Easy Cold Cucumber Soup

 

Summer heat and humidity makes it hard to turn on the stove and heat up the house. Today’s recipe is perfect for hot August days, but is easy and tasty enough for any day. Cold cucumber soup is a quick-to-make, refreshing, and flavorful cold soup. and it helps use all those fresh cucumbers from the garden. Perfect to serve as an appetizer, side dish, or for a light, healthy main dish. I’m using Greek yogurt low fat but you can certainly use regular Greek yogurt too. Add lemon juice, minced shallots and fresh herbs and blend. Refrigerate at least 4 hours up to overnight for a wonderful mouthful of cold goodness.

 

 

Cold Cucumber Soup

Use organic when available. Makes 6 servings of 1/2 cup

 

Ingredients

• 2 large English or seedless cucumbers peeled, seeded, sliced
• 2 cups plain Greek yogurt
• 1 shallot minced
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1/4 tsp ground cumin
• 3 tsp chopped fresh dill
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped
• 1 lemon juiced (or lime)

Instructions

• In a blender or food processor, add cucumbers, yogurt, shallot, garlic, fresh dill & parsley, lemon juice and ground cumin.
• Puree for 1 minute until smooth
• Taste and adjust seasoning, add salt and white pepper to taste
• Refrigerate for at least 4 hours until cold
• Optional garnish of sliced cucumbers, fresh herbs
• Serve well chilled

Enjoy!

 

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Ginger Garlic Vegetable Stir Fry

 

Summer means loads of fresh vegetables, and that makes me happy. Today’s recipe is a quick, under-30-minute meal for a meatless night or a great side dish to your grilled meats. There are really no rules about ingredients in my recipe. If you don’t like carrots, leave it out. Not a fan of broccoli, substitute asparagus. As I always say, make this recipe your own. Today I’m using a small head of broccoli, carrots, green beans, red onion, colorful bell peppers, and mushrooms.  A cup of chopped raw broccoli will yield 2.6 grams of protein, while a cup of cooked broccoli contains about 1.9 grams. Broccoli deserves its reputation as a “superfood” because it’s high in fiber, folates, vitamin C, vitamin K, and potassium. Flash sauté them for just a few minutes. Combined with the other ingredients, they make a sassy stir-fried vegan/vegetarian dish. Serve with brown rice or over pasta. For added protein, add 1/2 cup of cooked legumes, raw cashews or walnuts, tofu, or other protein.

  

Group the veggies by the amount of time they take to cook. Start your cooking first with the dense vegetables that take longer to cook, such as, onion and bell pepper. Add the light cookers last, and mushrooms fall in the middle of the sequence. Broccoli placement depends on taste, if you prefer it crisp or softer. Obviously, the softer you want it, the longer it cooks.

 

 

Ginger Garlic Vegetable Stir Fry

Use organic when available. Serves 4

 

Ginger Garlic Vegetable Stir Fry is ready in less than 30 minutes using the freshest summer vegetables. Depending on your additions, it fits most diets: Vegan, gluten-free, dairy free, vegetarian.

 

Ingredients

Sauce

• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 1/2 cup vegetable stock or water
• 1 tbsp grated or minced fresh ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup tamari or low sodium soy sauce
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp maple syrup or honey
• 1 tbsp corn starch
• Optional for spicy sauce: 1/4 tsp of crushed red pepper flakes or to taste

Stir Fry

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3/4 cup sliced carrots
• 1/2 cup halved fresh green beans
• 1/2 cup snow peas
• 1/2 cup sliced red onion
• 1 small head of broccoli, cut into florets
• 1/2 medium bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms (3 oz)
• 1/2 cup optional raw nuts, sesame seeds, legumes, or tofu

Instructions

• Whisk together all sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
• Heat oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat
• Add onion, carrots, and bell pepper and cook for 2 minutes
• Add broccoli and cook for 1 to 2 minutes
• Add mushrooms to the pan and cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until tender
• Add the rest of the vegetables for an additional minute of cooking
• Optional: add nuts, seeds, legumes, or other protein in the middle of the stir-fry depending on the time needed to cook
• Whisk sauce again and pour over vegetables in pan
• Cook until thickened, stirring constantly, 1 to 2 minutes
• Remove from heat
• Serve over steamed brown rice, noodles, or other grain
• Optional garnish with chopped green onions, sesame seeds, or nuts

Enjoy!

 

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Easy Pineapple & Cucumber Salad

  

 

Sometimes the best things are just plain easy. For a fast and tasty side dish during the summer heat, try an easy Pineapple Cucumber Salad. It works well with a cookout or a sit-down dinner. Spend 5 to 10 minutes to throw it together. Chill it.  Then devour it.

