Crisp Apple Tuna Salad

This tuna salad has a bright, fresh flavor. It is easy on the waistline, too. Serve with fresh tomatoes or in a pita wrap for a delicious light lunch.

Ingredients:

12 oz. canned albacore tuna, drained
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 cup baby spinach leaves, packed
1 granny smith apple
1/2 tbs. fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp. dried ground coriander
salt & pepper to taste

Place well-drained tuna in a medium mixing bowl. Chop celery into 1/4 inch dice and add. Roll spinach leaves together and slice thinly into strips. Place in mixing bowl and toss with the tuna and celery. Core and dice apple into 1-inch pieces. In a separate mixing bowl, toss apple pieces with lemon juice. Add to tuna mixture. Sprinkle all with coriander, salt and pepper, and toss thoroughly.

Enjoy!

Honey-glazed Apple Barbecue Chicken

Our family loves the combination of sweet and smoky when we make barbecue. Here is an easy recipe to make in the oven or on the grill.

Ingredients:

6 chicken legs or thighs, bone-in
2 tbs. honey
2 tbs. prepared barbecue sauce, we use KC Masterpiece Original
1 tsp. hot brown mustard
1 tsp. dried thyme
ground black pepper to taste
(use a pinch of red pepper flakes if you like more heat)
1 granny smith apple

Rinse chicken pieces and pat dry. In a medium bowl, combine honey, barbecue sauce, mustard, thyme and pepper. Coat chicken pieces with mixture and lay on a large piece of aluminum foil. Rinse, core, and slice apple. Place slices on top of chicken. Pour on the remaining sauce. Make a foil packet by covering with a second piece of foil and folding all four sides up about 1 inch. Fold each side again twice to seal packet. Carry foil packet on a large cookie sheet. Transfer from sheet to preheated oven and bake at 375 degrees for 60-75 minutes or grill for 60-90 minutes. (Note: for the last 30 minutes of grilling, it may be helpful to slide cookie sheet back under foil packet to prevent scorching.)

Enjoy!

Tart Cherry Cobbler

Michigan tart cherries are the best in the world (in my humble opinion.) We have used thawed frozen cherries in this recipe, a great alternative to fresh if you have missed the short June-July cherry season. Our cobbler contains no starchy thickener, so the cherry layer remains juicy and delicious.

Ingredients:

5 cups tart cherries, pitted (with juice)

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. almond extract

1/2 cup sugar

3 sticks butter, divided

2 eggs

1 cup milk

3 cups flour

4 tsp. baking powder

3/4 cup additional sugar

1/2 tsp. additional salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Measure cherries and juice into a large bowl. Add salt, almond extract, and sugar. Mix thoroughly and set aside. Melt one stick of butter (8 tbs.) and pour it into a 9X13 glass baking dish. Swish the butter around to coat the dish. Pour the cherry mixture into a buttered pan, using a spatula to spread the cherries in an even layer.

Melt the remaining 2 sticks (16 tbs.) butter. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs and milk. Slowly drizzle warm butter into egg mixture, whisking constantly so the eggs don't curdle. Set wet ingredients aside.

In a large mixing bowl, blend remaining dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, 3/4 cup sugar, and 1/2 tsp. salt. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour wet ingredients into center. Using a wooden spoon or sturdy spatula, gently mix the dry into the wet ingredients until fully incorporated. Evenly drop large spoonfuls of dough (like dumplings) overtop of the cherry mixture. The cherries should not be entirely covered.

To catch any overspill during baking, place a large cookie sheet onto the oven rack where you will bake your cobbler. Rest cobbler on the baking sheet and slide into preheated oven. Bake 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the dumpling layer comes out clean. Cool 20 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

Julia's Greek Tomato Salad

It is August, and fresh, ripe tomatoes are coming out of the garden by the armful. This is one of my favorite ways to enjoy them.

















Ingredients:

3 cups raw baby spinach leaves
5 Roma tomatoes
1 tbs. scallion
20 Kalamata olives
2 tbs. Pesto Presto

Wash and drain spinach. Chop roughly and place in a medium sized mixing bowl. Dice tomatoes and add, with seeds and pulp. Finely slice 1 tbs. of scallion green and roughly chop olives. Toss with spinach and tomatoes. Add pesto and mix thoroughly to distribute throughout salad.

Enjoy!

Julia's Pesto Presto

Summer is the time of year for fresh herbs and my basil plants are looking beautiful! There are few things so amazingly flavorful as fresh basil pesto; I simply love it. The addition of lemon helps to brighten the pesto a bit and to loosen the consistency without adding too much oil. Try it with my Greek Tomato Salad -- it's fantastic!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup pine nuts
50 leaves fresh basil
1 large clove garlic
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 tbs. olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 tsp. salt
pepper to taste

In small food processor, pulse pine nuts, garlic and basil. Add cheese and pulse again. The pesto should seem too dry, but be well-blended. Add oil, one tablespoon at a time, pulsing after each addition. Add lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth.

Enjoy!

Joe's Gold Medal Chili

Joe made this chili yesterday, as we were hit with a patch of unseasonably cool weather. When the temperature gets down into the 50's in August, you know it's time for a recipe like this one. It has nice kick, so spare the chiles if you mind the heat.

