Cucumber Tomato Salad

So, I know I have already shared a couple cucumber salad recipes with you all (here and here) but Noah and I are big cucumber fans and we go through quite a few every week. Because of this, we are always looking for new ways to eat them and this is our current favorite. My mom whipped this up one night when we were over for dinner and it was amazing and so simple.

And the ingredients are ones I almost always have on hand. I don’t think I have to tell you how much I love those kinds of recipes!

The recipe recommends making this two hours before you are going to serve it but it is soo much better the next day so if you have the time, mix it up the night before so that it has time to marinate and soak up the delicious dressing.

This is going to be my official summer side dish. Delish!

Cucumber Tomato Salad

3 English cucumbers, washed and thinly sliced
3 medium tomatoes, washed and diced into bite size chunks
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup vinegar (I used plain ‘ole white but red wine vinegar would be really tasty too)
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup water
1/4 cup oil (veggie or canola)
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. course ground pepper

Place cucumbers, tomatoes and onions in a medium sized bowl. Add vinegar, sugar, water, oil, salt and pepper to a mason jar or some container with a tight seal. Shake until thoroughly combined. Pour over veggies and stir to combine. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours (preferably overnight) before serving.

Balsamic Chicken Pasta Salad

I kind of have an addiction to pasta salad (well any pasta really if we are being honest here) and this is one of the best ones I have ever made. I love balsamic vinegar and the combination of it with all the other ingredients was just amazing. It was really fresh and bright and felt lighter than a lot of other recipes I have tried in the past.

While this is really great for a summer barbeque side dish, I still really enjoy it in the winter as a meal served with a simple green salad. The chicken, bacon and veggies make it filling and satisfying. I recommend making this the night before so that all the flavors can meld and come together. If you do this, I would wait until serving to mix in the gorgonzola and parmesan cheeses so that they don’t get soggy or mushy.

You have to give this a try! It is so yummy!

Balsamic Chicken Pasta Salad
recipe from Taste of Home

3 cups uncooked bow tie pasta
4 cups cubed cooked chicken breast (I shredded a rotisserie chicken)
2 cups chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped red onion
4 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
1/4 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup minced fresh basil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse in cold water; transfer to a large bowl. Add the chicken, tomatoes, onion, bacon and Gorgonzola cheese.

2. In a small bowl, whisk the oil, basil, vinegar, brown sugar, garlic, salt and pepper. Drizzle over salad and toss to coat; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Yield: 8 servings.

Guacamole

Today is National Guacamole Day. I recently looked up food holidays and found that 2 foods on my Top 100 were “days” in September! Guacamole was one of them so I jumped at having a reason to whip some up.

Guacamole is another one of those foods that I thought I didn’t like and I’m not even sure that I have ever tried it. Lame. Turns out I do like it! I was looking around for recipes and found one by Alton Brown and knew I had hit the jackpot. He never lets me down!

I altered the recipe a bit by leaving out the tomatoes because Joel and I aren’t big fans but if you enjoy them I definitely think it would be a great addition. I also cut down on the amount of cayenne since a certain somebody in my house is kind of wimpy (I will list the original amount of cayenne in the recipe).

The lime juice and spices really make this a standout recipe that I will be making over and over again. I hope that you all will try it and have a Happy Guacamole Day!

Guacamole
recipe from Alton Brown

3 Haas avocados, halved, seeded and peeled
1 lime, juiced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 medium onion, diced
2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 clove  garlic, minced

In a large bowl place the scooped avocado pulp and lime juice, toss to coat. Drain, and reserve the lime juice, after all of the avocados have been coated. Using a potato masher add the salt, cumin, and cayenne and mash. Then, fold in the onions, tomatoes, cilantro, and garlic. Add 1 tablespoon of the reserved lime juice. Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour and then serve.

Linked to Friday Food, Fat Camp Friday, Mangia Monday’s , Tasty Tuesday, Recipe Sharing Monday, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Cast Party Wednesday, This Chick Cooks, Full Plate Thursday and Fusion Fridays.

Grilled Pork Souvalki with Tzatziki

Joel was super excited when he saw my computer open to a site called The Meatwave. He is very much of a meat and potatoes kind of guy so this meal was right up his alley.

The oregano, lemon juice, vinegar and onion really stand up in this marinade to create a zingy, delicious pork skewer. I marinated the pork overnight which really enhanced the flavor profiles. The pork was grilled at a high temperature to sear in the juices and get a nice sear on the meat. I served this alongside delicious Lemony Greek Potatoes.