This makes a great lunch or snack too. Yum!  Halve the cucumber lengthwise and slice. Dice the pineapple in cubes. Add cilantro and lime juice with zest. Easy peasy. (If you don’t like to cut up a pineapple, buy it sliced at the grocery store and just cut in smaller pieces.)  Hate cilantro? Drop it and substitute fresh mint for a great flavor.

 

 

 

 

Pineapple Cucumber Salad

Use organic when available; serves 4 to 6

 

Ingredients

• 1 pineapple peeled & chopped (2 1/2 to 3 cups)
• 1 English cucumber halved & sliced
• 2 limes – zest and juice
• 1/3 cup fresh cilantro diced
• 1/4 cup Optional fresh mint diced
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• Optional tomatoes

Instructions

• Combine pineapple, cucumber in bowl
• Mix lime zest & juice, olive oil, and cilantro separately
• Drizzle dressing over salad
• Toss gently
• Add salt and pepper to taste
• Chill until served  

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One Pot Ham & Veggie Pasta

Today’s recipe, Ham & Veggie Pasta, is a hearty meal but easy to make for busy weeknights. What makes it superb for summer is all the cooking is in one stove top pot. For summer, I suggest you buy a center cut ham steak of about 1 to 2 pounds. 2 cups of chopped ham is approximately 1 pound; you’ll need 2 1/2 cups for 6 servings. When fall and winter comes, use leftovers from your baked ham. I used a defrosted frozen green peas and carrot mix for my veggies, but you could just use green peas or another vegetable.

I like cute bow tie pasta (Farfalle), but you can change up this recipe by using a different pasta shape or switching out Parmesan for another cheese. If you don’t eat pork, substitute bite-sized pieces of other cooked protein. The sauce is based on low sodium chicken broth and half-and-half. Half-and-half comes in variations, including low-fat and fat-free varieties. Regular half-and-half is 10.5% to 12% fat. Low-fat has 50% less fat than regular half-and-half. Fat-free half-and-half has one-tenth the fat of regular half-and-half. I suggest low fat half-and-half to cut fat but retain the creamy flavor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One Pot Ham & Veggie Pasta

Use organic when available. Serves 6.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 1/2 cups cubed cooked ham
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 1/4 cup low-fat half-and-half
• 1/4 cup flour
• 16 oz package farfalle (bow tie) pasta
• 2 cups frozen peas and carrots defrosted
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper to taste
• optional chopped parsley for garnish

Instructions

• Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat
• Add onion and ham
• Sauté for about 3 minutes
• Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds
• Stir in Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper
• Cook for 2 minutes
• Whisk together chicken broth, half-and-half, and flour in a bowl until smooth
• Pour into the pot of ham mix
• Stir in farfalle pasta, cover, and cook for 15 minutes
• Add peas and carrots
• Cook until pasta is cooked through, about 8 more minutes
• Stir in Parmesan cheese
• Optional garnish with chopped parsley
• Serve immediately with bread and a salad   

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Grilled Prosciutto Wrapped Peaches with Cheese

 

 

Summer is the time to cook food on the grill. Meat, vegetables, and fruits all have their flavors enhanced with the high heat that seals in all the juices.  Magic seems to happen when we grill fruit. Today’s recipe uses ripe but not soft peaches wrapped in prosciutto. Grilled prosciutto wrapped peaches are a perfect sweet and savory dish for an appetizer or even a dessert.  Serve with mozzarella or burrata. Drizzle the platter with extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle a little salt and pepper, and garnish with fresh basil strips.

Grilled Prosciutto-Wrapped Peaches With Cheese

Use organic when available. Serves 4 to 6. Platter above shows doubled recipe.

Ingredients

• 2 ripe peaches pitted and quartered
• 4 thin slices of prosciutto halved lengthwise
• 8 toothpicks or small skewers
• 6 oz mozzarella or burrata cheese
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• salt pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp sliced fresh basil

Instructions

• Preheat grill to medium high and oil grate
• Make prosciutto ribbons and wrap each quarter peach
• Secure prosciutto with toothpick or small skewer
• Place wrapped peaches on grill
• Grill about 6 minutes until peaches start to carmelize and prosciutto gets crisp around edges
• Remove from heat and discard toothpicks/skewers
• Place cheese onto serving plate
• Place grilled prosciutto-peach quarters around cheese
• Sprinkle with salt and pepper
• Drizzle with olive oil
• Garnish with fresh basil slices
• Serve immediately  

Enjoy!

