Marinated Mushrooms

1 pound small fresh mushrooms

¾ cup salad oil

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

3 tablespoons lemon juice

3 tablespoons chopped onion

2 tablespoons chopped chives

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

1 teaspoon tarragon

1 clove garlic, pressed

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon sugar

1. Clean mushrooms.
2. Combine all other ingredients and pour over mushrooms and marinate for several hours at room temperature.
3. Serve in the marinade or drain. 

Pasta Primevera

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

1 medium onion, minced

1 large garlic clove, minced

1 pound thin asparagus (tips intact, touch ends cut off)

½ pound mushrooms, thinly sliced

6 ounces cauliflower or broccoli, broken into small florets

1 medium zucchini, cut into ¼ inch rounds

1 small carrots, halved lengthwise, cut diagonally into 1/8 inch slices

1 cup whipping cream

½ cup chicken stock

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, or 2 teaspoons dried

1 cup frozen tiny peas, thawed, or 1 cup fresh young peas

2 ounces prosciutto or cooked ham, chopped

5 green onions, chopped salt and pepper

1 pound fettucine or linguine cooked al dente, thoroughly

1 cup freshly grated imported parmesan cheese

1. Heat wok or large, deep skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Add butter, onion, and garlic, and saute until onion is softened (about 2 minutes)
3. Mix in asparagus, mushrooms, cauliflower, zucchini, and carrot and stir-fry for 2 minutes. 
4. Increase heat to high.
5. Add cream, stock, and basil and allow mixture to boil until liquid is slightly reduced, about 3 minutes.
6. Stir in peas, ham and green onion and cook 1 minute more.
7. Turn onto large serving platter.

*Great as dinner, serve with wine and bread!

Chopped Parmesan Salad

Salad:

½ head iceberg lettuce, chopped into medium pieces

1 small head romaine lettuce, chopped

¼ pound Italian salami, finely diced

¼ pound mozzarella cheese, finely chopped

1 cup garbanzo beans (chick peas), drained, rinsed, and chopped

Dressing:

5 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Combine all salad ingredients in a bowl.
2. Pour Parmesan dressing over salad and toss, coating ingredients completely. Serve immediately.
3. Combine all dressing ingredients in a jar with tight fitting lid and shake well.

** You can add additional items like olives, chopped pepperoncinis (banana peppers) or sun dried tomatoes. 

Spinach and Bacon Salad

3 slices bacon, diced

2 bunches of fresh spinach

2 green onions, thinly sliced

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

¼ cup chili sauce

1 clove garlic, mashed

½ tsp oregano

Salt and pepper

Hard boiled eggs, chopped (optional)

1. Brown bacon pieces slowly
2. Wash spinach and pat dry. Tear leaves into bite sized pieces and place in a bowl with onions.
3. When cooked add bacon drippings, add vinegar, chili sauce, garlic and oregano.
4. Heat until mixture simmers, stir. 
5. Pour over spinach mixture, stir in eggs, and mix well, serve at once. 

Tuscan Rice Salad

Original: Epicurious

1 cup Arborio rice or medium grain white rice

¾ teaspoon salt

¼ red wine vinegar

2 tablespoon olive oil (preferably extra-virgin)

1 large egg

1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese

Nonstick vegetable oil spray

1 cup finely diced cooked pork

1 cup frozen petite peas, thawed

1/3 cup chopped red onion

3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley

6 large lettuce leaves

1 medium tomato, cut into thin wedges

1. Bring large saucepan of water to boil. Stir in rice and salt. Reduce heat to medium and simmer uncovered until rice is tender, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Drain rice well.
2. Whisk vinegar and oil in large bowl. Add warm and toss to coat.
3. Whisk egg and Parmesan cheese in small bowl to blend. Spray medium nonstick skillet with vegetable oil spray and heat over medium-high heat. Add egg mixture and stir constantly until scrambled and cruds are set, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and cool. Cut egg into small pieces. Season to taste with pepper.
4. Stir egg pieces, pork, peas, red onion, and parsley into rice. Season salad to taste with salt and pepper. Line shallow bowl with lettuce leaves. Spoon rice salad onto leaves. Surround with tomato wedges, serve at room temperature. 

Grilled Tuna with Jicama and Cucumber Relish

1 cup diced peel jicama

1 cup hot house cucumber

½ cup diced red onion

½ cup diced green bell pepper

2 jalapeno chilies, finely chopped

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 teaspoon oriental sesame oil

2 12 oz. tuna steaks (about 1 inch thick)

2 teaspoons soy sauce

1. Combine first 7 ingredients in medium bowl
2. Season to taste with salt and pepper (can be prepared 6 hours ahead, cover and refrigerate)
3. Preheat grill. 
4. Brush tuna with soy sauce
5. Broil 6 inches from heat until just cooked and still pale pink in center, about 4 minutes per side
6. Top fish with relish and serve. 

Summer Chop Salad with Corn, Snap Peas, and Bacon

Salad:

1 ½ cups sugar snap peas, trimmed and cut in half diagonally

1 ½ cups fresh corn kernels (about 2 ears)

½ head romaine lettuce

1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced

1 carrot, peeled and shredded

½ red bell pepper, diced

3 green onions, sliced

5 radishes, thinly sliced

1 cup basil leaves (about 1 oz.) cut into thin strips

6 cherry tomatoes, halved

Mustard vinaigrette

½ cup grated parmesan cheese

½ teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

12 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled

Vinaigrette:

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons minced garlic

9 tablespoons olive oil

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

*whisk to combine 

1. Cook peas in boiling water to cover for 1 to 2 minutes; immediately plunge into ice water to stop cooking process.
2. Cook corn in boiling water for 2 minutes; immediately plunge into ice water. Drain both.
3. Chop lettuce into small pieces, place in a large bowl.
4. Add peas, corn, cucumber, and next 6 ingredients; toss with mustard vinaigrette.
5. Mound salad on a large platter and sprinkle with bacon. 

** You can add other favorite veggies too like cauliflower, broccoli, olives etc. Chicken makes it a full meal or leave out all the meat for a veg only dish. 

Quick and easy Salmon with Lentils

Package of Trader Joe's cooked lentils  

Olive Oil - we use the spray bottle kind to keep it light on the oil 

2 cups chopped sweet Maui onions  - about one large onion 

2 cups well washed chopped leeks, white and light green parts only

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (if you don't have fresh 1/4 tsp dried works) 

1 teaspoons sea salt

Garlic salt 

¾ teaspoon or more if you love pepper  freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic

1 ½ cups chopped celery

1 cup chopped carrots

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

4 (8 oz.) salmon fillets. We love the frozen wild caught salmon from Costco. If you can get fresh that is awesome! 

1. Spray a pan with a bit of olive oil. Saute onions, leeks, thyme, garlic, celery, 1 tsp salt and carrots in a pan until cooked through.
2. Add lentils and cook until the lentils are warmed through. 
3. For the salmon, preheat the oven to 450*. Rub the fillets with olive oil, garlic salt and pepper and bake for 10 minutes. Or grill the salmon - we prefer to grill but we also live in a sunny place where you can grill year round! 
4. Serve with lentils.

My boys loved this dish and it's so easy!!! The lentils also are great for lunch the next day - if you have left overs.