Avacado-Corn Chowder with Black Bean Hummus.

I loved these two recipes paired together for a cool and refreshing meal.
Avacado-Corn Chowder with Grilled Chicken AND Black Bean Hummus with baked pita.

Chicken Lettuce Cups.

Chicken Lettuce Cups from Cooking Light. For the online recipe, click here. I thought they had a fun Mediterranean flare.

Stuffed Ciabatta French Toast.

Even though the Recipe Swappers finished over a year ago, I've been cooking a lot and have especially been trying recipes from the Cooking Light Magazine. I LOVE how they healthify (shouldn't that be a word? ;0)) favorite recipes AND use such a variety of fresh fruits and veggies. I still find myself trying to make some of the recipes even healthier, but I sure love how we've been eating such a fun variety of dishes. Anyway, I may start sharing some of my favorite (Cooking Light) recipes on here. To start us off, here's a french toast recipe that my husband and I tried for our anniversary. It was definitely not your typical french toast, but we loved it... (smoked) gruyère, shallots and all!

Click here for Cooking Lights' Ciabatta French Toast
with a Warm Apple Maple Syrup recipe.

Fruit.

This isn't so much a recipe as a suggestion for making watermelon easier for your guests to eat. Cut the slices into "Christmas Tree" shapes...it still allows a place for holding but makes it easier to bite around without getting the corners of your mouth so juicy. Cut several layers of watermelon at a time to make it even more efficient.

Green drinks are awesome for a quick yet VERY healthy breakfast on the go OR for getting your fussy kids to drink their fruits and veggies.

You can add whichever fruits and vegetables you want...the darker green the vegetable, the better. Kale and spinach are great BUT make sure to add some yummy, sweet fruit to disguise the veggie flavor. i.e. orange juice, pineapple juice, frozen berries, etc. (Using darker berries helps to disguise the green color and makes it look more like a smoothie.)

If you didn't get a chance to drink all of the green drink in one go, pour the rest into popsicle molds for a healthy snack later on.

Cut up papaya into small pieces and then sprinkle with sugar OR salt. (The more gross the papaya looks on the outside, the more ripe and ready it is getting.)

Recipe coming soon...

Triple Berry Cobbler
Submitted by: Sarah
The original recipe is from the Pioneer Woman (Blackberry Cobbler #2)
---Click here to see her step by step process.

Ingredients

• 6 cups Fresh Or Frozen Mixed Berries (from Costco)
  
• ½ cups Plus 4 Tablespoons Sugar
• 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
• ½ whole Zest Of Lemon
• 2 cups Flour
• ¼ teaspoons Salt
• 1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
• ¼ cups Crisco (vegetable Shortening)
• 4 Tablespoons Butter
• 1 whole Egg
• ½ cups Milk

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Combine mixed berries, 1/4-½ cup sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a mixing bowl. Stir and spread out in a buttered pyrex dish.

In a separate bowl pour flour, salt, baking powder, and 1 tablespoon sugar. Add shortening and butter and work mixture together with a pastry blender (or your fingers) until the mixture is coarse. Measure ½ cup milk, add an egg, and mix together. Pour into flour mixture, stirring as you go. Mixture should be smooth and not dry, but not over stickly.

Take clumps of dough and place them on top of the blackberries. Lightly flatten dough with your fingertips. Sprinkle with 2 to 3 tablespoons of sugar and bake until golden for 30 minutes. Berry juice will be slightly thin, but don’t be afraid. It will gradually soak into the biscuity topping and make your life complete.

Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Blender Strawberry Ice Cream
Submitted by: Julie
(Allrecipes.com)

• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen sliced strawberries
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup heavy cream

Directions

1. Combine the frozen strawberries and sugar in a food processor or blender. Process until the fruit is roughly chopped. With the processor running, slowly pour in the heavy cream until fully incorporated. Serve immediately, or freeze for up to one week.

Recipe to try on your own at home:

Fruit Soup
Submitted by: Lisa

INGREDIENTS

3 Tb instant tapioca

2 Tb sugar

Dash of salt

2 cups water

1 6-ounce frozen orange juice

1 10-ounce package frozen strawberries

3 cubed oranges

1 sliced banana

DIRECTIONS

Bring the instant tapioca, sugar, salt, and 1 cup of the water to a boil.

Boil for one minute

Add second cup of water

Add frozen juice and strawberries

When ready to serve, add the fresh fruit

Fruit.

BBQ Favorites.

(Recipe coming soon....)

(Recipe coming soon....)

(Recipe coming soon....)

