Year: 2021

Perfect for the hot summer days ahead, gazpacho is made of ripe summer tomatoes blended with other ingredients such as cucumber, shallots, and garlic. Traditionally, a few slices of old bread are blended for a thicker and more substantial soup. Serve on its own or as a start to a meal. Ingredients: 1 1/2 to 2 pounds ripe tomatoes 2 thick slices day-old bread 1 medium cucumber 1 shallot 1-to 2 cloves garlic 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil Salt and pepper Directions: Prepare the ingredients. Quarter the tomatoes and remove the stem. Tear the bread into large chunks. Peel and roughly chop the cucumber, shallots, and garlic. Roughly chop or measure any extra ingredients being added. Set aside some of these vegetables for garnishing the finished gazpacho. Combine the tomatoes and bread. Put all the bread into the bowl of a food processor or blender. Squeeze the tomato quarters over the bread then add them to the bowl. Let this sit for about 20 minutes to give the bread time to absorb the tomato juices and soften. If you prefer a thinner gazpacho, omit the bread and continue to the next step. Make the gazpacho. Pulse the tomatoes and bread until they form a rough porridge. Add the cucumber, shallots, garlic, vinegar, and a half teaspoon of salt. If you are using any other extra ingredients, add them in this step. Process continuously until the ingredients are liquified. A food processor will make gazpacho with more texture; a blender or immersion blender will make the gazpacho smoother. Blend in the olive oil. With the blender running, stream in the olive oil. This helps it emulsify more evenly into the soup. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Taste the soup. Add salt or vinegar to taste. If you’d like it thinner, blend in a little water. Chill the soup. Transfer the soup to a storage container and refrigerate until chilled. This soup often tastes better the second day after the flavors have had time to settle with each other. Serve the soup garnished with reserved vegetables. Source: the Kitchn

Try something new with this air fried graham cracker cinnamon french toast. Prepare a delicious breakfast meal in under 10 minutes. Be sure to top with your choice of syrup or cream cheese frosting. Ingredients: Brioche Bread 2 Tbsp Milk 1 Tbsp Vanilla 2 Eggs Graham Crackers Cinnamon Brown Sugar Syrup Cream cheese frosting Directions: Cut brioche bread into strips about ½” each. Mix milk, vanilla and eggs in a bowl. Crush graham crackers, cinnamon and brown sugar for coating Dip bread strips in egg mix and then coat with cinnamon mix Cook at 340°F for 7-8 minutes Top with syrup or cream cheese frosting

Try out this new recipe for dinner tonight! Coconut shrimp come out great in an air fryer thanks to the healthier frying method. If you’re all out of serrano chiles you can easily substitute with 2 teaspoons of crushed red pepper. Pair these with a homemade spicy honey-lime dip for the perfect mouthwatering combo. Ingredients: ½ cup all-purpose flour 1 ½ teaspoons ground black pepper 2 large eggs ⅔ cup unsweetened flaked coconut ⅓ cup panko bread crumbs 12 ounces uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined cooking spray ½ teaspoon kosher salt, divided ¼ cup honey ¼ cup lime juice 1 serrano chile, thinly sliced 2 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro Directions: Stir together flour and pepper in a shallow dish. Lightly beat eggs in a second shallow dish. Stir together coconut and panko in a third shallow dish. Hold each shrimp by the tail, dredge in flour mixture, and shake off excess. Then dip floured shrimp in egg, and allow any excess to drip off. Finally, dredge in coconut mixture, pressing to adhere. Place on a plate. Coat shrimp well with cooking spray. Preheat air fryer to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Place 1/2 the shrimp in the air fryer and cook about 3 minutes. Turn shrimp over and continue cooking until golden, about 3 minutes more. Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Repeat with remaining shrimp. Meanwhile, whisk together honey, lime juice, and serrano chile in small bowl for the dip. Sprinkle fried shrimp with cilantro and serve with dip. Source: All Recipes

