Corn and Tortellini Toss

Two of my favorite things are in full harvest in my yard right now – tomatoes and basil. I love Caprese salad, and could eat that every day, but I wanted to try something new. I found this recipe on the internet. Since it is currently 100 degrees here, something hot did not sound good. I made my own cold version and shared it with the family. It was a big hit!

Ingredients:

1 (8 ounce) package refrigerated cheese and roasted garlic tortellini
2 tablespoons butter
¼ c. chopped red onion
1 clove garlic, minced
2 c. fresh corn kernels
¼ c. chopped fresh basil
12 cherry or grape tomatoes, cut into halves
4 tablespoons crumbled ricotta or grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (I used Parmigiano Reggiano)

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain. Reserving ½ cup pasta cooking water.

(After the pasta was thoroughly cooked, I put it in the fridge to chill for a couple of hours.)

2. Melt butter in large skillet. Add onion and garlic; sauté 5 minutes. Add corn; cook 5 minutes or until tender. Add basil, cooked pasta and reserved pasta water to skillet. Cook until thoroughly heated. Top with tomato halves and cheese.

(Instead of this step, I mixed everything together in a large bowl, adding olive oil as needed.

The recipe says that it serves 4. But my “cold” version was easily 6-8 servings.

Asian Grilled Salmon

My dad and brother go to Alaska every year for the salmon run and always come home with loads of salmon. This year their daily allotment of fish was double it has been in previous years which means we have salmon coming out of our ears! To spread the wealth a little we had a salmon BBQ tonight at my house in which I attempted to try dressing up the salmon in new ways. Both recipes were a hit! I know this for sure because almost everyone went back for AT LEAST seconds. The Asian salmon was by far the favorite. Thank you Barefoot Contessa for the amazing recipe! The major alteration I made was marinading the fish for about 3 hours. Next time I make this I will marinade overnight. My husband doesn't even like salmon and he was wondering how we can get more to make this again.

Ingredients

• 1 side fresh salmon, boned but skin on (about 3 pounds)

For the marinade:

• 2 tablespoons spicy mustard
• 3 tablespoons good soy sauce
• 6 tablespoons good olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

Directions

Light charcoal briquettes in a grill and brush the grilling rack with oil to keep the salmon from sticking.

While the grill is heating, lay the salmon skin side down on a cutting board and cut it crosswise into 4 equal pieces. Whisk together the mustard, soy sauce, olive oil, and garlic in a small bowl. Drizzle half of the marinade onto the salmon and allow it to sit for 10 minutes.

Place the salmon skin side down on the hot grill; discard the marinade the fish was sitting in. Grill for 4 to 5 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. Turn carefully with a wide spatula and grill for another 4 to 5 minutes. The salmon will be slightly raw in the center, but don't worry; it will keep cooking as it sits.

Transfer the fish to a flat plate, skin side down, and spoon the reserved marinade on top. Allow the fish to rest for 10 minutes. Remove the skin and serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled.

Grilled Salmon with Lime Butter Sauce

I omitted the zest in this recipe and it was superb and beyond simple!

Ingredients

• 6 (6-oz) pieces center-cut salmon fillet (about 1 inch thick) with skin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated fresh lime zest
• 6 tablespoons lime butter sauce

Preperation
Prepare grill for cooking over medium-hot charcoal (moderate heat for gas).

Season salmon all over with salt and pepper, then grill, flesh sides down, on lightly oiled grill rack (covered only if using gas grill) 4 minutes. Turn fillets over and grill (covered only if using gas grill) until just cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes more. Sprinkle fillets with zest and top each with 1 tablespoon lime butter sauce.

• Lime-Butter Sauce
• 1 large garlic clove, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted

Purée garlic with lime juice, salt, and pepper in a blender until smooth. With motor running, add melted butter and blend until emulsified, about 30 seconds
.

River Tacos



The pictures is not of actual river tacos,
but it gives you the idea of the shape

 My cousin Emily made these for a family get together yesterday and they were awesome! She made enough for 24 and our group of 15 devoured them all. They are meatless and you can prepare most of it the day before so it is a snap for feeding a big crowd. The "taco cone" also makes these great if your group is on the go. The best part is that they are extremely filling!