Deviled Eggs

Submitted by: Julie

• 6 hard-cooked eggs
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar (I used just plain white vinegar)
  
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (I used regular mustard)
  
• 1/2 teaspoon dill weed
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• Fresh dill sprigs (optional)

Directions

1. Slice eggs in half lengthwise; remove yolks and set whites aside. In a small bowl, mash yolks. Add the mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, dill, garlic powder and salt.
2. Spoon into egg whites. Garnish with dill sprigs or paprika if desired. Refrigerate until serving

Allrecipes.com

The Pioneer Woman's Potato Bundles

(Click here to see the Pioneer Woman's step by step of this recipe)

Submitted by: Sarah

Ingredients

• 6 whole Russet Potatoes
• ½ whole Yellow Onion, Diced
• 1 stick Butter
• ½ cups Heavy Cream
• Kosher Salt To Taste
• Paprika To Taste
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
• 2 Tablespoons Minced Parsley

Preparation Instructions

Pile potatoes and onions on a square of foil. Add 2 tablespoons butter. Splash on cream. Then sprinkle on salt, paprika, and black pepper. Sprinkle minced parsley over the top.

Wrap bundles tightly and bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes, or until extremely tender.

Serve bundles right on the dinner plate. Serves 8.

OR if you want to try cooking them out on your grill

Cook over a medium-hot grill for 20-30 minutes, turning once. Be careful not to tear the foil.

**I think these would be fun when you're having a smaller group over for a BBQ. You could ask ahead of time what toppings each guest would like OR you could even have all the toppings out and ready to go...and have each guest personalize their potato bundle before you throw it on the grill. In any case, get creative! Add bacon, cheese, chives, etc.**

Apple Brickle Dip
Submitted by: Alicia

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 package almond Brickle chips or English toffee bits (use 7 1/2-ounces of a 10-ounce bag)
3 medium tart apples

1 (12-ounce) can lemon-lime soda (optional)

1. In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugars and vanilla, fold in the Brickle chips.
2. Halve, core and slice the apples and soak in lemon-lime soda to keep them from darkening. Drain and lay the apple slices around the dip bowl.

Makes 2 cups.

Frozen Nummy
Submitted by: Becky

Ingredients
1-half gallon of vanilla icecream
1-half gallon of pineapple sherbet
1-bag of frozen strawberries (slightly thawed so they can easily be mixed in)
2-3 bananas (chopped into bite size chunks)
chopped pecans (optional and to taste)

Put all ingredients into a large bowl and mix together until well incorporated. Serve immediately or set in freezer until ready to serve.

Super Jello
Submitted by: Stephanie

2 (3oz) pkgs. vanilla pudding, cooked not instant
1 (3oz) pkg. strawberry jello

Fresh or frozen strawberries, amount to your liking
3 c. boiling water
Whipping Cream

mix dry powder of pudding and strawberry Jello in saucepan. Slowly pour in 3 cup of boiling water. Stir constantly over heat until thick and clear. Place strawberries in serving bowl. Mix together. Let set in refrigerator. (Strawberries will be firmer if you allow Jello sauce to cool a bit first) Top with whipping cream.

Favorite Things to Bring to a BBQ---Recipe Reservations.

Just leave a comment with the item(s) you plan on bringing. Thanks!

Summer Desserts.

Strawberry Limeade Shaved Ice
Submitted by: Liz

Ingredients
Ice Cubes/Shaved Ice
1 Can of Limeade
4-6 Strawberries

Use an ice shaver OR blend ice cubes in a blender, set aside.
Make up limeade and blend in strawberries.
Pour Limeade mixture over shaved ice.
Serve.

Strawberry Dessert

Submitted by: Julie

Layer 1:

2 c. flour

1 c. butter or margarine

½ c. brown sugar

½ c. walnuts, finely chopped

Mix well and press into a 9x13 glass pan. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes, until lightly browned. Let cool.

Layer 2:

1 carton cool whip

1 package cream cheese (8 oz.), softened

½ c. powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

Mix well. Spread over the cooled bottom layer.

Layer 3:

1 package Danish Dessert, strawberry flavored

2 c. water

1 lb. fresh strawberries, sliced

Dissolve Danish Dessert in water. Bring to a boil for one minute, stirring frequently. Let it cool, then spread over second layer and arrange sliced strawberries on top. Best if it stands overnight to firm up.

Tropical Trifle
Submitted by: Sarah

Ingredients
1 Lemon Cake Mix (and the accompanying ingredients--eggs, oil, water)
1 box of Banana Cream Pudding (and the accompanying ingredient--milk)
1 can of Pineapple Tidbits
1 can of Mandarin Oranges
1 can of Whipped Cream

*Toated Coconut and Cherry

Instructions
Make and bake a lemon cake mix. Let it cool completely and cut into small pieces to use right away (or to freeze for later use---just set in fridge the night before putting trifle together.). Mix up Banana Cream pudding mix. Open cans of pineapple tidbits and mandarin oranges and drain. Now all you have to do is layer the trifle...

Cake, Pudding, Fruit, Whipped Cream (repeat 2 or 3 times)
End with a layer of Whipped cream
Sprinkle toasted Coconut over the Whipped Cream and top with a Maraschino Cherry (Optional)

Favorite Appetizers.

