Fresh Corn Salad

Corn salad this time, to beat the heat. This recipe is from allrecipes.com as well.

Ingredients:

• 8 ears fresh corn
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1 zucchini, chopped
• 1 cucumber, peeled and chopped
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 cup Italian-style salad dressing

Okay, if you know me, you know I'm lazy and I'm not going to spend the time to shuck 8 ears of corn. I used two cans of corn, drained.

Chop up the zucchini, cucumber, and onion. I used baby cherry tomatoes and sliced them once down the middle. I forgot the bell pepper, so I sprinkled some red pepper in there for a little kick, along with some black pepper.

I mixed inNewman's Oil and Vinegar dressing.

Summer Broccoli Salad

So it finally feels like summer here in San Diego, so I decided I needed a yummy recipe that required little involvement from my stove. I found this recipe on allrecipes.com and made a few vegetarian alterations.

Ingredients:

• 2 heads fresh broccoli
• 1 red onion
• 1/2 pound fake bacon
  
• 3/4 cup dried cranberries
  
• 3/4 cup sliced almonds
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

Cook your fake bacon first. I used Smart Bacon from Henry's. It worked fairly well, and smelled like real bacon.
While that is warming up, chop up your fresh broccoli. I used about 3 medium sized heads. Chop your onion, and throw the two in a medium sized bowl.

Next prep your sauce. I personally found the sauce a bit rich- I will probably half it next time. I don't see why one needs an entire cup of mayo for this- it's overpowering if you don't eat a ton of dairy or sugar (*Use Vegannaise if you have it). Add the vinegar and sugar and mix well.

Dowse your broccoli with the sauce, and throw in the bacon, almonds and cranberries. Other suggestions include sunflower seeds, which I think I will definitely give a try next time around.



Chill for at least one hour, then gobble.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Wait time: one hour
Yummy factor: 8/10

Squash for Shane

Here you go Shane, my mom's method of eating tons of delicious squash.

Slice 2 large yellow squash, and 2-3 zucchinis.

Warm fry pan to medium with a few drops of olive oil. Cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.











Once they become soft, add some sliced tomatoes. Let every thing simmer again for a minute or two. Once everything is soft and warm, add cheese. Cheddar works the best, but here I used a mixed pack with cheddar in it.





Remove from flame and let the cheese melt in. Serve immediately, or deal with a mean cheesy mess in your pan. I made this last night with a fake chicken breast. Delicious!

Portobello Mushroom Burger

I love this one! If you ever get bored of veggie patty-type burgers, this is a super alternative. Look around for some big old juicy-looking portobello caps at your local store. You will also need:

Buns or kaiser rolls (perfect for these!)
Fresh Basil
Red Bell Peppers- get the ones in the jar that are marinated
Provolone cheese slices
1/4 c. Balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp. Olive oil
Fresh Garlic
Onion
Tomato
Mayo

Heat a grilling pan to medium. Prepare the mushrooms by brushing them off with a vegetable brush and cleaning out the underside with a spoon. Mix a marinade of olive oil, with some crushed garlic. Brush the underside of the shrooms, and place on the pan. I love balsamic, so I pretty much soak the little guys in the marinade but it's up to you how much you use. Grill for 3-4 minutes, then flip. Once the mushrooms are almost done, add the cheese and basil leaves and let it get nice and melty.

Put the burgers together layering the red peppers, onion, tomato, and whatever else you dig. It's pretty quick and easy, and a nice summer burger.