Serves 6


1 can kidney beans
1/2 can black olives sliced
1/2 teaspoon garlic
1 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 lb grated cheddar cheese
10 oz sour cream
10 oz salsa
2 diced tomatoes
1 diced avocado
diced green onion to taste

Mix all together.
Add broken corn tortilla chips just before serving (or they go soggy).
Serve in flour tortilla cones, made with 1/2 a burrito shell.
(When I make large amounts I like to mix in black and red beans not just pinto)

Shredded Chicken Tacos

This recipe is a snap to throw together and very delicious, a perfect weeknight dinner! I found this recipe while trying to find a new way to use up left over rotisserie chicken. For extra heat add sliced jalapenos. Grill extra ears of corn to an awesome side.

Ingredients

• 2 ears shucked corn
• 1 (12-ounce) package baby heirloom tomatoes
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
• 2 cups shredded skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken breast
• 1 peeled avocado, cut into 16 slices
• 8 lime wedges (optional)

Preparation

• 1. Preheat broiler or grill.
• 2. Place corn on a jelly-roll pan; broil 18 minutes or until charred on all sides, rotating every 6 minutes.
•      OR
•     Grill corn on medium heat for 18 minutes or until charred on all sides, rotating every 6 minutes. 
• 3. Cut kernels from corn; place kernels in a medium bowl. Cut tomatoes into quarters. Add tomatoes to corn, and sprinkle corn mixture with black pepper and salt.
• 3. Heat tortillas according to package directions. Divide chicken evenly among tortillas; top each taco with 1/4 cup corn mixture and 2 avocado slices. Serve with lime wedges, if desired.

Grilled Tilapia with Smoked Paprika

• I LOVE this recipe and make it all the time. It is an amazing weeknight dish because it takes only about 15 minutes from start to finish. I have a fish basket for my grill which works well. The spices really bring out the "grilled" flavor and diminishes any "fishy" flavor. If you can't find smoked paprika, regular paprika will do, but won't be as satisfying. This is a great recipe if you are wary of fish. Serve with a side of rice and beans and grilled veggies.
• 
  
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4 (6-ounce) tilapia fillets
• Cooking spray

Preparation

• Heat a grill to medium-high heat or 350-400º. Combine oil, paprika, garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper in a bowl, stirring well. Rub fish evenly with oil mixture. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add fish to pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness.

Note: The tilapia can be prepared either in a grill pan on the stove or over the coals on an outdoor grill.

Slow-Cooked Elk Roast with Horseradish Chive Sauce

Last year I shot an elk with my dad. I have not been brave enough to this point to cook the meat myself, but my parents came up for dinner on Sunday and I decided to give it a go. I did a lot of research on cooking elk and came up with this recipe which I used a shoulder roast with. It turned out great! While it was cooking it smelled pretty gamey which made me worry but it didn't taste gamey at all. Don't skimp on the oil because elk is so lean it will get very dry without it. It is also best to work with a thawed roast for a number of different reasons, so thaw it in a bowl of water in your fridge about 24 hours before you start cooking for best results. Use the left over juices to make gravy or serve with the sauce listed below. The Horseradish Chive Sauce is also excellent on beef.

To Make the Roast:
2 lb loin or any back leg roast
1 package Grill Mates Mesquite Marinade (or your favorite rub recipe)
¼ c olive or other vegetable oil
½ c. water
1 tsp. minced garlic
½ chopped onion

Other vegetables, like carrots and potatoes as desired.

In a hot skillet with a small amount of oil, quickly brown (sear) the outside of the roast. This process just takes a few minutes and improves flavor and moisture retention. Put roast in the crock pot on low temperature.
Mix together: water, oil, garlic, onion and marinade (or rub) mix and pour over roast.

Cook in crock pot on low for at least 8 hours. Longer won't hurt it. If you prefer to use a covered roasting pan or turkey roaster, add enough water to immerse about 1/3 of the meat. Remember, every time you open the crock pot, you will slow the cooking process by about 20 minutes.

To make gravy from scratch:

Mix ½ -1 tablespoon flour or cornstarch in a small amount of cold water until lumps disappear. Pour into one cup of liquid from roast. For a richer flavor, add 1 teaspoon, or so of beef base or 1 bouillon cube. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until slightly less than desired thickness, stirring constantly. Remember that the gravy will thicken a bit after removal from the heat.


Horseradish Chive Sauce

2/3 cup light sour cream

2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

3 tablespoons prepared horseradish

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Combine all ingredients and serve with the roast.