 

 

 

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Southern Tomato & Cracker Salad

 

Tomato & Cracker Salad is a simple southern dish that is a must for summer if you love fresh tomatoes. I know it sounds strange, but if you like tomato sandwiches, you’ll like this. Ripe summer tomatoes are combined with mayonnaise and broken saltine crackers. This is a recipe that’s been made throughout the south for many years. There are slight variations on the recipe. The basic recipe includes chopped ripe summer tomatoes with seeds & pulp removed, mayonnaise, salt and pepper, and broken crackers. I like it best while the crackers are still crunchy, so serve it immediately. After about an hour, the crackers soften to the consistency of mashed potatoes. Some people like me add minced fresh basil, chopped green onions, and garlic. Another group add a chopped egg. With the egg addition, it gives you protein for your lunch. If you haven’t tried Tomato & Cracker Salad, remember it when you have loads of fresh tomatoes and want to eat them fast. 

 

Southern Tomato & Crackers Salad

Use organic when available. Serves 6

Ingredients

• 4 ripe fresh medium tomatoes of choice – heritage, Campari, cherry
• 1 sleeve saltine crackers broken into bite-sized pieces
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 oz chopped fresh basil
• 1 green onion sliced
• pinch of garlic powder
• salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• optional chopped hard-boiled egg

Instructions

• Seed and chop tomatoes
• Place tomatoes on a paper towel for 5 or 10 minutes
• Combine mayonnaise, salt, pepper, garlic, and basil in large bowl
• Whisk to blend
• Fold in tomatoes
• Fold in broken crackers
• Optional add chopped hard-boiled egg
• Serve immediately    

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Cucumber, Corn, Black Bean & Avocado Salad

 

 

 

 If you love vegetables, today’s recipe is a tasty, filling salad that has great flavor from the mix of ingredients. It’s perfect for using up summer produce from the garden or farmer’s market. It’s topped with a lemon vinaigrette. You can easily adapt it with what you have on hand with additions or subtractions.

 

 

 

 

Cucumber, Corn, Black Bean & Avocado Salad

Use organic when available. Serves 4

Ingredients

Salad

• 1 seedless cucumber diced
• 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 1/4 cup corn (frozen and defrosted or leftover cooked corn cut from cob)
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
• 1 avocado diced
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro or parsley chopped

Lemon Vinaigrette

• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp finely chopped cilantro or parsley
• 1 tsp honey
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• salt and pepper to taste
• dash of hot sauce optional

Instructions

• Toss cucumber, black beans, tomatoes, corn, avocado, and onion together in a large salad bowl.
• Whisk olive oil, lemon juice, honey, and cumin together in a bowl
• Add cilantro or parsley, salt, and pepper to taste (plus hot sauce if using)
• Drizzle over salad
• Toss gently to coat
• Refrigerate 30 minutes
• Serve chilled

Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

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Summer Squash Quiche With Thyme

 

  

Published on www.comfortspringstation.com on 6/26/17

  #6 in post visits in 2025

 

 

Summer is a time of bounty for those who grow vegetables. Even if you don’t grow your own, the fresh veggies are filling the supermarkets.  One of my favorite veggies is summer squash. Yellow, green, or white, I am a fan.

 Today’s recipe is Summer Squash Quiche.  I’m using yellow squash and mozzarella, but it’s wonderful with zucchini too.  I used a 10-inch tart pan. It’s a perfect recipe for a luncheon, birthday party, or a buffet table. How about a Mother's Day brunch on May 10th?

 

 

 

Summer Squash Quiche

Use organic when available. Serves 8 or 9

  

 

Ingredients

• 6 eggs or 4 whole eggs & 2 egg whites or 1 1/2 cups egg substitute
• 1/2 lb yellow squash (about 2 cups) cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 1/4 tsp hot pepper sauce
• 1 pie crust
• 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter or margarine
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

•  Bake your crust at 375 degrees F for 10 minutes  
• Remove from oven and lower temperature to 350 degrees F
• While crust bakes, melt butter or margarine in pan and add squash and thyme
• Cook 5 minutes or until tender
• Remove squash from pan and let cool
• Whisk eggs, half-and-half, salt, pepper, and hot sauce in bowl
• Arrange squash on bottom of the crust and sprinkle cheese on top
• Pour egg mixture into crust (might be some left over)
• Bake quiche 30–35 minutes, or until filling is golden and center is set
• Remove from oven and cool 15 minutes
• Slice and serve 

 Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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