A Cool Hot Salad

 A hot salad might seem ridiculous on a sweltering summer day yet it's actually a good idea. Air fried leaves are not only sweeter and tastier  but add texture to a normally boring salad. Any type of  can be used to create a unique blend of veggies and dressing.

I used Romaine lettuce.It does have the best flavor when air fried and served as a nice base for Roma tomatoes.

These were bought from my local Farmer;s Market and were just washed before air frying.

I then brushed Lidl's olive oil on both sides

If you just had the leaves, you could add salt pepper, and a mix of herbs for more flavor. 

My air fryer basket is round so the leaves had to be curved to fit in,. You really should lay them out straight if your air fryer basket has the room. IF not try to fit them in the basket. It's them airfrying them for about four minutes at 380 degrees Farenheit. This ensures that the leaves are not only crisped but also cooked.

As far  as other veggies , just keep it simple. I added sliced Roma tomatoes which give a lovely juiciness to the salad and to the dressing. The dressing was Follow Your  Heart Vegan dressing in ranch which worked very well with both the Romaine and the tomatoes.

Air fried Romaine really is a delicious addition. The next time I will probably add croutons for some crunch and more flavor. You can add them or even the Parmesan cheese rounds groceries shells. A handful of sunflower seeds would also be a nice addition as well.

A hot salad on a hot day ?It's actually a perfect summer meal. Try air fryer salad for a cool take on a warm weather classic.

Barbecue On A Budget

 Happiness is a barbecue yet it can get expensive? What to do ? You can cut corners and still have a tasty spread. It's just knowing how to budget and create flavorful dishes.

A barbecue and garden produce go hand in hand. You can easily take those early ripened beefsteaks and use those to top burgers. They also are great for all sorts of salad too.One of my favorites, panzanella requires just sliced tomatoes - any kind, fresh basil chiffonaded and olive oil. Garlic from the garden can flavor the salad and any salad for that matter.If you;re luckily enough to have corn in your garden take advantage of it. Grilled corn is a great side but it can also be used in corn salads for a different take on barbecue dishes. Add onions tomatoes and cucumber for a tasty colorful dish. A simple vinaigrette is perfect here so it can let all the different flavors shine.Shiny, purple eggplant are gracing garden patches right now and it's time to enjoy their creamy textured and earthy flavor. These are a great meat sub for any barbecue and they can be barbecued in a variety of ways.Brush slices with an herbal oil and grill both sides for a few minutes. A homemade bruschetta is also a great topping for eggplant along with Parmesan cheese too.

Of course there are great stores like Lidl that can help you with a budget barbecue. Try their onion burgers which taste like the burgers your mom and Gran made. These have bits of sweet onion in them. Lidl' also has pure beef and turkey patties too , ranging anywhere from $11.99 to $7.99 Walmart also has a good price on the meat patties being a dollar more than Lidl (although I think Lidl has the more flavorful patties)Bubba 's Burgers which can be bought almost everywhere are also a  good deal. Acme me has a twelve pack of the turkey kind for $9.99 . Keep in mind you can also sub in veggie and bean burgers too.Are homemade bean burgers just as moist and tasty as the store bought ones? Yes and much cheaper too. It's a mix of black beans (which are usually sixty cents a can), bread crumbs and a egg. These last are for binding. You can add chopped onions as you would with regular burgers. Spices such as ground ancho peppers and chipotle also give some zing and zest. 

You can have a good barbecue on a budget.It's just takes planning and ingenuity. Try it for some delicious flavors at low cost.

French Food Always Gold Medal

 France excels at so many things. There's art, architecture, fashion but most of all food. Nothing beats any type of French cuisine whether  haute or pays. whenever or whenever you eat the food is ce'st ce bon!!!!!

Haute cuisine which is what the royals such as the doomed Bourbons ate came from northern Italy It was when Caterina de Medici married Henri II of France. She not only brought tablecloths and forks to the French court in Paris but also chefs who brought the butter and sauce rich dishes of the Italian  north . The 1600's brought the first ever restaurant in the workd, a place where diners could eat and take a rest.Then the 1800's brought  Auguste Escoffier the great food writer, chef and restauranteur Escoffier's book was a staple in my house growing up with my Mom using it for reference. Even though she wasn;t French Julia Child brought French cooking to hungry for something Gallic American audiences as did Jackie Kennedy. French food has always been a part of the American table thanks to General Lafayette during the American Revolution and the Cajuns coming into the former French colony of Louisiana. Americans today go wild over croissants which is one of the greatest gifts the French have given the world. Crepes are also a delicious legacy which can be made with buckwheat  flour as in Normandy or  white flour as in Paris.

