Category: Memorial Day

Strawberry Lime Corn Salad

done5Do you ever get sick of the same ole dinner night after night? I know, it’s probably not exactly “the same”, but getting stuck in a dinner time rut is so easy to do.  Tonight I made a BBQ Salsa Lime chicken and to go along with it, I decided to get creative!  Hence the Strawberry Lime Corn Salad was born…

This time of year is so wonderful for fresh fruits and veggies.  My kids both love strawberries and they both gobble up corn like you wouldn’t believe.  So, I decided to combine the two with a little panache.  I actually made this salad right outside by the grill while enjoying my family.  The kid’s played on the swings, my husband enjoyed a cold drink and I was chopping and dicing away (for about 5 minutes because it’s really that quick!)

If you are making your corn on the grill like I did, you will want to start off by timing it out so that your corn will have time to cool well before dinner, just so that you can handle it.  Another great way to make this ahead though is just to microwave your corn.  (To microwave corn: Don’t remove the husk at all, just place as is in the microwave for 3 minutes on high, then allow to cool for 5 minutes before shucking.) Microwaving is a great method for this particular salad because when you microwave corn, what you are doing is sucking all the sweet juice from the cob and pushing it all into the corn kernels; so, you end up with a very dry cob, but super juicy kernels.

Let’s get started:

Place corn on the grill about 1/2 hour before dinner… The corn itself will take about 15 minutes to cook, and then you can allow 5-10 minutes cooling time.

Grab some fresh strawberries, 6-8 or so.

Grab some fresh strawberries, 6-8 or so.

Dice up your strawberries. I would say a medium dice for a strawberry.

Slice up one scallion… discard the tip of the root and the tip of the top.

Add in your scallions.

Zest one lime.

Add your zest into the salad.

Add your zest into the salad.

Aren't those grill marks pretty? Allow this to cool a bit so that you can handle it with your hands. You'll need two ears of corn for this recipe.

Aren’t those grill marks pretty? Allow this to cool a bit so that you can handle it with your hands. You’ll need two ears of corn for this recipe.

Remove the kernels from the cob be carefully cutting down along the edge.

Add in your corn.

Now take that lime you just zested, cut it in half and add the juice from both halves right into the salad.

Now take that lime you just zested, cut it in half and add the juice from both halves right into the salad. Mix everything together.

 

done1

 

Recipe for Strawberry Lime Corn Salad:

(Serves 4-6)2 ears of corn, grilled, kernels removed from cob

6-8 fresh strawberries, diced

1 lime, zested and squeezed

1 scallion, chopped

1 splash white wine vinegar (about a Tbs.)

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a bowl.  Serve, enjoy!

*note – this recipe is gluten-free

**note – this recipe has no added salt

 

Rainbow Popcorn

done3

A good friend of mine had an “UP” themed birthday party for her little girl recently.  To highlight the theme she had rainbows, balloons and colors galore!  I decided to bring along my contribution to her party by whipping up a batch of this super colorful Rainbow Popcorn!

Not only is this popcorn colorful, but each color has a different flavor because to color the popcorn I used none other than a rainbow array of Jell-O.  You could adapt this, of course, to any theme you would like… If you are doing a ‘Lemonade Stand’ birthday party, then just use the yellow… If you are planning a ‘Smurf’ theme, then just the blue… the possibilities are endless.  This is a great activity for kids to help with too!  It’s not complicated at all.

Here are all the ingredients you will need.

Prepare 12 cups of plain popcorn. I did it over the stove with kernels… You might also want to try a plain bag of microwave popcorn… well several bags. Then place 5 cups of popcorn into a large bowl.

Pour half a can of sweetened condensed milk into a small sauce pan.

Pour half a packet of your chosen jello color into the pan.

Pour half a packet of your chosen jello color into the pan.

Mix well to distribute color.

Put the condensed milk mixture over low heat. If the burner is turned up too high, you'll get a burned pan like you see here.

Put the condensed milk mixture over low heat. If the burner is turned up too high, you’ll get a burned pan like you see here.

Pour the thickened liquid over the prepared popcorn.

