Wilted Scallop and Spinach Salad

I’m on a wilted salad kick these days, they’re summery, easy, and I love the mix of warm and cold. Cut some red potatoes into half inch chunks and simmer in a pot of salted water until just tender. Drain and set aside.

Slice up some bacon and cook over medium heat in a large skillet with a little bit of olive oil. Next, add a minced shallot along with some sweet red pepper. When the bacon starts to brown stir in some bay scallops and minced garlic then cook until the scallops are cooked through. It doesn’t take long.

Immediately transfer the hot mixture, along with the potatoes, into a large bowl of raw spinach and toss with olive oil, lemon, and salt and pepper to taste.

Grilled Plums

Ice cream is a guaranteed crowd pleaser when it comes to dessert on a hot summer night, but if you’re looking to take it up a notch, serve it over some grilled plums. Slice into a firm plum with a chef’s knife until you feel the side of the pit, then continue around the entire diameter so you end up back where you started. With two hands, twist the plum apart at the cut and dig out the pit with a small paring knife.

Lightly oil the plum halves and dust them with a few pinches of cinnamon or cayenne pepper. Place them on a hot grill cut side up for a couple minutes, then flip and continue for another five. You want them caramelized on the outside and soft all the way through without being mushy. Serve immediately with ice cream.

Sweet Onion and Grapefruit Salsa

This salsa will make it feel more like summer than it already does.

Finely mince half of a large sweet onion, juice two limes, then stir the two together and let sit for at least twenty minutes. In the meantime, peel, seed, and cut a grapefruit into one inch chunks doing your best to preserve the juice, and chop a large handful each of mint and cilantro.

At least fifteen minutes before serving stir it all together, salt and pepper to taste, and pour it over some grilled fish or chicken.

Spinach Bacon Bean Dip

Bacon makes everything better, especially in July. Start by coarsely chopping a couple slices of thick cut smoked bacon and cook in a frying pan until crisp, remove and set on a paper bag to drain.

Using the same pan with the bacon fat, sauté a chopped shallot and four cloves of garlic. After a few minutes, stir in two cans of drained cannellini beans and cook for another five minutes over medium heat. Transfer the hot bean mixture to a large bowl and toss together with a bag of baby spinach.

Once it’s cooled down scrape the mixture into a food processor with half the bacon bits, a large pinch of red pepper flakes, or, a couple of shakes of your favorite hot sauce. While processing, stream in approximately a third of a cup of extra virgin olive oil until smooth. Then, salt and pepper to taste, garnish with the remaining bacon bits, and serve with crackers, a sliced baguette, or some toasted pita chips.

Radish Leaves

I’m loving the radishes at the Farmer’s market these days, and the leaves too. No need to let them go to waste, here are a few great things to do with them. But before trying any of them wash and dry the leaves well in cold water to remove any dirt.

The easiest option is to add them to a salad. This time of year the leaves are small and delicate and will make for a delicious peppery accent to most greens. As they get larger, coarser, and bitterer, it’s better to sauté them with olive oil and garlic until tender. Use them right away or stick them in the fridge for another time, they’ll keep for at least a week. They’re delicious as a room temperature side dish, or added to scrambled eggs, soup, or stew.

If you’re feeling more adventurous, try a radish leaf pesto, it’s definitely for lovers of all things bitter. For a less bitter pesto, use half radish and half spinach leaves. Happy summer!

Mint Chive Yogurt Sauce

Mint and chives are the best! Year after year they’re the first to reappear in the garden…with no effort required. I like to combine them with cucumber, garlic, and yogurt for a flavorful sauce that works on pork, lamb, chicken, or as a dip with toasted pita.

Peel a cucumber, cut it in half the long way, and then scrape the seeds from each half with a spoon. Finely chop the cucumber halves and combine in a bowl with a handful each of chopped mint and chives, two minced garlic cloves, one to two cups of plain yogurt, a splash of olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste.

For optimal flavor it’s best to prepare at least a few hours before serving. And don’t be shy about making lots, it’s great to have around, and will last for at least a week covered in the fridge.