To fall in love in love with France is to fall in love with French food.The country has so many different areas. There is Marseilles and Provence in the south. The dishes are mouthwatering, featuring seafood as in their bouillabaisse a seafood stew of mussels, clams and shrimp with a flaky white fish like cod.Tomatoes and fresh herbs round it out and it's served with crusty French bread and a red pepper and breadcrumb paste called a rouille. The area also has the truly delicious salad Nicoise  a sunny mix iof greens that's enhanced with tuna and hard boiled eggs.Provence gives us that summer fave and an easy make -ratatouille. THis is one of my all time favorites to make. It;s a tasty mix of sliced eggplant(although you can use squash) tomatoes, peppers and garlic. It should be baked but it can also be made in a skillet.One thing serve with a long baguette. The more bread the better to soak up that flavorful sauce. Burgundy gives us bouef bourginon an easy to replicate strew made with beef ,carrots, potatoes and of course good Burgundy Red wine. The Loire Valley has the famed and mouth watering buttery and sweet apple tart tart tatin. Two sisters made this in their hotel and it's been a hit around the world ever since.

Viva le cuisine Francaise ❤ It is one of the best and varied cuisines in the world. Try this gold medal recipes today and experiences the greatest tastes on earth. Vraiment!!!!!

A Vegetarian Grilled Feast

 Summer has two very good things - the grill and fresh veggies. Now imagine combining the two to create a feast of tasty fresh dishes. They're better than all those barbecued dogs and burgers. There's a delicious freshness to them,perfect for any dinner.

Regular contributor Ali Slagle wrote about this vegan feast in yesterday's New York Times Wednesday Food section. There are also five recipes , perfect for any warm weather main course. Cooking veggies on the grill transforms them.It sizzles out moisture and creates a soft  caramelized inside that rich in flavor. There is a soba salad with grilled mushrooms and tofu.These two bring out the soba's nutty quality.Snap peas,  serrano chile and herbs add flavor as well.Lime juice, miso and maple syrup serve both as a marinade and a dressing as it enables the tofu to char instantly as soon as it hits the grill. Cook the noodles in the kitchen and mix in. This is a perfect dinner for a Sunday night. Another good dish is the barbecue vegetable salad.There's a kick of sweetness from the grilled peaches added along with a tangy barbecue sauce.Use the more flavorful Romaine as the base and cut the barbecue sauce with lime juice to make it more manageable. Crushed cron chips add crunch but croutons also work here too.

Taco lovers will also like bricia's Lopez taco encuarado or naked taco. She stuffs mild chiles with cheese and grills them until they're sweet, spicy and gooey. wrap them in tortilla and they become dinner. The cheese used is queso Oaxaca which you can get at any Mexican grocery.If not salted mozzarella will do just fine.The recipe calls for the Mexican herb epazote which has a fresh citrus-y flavor but you can use cilantro instead. FLatbread or focaccio along with naan, pita or roti can also be used. For those who love the Neopolitan panzanella salad there's a variation that has grilled corn and cucumbers. Yet' it's the homemade croutons that make this salad shine. There's a drizzle of vinaigrette along with a squeeze of lemon or lime for freshness. YOu could also add stone fruits like plums or cherries to this as well.A comforting summer meal is grits with charred peppers and broccoli. You can even cook the grits on the grill instead of running back to the kitchen to cook them on the stovetop. Just put them on the back section. Use a cast iron grill to cook the grits. As for sauces you can try barbecue, buffalo, tamarind or teriyaki. Butter also could work here as well.

These are the perfect veggie dishes for a summer's night. Try them instead of a meat laden barbecue. They're healthier and tastier.

Food For Olympians French Style

 Being an Olympic athlete means having an Olympian appetite. It has to be nutritious , full of the necessary vitamins, mineral, proteins and fibers for athletes to function well. However when the Olympucs are in Paris , it's sure to include delicious French twists. After all the Olympians have to have a taste of France with it's buttery rich flavors.