Hummus
Submitted by: Sarah
Recipe from About.com (Click here for original recipe)

• 1 16 oz can of chickpeas or garbanzo beans
• 1/4 cup liquid from can of chickpeas
• 3-5 tablespoons lemon juice (depending on taste)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons tahini
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Preparation:

Drain chickpeas and set aside liquid from can. Combine remaining ingredients in blender or food processor. Add 1/4 cup of liquid from chickpeas. Blend for 3-5 minutes on low until thoroughly mixed and smooth.

Place in serving bowl, and create a shallow well in the center of the hummus.

Add a small amount (1-2 tablespoons) of olive oil in the well. Garnish with parsley (optional).

Serve immediately with fresh, warm or toasted pita bread, or cover and refrigerate.

Variations

For a spicier hummus, add a sliced red chile or a dash of cayenne pepper.

Storing Hummus

Hummus can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and can be kept in the freezer for up to one month. Add a little olive oil if it appears to be too dry.

Mozzarella Alla Caprese
Submitted by: Liz

Slice ripe tomatoes.
Top with Slices of Fresh Mozarella.
Sprinkle Fresh (or dry) basil overtop.
Serve.

Favorite Appetizers & Summer Desserts.

Leave a comment to reserve your recipe. Thanks!

Salads and such--recipes.

Olive Garden Salad

submitted by Alicia Andersen

Olive Garden Salad Dressing:

½ c. mayonnaise

1/3 c. white vinegar

1 tsp vegetable oil

2 Tb. corn syrup

2 Tb. Parmesan cheese

2 Tb. Romano cheese

¼ tsp garlic salt – or one clove garlic, minced

½ tsp Italian seasoning

½ tsp parsley flakes

1 Tb. lemon juice

Salad:

1 large head romaine lettuce

slices red onion

black olives

2-4 banana peppers

2 small tomatoes, quartered

½ c. croûtons

freshly grated Parmesan cheese

For homemade croûtons:

4 slices sandwich bread

1 clove garlic, minced

3 Tb. butter

salt and pepper

dried parsley flakes

Mix all dressing ingredients in a blender until well mixed. If this is a little too tart for your own personal tastes, add a little extra sugar.

Chill one salad bowl in freezer for at least 30 minutes. Put lettuce in bowl. Place on top of lettuce red onions, black olives, banana peppers, tomatoes, and croûtons. Add some freshly grated Parmesan cheese if you like, and add plenty of Olive Garden Salad Dressing on top.

For the homemade croûtons:

Cut off crusts of sandwich bread, and cut bread into cubes. Melt butter in small saucepan and add minced garlic. Toss sandwich cubes in the butter and spread out in a pan. Sprinkle salt and pepper and parsley flakes to taste. Bake for 15 minutes at 350°, turning half way through baking.

Em's Black Bean Cilantro “Salad”

Submitted by: Sarah

2 cans corn

2 cans black beans

2 avocados, chopped

2-3 medium tomatoes, chopped

1 bunch of green onions, chopped

1 bunch of cilantro, stems removed and blend with…

1 packet of italian dressing (follow directions on back of packet to make) OR pour in premade italian dressing (from a bottle) to taste.

Pour cilantro dressing over other ingredients, mix and enjoy!

*You can use it also as a salsa or bean dip*

Recipes to Try on your Own:

Apple-Craisin Good Salad

Submitted by Alicia Andersen

1 head romaine lettuce

1 head red leaf lettuce (or any combination of lettuce/ spinach)

2-3 gala apples- cubed

1 11oz. Can mandarin oranges, drained

½ c. craisins

8 oz. toasted sugar pecans

toast with ¼ cup sugar in a frying pan over med/high heat. Watch and stir continuously, when sugar starts to melt and caramelize remove from heat and pour into a dish to cool.

Dressing:

¾ c. sugar

1 tsp. Dry mustard

1 tsp. Salt

2 Tbl. Fresh onion, finely diced

1/3 c. apple cider vinegar

¾ c. vegetable oil

1 Tbl. Poppy seeds

Measure all ingredients except poppy seeds into blender and mix well. Then add poppy seeds and blend to mix in.

Salad: Wash and tear lettuces, add apples, oranges and craisins. Toss with pecans and dressing just before serving.

Note: I have omitted and added different things such as crumbled cheese, sliced pears, etc.

Southwestern Salad

Submitted by Alicia Andersen

Ingredients:

Grilled Chicken

Lettuce

Tomato

1 can baby corn

1 can black beans

shredded cheddar cheese

sliced olives

chopped red onions

Dressing:

½ portion honey hickory BBQ sauce

½ portion ranch dressing

Mix together

Mix salad together (quantities according to taste) as desired. Top with dressing and crushed corn chips.