Mix in until it coats all the popcorn evenly.

I prefer parchment paper, but if you don’t have parchment, you can line your cookie sheet with foil like you see here and coat with non-stick cooking spray. Bake for 18-20 minutes at 175°F.

Once baked, let cool about 20 minutes and then break into pieces and place in bowl.

Once baked, let cool about 20 minutes and then break into pieces and place in bowl.

Mix in each color seperately.

Mix in each color separately.

Cook each color on low heat until thickened... about 10 minutes.

Cook each color on low heat until thickened… about 10 minutes.

Pour each colors thickened liquid over the prepared popcorn.

Place on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper. Bake at 175°F for 18-20 mins.

Place each color on the cookie sheet. Bake at 175°F for 18-20 minutes.

Place each color on the cookie sheet. Bake at 175°F for 18-20 minutes.

done1

Break up all the popcorn… Place in serving bowl and toss!

Recipe for Rainbow Popcorn:

(serves 24)

30 cups prepared plain popcorn

3 cans sweetened condensed milk

6 boxes of Jell-O, in rainbow colors (red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple)

Directions:

Turn oven to 175°F.  Prepare 6 cookie sheets (or alternate as you go along) with either parchment paper or aluminum foil sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.

Prepare fresh popcorn.  In a small sauce pan, pour half a can of sweetened condensed milk.  Then pour in half a packet of your chosen jello into the milk.  Heat over a burner turned to low for about 10 minutes until thickened.  Stir often.

Place about 5 cups of popcorn in a large bowl.  Pour thickened milk mixture over popcorn and immediately stir together with a wooden spoon.  Place on a prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 18-20 minutes at 175°F.  Allow to cool about 20-25 minutes, then break up pieces and place into an extra-large serving bowl.

Repeat with each color.  Mix all cooled colors together. Enjoy!

*this is a Gluten-free recipe.

(Recipe variation… this popcorn has an intense Jell-O flavor, which kids love… but if you wish to tone it down a bit, use only 1/4 packet of Jell-O per mixture and add 4 drops of the matching food color to boost the coloring, for adults you could also sprinkle with kosher or sea salt just after baking to balance the flavor)

***This recipe is an adaptation of the Eagle Brand Condensed Milk recipe.

 

Sangria Steak Sliders

done1

 

A great recipe for inside grilling!  If you have a grill pan, a pitcher of Sangria, some steak and bread and about 10 minutes on y our hands you have everything you need to make these delicious little lunch treats!  I kind of tripped upon this recipe the day I made my “A Taste of St. Michael Sparkling Sangria”.  I happened to have the pitcher there and being mid-week, we don’t do a whole lot of drinking.  I also happened to have picked up some thin cut steak sandwich steaks at the market and some bread…. So I got to thinking, what could I do with these ingredients???

Well, the answer was make that Sangria into a marinade!  And I must say it worked out really well! These are great for a quick lunch, a party or as a snack.  If you don’t happen to have these ingredients handy, you could either make some sangria or look below for some additional instructions.

To the Sangria all I added was about 3 Tbs. of kosher salt and 2 large garlic cloves, sliced. I let it marinade for about an hour… You could do this up to about 6 hours ahead (I don’t suggest any longer because of the acid from the oranges and pineapples)

Add some butter and oil onto a grill pan.

Place the steaks in the heated pan over medium high heat… These sandwich steaks are so thin that they really only need a sear on both sides and they are done… I also place some pineapple slices on the grill along with some of the garlic cloves (these garlic slices are huge!)

Then just take a slice or two of steak and place on the slider sized bread. I prefer a Portuguese Pop Seco.

Then just take a slice or two of steak and place on the slider sized bread. I prefer a Portuguese Pop Seco.

Add on some grilled pineapples and if you like grilled garlic.