The tzatziki is a wonderful compliment to the pork. We didn’t serve ours with pitas but I love the idea of making this into a sandwich. Noah tore this meal up and absolutely loved the tzatziki.  He’s a boy after his mama’s heart.

This is a great, super easy summer meal that we will definitely be eating again and again even in the winter using my grill pan.

Grilled Pork Souvalki with Tzatziki
recipe from The Meatwave
For the Marinade:
1/2 cup olive oil
1 small red onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Greek oregano
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the Tzatziki:
2 cups of Greek yogurt
1 English cucumber, peeled and grated
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 1/2 lbs pork loin, trimmed of silver skin and excess fat, cut into 1-inch cubes
Wooden skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes before use
Pitas

1. Mix all of the marinade ingredients together in a small bowl. Place pork cubes in a Ziploc bag and pour in the marinade. Seal the bag and toss to coat pork evenly with the marinade, then open the bag and reseal, removing as much air as possible. Place the pork in the refrigerator for at least two hours to overnight.
2. Mix all the tzatziki ingredients together in a bowl until well combined. Cover and place in the refrigerator for at least two hours to overnight.
3. Heat your grill. Meanwhile, thread the pork cubes onto the skewers.
4.  Grill the pork skewers until they browned on all sides and cooked through, about 8 to 12 minutes, turning 4 times during cooking. Remove the skewers to a plate and allow to rest for 5 minutes. While the pork rests, grill the pita until lightly browned on both sides, about 1 minute per side. Remove the pitas from the grill and quarter. To serve, place pita slices on a plate, lay the souvlaki on top, and place a dollop of tzatziki on the side.

Recipe linked to This Chick Cooks, Jam Hands, This Week’s Cravings, Mouthwatering Monday’s and Full Plate Thursday.

Lukie’s Pasta Salad

This is one of my favorite pasta salads (although I don’t know if I’ve ever met a pasta I didn’t like). My mom works in an elementary school and they have lots of potluck lunches. My family has benefitted from this fact for many years as we have picked up many family favorites from said luncheons and this pasta salad is no exception. It has been named “Lukie’s Pasta Salad” after the woman who always brought it.

The sugar and sweetened condensed milk give the salad a deliciously sweet taste which is not overpowering due to the mayo and zingy vinegar. It does seem like an odd list of ingredients, but trust me…it’s good!

It is super important to make this pasta salad the night before. It gives the noodles time to soak up the delicious sauce and thicken up. If you don’t make it beforehand it will still be good but will be runny and the flavors won’t be as developed.

I apologize that the pictures aren’t the greatest this time around. I made this for Noah’s party and during the rush of everything I had to quickly snap a few photos.

Lukie’s Pasta Salad

1 lb. penne or spiral pasta, cooked according to package directions
1 (15 oz.) jar mayo
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup vinegar
1 cup sugar
Medium green pepper, diced
Small onion, finely diced
1/2-3/4 cup shredded carrot

Mix together all ingredients and chill overnight.

Potato Pancakes

I love potatoes.  Baked, mashed, fried, grilled, sauteed…it’s all good.  I’ve been dreaming of what to do with the last of our potatoes and finally decided on potato pancakes.  I’m glad I did.

I just guessed on the amounts for the pancakes and they turned out pretty well.  This may have to be changed up a bit depending on the size of your potatoes (a little more or less flour).  I used 4 small red potatoes and ended with 7 small pancakes.

Big ‘ole pile of potatoes.

This is what the mixture should look like.

Next time I make these I will flatten them a bit more so that there is more brown, crispy goodness.  While making the second batch, I kept the first warm in the oven.

Potato Pancakes

4 small red potatoes
1/2 small onion
1 egg
1/8-1/4 cup flour*
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic powder, optional
2-3 Tbsp. olive oil

1. Shred potatoes and onion.
2. Place in clean dish towel and squeeze all excess water.
3. In a bowl mix egg, flour, salt, pepper and garlic powder.
4. Mix potatoes into the egg mixture.
5. Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Form potato pancakes in the size that you wish and place in hot oil.
6. Cook 3-4 minutes per side, until golden brown. The second side may cook faster than the first.
7. Drain on paper towel lined plate and enjoy.

*enough to make a thick paste with the egg