Strawberry Sour Cream Ice Cream

I am desperately holding on to summer.

After such a horrendous, record-breaking, housebound winter...

followed by a cold, rainy spring...

*sigh*

I just haven't fully recovered yet.

(Yes, I'm being dramatic...but winter is dramatic too, which is why we don't get along.

Opposites attract, right?)

Anyway, I found myself panicking this morning when I woke up to not only a cold house, 

but also a baby with a cold. :(

(Summer, are you really leaving me?)

So, to aid me in my grief as I hesitantly bid summer farewell, 

I'm sharing a delightful summer recipe I made on a recent family visit.

...So speaking of opposites, let's talk sweet strawberries and, well, sour sour cream.

A((n) opposite) match made in heaven.

It's definitely rich,

so only a few dainty bites are needed to satisfy even the greatest of ice cream desires.

...

On second thought, my dad was able to have several not-so-dainty bites...

but he is the exception.  :)

(Love you, Dad.)

Summer, I miss you already.

Strawberry Sour Cream Ice Cream
Adapted from The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz
Makes about 1 1/4 quarts


1 lb fresh strawberries, washed, hulled, & sliced
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup sour cream
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp freshly-squeezed lemon juice

Combine strawberries & sugar in a bowl and stir until the sugar begins to dissolve.  Cover and let stand at room temperature for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

In a blender or food processor, pulse the strawberries (and their liquid) with the sour cream, heavy cream, and lemon juice until almost smooth but still chunky.

Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, then freeze in ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Summer Squash Bake

*Side note:  I just made crispy yam & black bean burritos the other day and served them with plain yogurt and mango salsa...and...let me tell you, it was divine!



Anyway,
you may have noticed that most of what I make is meatless.

However,
 this squash-bacon-cheese dish is a MUST-HAVE for me every summer.
At least once.

Lucky enough for me, my mom made it when we visited this summer (thanks, Mom!)

I told her I could live on this stuff.

That is, until I die of overconsumption of bacon.

A diagnosis I didn't learn in nursing school,

but,

what a way to go.

I literally buy bacon once or twice...maybe three times a year...and this recipe indubitably makes it onto the reasons-to-buy-bacon list.

I've loved that word, indubitably, ever since I learned it from Schoolhouse Grammar Rock (watch it and it'll be the best three minutes of your life).

Lolly, lolly, lolly get your adverbs here...

Anybody with me?

Summer Squash Bake

From my mother
6 side dish servings

8 cups sliced yellow summer squash

6 slices bacon

1 onion, chopped

2 large eggs

1 cup cottage cheese

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

2 Tbsp flour

1 tsp chicken bouillon

Cook sliced squash in large pot until fork-tender; drain.  Meanwhile, cook bacon until crispy.  Remove bacon from pan, add chopped onion to bacon drippings, and cook onion until soft.  Roughly chop or crumble bacon into pieces (about 1/2-inch pieces).

In a large bowl, beat the eggs, then add rest of ingredients, including the bacon pieces and cooked onion.  Add the cooked & drained squash.

Bake in a casserole dish (2-quart size) at 350 for 25-30 minutes.  Let sit for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Baked Zucchini Quesadillas + VICTORY

I.  Made.  It.
Through a whole summer in a mini kitchen using a mini oven, mini baking sheet, pseudo-freezer, yadda yadda yadda.

We arrived back home a couple days ago.
I walked in the house and kissed my Kitchenaid.

Just kidding.
Kind of.

Just wait till you see what will be coming out of of that Kitchenaid this fall and you'll see how much you missed it too!

Ahem.

Back to business.

This is a simple recipe for those who have garden zucchini growing out of their ears!

It's super versatile; switch up the veggies or cheese for whatever you have in your fridge and you're bound to be as pleased as punch.

I mean, pleased as quesadillas...?
Whatever, I'm just glad to have my Kitchenaid back.

Baked Zucchini Quesadillas

6 servings

2 Tbsp olive oil, plus more for brushing

1 small red onion, chopped

1/2-1 tsp salt (to taste)

1 tsp ground cumin

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 small zucchini (about 1 lb), halved lengthwise & thinly sliced crosswise

1 cup frozen corn kernels

2 big handfuls fresh baby spinach

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, minced

4 (8-in) 100% whole wheat flour tortillas

2 cups grated pepper jack

Preheat oven to 400. In a large skillet, heat 2 Tbsp oil over medium heat. Add onion, salt, & cumin and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft (5 minutes). Add garlic & cook for another minute.

Add zucchini, corn, and spinach. Cook, stirring occasionally, until zucchini & corn are soft and spinach is wilted. Remove from heat.

Brush one side of each tortillas with olive oil. Lay two of them, oil side down, on a baking sheet. Divide zucchini mixture & cheese between both. Place remaining two tortillas on top with oil side up. Gently press down with a spatula to seal.

Bake for 5 minutes, flip them over, and bake for another 5 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve with sour cream & salsa, if desired.

Tomato Basil Pasta

Can you just smell that fresh basil??

MmmmMmm!