Honey Butter Corn

Honey, butter, and corn…so good, so right. How could I not have thought of this combination before? In a small bowl blend together equal parts honey and softened butter with a fork, about a tablespoon of each per two ears of corn. Scrape the mixture from the bowl with a spatula and schmear it on the bottom of a large glass dish and set aside.

Husk your corn, then boil or barbeque to your liking. Once cooked, immediately roll the cobs in the butter mixture until generously coated, then salt and serve. For even more flavor, you could also add some garlic powder or a pinch of cayenne to the butter mixture.

Thai Bean Sprout Salad

I’ve been seeing bean sprouts regularly at the market these days, and they make for a refreshingly light and tasty salad. Peel, seed, and cube a medium cucumber and combine in a large bowl with a bag of bean sprouts, two chopped scallions, half a thinly sliced serrano pepper, some chopped peanuts, and a small handful of coarsely chopped cilantro leaves.

For the dressing, whisk the juice of a lime with two tablespoons of rice wine vinegar, a small splash of vegetable oil, a teaspoon of honey, and salt to taste. Because the bean sprouts will get soggy fast, gently toss the dressing into the salad immediately before serving.

Chili Roasted Swordfish

Wondering what to cook this holiday weekend? This swordfish makes for a special main course, or, appetizer. Preheat your oven to 400 then season your swordfish steaks liberally with salt and chili powder. Heat a teaspoon of oil in an oven proof pan over medium heat then brown the swordfish steaks for about a minute on each side. Transfer the pan to the oven and cook for approximately 8-10 minutes depending on the thickness. Serve with lemon or lime.

And if chili powder isn’t your thing, try using paprika, Old Bay, black pepper, or nearly any other ground spice.

Squash Risotto

With some cool nights in the forecast it still feels right to be stirring up a risotto, and roasting the squash first really brings out the nutty flavor.  Peel, seed, and cube a medium butternut squash, toss with some oil and salt, and roast in a 400 oven for 45 minutes or until it’s tender.

While the squash is cooking, heat up five cups of quality chicken or vegetable stock in a small pot.  In a large pan over medium heat, sauté a large chopped onion in a few tablespoons of butter or olive oil.  Once translucent, stir in a cup and a half of rice, and cook for another few minutes.  Next, add a cup of your stock, stirring occasionally, until completely absorbed.  Repeat with another cup of stock, after that’s absorbed, stir in the squash. 

Continue adding the remaining stock in one cup increments until the rice is al dente and creamy…approximately 25 minutes in total.  You may not end up using all of the stock. To finish, stir in another tablespoon of butter, a cup of grated parmesan cheese, and salt and pepper to taste. 

Spicy Beef with Cumin

This one is going to change your mind about cooking Chinese at home; it’s as good as the real thing. Put a 1 ¼ to 1 ½ pound flank steak in the freezer for twenty minutes, and then slice it thinly across the grain into two to three inch pieces. Next, peel and halve a large onion and slice into quarter inch wide pieces.

In a large bowl, combine approximately two tablespoons of ground cumin, a tablespoon each of soy sauce and cornstarch, two teaspoons of sesame oil, a teaspoon each of sugar, crushed red pepper flakes, and ground black pepper, half a teaspoon of kosher salt, and three tablespoons of vegetable oil. Add the meat and onion to the bowl and mix together until well coated. Set aside for fifteen minutes.

Put a bit of oil into a hot pan then add the meat and onions. Stir occasionally for about six minutes, and then add a quarter cup of chicken broth and a handful of cilantro leaves. Use a spatula to toss and scrape the bottom of the pan while cooking for another few minutes. Serve immediately.

Lentils and Leeks

When was the last time you made lentils? Exactly my point, I don’t make them nearly enough ether. And as far as last minute side dishes go, they have everything going for them; long shelf life, incredible value, quick and easy to prepare, and they go with nearly everything.

Stir a cup of dry brown lentils into a pot of lightly salted boiling water, simmer for approximately fifteen minutes, or until barely tender. In the meantime, sauté a chopped leak in some butter or oil over medium heat until the edges start to brown. Add three finely chopped garlic cloves, sauté another few minutes, then toss in the drained lentils. Stir occasionally for another five minutes, salt and pepper to taste, and serve.