Summer Salad

It's about this time of the summer that our garden is in full swing & I start thinking...what am I going to do with all of these veggies & herbs. 

This is our garden:

In order: lettuce, sugar snap peas, thyme, rosemary, basil, green peppers, red peppers, orange peppers, jalepenos, sweet 100 tomatoes (the best- in my opinion,) yellow teardrop tomatoes & good 'old beefsteak to-maters.

The most abundant produce that I have right now is lettuce...so I thought I'd share our most favorite salad recipe.  I cannot take credit for this one...this one is my hubby all the way.  One night, I came home from work & he had created this little number.  And it's been in our meal rotation since.  We don't measure this one out...just throw it all together

{Summer Salad}

recipe compliments of Todd Griffin

Grilled chicken; served warm & sliced

Lettuce {we use a combination of romaine & spring mix}

Pine nuts; toasted

Strawberries; sliced

Goat Cheese; crumbled

Croutons

Champagne vinagrette

Freshly cracked black pepper; optional

Mix all salad ingredients together, top with warm grilled chicken.  Optional: sprinkle with pepper.

Nothing is happening in our kitchen...because it's summer!

Alright...why have I not been cooking??  I can probably come up with a thousand reasons...most of which I thought I'd show you in pictures.  Basically, it's the thick of golf season so we are on the go-go-go.  Summer in our house revolves around late night lessons, 18-hole (or 52-hole) days...and eating out, ALOT.  I find it very hard to cook for one, so usually I wait for my hubby to get home & collapse on the couch with a cocktail in hand before I say..."I didn't get anything for dinner."  To which he usually rolls his eyes, shakes his head and we head out to dinner.  Besides golf, I/we have been busy.  Just because golf is sucking the soul out of my hubby doesn't mean we can't fit in a little fun. 

So here it goes:

First up...let's talk Second Home in Cherry Creek.  Love this place for a few reasons.  #1 Some creepy old man is ALWAYS game for buying me a drink.  #2 They make an amazing Dill Pickle Martini (enough said.) #3 This place is a Cougar's playground.  I find it facinating to watch these women at work.  And lastly...our friends Tony & Drea invited us to this cooking class they hold monthly.  It was so fun.  Each month they have a theme: Mexican was the theme the night we went.  We had so much fun and it's only 10 bucks a person...can't beat that deal.

                                      Todd & T-bills

Next up...I tackled our pantry in the kitchen.  I became very lazy after our wedding...I just shoved everything onto the shelves.  It got so crazy in there...opening the doors was like taking your life in your hands. 

Before

 

After

I don't have great pictures, and it's a work in progress but I'm working on turning our plain, empty basement guest bedroom into something more suitable for guests.  I'm really loving the gold/gray color combination right now, so that's been my inspiration.  Like I said it's a work in progress.  We painted the walls a light gray color.  I bought some bedding from West Elm.  I scored an AMAZING deal on that white trunk at The Paris Street Market...only $20.00.  I'm still working on adding some accessories.  And of course...that's our little Oliver making his blog debut (see below.)



Speaking of Oliver, he is our baby & basically holds down our fort.  He's had a busy summer as well.  Oliver's loves: Hubby being home.  Sleeping between us on his own pillow.  Chasing tennis balls.  His Maddie girl (the next door neighbor's dog- see below) Being in the mountains.  Getting dirty disgustingly dirty. Going to the park & riding in the basket of my bicycle. 

our little Oli bear

Oliver & his bestie...Maddie.  Maddie spent 2 weeks with us while her parents

were in Mongolia adopting their new little boy; Sawyer.

Oliver had a little injury this summer. 

Our happy, silly little dog...

No summer would be comlete without multiple trips to Vail/Edwards, Colorado & Cordillera.  We had a great time visiting great friends & golfing.

Next up...the Tiger's came to town.  Now this was a big deal in our house.  My hubby went to all 3 games (I went to 2.)  Apparently the Tiger's only play the Rockies once every 3 years.  This particular weekend revolved around drinking, sleeping & baseball.

gosh, we look crazy...but you get the idea

I've had a few kitchen disasters...that cake, I can't even talk about it.  Personally, Martha Stewart makes the best curd of any kind.  Will NOT use any other recipe.  Period. 