Every summer when I get a huge bunch of fresh basil from the farmer's market (for $1.00!), I have to make this family-favorite recipe. It was originally called "pink pasta," but I, uh, changed the name. And the recipe.

This is one of those select recipes where I allow myself to use half-and-half (the original actually calls for cream, if you want to use that).

Tomato-Basil Pasta

5 servings

2 14-oz cans diced tomatoes

1/2 cup loosely-packed fresh basil leaves

3 Tbsp butter

1/2 cup half-and-half

1/4 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese (or pecorino romano or combination)

10 oz. whole-wheat pasta (pictured is whole-grain pasta)

Drain one can of diced tomatoes, set aside. Combine the other can (with liquid) with fresh basil leaves and puree (in a blender, food processor, or immersion blender).

Place your nose about an inch away from puree. And. Inhale.

Meanwhile, melt butter in sauce pan over low heat. Add basil/tomato puree & drained tomatoes; cook over medium-high heat until thickens (10 minutes or so). Add half-and-half and cheese. Continue cooking until sauce is fairly thick.

Cook pasta until al dente; drain and toss with olive oil to prevent sticking. Serve by topping pasta with sauce, fresh basil, and more cheese if desired.

Whole-Wheat Couscous & Fruit Salad

Just imagine biting into crisp, juicy berries, crunchy, sliced almonds, and nutty--almost tangy--couscous.

Wow.

Well your dreams just became a reality.

This is another winner from Better Homes and Gardens. It was my first time cooking couscous, and I'll be honest--I was a little skeptical--but pleasantly surprised. :)

Super easy to make, too! Yumm-o summer side dish.

The only change I made was substituting green onion for the shallots...that's what I had in my fridge.

Whole-Wheat Couscous & Fruit Salad

4 servings

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 Tbsp orange juice

1 Tbsp cider vinegar

2 tsp finely chopped shallots

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

2 cups cooked whole-wheat couscous

1 cup chopped nectarine

1 cup mixed fresh berries (I used blueberries & raspberries)

2 Tbsp toasted, sliced almonds*

In a large bowl, whisk together oil, orange juice, vinegar, shallots, salt, & pepper. Add cooked couscous and fruit; gently toss to combine.

*Toasting almonds is easy! Just heat a dry skillet over medium-low heat, add almonds and cook while stirring, for about 2-3 minutes or until they are lightly browned and fragrant.

Red Bean & Rice Patties

Red beans, brown rice, and seasonings married together,

topped with fresh veggies,

all snuggled in between a toasted whole wheat bun.

Yum in my tum.

(...tum almost rhymes with bun...nevermind...)

This was my first experience making meatless patties...I thought it might be a total mess with the patties falling apart, but I was pleasantly surprised how well it all stuck together.

Try this lighter, much healthier version of this popular summer cuisine!

Red Bean and Rice Patties

slightly adapted from Better Homes & Gardens

1 15-oz can no-salt-added red kidney beans, rinsed & drained

1/2 cup finely chopped white onion

1/4 cup finely chopped celery

1/4 cup whole wheat bread crumbs

2 Tbsp cilantro, chopped

2 large (or three small) cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

3/4 cup cooked brown rice

4 whole wheat hamburger buns, toasted

In a medium bowl, coarsely mash beans with a fork. Stir in the rest of the ingredients, except for the rice. When thoroughly mixed, add in rice. Divide mixture into four equal portions and roll into balls. Smash down and shape into 1/2-inch thick patties. Place onto preheated, lightly greased skillet over medium heat. Cook for about 10 minutes or until heated through, turning over once. Serve on toasted hamburger buns with your favorite toppings.

Our favorite toppings are olive oil mayo, fresh spinach leaves, avacado slices, tomato slices, and red onion slices.

Whole Wheat Pasta Salad with Homemade Dressing

I am still living in jacket-weather.

And we're nearing the end of June.

Seriously.

So, to combat the grossness outside, I made something yummy:

The perfect summer pasta salad.

(Take that, yucky-cold-rainy-44-degree-weather!)

And this one's good, trust me. It's not covered in a bunch of globby mayo or sugar-infested dressing.

Simply fresh and lovely.

I slightly adapted the dressing recipe from allrecipes.com.

As for the pasta and veggies, I used whole wheat rotini and whatever vegetables I had in the fridge and added some creamy feta. This could easily be your clean-out-the-produce-drawer go-to recipe! :)

(I didn't exactly measure the veggies...just throw in whatever looks good.)

Makes about 8 servings

Dressing:

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

3 cloves fresh garlic, minced

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

Salad:

8 oz. whole wheat rotini pasta

1 small cucumber, thinly sliced

1 handful cherry tomatoes, quartered

3-4 carrots, sliced

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced

4 oz. feta cheese, crumbled

Place all dressing ingredients into a closed container and shake to combine (this can be made ahead and refrigerated; I think refrigerating also gives it more flavor).

Cook pasta according to directions, let cool, and mix in prepared veggies & cheese. Pour dressing over salad and toss to coat. Refrigerate for a few hours or overnight before serving.

...I think I can smell summer coming...