Regular contributor Priya Krishna wrote about this in today's New York Times Wednesday Food section.There will be three large restaurants that more resemble  college cafeteria with all you can eat buffets ,cereal dispensers and soda dispensers. There are also cute ,kitschy decorations such as pipes with eyes drawn on them. Unlike college cafeterias there are definitely French dishes like blanquette de veau, a creamy veal strew from Burgundy, lemon tart and Paris-Brest, a lush choux pastry that's filled with a praline creme. There are also three famed French chefs who own world renown restaurants, Akrame Benalla,Amandine Chaignot and Alexandre Mazzia who will prepare such unique dishes as  coco beans with parsley ice cream and crispy mushroom croquettes. There will be more Gallic touches such as cheese plates and of course, that excellent French butter. Then there's the eating off fine French porcelain which will be washed in three colossal dishwashers made especially for the venue. Then there;es the bakeries scattered throughout the Olympic Village that feature not only mouth watering baguettes, croissants and pain Chocolat but also break baking lessons too, This is a welcome distraction from the pressures of competition.

Yet all this may go unnoticed. National athletes want what they want - comforting foods that are also rich in protein and fiber. The US team already has had popcorn, peanut butter, jerky, pretzels energy bars and protein shakes sent to their dorms at the Olympic Village. The Irish Olympic team may be open to new gastronomic experiences but they can;t start their day without their porridge.It's an essential part of the Irish diet which the French do not share. according to Sharon Madigan who oversees the Irish team's nutrition. The Kenyans need their ugali a carbohydrate heavy cornmeal and Kericho Gold tea according to their team nutritionist Purity Kamande. The Koreans also demand their kimchi while the Japanese need their miso.Luckily these needs were met , thanks in part to Carole Galissant who works with the nutritionists and is a part of Sodexo Live part of the Sodexo Restuarants. THere are six restaurants that also cater to not only the French but also to the Asians and halal diets.

The Olympics are here and with them an appetite to win. The athletes are going for the gold but also for the food. They will enjoy the best of healthy cuisine with a touch of Gallic flavor.

Sharing An Abundant Garden

 Summer is full of light things - vacations, barbecues beach days.Yet some of the heavier issues are still there such as homeless and those who are financially strapped for food. It's easy to donate,especially if you have an abundant garden.

food pantries always suffer in the summer. Most people forget that there are others who need them. It usually is around the Thanksgiving food drives that people suddenly realize that there are others who are in need. Not so. Hunger and food instability are year round. Now is the time to donate. Provide vitamin rich foods such as tomatoes and squash for families who will be grateful for them.The same for homeless shelters across the country. If you've made a lot of tomato sauce then give those extra jars to any pantry or shelter in your area. Throw in some boxes of pasta too along with a few loaves of Italian bread for garlic bread. Tomatoes are also good sliced and be used a s filling too.Keep in mind that those herbs can come in handy too for sauces now and later on. Bay leaf and sage can be dried and saved for Thanksgiving and Christmas dishes such as stuffing and gravy.Thyme and oregano can be used now when they're fresh.

Fruit is also much appreciated in both homeless shelters and food pantries. If you have extra melons then by all means bring then in. Some shelters do  host barbecues and a slice of watermelon is always a good way to end a great meal of burgers and macaroni salad. strawberries ,late season blueberries and peaches are also welcome. They're better than those processed cakes and treats, providing much needed fiber and vitamins. They're also better for those with health problems like diabetes and kidney problems where too much sugar can be harmful. These fruits are also good in a bowl of cereal or  mixed in a smoothie (if the homeless shelter has a blender. Encourage to plant pits in their backyards or on the shelter s grounds if they can.They'll have fresh fruit in a few years once trees start to grow and flourish. The same goes for the watermelon seeds too. They're pretty hardy and can grip on anywhere.

Don't forget the homeless  and deprived during these light days of summer. They need the same amount of doo now as they did last winter. Be generous with your harvest.

Semi Opened To Candles And Cake

 Sometimes big birthdays just warrant simple wishes. It could just be a meal of a Coke and a soak , pulled pork on a bun or a plain steak with a baked potato,

What is you r idea of a simple but delicious birthday treat?Is it a plain cupcake? A hamburger? A Coke with a blob of your favorite ice cream in it?Let us know.