Lastly, just this past week our friends Kirsten & Darren came to visit from Vail.  We all went to the Kenny Chesney concert.  We had really good seats...and monsonal-type weather.  It down-poured during the entire concert.  We were soaked to the bone.  Luckily, the music was really good, as was the company.  I think the situation was so crazy, years from now we'll still remember & laugh about all that rain.  (Note: I made it through the entire concert without complaining...it was really hard, but I did it.)

our friends Kirsten & Darren

double layers of rain gear...

thank goodness for golf pro's & their rain attire

That's it my friends, our summer so far.  Hope you enjoyed!

Creamy Avocado Chicken Salad

My hubby looked at this dinner and said "why are you trying to feed me this bird food as our dinner."  As I've said before, he's a meat & potatoes kind of guy...this was a little to "light" for him.  We both really like this recipe, but I've always made it as an appetizer never as our dinner (ok- I was really lazy & didn't feel like going to the store on the Friday before the 4th of July)  I can say from experience that this recipe pairs really well with a good crisp glass of white wine- not that I'd know or anything. 

{Creamy Avocado Chicken Salad}

Adapted by me, I have no idea where I got this recipe...

but it's changed & changed & changed into this final product

1 cup of rotisserie chicken; shredded
1/2 cup corn (I use canned corn- again, lazy)
1/2 cup black beans; drained & rinsed
1/4 cup chopped green onion
1/4 cup cilantro

1/2 cup quartered cherry tomatoes

1/2 cup crushed crispy jalapeno slices (I use fresh gourmet brand)

2 Tablespoons white vinegar

4 Tablespoons Mayo

2 teaspoons sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt & pepper

4 avocados; sliced in half & pit removed

Panko bread crumbs

Olive oil cooking spray

In a medium bowl, combine the chicken, corn, black beans, green onion, cilantro, cherry tomatoes & crispy jalapeno slices.  Whisk together mayo, vinegar, sugar, salt & pepper.  Slice the avocados & make the pit area a little bigger.  Spoon the chicken mixture into the avocado halves.  Preheat oven broiler to high.  Sprinkle the chicken mixture with a small amount of panko.  Place under broiler for approximately 30 seconds.  *Tip: the idea is to crisp the panko, not warm the chicken mixture.  It should be served at room temperature.

Asian BBQ Chicken & Avocado Grilled Corn Salad with Cilantro Vinaigrette

Grilled food at it's finest.  That's it.  I tried this recipe for the first time a couple of months ago & we've made this chicken a few times since then.  Now I'm not a griller- I leave that task to my hubby.  Thankfully he really enjoys grilling...as long as he can multi-task with a beer!

{Asian BBQ Chicken}

recipe compliments of OurBestBites

adapted from Cooking Light

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 Tablespoons lime juice (about 1 lime)

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon curry powder

3-4 garlic cloves; minced

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

Combine everything but the chicken in a small bowl.  Whisk to dissolve brown sugar.   Place marinade & chicken in a zip-lock bag.  Pop that bag in the fridge for a minimum of 4 hours, or longer if you have it (even overnight.)

Preheat grill.  Spray cooking surface with cooking spray & place chicken on to cook.  Cook for 5-10 minutes on each side depending on the thickness.  Optional: garnish with sliced green onions.

Tip: When I made this I usually make 1 1/2 times the marinade.  I reserve some of the marinade before adding the chicken & then use it in the last few minutes of grilling, or just brush it on after for extra flavor. 

On the side, I made rice & this salad...they went great together.  I'll post the rice recipe soon!

{Avocado & Grilled Corn Salad with Cilantro Vinaigrette}

5 ears corn, grilled & removed from the cob

2 avocados; diced & sprinkled with lemon juice to prevent browning

2 cups grape tomatoes; sliced in half

1 small red onion; finely chopped

3/4 cup feta; crumbled

1 1/2 cup english cucmber; skin on & chopped to a small dice

{Cilantro Vinaigrette}

6 Tablespoons olive oil

2 Tablespoons sherry vinegar

1 teaspoon garlic powder

2 Tablespoons cilantro; minced

1/2 teaspoon salt

10 grinds of fresh ground pepper

Add all of the above ingredients in a small glass jar with a lid. 

Shake really well.  Taste & adjust seasoning as you desire. 

When ready to serve salad, add the dressing & gently toss.

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

I know! 2 posts in one week!

As I've said before, Mondays are great days around our house.  It's really the only morning of the week my hubby & I have time to spend together.  We usually start the day off by cooking breakfast.  Normally I'm a yogurt & granola kind of girl, but I'll make an exception from time to time. 

