SUMMER PIZZA PASTA SALAD

Summer salads are a must in our house. Our meals are always a bit lighter and much more healthful. Today I have a Pizza Pasta Salad recipe that received such rave reviews from hubby, I thought it was a must share. I know my brother is going to love it too!
Take a glance at that color.........

DELICIOUS SUMMER SOUP

Savor the Summer!

TLB has a simple summer soup recipe for you using some of the freshest veggies of the season.  

Summer, Tomato soup with Shrimp, Zucchini, and Corn..... 

(Recipe link below)

Easy diced prep----

Poblano peppers
Onion 
Clove garlic
Salt and pepper
Saute in Olive oil till tender.

Add chopped zucchini, and tomatoes and simmer12-15 minutes.

Add shrimp, corn and 3 cups of water, stir ocassionally and cook through until all veggies are tender and shrimp are white, about 6 minutes. (or longer if you like)

The result is an easy summer soup great for a quick and healthy meal.

                                             Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

                                                               Kathleen


http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/summer-tomato-soup-shrimp-zucchini-corn

ROASTED TOMATO TART

Some food preparation looks a bit scarier than it really is. I found this with Rachel Ray's Roasted Tomato Tart. After reading the recipe I realized that ready made pie crust is the base to create this very simple, healthy tart.

LIGHT VEGGIE PASTA SALAD

I love picnics, and backyard BBQ's. Hubby dragged the grill out and got it all prepared for the season. New tank of gas, grates all cleaned.....I'm ready to get my "grill on!"

Today's recipe caught my eye because of several reasons; 1). I could substitute whole wheat pasta for the white pasta.  2).There's a ton of grilled veggies in it, and grilled veggies give the salad a delicious flavor. 3). The dressing is very light, and not calorie laden.

I've finally found a delicious pasta salad that will be healthy and satisfying for all. My hubby is crazy about it!

QUICK AND DELICIOUS ROASTED TOMATO SAUCE

Welcome to Foodie Friday!

I'm always searching for quick, easy and delicious recipes. When I found the recipe for today's blog I couldn't wait to try it. It's titled Simple Roasted Tomato Sauce.....and that's exactly what it is, simple!

I love finding base recipes like this that can be used multiple ways. Let's face it, most of us like fast and easy especially during our hectic week days, add in nutritious and it's a winner!

The ingredients are simple and the preparation minimal......do I have your attention yet?

Let's get started-

1. Place  5-6 pounds of medium or small tomatoes, stem removed on a 1-inch lip cookie sheet
**Add 1 medium head of garlic, peeled ( I chopped mine, but you can leave it as cloves if you wish.)
**Drizzle 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil over the top of the tomatoes.
**Then sprinkle 1/2 cup fresh torn basil leaves over top.
**Sprinkle kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper over tops of tomatoes.

2. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F, and bake for 4 hours or until tomatoes are soft and bursting.

3. Allow to cool then pour into a blender in batches. Pulse 
2-3 times then blend for 1 minute or until desired chunkiness. 
Pour into quart jar or pour into freezer bags and freeze flat. Will keep in the refrigerator for 1 week or 4 months in freezer.

I wish I had used this method of roasting tomatoes when my daughters were young. I also love the idea of no added sugar. The roasting process brings such a sweet taste to the tomatoes there is no need to add anything else!

Dinner last night was so easy and delicious, Simple Roasted Tomato Sauce over whole wheat Fusilli pasta and kale salad. Yes, it was a hubby approved!

Here are a few ideas on how to use the sauce:

* Add milk or half and half to make tomato soup.
* Add meatballs
* Add sauteed ground beef to make a Bolognese type sauce
* Great for dipping into garlic bread
* Add Parmesan
* Use as a base and add lots of veggies for a chunky sauce

Use your imagination and fit the sauce into your own "family food style!" 

Don't forget to add this delish recipe to your quick dinner menu......


Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

Kathleen

P.S.   I'd like to WELCOME all of our new friends that found us when we were featured on Kris's blog, Junk Chic Cottage, last Saturday.  SPOTLIGHT: LIFE BEHIND THE BLOGGER   http://junkchiccottage.blogspot.com/2014/08/saturday-spotlight-life-behind-blogger.html

 Don't forget to stop by The Lavender Bouquet on Facebook where each week we feature a PINTEREST PICK OF THE WEEK AND share other great ideas not found on the blog!

***Original recipe may be found at http://www.foodiecrush.com/2014/8/simple-roasted-tomato-sauce/  
THANK YOU!!

END THE SUMMER DINNER DILEMMA

Good Morning Monday!

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. We enjoyed the company of our southern friends. It's always good catching up with old friends and this is the first time they have ventured to our northern home. 

Dinner, dinner what's for dinner? How many times have you asked yourself that question? The grill is wonderful and I love to grill everything, but sometimes I like a nice cold salad! I've been having a lot of fun trying new summer salad recipes. 

Today's blog recipe is Chicken Caprese Tortellini Salad. It can be served for lunch of dinner. We had it for dinner with fresh fruit.....such an easy meal packed full of protein! Yes, it was hubby approved!

Look how delish this looks and it's best served the 2nd day!
You may find the recipe here:
http://www.thecreativityexchange.com/2014/07/chicken-caprese-tortellini-salad.html


The next time you need a go to recipe on a hot summer day, give this recipe a try!

Have a beautiful SUMMER day!

Kathleen

***Thanks for stopping by!

COLORFUL PANZANELLA with SUMMER VEGETABLES SALAD

Hope you all had a great weekend! Hubby worked in my pantry this weekend extending shelving. We had plenty of depth to work with so he actually tripled the storage for me! It looks fantastic. I'll be sharing the results in a future blog. Until then....how about a tasty salad made with tons of veggies for that picnic this weekend?

There's nothing more delicious than fresh homegrown produce. We are so lucky to have several farmer's markets near us to choose from and local farm stands too. I kind of feel a little spoiled because they are all within minutes of our house. Pretty convenient!

While my daughter was in town we made a delicious summer salad, Panzanella with Summer Vegetables. It's a beautiful salad full of fresh veggies like tomatoes, green beans, cucumber, roasted red peppers. The dressing is simple and after marinating.......a really delicious, light salad. It makes a great dish to pass for a picnic or a nice summer salad for lunch or dinner.

Basic idea of how easy this recipe is--

1. Prepare all veggies as directed and combine in a bowl.
2. Broil the 1-inch pieces of bread (we used whole wheat pita)
3. Toss with dressing, cover and let stand for at least 30 minutes.

RECIPE MAY BE FOUND HERE--
http://www.midwestliving.com/recipe/panzanella-bread-salad-with-summer-vegetables/

FINISHED SALAD--

Now hurry to your farm stand or farmer's market and pick up enough fresh veggies for dinner tonight and of course some for that "dish to pass" request at your upcoming picnic over the 4th of July weekend!

ENJOY!

Kathleen

***Thanks so much for stopping by. Don't forget to stop by Wednesday for our  SUMMER PATIO TOUR.