July 12, 2014

Tomato and Cucumber Salad (1 of 3 recipes today)

I went to a BBQ with 11 adults and several children today so I thought what better time to try out three new recipes.

I previously mentioned that I have been anxiously awaiting tomato season and I have had this recipe saved for quite some time. I splurged and bought the organic heirlooms at the grocery store since they're not at the farmer's market yet, and I also used small Persian cucumbers in conjunction with the English one that often lack flavor to me. I thought the highlight was the fresh picked basil, but overall this is the perfect summer salad to me. I love all of fresh flavors paired with the redline vinegar dressing.

Heirlooms

Almost forgot the basil!

Things I learned form this recipe:

Fresh from the market tomatoes and cucumbers are the best.

Would I make this recipe again?:

Definitely

The recipe

July 11, 2014

Chicken Tabbouleh Salad (lunch)

by Irene Lindvall

I used the leftover couscous and rotisserie chicken from yesterday for this delicious lunch. I loved all of the flavors and even added what little arugula and spinach I had in the refrigerator to make it an even bigger salad. The only thing to note was the amount of the dressing. I didn't feel there was enough and couldn't decide if it was the couscous that soaked it all up or if there just wasn't enough.

The dressing

Things I learned from this recipe:

I learned what seven whole grains mix is and decided leftover couscous was a better option because microwaving a mix seemed a little strange, and using the leftovers is more efficient.

Would I make this recipe again?:

Sure

The recipe:

Again, this recipe came from 15-Minute Superfast Recipes from Weight Watchers and is not available online.

July 10, 2014

Basil Orange Chicken (dinner)

by Irene Lindvall

It's a two recipe day so I decided one of them should involve the grill. Eric definitely has the temperature problem figured out on the grill so chicken is now turning out quite nicely. This chicken was juicy and tasted great in texture, but was a little lacking in flavor. There was not enough of the citrus mixture when I halved the recipe and was slightly disappointed there was not more flavor. Thank goodness for the extra sauce at the end or it would've been flavorless. As for the delicious farmer's market sugar snap peas - I over steamed them. I would recommend no longer than two minutes to be able to preserve the snap. I think the dish has potential but I'm not sure it's high on my list to repeat.

Citrus mixture

Chicken w/citrus mixture

Almost forgot the basil

Grilling

Things I learned from this recipe:

This recipe was a good reminder that I should pair couscous with chicken more often.

Would I make this recipe again?:

Maybe

The recipe

July 10, 2014

Cold Sesame Noodles w/Chicken & Cucumbers (lunch)

by Irene Lindvall

I decided to make this dish purely on the fact that the only thing I needed was the rotisserie chicken and even better that my recipe tomorrow needs shredded chicken. I love killing two birds with one stone. It's incredibly satisfying in the realm of cooking. As for this dish, we both really loved the flavor of the sauce and the very summer-like flavor of everything combined. This recipe is really easy and a great way to use leftover chicken.

Udon

The sauce

Things I learned from this recipe:

I could definitely use the sauce in this dish for many other Asian style noodle dishes.

Would I make this recipe again?:

Yes

The recipe

July 9, 2014

Sweet & Sour Salmon and Orzo w/Snow Peas

by Irene Lindvall

I have developed a fondness for orzo since starting this cooking adventure and was excited to eat it with salmon. I really like the sweetness of the salmon and we both decided it wasn't overpowering as some of these recipes tend to be. I cooked the orzo with snow peas from the farmer's market and green onions from my deck. All-in-all, a really well-rounded and balanced meal.