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Summer Quick-Pickles

If your garden is overflowing with cucumbers, quick-pickling is a great way to preserve them. Using rice vinegar in place of white vinegar gives these pickles a unique flavor, along with classic pickling spices dill and garlic. These will last up to 2 weeks in the fridge, and are a delightfully crunchy and tangy topping on Asian dishes, salads and even in sandwiches.

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups rice vinegar
3 cloves garlic (3 T if using pre-minced)
8 small cucumbers (or 3 large, depending on what variety you’re growing in your garden)
1 generous bunch fresh dill

Instructions:

Mince your garlic. Set aside.

Wash your cucumbers and peel or cut off any bad spots on your cucumbers. You can choose to completely remove the peel from your cucumbers if you prefer, but it is not necessary.

Slice your cucumbers to about ¼ of an inch in thickness.

In a large dish with an airtight lid, put half of your sliced cucumbers. Lay about half of your minced garlic and dill on top of the layer of cucumbers. Repeat this with the other half.

Pour your rice vinegar on top and put the lid on your dish.
Refrigerate overnight or for at least 8 hours before serving. Enjoy!

No-Bake Pineapple Tart (Vegan)

This chilled tropical dessert is sweet and tangy and perfect for summer. Best of all, this tart has a no-bake crust, so your kitchen can stay cool while you work. We hope you enjoy this recipe.

Ingredients:

1 5.4oz can of coconut cream
1 ½ cup pineapple (canned or fresh)
¼ cup sugar
2 T cornstarch
1 tsp vanilla extract

For the crust:

1 ½ cup almond flour
⅓ cup brown sugar
⅛ tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ cup vegan butter

Optional decoration:

Cut pineapple wedges

 

Instructions:

Add your almond flour, brown sugar and salt to a large mixing bowl. Stir to combine.

Melt your vegan butter. Add your vanilla extract and melted vegan butter to your dry ingredients, mixing until a loose dough forms.

Transfer your dough to an 8-inch pie dish or tart pan. Press the dough into the pan and up the sides until it’s firm and spread evenly around the pan. Set it in the fridge while you assemble the filling.

Blend your pineapple until it’s smooth. Set aside.

In a large pot over medium heat, add your can of coconut cream. Stir until the coconut cream is smooth and is at a low boil.
Add your blended pineapple, vanilla extract, sugar and cornstarch to the coconut cream. Stir constantly for 15 minutes, until most of the cornstarch has dissolved and the mixture is thick.

Pour your pineapple filling through a sieve or a fine strainer and into another bowl. This will remove the pineapple fibers or any undissolved cornstarch and make your tart filling smooth.

Gently pour your pineapple filling into your tart crust, spreading evenly.

Put the tart in the fridge to set, covered, for at least 8 hours before serving. Enjoy!

Watermelon Granita (Vegan)

Beat the summer heat with a refreshing frozen treat you can make yourself. This watermelon ice is easy to whip up and only takes a few ingredients. It’s perfect for a hot day or a July 4th celebration, and wonderful when enjoyed with a sprig of fresh mint.

 

Ingredients:

4 Cups seedless watermelon

½ Cup sugar

½ Cup water

1 T lemon juice

 

Optional Toppings: 

Fresh mint leaves

 

Instructions:

Cut your seedless watermelon into small cubes, removing the rind.

Measure roughly 4 cups of your watermelon cubes.

Put your watermelon cubes in a blender and blend until smooth.

In a small saucepan, bring your water to a boil.

When your water is boiling, lower it to medium-high heat and add your sugar. Stir until your sugar is dissolved. Allow the sugar mixture to cool for 3-5 minutes.

Add the sugar mixture and lemon juice to your blended watermelon and stir to combine.

Pour your watermelon mixture into a large loaf pan. Put it in the freezer to set and cover the top of the pan.

Allow your watermelon granita to set in the freezer for 12 hours or overnight.

When you’re ready to serve your watermelon granita, thaw it at room temperature for 3 minutes. Scrape the top with a large spoon or fork and place the shavings in your desired bowl. Enjoy!

 

For an alternative preparation, you may pour the watermelon mixture into ice cube molds and freeze them. When you’re ready to serve your watermelon ice, pulse it in the blender 3-4 times until it becomes fluffy shaved ice.

 

SOUP DU JOUR : AVOCADO SOUP!

Look no further for a light summer soup that will cool you down in the summer heat; it leaves the senses refreshed and rejuvenated!

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 cup diced white onion
  • 1 large jalapeno, stemmed, seeded, and diced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • Salt, for seasoning, plus 1 teaspoon
  • 4 firm ripe avocados, halved, pitted, peeled and mashed
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • optional, 1/2 cup sour cream
  • optional, hot sauce or salsa

Procedure

  1. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, jalapeno and the garlic and cook until slightly soft, about 2 minutes.
  2. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Place aside to cool.
  3. In a large bowl, add the avocados, chicken broth, lemon juice, cilantro, onion mixture, and water. In batches, add to a blender and purée until smooth, straining each batch of purée into a large bowl. Stir in the 1 teaspoon of salt and the 1 teaspoon of pepper
  4. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled, around 3 hours.
  5. Pour the chilled soup into individual bowls. Try adding a drizzle of sour cream and/or hot sauce, and sprinkle cilantro on top.

 

Guest Bloggers: James Madison Dietetics

Alexandra Balbontin, Taylor Coleman, Julia Danisewicz, Andrea George, and Emily Salvaggio