As blueberries come into season, there’s nothing better than baking them into a delicious blueberry pie. Blueberries are full of health benefits such as neutralizing free radicals and protecting against degenerative brain diseases. They freeze well and can be easily made into a pie. If you have the option, find locally sourced berries for optimal freshness. Store the pie by loosely covering and storing it on a counter for 3 to 4 days. After 4 days, store it covered in the refrigerator for an additional 3 days. Prep time: 60 minsCook time: 60 minsTotal time: 2 hrsServings: 8 servings Ingredients: Crust: Pastry crust dough Filling ingredients: 6 cups (about 2 1/4 pounds ) fresh or frozen blueberries, rinsed and stems removed (if using frozen, defrost and drain first) 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1/4 cup (about 30g) cornstarch, all-purpose flour, or quick-cooking tapioca 1/2 cup sugar (100g) 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon Egg wash ingredients: 1 egg 1 tablespoon milk Directions: Prepare the bottom crust: Remove a dough disc from the refrigerator and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes to take the chill off.Place it on a lightly floured clean, flat surface. Roll it out into a circle about 13 inches wide.Place the rolled out dough on a 9-inch pie pan. Trim the edges to 1/2 inch over the edge of the plan. Place in the refrigerator to chill. Make the blueberry filling: Pull the second disc of dough from the refrigerator so it can come to temp while you make the filling.Place the blueberries, sugar, cornstarch (or flour or quick tapioca), cinnamon, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a large bowl. Gently stir them so that all of the blueberries are coated with some sugar and flour. Fill the bottom crust: Remove the bottom crust from the refrigerator and place the sugar coated berries into the pan. Roll out the second dough disc: Use a rolling pin to roll the dough to the same size and thickness as the first. Place on top of the berry filling.Tuck the top dough over and under the edge of the bottom dough, and crimp the edges with your fingers.Place in refrigerator while you make the egg wash. Preheat the oven: Place the baking rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 425°F. Brush the pie with the egg wash: Whisk egg and milk together to make an egg wash. Brush the top crust with egg wash. Score the pie on the top with several cuts (so steam can escape while cooking). Bake the pie: Place the pie on the middle rack of the oven with a foil or Silpat lined baking pan positioned on the lower rack to catch any filling that may bubble over.Bake for 20 minutes at 425°. Reduce heat to 350°F and bake for 30 to 40 minutes more or until juices are bubbling and have thickened. Cool the pie, then serve: Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Let cool completely before serving. Source: Simply Recipes

Try something new with these air fried mango fries. All you need is some flour, cinnamon and of course mangoes. You can substitute the cinnamon with tajin if you prefer a more spicy snack. These can be quickly prepared in an air fryer in as little as 15 minutes. Serve these as an appetizer to tonight’s dinner or a snack to enjoy for a weekend night in. Ingredients: Mango Flour Cinnamon or Tajin Non-stick Cooking Spray Directions: Peel and slice mango into fry-sized bites Coat fries in a bowl of flour Spray cooking spray on the air fryer pan. Load the fries. Cook at 350°F for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Flip as needed Sprinkle with cinnamon or tajin

These thin, round pancakes are crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. They’re surprisingly easy to cook at home. You’ll only need four basic ingredients: flour, hot water, scallions and salt. The pancakes can be served on their own, or along a soy sauce and vinegar based dipping sauce. Serve these immediately from the griddle while they’re still warm and crispy. Prep time: 25 mins Cook time: 25 mins Resting time: 30 mins Total time: 80 mins Servings: 4 to 6 servings Ingredients: For the scallion pancakes: 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, optional 3/4 cup hot (just boiling) water, plus a few more tablespoons, if necessary 1/4 cup canola oil 3 to 4 scallions, thinly sliced For the dipping sauce: 2 tablespoons soy sauce 2 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil Pinch red pepper flakes, optional Directions: Mix the dough: Add flour, salt and garlic powder to a medium bowl. Stir to combine. Add 3/4 cup of hot water to the flour and stir with a wooden spoon. Continue stirring until all the water has been absorbed by the flour. Don’t worry if the dough has not formed completely yet. Knead the dough: Knead all the bits of dough together with your hands inside the bowl. If your dough is still very dry, add a splash of hot water, about 1 to 2 tablespoons, until it comes together and all the flour is absorbed. Continue kneading the dough for about 2 more minutes. The dough will feel moist but it should not stick to your hands too much. Rest the dough: Shape the dough into a round ball. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rest for 30 minutes. Roll out the pancakes: Sprinkle flour on top of a work surface. Divide the dough into 4 pieces of equal size. Work with one piece at a time, leaving the remaining pieces in the bowl. Shape piece of dough into a small ball. Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough into a thin circle, about 7 to 8 inches in diameter. Add the scallions: Brush a thin layer of canola oil on top of the dough, making sure not to miss the edges. Sprinkle sliced scallions all over the dough. Roll and flatten the pancake: Starting on one end, roll the circle of dough into a log. Take one end of the rolled up dough and curl it toward the center, like a snail’s shell. Tuck the end of the dough underneath the spiral. Use the palm of your hand to flatten the dough into a thick circle. Roll it out again with your rolling pin. Try to roll it out as thinly as possible. A few slices of scallions may pop out during the process, and that’s perfectly normal. Transfer rolled out scallion pancake to a plate. Repeat steps 4 through 6 with the remaining dough pieces. Cook the pancakes: Heat about 2 teaspoons of canola oil in a small nonstick or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Place one of the pancakes in the middle of the pan and pan fry each side for about 2 to 3 minutes, until golden brown. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the 3 remaining scallion pancakes, adding more oil to the pan as needed. Prepare the dipping sauce: Mix all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Adjust the seasonings to your liking, adding more soy sauce or vinegar, if you like. Add any leftover scallions to the dipping sauce, and add a pinch of red pepper flakes if you would like a bit of spice. Serve the hot pancakes: Cut the scallion pancakes into small wedges and serve while hot with the dipping sauce. (The pancakes are still good when cooled, but will no longer be crispy.) Source: Simply Recipes