July 2017 Recipes

Herbed Barley with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes and Feta from Mary Beth Collins

From The Best Life Diet, by Bob Greene

1 ½ cups cherry or grape tomato halves (about a pint)

2 teaspoons olive oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 cups water

¾ teaspoon salt

1 cup pearl barley, sorted and rinsed

1 tablespoon fresh sage, finely chopped

1 tablespoon fresh oregano, finely chopped

1 tablespoon fresh Italian parsley, chopped

¼ cup crumbled feta cheese or goat cheese

Lemon Vinaigrette:

Juice and zest on 1 lemon

1 small clove garlic, finely minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  In a baking dish, toss tomato halves with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Roast, shaking often, until the tomatoes are lightly browned on the outside, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Bring the water and ¾ teaspoon salt to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Slowly add the barley. Cover and reduce the heat to low.  Cook for 30 to 40 minutes or until the barley is tender and the water absorbed. Transfer to a bowl and cool.

Combine the lemon vinaigrette ingredients in a small bowl and whisk.  Add to the barley and toss to combine.  Add the roasted tomatoes, chopped herbs, and crumbled cheese, and toss again. Serves 6.

Summer Squash Salad from Mary Beth Collins

From SimplyRecipes.com

4 small zucchini or mixed yellow and green summer squash

1/3 cup loosely packed mint leaves

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

Pepper, to taste

¼ cup pine nuts

Grana Padano, Parmesan, or Asiago cheese shavings

Fresh mint for garnish

Toast the pine nuts in a small skillet on medium high heat. Stir gently as they start to brown. Remove from heat and let cool. Slice the squash into paper-thin slivers using a mandoline. Set aside in a bowl.

Chiffonade the mint. Stack the mint leaves. Roll them together lengthwise and slice crosswise to make very thin slivers. Add to bowl.

Whisk together the oil and lemon juice. Whisk in the salt and pepper and pour the dressing over the squash and mint. Add the pine nuts and toss all together gently, but thoroughly.  Let mixture stand for at least 10 minutes to soften the squash and develop the flavors.  Garnish with shavings of cheese and few sprigs of fresh mint. Serves 4.

Artichoke and Roasted Cumin Dip from Mary Beth Collins

2 cans (14 ounces each) marinated artichoke hearts, drained

2 cloves garlic, peeled

1 teaspoon roasted ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Chopped basil for garnish

Mix drained artichoke hearts, garlic, cumin, and salt in a food processor. Slowly add the olive oil. Garnish with pepper and chopped basil to taste.

Rosemary Cookies from Mary Beth Collins

From Spring and Summer Herbal Sampler, Buffalo Springs Herb Farm.

1 cup butter

¾ cup confectioner’s sugar

Dash of salt

1 ½ teaspoons rosewater

2 cups flour

¾ cup pecans, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, minced

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Chop rosemary.  Cream butter, salt, and rosewater. Add flour and rosemary.  Beat well until smooth. Stir in pecans.  Roll into small 1-inch balls. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet 2 inches apart.  Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until golden, not brown.  Cool 10 minutes before removing from cookie sheet.

Dixie Kelly’s Spear Dip from Mary Beth Collins

Mary Beth made Dixie Kelly’s Spear Dip found on page 33 of The Charlotte Herb Guild Cooks Again.

Lemon Verbena Tisane from Mary Beth Collins

Generous handful of lemon verbena leaves and stems, washed

2 quarts water

Wash lemon verbena leaves and stems and place in a heat resistant bowl.  Bring cold water to a boil.  Pour over lemon verbena, cover and infuse until cool.

Mint Tea from Mary Beth Collins

4 Tazo refresh mint tea bags

1 quart boiling water

The tea bags contain peppermint, spearmint and tarragon.

Steep for 5 minutes and serve with lemon and mint.

Greek Shrimp and Pasta from Karen Phillips

Package of preferred pasta, cooked

Kalamata Olives

Diced tomatoes

Artichokes - fresh, canned, or frozen

Shrimp, Fresh

Feta Cheese

Salt

Pepper

Garlic

Parsley or Mint

Directions

Put freshly cooked, warm pasta in a bowl and add shrimp and remaining ingredients.  (If you have used frozen artichokes, make sure you steam them first.)  

Toss and adjust seasonings to your preference.

Ingredients can be adjusted to the amount you wish.  

Curried Chicken Salad from Phyllis Cutrell

Based on an Ina Garten recipe

3 whole (6 split) chicken breasts, bone-in, skin-on

Olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 ½ cups good mayonnaise (recommended: Hellman's)

1/3 cup dry white wine

1/4 cup chutney (recommend Major Grey's)

3 tablespoons curry powder

1 cup medium-diced celery (2 large stalks)

1/4 cup chopped scallions, white and green parts (2 scallions)

1/4 cup raisins

1 cup whole roasted, salted cashews

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Place the chicken breasts on a sheet pan and rub the skin with olive oil. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is just cooked. Set aside until cool enough to handle. Remove the meat from the bones, discard the skin, and dice the chicken into large bite-size pieces.

For the dressing, combine the mayonnaise, wine, chutney, curry powder, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Process until smooth.

Combine the chicken with enough dressing to moisten well. Add the celery, scallions, and raisins, and mix well. Refrigerate for a few hours to allow the flavors to blend. Add the cashews and serve at room temperature.

Honey Chicken Salad from Phyllis Cutrell

2 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped

½ cup mayo

3 T honey

½ cup celery, chopped

½ cup dried cranberries

¾ cup pineapple tidbits

Salt and pepper to taste

Mix all together.

Lemon Cake from Phyllis Cutrell

1 box lemon cake mix

4 eggs

½ cup water

½ cup vegetable oil

1 box instant lemon pudding

1 cup sour cream

Mix all together for about 4 minutes and pour into 2 prepared 9 inch cake pans. Bake at 350 for 25-30 min. Cool completely before frosting.

Frosting

3 oz. cream cheese softened

Approx 3 cups whipping cream, whipped

3 T lemon instant pudding mix

2 T powdered sugar

Cream softened cream cheese and add sugar. Then add pudding mix and whipped cream. Frost the cake.