Hot caprese dip and baked tortilla chips

Sometimes the recipe you think is going to be fantastic turns out to be an epic fail and the throw-away recipe turns out to be a keeper. That was the case with this quick dip, which seemed like a total no brainer: all the basic parts of a caprese salad heated up in dip form. What could be better? Well, almost anything as it turns out. I carefully made sure  not to have juice from the tomatoes, since the recipe said that made things soupy. But this quickly turned back into just rubbery cheese with tomatoes clumped around it. I should have stopped at the stage where the ingredients were all mixed up, drizzled some balsamic and oil on top and put that on the chips. Lesson learned.

But all was not lost. I’d looked around for something to serve this last-minute dip idea with, but was out of suitable bread. Since I had some corn tortillas in the fridge that got a little on the soggy side, I figured I’d finally try making tortilla chips. I cut them up into wedges, sprinkled them with coarse salt and garlic powder and baked them for 14 minutes at 350. Why have I not done this before? These are so awesome compared to those things in a bag and this way you get just the amount you need, plus you can flavor them however you want.

 

Hot Caprese Dip

From howsweeteats.com: http://www.howsweeteats.com/2010/12/hot-caprese-dip/

Combine 8 ounces cubed fresh mozzarella, 2 chopped roma tomatoes (drained of juice)and 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil in a baking dish. Bake at 375 for 15 minutes. 

Peach cucumber salsa with basil

It’s lemon cucumber season at our house, so expect a slew of recipes that make use of them. (Beyond the Garlicky Greek salad that has been one of my go-to ways to use the in-season tomatoes and cucumbers since the recipe first came out in the magazine in 1994.)

Peach and cucumber salsa

Adapted from Bon Appetit, July 2008

Ingredients

2 cups chopped, peeled peaches

1 cup chopped, seeded cucumber

¾ cup chopped red pepper

1/3 cup chopped cilantro

2 tablespoons sliced basil leaves

Juice of  ½ lime

2 tablespoons apricot preserves

1 teaspoon chopped canned chipotle chiles

Method

Combine all ingredients. Season to taste with salt.

Rating: Very fresh tasting. Nice balance of sweet and bite. Very fast fix. We had it the first night over fish and the leftovers with chips. Would also be good with grilled chicken or pork.

Blueberry turnovers

I've been buying an abundance of farmers market blueberries while they're in peak season and scurrying to use them up while they're fresh. I found this recipe when I searched for frozen turnovers. The second best part about these turnovers is you don't even have to thaw them to bake them. The best part is how they taste.

Blueberry turnovers

Adapted from Martha Stewart Living

Ingredients

1/3 cup  sugar

2 teaspoons cornstarch

½ teaspoon kosher salt

2½ cups blueberries (or other fresh or frozen fruit)

Zest of 1 lemon

2 sheets of puff pastry, thawed

2 egg yolks, divided, or egg beaters

Sugar for sprinkling (demerara, turbinado, sanding or vanilla sugar would all work)

Method

Combine sugar, cornstarch, salt, lemon zest and blueberries in a bowl. Toss to coat.

Roll a pastry sheet to an 11-by-18-inch rectangle. Cut in half lengthwise with a pastry cutter or sharp knife. Then cut each portion In half crosswise, and then again crosswise, so you wind up with eight pieces that are 4½ inches by 5½ inches. Top half of each rectangle with about 2 tablespoons of the fruit mixture, leaving a half-inch edge. Brush edge with egg yolk mixed with 1 teaspoon of water, fold over and seal edges. Cut three or four slashes on the top for vents. Repeat with remaining rectangle.

Place on parchment-lined sheets and freeze until firm. Transfer to storage container, layering with waxed paper and freeze up to a month.

Brush turnovers with egg. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake frozen turnovers in a preheated 400 degree oven for 15 to 17 minutes.

Rating: Superb. An instant keeper. These delightful little pastries are filled with plump warm berries that explode with summer flavors in your mouth. The lemon gives it a nice, bright flavor, and they have just the right amount of sweetness. They aren’t super filling, so I’d count on people eating more than one per serving. I boxed them up into multiple day’s worth, so we’ve got more glorious Sunday breakfasts ahead.

The recipe suggests adding cinnamon if you try this with apples or pears, and boosting the sugar amount if you use frozen fruit.

Salmon tacos with mango corn salsa and mango bean salad

The impetus for this meal was one leftover ear of grilled corn. And since the taco recipe was only going to use about half a mango, a pairing was born.

Salmon tacos with mango corn salsa

Adapted from Cooking with Amy blog by Amy Sherman

Ingredients

Corn from 1 cob, cooked

½ cup diced mango

½ cup diced fresh tomatoes (I used a mix of yellow and red)

2 green onions, chopped

1 tablespoon chopped jalepeno or serrano peppers

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, divided

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 tablespoon plain Greek yogurt

12 ounces salmon fillets

Chili powder

6 tortillas

Grated cabbage for topping, optional

Chopped cilantro for garnish, optional, but tasty

Method

Combine mango, tomatoes, green onions, peppers and 1 tablespoon of lime juice in a bowl. Season to taste with salt and set aside.

Combine mayonnaise, yogurt and remaining lime juice for a white sauce. Set aside.

Heat your tacos over low heat in a skillet and set aside to keep warm in a warm oven.

Sprinkle salmon liberally with chili powder. Turn the heat under the skillet to medium high and cook, skin-side down until mostly done, then flip to sear the other side. 

To assemble tortillas, flake salmon into chunks and divide among them. Top with mango salsa, white sauce, cabbage and sprinkle with cilantro.

Rating: Mango salsa was a nice touch and could have multiple applications such as topping grilled chicken or pork. Fine enough weeknight meal if you make the salsa and white sauce in advance. 

Black bean salad with mango sauce

Adapted from “Tres Green Tres Clean Chic: Eat (and Live!) the New French Way With Plant-Based, Gluten-Free Recipes for Every Season,” by Rebecca Leffler. I don’t own that mouthful of a cookbook, but got the recipe courtesy of the Washington Post.

Ingredients

½ large ripe mango, chopped

1 green onion, chopped

Juice of 2 limes

2 tablespoons olive oil

¼ teaspoon ground coriander

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

2 tablespoons each chopped red pepper, yellow pepper and orange pepper

1 medium carrot, peeled and diced

½ cup shaved fennel bulb

½ cup thinly sliced cucumber

1 cup baby spinach leaves

1 ripe avocado, peeled and sliced

1½ tablespoons chopped fresh chives for garnish

Method

In food processor, puree mango and green onion with lime juice. With motor running drizzle in olive oil. Add coriander, cayenne pepper and salt to taste.  (If making in advance, store dressing separately at this point.)

In a good-sized serving bowl, add beans, peppers, carrots, fennel and cucumber. (If you’re making this in advance, leave ingredients in layers, cover and refrigerate. Leaving the cucumber on top will keep it from turning to mush.) Add spinach and avocado. Toss with mango dressing and garnish with chives.

Rating: Very fresh tasting. Definitely a summer dish, and it paired well with the tacos. Lots of nice color. The fennel is largely undetectable amid all those flavors, but if you're not a fennel fan, you can leave it out. The dressing is very thick, and when combined with the avocado, the taste sensation is like eating a salad with a guacamole topping. Not that it’s a bad thing, but sort of odd. You definitely wouldn’t want to combine these ingredients too far ahead of serving or it would sort of collapse.