Add on some grilled pineapples and if you like grilled garlic.

done2

 

Recipe for Sangria Steak Sliders:

(makes 4 sliders, serves 2)

8 thinly sliced steak sandwich steaks (about 1/2 lb)

4 slider size rolls (I like Portuguese rolls)

2 cups Sangria with fruit (If you don’t have this, combine 2 cups sweet red wine with one small can of pineapple slices with juice and slice up one orange as a substitute)

2 large garlic cloves sliced

3 Tbs. kosher salt

2 Tbs. butter

2 Tbs. veggie oil

Directions:

Add salt and garlic to Sangria.  Marinate meat 1-6 hours.

Heat a grill pan over medium high heat.  Add butter and oil.  Sear steak on both sides (about 2-3 mins each side).  Sear pineapple and garlic as well.

Add steak, pineapple and garlic to roll.

Enjoy!

Vavó’s Cake

done5

My Vavó (grandmother) was not a big baker, at all.  But, she baked one dessert on a regular basis, this cake. I think this cake is the only reason she even owned an electric mixer, as I never saw her use it for anything else.   On any given day, I could walk into her dining room and in a similar cake plate as you see here, there would be her cake.  Any time I make this cake, it brings me right back there with my Vavó, enjoying a cup of tea and this deliciously simple dessert.

Memorial Day in my family was always about remembering those who have passed.  We have  always been thankful for those service members who have given their lives to bring us the freedoms this country has afforded us all.  And in addition to that, we would always go to the cemetery to place flowers to remember family members and friends no longer with us.  This was a yearly tradition for my grandmother.  I show my love and remembrance in other ways… So, this post is in dedication to her – para alma da minha Vavó.

If you are looking for a moist decadent cake, this is not the one.  This simple sponge cake is meant to be enjoyed with a cup of tea or coffee.  It is a very basic, no frills cake with the exception of that crusty top that crunches in your mouth.  It is meant to be dry and dense and have a slightly sweet taste.

Start by separating your eggs.

Keep your yolks seperate and place your whites in a bowl of an electric mixer.

Keep your yolks separate and place your whites in a bowl of an electric mixer.

Beat egg whites until stiff and remove and place in a seperate bowl.

Beat egg whites until stiff and remove and place in a separate bowl.

Then place your egg yolks in the same bowl you originally had your whites in and beat until they combine.

Then place your egg yolks in the same bowl you originally had your whites in and beat until they combine.

Add in one cup of sugar, beat until combined.

Add in one cup of sugar, beat until combined.

Then add in the other cup of sugar and beat until combined again.

Then add in the other cup of sugar and beat until combined again.

This is what your yolks and sugar should look like… uniform and creamy.

Next, measure out your flour.

Next, measure out your flour.

Then measure your baking powder.

Then measure your baking powder.

Add in your baking powder to your flour.

Wisk together to sift.

Then fold in your whites with your yolks.

Then fold in your whites with your yolks.

Then add in your dry ingredients.

Then add in your dry ingredients.

Mix in with the paddle attachment of your mixer... Then scrape down the sides and bottom. and mix again.

Mix in with the paddle attachment of your mixer… Then scrape down the sides and bottom. and mix again.

You will quickly come to a consistency like this.

My grandmother always used an angel food cake pan for this cake... I don't know what it would look like in any other pan, so this is what I use.

My grandmother always used an angel food cake pan for this cake… I don’t know what it would look like in any other pan, so this is what I use.

Spray your pan with baking spray, the kind with flour in it… although my grandmother would always use butter. Spray is just easier and gets the job done.

Pour

Drop the pan once or twice to release any big air bubbles from the pouring.

Place in the oven for around 35 – 45 mins at 350°F or until a butter knife comes out clean (or a toothpick, but my Vavó always used a butter knife)

And there you have it.

Para alma da minha Vavó

Para alma da minha Vavó

done4

Ingredients for Vavó’s Cake:

(serves 8 -10)

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups sugar

8 eggs, separated

1 tsp. baking powder

Directions:

Beat egg whites until stiff, set aside. Beat egg yolks and sugar until creamy.  Fold whites into yolks.  In a separate bowl, sift flour and baking powder.  Add dry ingredients into wet.  Mix to combine, scraping the sides.  Place in a greased and floured angel food cake pan.  Bake 35 – 45 minutes at 350°F until a butter knife or toothpick comes out clean.