens and a homemade balsamic dressing. With this tasty thought in mind, I headed to my local Whole Foods seafood section to find that the usually exorbitantly priced salmon was . . . well, even more exorbitantly priced. At over $20 for a pound of this delicious fish I found, to my surprise, that there was something that would come between me and one of my favorite meals . . . and that thing was $20. Not easily discouraged when it comes to creating yummy food to put in my face, I scanned the fish selection for a more moderately priced option. Ahhh, trout. Yeah, it's trout- nothing to usually write home about, but I thought I'd give it a try. Simple, white, fleshed, and incredibly cheap. I walked away with a large $2 fillet figuring I would use a typical lemon-butter treatment on the fish and call it done. Later, while surveying the cupboards, however, inspiration hit! The cornmeal crust adds a light, crisp texture to the tender fillet. This dinner was a snap to throw together and perfectly paired with a (big) glass of sauvignon blanc. It's good stuff served atop my simple salad, but try it in colder months alongside potatoes and creamed spinach for a heartier meal. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 1 lb. trout fillets, 4 fillets with skin
- 1/2 c. medium ground cornmeal
- 1 tsp. paprika
- 1 tsp. red pepper flakes
- 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 egg, beaten
- 2 Tbsp. flour
- 10 oz. mixed baby greens
- 1 lb. fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
- 2 avocados, peeled, pitted, and sliced crosswise
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsp. honey
- 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
- 3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 c. exra virgin olive oil, plus extra for cooking the trout fillets
In a small bowl, whisk together garlic, honey, mustard, vinegar, and 1/4 c. olive oil. Season dressing with salt and pepper and set aside.
In a shallow dish, mix cornmeal, paprika, cayenne pepper, and pepper flakes until ingredients are combined. Season trout fillets with salt and pepper, dredge through flour then dip in beaten egg. Dredge fillets into cornmeal mixture until they are completely covered. Set aside.
In large skillet, heat olive oil over medium. Add fillets to pan and fry about 2 minutes per side until the cornmeal coating begins to turn golden brown. Remove fillets from pan and set aside. Divide greens among four plates and top with strawberries and sliced avocado. Dress with balsamic dressing and then top with trout. It's a pretty tasty dish!
Hot Summer Night Gazpacho
