Farmer's Market Summer Salad

Hey Y'all!

This summer has been unbelievably hot here in the Low Country Region. I don't know about you, but on days like these, I don't even feel like cooking~ I just want to lie down and feel the cooling breeze of a ceiling fan. So here is an easy recipe that utilizes the abundant fresh produce available from the local Farmer's Markets. It compliments grilled chicken or shrimp perfectly, or you can also scoop it atop shredded lettuce and then top that with chilled shrimp for an instant, light, summer entree salad. It's an ideal way to enjoy the deliciousness of fresh summer veggies in a healthy way. Enjoy!!

Lulabelle

Farmer's Market Summer Salad



3 garden cucumbers, cut in half lengthwise, then sliced across into half moon shapes (leave peel on)

1/3 cup chopped red onion

1 ripe avocado, peeled and diced

1 1/2 cup chopped fresh tomatoes (regular or cherry)

2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

2 tsp.chopped fresh basil

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/8 tsp. black pepper

1 1/2 Tbs Balsamic Vinegar

1. Place chopped avocado in large glass bowl. Sprinkle with lemon juice, stir gently with spoon to evenly coat.
2. Add remaining vegetables, basil, salt and pepper; stir again to combine well.
3. Sprinkle lemon juice evenly over vegetables in bowl; stir again to coat well.

Yield: 4 servings

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Cheesy Tortilla Cups

Hey Y'all!

I recently tasted this recipe at a ladies bible study group. Lisa was so kind to share it with me, and gave me permission to share it with you. She served some additional salsa on the side, but you could also use a dollop of sour cream on them as well, maybe even some chopped black olives too.............. 
They are delicious!

Enjoy!!!

Lulabelle











10  fajita sized flour tortillas, quartered
1 large egg
1 cup cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
3/4 cup cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup frozen corn kernels
3/4 cup chunky tomato salsa, divided
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees
2. Lightly oil three mini muffin pans, or spray them with no-stick cooking spray.
3. Press the tortilla quarters into the muffin cups, letting the points stick up and over the edge. Bake for 4-5 minutes or until lightly browned.
4. Cool slightly, leave the oven on.
5. In medium bowl, lightly beat the egg with a fork. Stir in grated cheese, cream cheese, corn, 1/4 cup salsa, 1/4 cup of the cilantro, & the pepper.
6. Spoon some of the mixture into each of the tortilla cups.
7. Bake an additional 5-7 minutes, till filling is set. Let the cups cool for 5 minutes, then top each with about a 1/2 tsp. of the remaining salsa, and sprinkle with the remaining cilantro.

makes about 40 appetizers

***  a great substitute for the fresh cilantro, is to use a small can of drained, green chilies.

Low Country Pimiento Cheese

Hey Y'all!
This week I celebrated my __??? birthday, and my family and I celebrated it at a local restaurant. On the menu was an appetizer of pimiento cheese with tortilla chips and grilled flat bread. Oh my goodness! I was in pimiento cheese heaven!!!
Needless to say I had to go to the store and get the ingredients to make homemade pimiento cheese. I like to spread it on very FRESH sliced white bread, remove the crusts, then slice it into finger sandwiches. Of course, it is good on crackers or pita chips as well. I also like to serve it with potato chips (classic Lays)  dill pickle wedges and slices of tomatoes. Oh, and a tall glass of sweet tea. You know I am "southern"!!

This recipe makes about 24 plus ounces ( a large cottage cheese container) depending how you sample while you make it! LOL!!

Lowcountry Pimiento Cheese



1 lb. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

1/4 cup chopped onion

6 oz cream cheese

1/2 - 3/4 cup real mayonnaise ( I use Kraft)

1/4 tsp. hot sauce

1 tbls. white vinegar

1 tbls. granulated sugar

2 oz chopped, drained pimientos

Combine all ingredients ( except pimientos) in food processor. Pulse until mixture is well blended. Finally, add well drained pimientos and pulse just till pimento is blended. Chill several hours before serving.

*** Additional ideas:

I have topped various foods with pimiento cheese including;

hot dogs, hamburgers, and more recently tried it atop grits~ delicious!!!

You can add or subtract the sugar, vinegar and hot sauce to tweak it to your own tasting. Also, you can add a little more shredded cheese at the end if you like yours a little chunkier.

Black Magic Chocolate Cake

Hey Ya'll,
I love collecting new recipes and trying them out. I recently made this delicious chocolate cake for a potluck dinner a few weeks ago. It disappeared so quick, I didn't even get a slice! My friends all seemed to love it and it was declared a winner. The secret is a cup of cold coffee in the batter. It makes the cake extra moist and flavorful. Even if you don't like coffee, don't let that keep you from making this cake.....it's really good and would be even better with a scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream with it. The perfect summer treat!
Hope you all have a great summer!

Lulabelle

Black Magic Chocolate Cake

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

2 cups granulated sugar

3/4 cup cocoa powder

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

2 eggs

1 cup strong, black coffee, cooled

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 vegetable oil

1 tsp. vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. In large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
3. Add remaining ingredients; beat with electric mixer for two minutes on medium speed, scraping bowl occasionally. (mixture will be thin)
4. Pour batter into greased and floured, 9" x 13" baking pan.
5. Bake @ 350 degrees for 35 - 40 minutes or until done.
6. (test center of cake with a toothpick for doneness)
7. Let cool completely before frosting.