This pancake recipe was so good.  Really sweet.  Have a really tall glass of milk to wash down all the sugar.

photo via here

{Cinnamon Roll Pancakes}

recipe compliments of Recipe Girl

Pancakes:

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

1 Tablespoon canola oil

1 large egg, lightly beaten

Cinnamon Filling:

1/2 cup butter, melted

3/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon

Cream Cheese Glaze:

4 Tablespoons butter

2 ounces cream cheese

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Prepare pancake batter.  In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder & salt.  Whisk in milk, oil & egg just until batter is moistened (a few small lumps are fine.)

In a medium bowl, mix butter, brown sugar & cinnamon.  Scoop the filling into a small zip loc baggie & set aside.  You don't want this to remain super-liquidy.  It's best if it becomes a consistency similar to toothpaste.

In a medium, microwave-safe bowl, heat butter & cream cheese until melted.  Whisk together until smooth; whisk in powdered sugar & vanilla extract.  Set aside.

Heat large skillet over medium-low heat.  Spray with nonstick spray.  Scoop about 1/4 cup batter onto the skillet.  Snip the corner of your baggie of filling & squeeze a spiral of the filling onto the top of the pancake.  When bubbles begin to appear on the surface, flip carefully with a thin spatula, and cook until browned on the underside, 1 to 2 minutes more.  Transfer to baking sheet or platter & keep in a warm oven until ready to serve.

When ready to serve, spoon warmed glaze onto the top of each pancake.

Guacamole Salad

I have been such a slacker.  A blogger-slacker.  We've been trying so many new recipes around here & most of them have been really delicious.  Which means I have a lot of recipes to share, but summer has kept me busy & away from my computer.  Wait...nope.  I'm lying.  I've become an addicted member of Pinterest- which is becoming a real problem.  I can't get anything done.  So really, I have not been away from my computer.  I guess that means I'm just a slacker.  My excuses have come full-circle.

Anyways, I love this salad.  I really do not like the usual potato salad/macaroni salad fare that is usually served at barbeques.  I don't like mayo...it's just gross.  So this is my subsitution.  In the dead of winter, I'll ask hubby to grill just so I have an excuse to make this salad.  I got one of the Barefoot Contessa's cookbooks for Christmas a couple of years ago & this is the only page in the book that is dirty & spotted from use. 

 I'd also like to talk about Ina Garten.  Yes, she's hauty.  Yes, she always wears a popped collar.  Yes, her house is amazing.  Yes, she "pretends" to garden, when I know she has a gardener.  And Yes, her friends are all really annoying.  BUT, and a big BUT...she is an amazing cook & an amazing recipe-writer.  So I'm willing to over look all of the annoying parts of her show because she delivers.  EVERY TIME.

{Guacamole Salad}

recipe compliments of The Barefoot Contessa

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and 1/2-inch diced

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup small diced red onion

2 tablespoons minced jalapeno peppers, seeded (2 peppers)

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lime zest

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (2 limes)

1/4 cup good olive oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

2 ripe Hass avocados, seeded, peeled, and 1/2-inch diced

Place the tomatoes, yellow pepper, black beans, red onion, jalapeno peppers, and lime zest in a large bowl. Whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, salt, black pepper, garlic, and cayenne pepper and pour over the vegetables. Toss well.

Just before you're ready to serve the salad, fold the avocados into the salad. Check the seasoning and serve at room temperature.

Tip: I just throw the avocado in.  The lime juice keeps them from browning.

Cookie Pie

Yesterday was a big day...I went to the Paris Street Vintage Market, saw an old friend, had afternoon cocktails (which usually is the end of any motivation I may have had for the rest of the day) & then went over to a good friend's house for a cook-out.  I rushed to the grocery store & couldn't think of anything to make for the dessert I had offered to bring over.  I then realized why I love this recipe so much...I ALWAYS have all of the ingredients to make this at home.  Winner-winner.

photo courtsey of google images

{Cookie Pie}
recipe courtsey of Toll House

1 unbaked 9-inch (4-cup volume) deep-dish pie shell

2 large eggs

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened

1 cup (6 oz.) semi sweet chocolate chips

1 cup chopped nuts

vanilla icecream & hot fudge (optional)

Preheat oven to 325° F.

Beat eggs in large mixer bowl on high speed until foamy. Beat in flour, granulated sugar and brown sugar. Beat in butter. Stir in morsels and nuts. Spoon into pie shell.

Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until knife inserted halfway between edge and center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack. Serve warm with whipped cream, if desired.

*If baking at high-altitude, add 2 TBSP of flour to the mixture....it will be less runny.