summer

KNR, p. 175 “Kerrian’s Summer Salad Platter”

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We do a lot of grilling when the temperature rises, but every once in a while, it’s too hot to even turn on the grill. Who wants to stand over hot coals when the heat index is over 100 degrees? Not me, thanks.

So we came up with a sure-fire, never fail summer salad platter. It takes about 10 minutes for the prep, requires no cooking and it’s pretty tasty. And, it’s a definite plus when there are no bodies found on the deck because of the heat.

 

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"Kerrian's Favorite Summer Salad Platter"
Author: 
Recipe type: Salad
Cuisine: American
Prep time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 1 serving
 
Ingredients
  • 2 cups mix of red and green butter lettuces
  • Whole large tomato - it should fill your hand
  • One 5 oz. can tuna, Albacore or Tongol packed in water
  • 1/3 cup diced celery
  • 1/4 cup Hellman’s mayo
  • One small yellow squash - washed, but not peeled
  • One small zucchini - washed, but not peeled
  • English seedless cucumber, washed and peeled
  • Slices of yellow and red bell peppers
  • Russian, Thousand Island, or Ranch salad dressing
Instructions
  1. Arrange the lettuce leaves on a dinner plate, covering the entire plate.
  2. Core the tomato, then slice it from top to bottom into eight sections - not quite cutting through, so that the sections are still attached at the bottom. Place in center of plate.
  3. Thoroughly mix tuna, celery and mayo together and place in center of the tomato.
  4. Slice yellow squash and place on dinner plate.
  5. Slice zucchini and place on dinner plate.
  6. Cut cucumber into bite-sized chunks and place on dinner plate.
  7. Cut red and yellow bell peppers into bite-sized pieces and place on dinner plate.

 

Serve with your favorite salad dressing and stay cool.

SummerSaladPlatterIMG_5542_2
The recipe is for one hearty appetite, but can serve two if you add bread to the menu.  🙂

 

*Photos by Patti Phillips

 

 

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KNR, p. 260 “Summer Macaroni Tuna Casserole”

 

We don’t grill on rainy days during the summer, but sometimes we want a hearty meal without heating up the oven. Sheila’s mom taught this recipe to her when she was learning how to cook. Easy, tasty, foolproof, and ready a few minutes after the macaroni is done. If you want to serve it absolutely cold, it takes a little longer, but we never wait that long.

Sheila laughed and pronounced it dead-body-proof as well, since she practiced the recipe on her mom and dad several times as a teen, and they lived.

 

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"Summer Macaroni Tuna Casserole"
Author: 
Recipe type: Entree
Cuisine: American
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4 - 6
 
Ingredients
  • 8 oz box small elbow macaroni uncooked – about 2 cups
  • 1/2 teaspoon butter/margarine for macaroni water
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt for water
  • 2 5oz cans tuna
  • 1 8oz can very young small sweet peas
  • 1 cup mayo
  • 1/2 cup crumbled, seasoned croutons
Instructions
  1. Fill 4 quart pot halfway with water and bring to a boil.
  2. Add teaspoon sea salt to water or to taste.
  3. Add uncooked macaroni to water, and return to boil.
  4. Add teaspoon margarine to water (keeps macaroni from sticking to itself).
  5. Boil for 8-10 minutes until ‘al dente’ (firm), stirring occasionally.
  6. Pour into colander, drain well, and return macaroni to the pot.
  7. Drain water/oil from the tuna cans and add tuna to the macaroni pot.
  8. Drain liquid from peas and add to the macaroni pot.
  9. Add mayo to the pot and lightly toss all ingredients together.
  10. Arrange contents of pot in serving dish and sprinkle crumbled croutons on top.
  11. Chill in refrigerator for up to an hour and serve.

Note: The versatility of this dish is that it can be served hot as well. The prep is exactly the same, except that once the ingredients are combined in the pot, they should be transferred to a baking dish. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes or until heated through.

Tastes great hot or cold, but in the summer, we always serve it cold.


Enjoy!

 

*Photos by Patti Phillips

 

 

 

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KNR, p. 54 “Kerrian’s Summer Quiche.”

 

We had a bumper crop of tomatoes in July. We gave away a couple of bushels to the neighbors, but they stopped answering their doorbells. We were getting buried under Beefsteaks, so the mailman got a bag or two. Ditto the guys down at the precinct.

Sheila canned, sliced, stewed, and diced tomatoes for weeks. We were running out of ways to serve up the big guys and still they kept popping off the vines. That is, up until my buddy across the street harvested his zucchini. We traded zucchini for tomatoes and gave him Sheila’s recipe for Summer Quiche. Great deal! She made a dozen pies and froze them for later. I used to be a meat and potatoes guy, but after Jamaica, I’ll eat almost anything. And, to my surprise, nobody ever died from eating quiche. Or a salad.

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Kerrian's Summer Quiche
Author: 
Recipe type: Entree
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 3-6
 
Ingredients
  • Deep-dish pie shell
  • 1 stick margarine
  • 1 Tbs. onion powder
  • 4 cups thinly sliced zucchini (chopped broccoli crowns also work well)
  • 1 Tbs. dried parsley
  • 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
  • 1 tsp. dried basil
  • 2 jumbo eggs, beaten
  • 1 1/4 cups low skim shredded mozzarella
  • 1 3/4 cups shredded cheddar
  • 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp. sea salt (or to taste)
  • 2 ripe sliced medium tomatoes
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat deep-dish pie shell for 6-8 minutes in 350 oven. Remove.
  2. Melt margarine in large non-stick frying pan.
  3. Add onion powder and zucchini, sauté 10 minutes, stirring until zucchini is heated through.
  4. Add parsley, oregano and basil, stir briefly.
  5. Add garlic powder and salt to taste.
  6. Saute briefly, take off heat.
  7. In medium bowl, mix eggs, mozzarella and sharp cheddar.
  8. Add to mixture in pan, heat for 5 minutes on low heat, stirring until well blended.
  9. Pour into deep-dish pie shell.
  10. Arrange tomato slices on top.
  11. Bake 30-40 minutes at 350 until firm in center and cheese is light golden brown on top.
  12. Let cool for 10 minutes, then slice and serve with salad.

 

*Photo by Patti Phillips

 

 

 

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