Ingredients:

2.5 lbs boneless beef chuck roast, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 medium onion, diced
10 dried red chiles, minced, with seeds
2 fresh jalapeno peppers, sliced, with seeds
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1 can (29 oz.) tomato puree
29 oz. water (use empty tomato can)
60 oz. canned pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 tbs chili powder
1 tbs cumin
1/2 tbs dried oregano
1/2 tbs dried basil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
peanut oil

In heavy stockpot, heat 1/8 inch peanut oil over highest heat. When hot, add beef and brown, stirring constantly. When beef is almost done, add garlic, onion, chiles and bell pepper. Stir and cook 1-2 minutes more. Add tomatoes, water, beans and stir. Add chili powder, cumin, oregano, basil, salt & pepper. Stir thoroughly and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered 1-2 hours.

Enjoy!

Brandied Plum Sauce

This is the best time of year for plums. They are plentiful and fresh and everywhere. We love to slice them up and eat them raw, but last night I was searching for a way to enjoy them cooked. This is what we came up with. Joe had it on vanilla ice cream last night, and this morning I tried it on Saturday French Toast (even though it is Thursday). It was truly delicious.

Ingredients:
2 fresh black plums
1 tbs water
1 tbs sugar
1-2 tsp brandy

Working carefully over a small saucepan, peel one of the plums, pit it, and quarter it. Leave the skin on the other, pit and quarter it. (Working over the saucepan ensures that you don't lose any of the tasty juice.) Place plum slices into the saucepan. Add water and 1/2 tsp sugar. Bring to a boil, turn down and simmer, uncovered for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally, gently mashing the plum slices with your spoon. The skins in the mixture will give the plum sauce a beautiful red color. After the 10 minutes, fish them out and discard. Add the remaining 1/2 tsp sugar and stir, cooking an additional minute or two. Turn off the heat. Add your brandy, 1/2 tsp at a time, stirring and tasting as you go, until the sauce suits your taste.

Enjoy!

NanaJane's Easy Banana Pudding Pie

I remember my mother making this dessert in the summer. She let me help with it, and by the time I was about eight years old, I could make it all by myself. It's that easy. Now, I let my kids make it, too. It's a fun, cool treat for a hot summer evening.

Ingredients:

16-20 Honey Graham Crackers
1 package instant banana pudding
1 package instant vanilla pudding
3-4 ripe bananas
4 cups cold milk
1 cup whipping cream
1 tbs sugar

Break graham crackers into small rectangles. Peel and slice bananas. In an ungreased 9x13 pan, lay graham crackers in a single layer. Top with a single layer of banana slices. Whisk together banana pudding and 2 cups cold milk for 5-7 minutes, or until soft-set. Pour gently over graham crackers and bananas, being careful not to disturb layers. Refrigerate for 15-20 minutes. Remove the pan from the refrigerator and place another layer of graham crackers on top of the pudding. Top with another layer of banana slices. Prepare vanilla pudding the same way you did the banana pudding. Pour gently on top and refrigerate at least 30 minutes. Just before serving, whip cream and sugar to stiff peaks. Serve in squares, topped with sweetened whipped cream.

Enjoy!

Handy Trail Mix

Our family does a lot of hiking. When we're out on a hot day, having a trail mix that won't go stale or melt is a must! And now that school is starting, Handy Trail Mix makes a good classroom snack, too. It holds up great in lunches and packs a balance of protein and carbs to keep my kids going through the day.

Ingredients:

1 cup unsalted peanuts
1 cup lightly salted peanuts
1 cup raisins
1 box (14 oz.) low-fat granola cereal
12 oz. mixed dried fruit (I use the "Fit & Active" brand from Aldi)

Measure out ingredients and pour into a large mixing bowl. (I have my kids do this -- it's great practice at measuring.) Mix thoroughly with clean hands. (Another kid job!) Store in a gallon-sized ziploc bag or other airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

*Note: I use a dixie cup or 1/2 cup scoop to measure out servings. It's just enough to fit in a snack-size bag for my children's classroom or lunchbox.

Buttery Homemade Biscuits

We love these biscuits for breakfast or with soups and stews. My children break them open and eat them with honey. They are flaky and light and delicious.

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
5 tbs. shortening
3 tbs cold salted butter
2/3 to 2/4 cups cold milk

Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Mix flour, baking powder and salt. Cut in the shortening and butter with two knives or a pastry blender until the mixture has lumps the size of peas. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in 1/2 cup milk. Mix it in quickly with a fork, distributing the liquid to as much of the mixture as possible. Gradually add more milk as you mix until the dough will just start to hold together. Turn the dough onto a floured pastry cloth or board and knead, very gently, only 6-8 times. Roll out the dough to 1/2 inch thick and cut biscuits into desired shape. Try to get them all the same height and size for even cooking. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet, no more than 1/2 inch apart. Bake 12-14 minutes, until they are golden-brown. Serve hot.

Enjoy!

Dominic's "Muscallion" Beef

When Dominic was very young, he would gobble down this dish. He called it "Muscallion Beef" (for whatever reason). It is actually marinated flank steak cooked under the broiler. Even though he is much older, we still make it and he still wolfs it down. Even the leftovers make the best Italian beef sandwiches you've ever tasted.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup good red wine (serve the rest with dinner)
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbs fresh oregano
1 tsp salt
ground black pepper to taste
2 bay leaves
2 tbs. olive oil
2-3 lb. flank steak

In a small food processor, blend garlic, oregano, salt and pepper. Add wine and olive oil and stir thoroughly. Place the marinade in a gallon-sized ziploc bag. Add bay leaves and flank steak. Refrigerate overnight. Broil under high heat 5-7 minutes per side. Let meat rest 10 minutes before slicing thinly across the grain.

Enjoy!