Frosting

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened

2 oz. unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled

3 cups confectioners sugar

3 Tbls milk

2 tsp. vanilla

1. Combine all ingredients in large mixing bowl.
2. Beat on low speed of mixer till ingredients are well blended.
3. Continue beating for two minutes on medium speed, scraping sides of bowl occasionally.
4. Spread frosting evenly over completely cooled cake.

yield 12- 15 servings

Chicken Satay

Recently I had 15 girlfriends at my home for an "Eat, Pray, Love" Party. What a great time we had!
As we watched the Eat, Pray, Love movie, we followed the true story of how Elisabeth Gilbert (played by Julia Roberts) took a year to travel to Italy to discover passion, to India to discover devotion, and finally to Bali to discover balance and love. What made the party interesting was that we would pause the movie at each of Elisabeth's destinations and savor the food and celebrate the culture of each of the countries she visited. I also used different tablescapes, dishes, napkins and decor to represent each unique country. Each lady brought food as well to represent Italy, India or Bali. Take home favors and a special guest book signing made the party complete. We ate the night away, and a good time was had by all. I created a chicken satay recipe for the table featuring India, and served it in white ceramic "tasting" spoons, accompanied by rice. I will post the complete menu following my recipe for chicken satay.
Although this is definitely not typical "southern" or "low country" cuisine, sometimes it is fun to introduce and experience new types of cuisines. Hope you all enjoy!!

Bon Appetite!

Lulabelle

Chicken Satay

1 lb. boneless, skinless, chicken breast, cut into 1" cubes

1 tsp. lemon pepper

1 tsp. garlic/herb seasoning

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tbls. olive oil

1. Sprinkle chicken evenly with lemon pepper, garlic/herb seasoning, and salt
2. Sautee chicken in olive oil in large skillet over medium heat for about 8-10 minutes till cooked
3. Drain off any excess oil

Sauce

3 tbls. peanut butter

1 tsp. curry powder   * add more if a stronger curry flavor is desired

1 tbls.granulated sugar

2 tbls. honey

1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes * optional use if you want some heat to it

1/2 tsp. chopped, crystalized ginger

1 cup canned, Thai coconut milk

1/3 cup salted or sweet & spicy peanuts

1. Add all ingredients to chicken in skillet; stir well to blend together
2. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes
3. Add peanuts to mixture, stir to blend
4. Serve over hot rice

"Eat, Pray, Love" Menu

Italy

Antipasti:

marinated olives, vegetables, mushrooms, and artichoke hearts

assorted cheeses and salami

Caprese Platter;

fresh mozzaerella, sliced tomatoes, fresh basil drizzled with olive oil & herbs

Proscuitto Wrapped  Asparagus 

Flat Bread, Bread Sticks

Pizza

Italian Truffles, Italian Cookies



 India

Chicken Satay

Chicken Korma Curry

Tikka Marsala Chicken Curry

Pineapple Meatballs

Rice

Assorted Hummus

Flat Breads and Pita Bread

Sauteed Garbanzo Beans

Lentils

Coconut/ Curry Peanuts

Dates

Bali

Fresh Pineapple, Kiwi, and Mango

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

Spiced Pecans

Fresh Boiled Shrimp with Cocktail Sauce

Buffalo Chicken Wontons

I was wondering other day what I could make for an upcoming potluck dinner at our church, so I created these Buffalo Chicken Wontons, and by the way they disappeared, I think they were a success. Hope you enjoy them as well.


4 cups boneless, skinless, chicken breast; cooked and chopped fine
 ( I seasoned my chicken and baked it in the oven, but you could also use pre-cooked rotisserie chicken if you are in a hurry)

8 oz. bleu cheese, crumbled

8 oz. pepper jack cheese, shredded

1 cup milk

1 cup mayonnaise

1 pkg. dry Spicy Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix

1 Tbs. Hot Wing wing sauce

1 tsp. Bottled hot sauce

1/8 tsp. Lawry's Seasoned Salt

1/8 tsp. Ground Paprika

1 pkg. large, square won ton (or pastry) wrappers

Garnish:
bleu cheese dressing
additional hot sauce
celery sticks

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. In small mixing bowl, combine mayonnaise, milk, and dry ranch mix. Stir with a whisk to blend well, with no lumps. Cover and chill in refrigerator, for at least one hour.
3. Meanwhile, cut each won ton wrapper into 4 squares about ( 2in. by 2 in.)
4. Place each won ton wrapper into the bottoms of a cupcake pan, pressing to form a small cup, with the pointed corners flared out toward the edges of each cup. (repeat as many times as needed to make 32 wont ton cups.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 5 minutes till edges are lightly brown. Remove pans from oven ( but leave pastries in pan while preparing filling)
6. In large mixing bowl, combine chilled mayonnaise/milk mixture, chopped cooked chicken, cheeses, wing sauce, hot sauce, and spices. Stir with large spoon to combine well.
7. Spoon two tablespoons of mixture into each pre-baked won ton cup.  Sprinkle tops of each with a little paprika. Repeat step to make 32 won tons.
8. Bake again for 4-5 minutes till cheese is bubbly and edges are lightly brown.
9. yield: 32 won tons

If desired, garnish with a dollop of bleu cheese dressing on top of each won ton, an additional splash of hot sauce, and a small celery stick.