It is hot.... hot..... HOT

Were all guilty of it, dreading the moment you have to come home and cook dinner after a long hot day. You walk into the door and a blast of heat hits your face. You run around the house, either opening all windows, blasting the fans or rushing to turn your AC on so you can get somewhat comfortable after your long day. Next you have to decide what to cook for dinner. 

Below are a few quick easy dinner ideas to make during these hot day and nights....

Black Bean salad  (Previous recipe in my cooking notebook, sorry no pictures)

Ingredients:  

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup diced orange bell pepper

3/4 cup diced fresh tomato

1/2 cup corn kernels

1/3 cup diced persian cucumber

3 green onions, sliced thin

1 jalapeno, deseeded and minced

2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro

the juice of 1 lime

1/2 teaspoon canola or grape seed oil

2 – 3 dashes cumin

2 – 3 dashes coriander

salt and pepper to taste

Combine the beans, bell pepper, tomato, corn, cucumber, green onion, jalapeno, and cilantro in a medium bowl. Stir until ingredients are well distributed.

In another bowl, combine the lime juice, oil, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper. Pour over the bean mixture, tossing to combine. Chill until serving time.

Gazpacho  (Previous recipe, in my cooking notebook, sorry no pictures)

“Gazpacho is a cold Spanish tomato-based raw vegetable soup, originating in the southern region of Andalusia. Gazpacho is widely consumed throughout Spain, neighboring Portugal (where it is known as gaspacho) and parts of Latin America. Gazpacho is mostly consumed during the summer months, due to its cold temperature and acidic bite.”

Ingredients:

1.5 pounds tomatoes (6 small would be perfect), roughly chopped & core removed

1 red pepper, roughly chopped & seeds removed
1 English cucumber, peeled & roughly chopped
1/4 cup chopped sweet onion
1 garlic clove
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
2 cups low-sodium V8 (or you may use tomato juice)
3/4-1 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
Red pepper flakes & Freshly ground black pepper, to taste (suggested to use 1/2 tsp each)
2 tbsp chopped fresh Parsley (or other herb)
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

3 tbsp red wine vinegar (or sherry vinegar, balsamic would also work), to taste

Add tomatoes, pepper, cucumber, onion, garlic clove, lime juice, V8 (or tomato juice), olive oil, and herbs into a blender and blend until smooth. 

Now add the rest of the seasonings (salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, vinegar) slowly and adjust to taste. Chill for 2-4 hours, or overnight. Garnish with chopped peppers, green onion, black pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil just before serving.

Tip: If your blender is small you might have to cut this batch in half so it won’t overflow. Makes about 6.5 cups.

Homemade with LOVE, In other words, I licked the spoon and kept using it.

It has been a few weeks since I have updated my blog with wonderful food recipes. To be honest, it's due to being a little down on myself with my recent surgery. I won't go into detail but it has really made me re-analyze my life, my career and has made me truly understand my passions in life. After the past few weeks of being on bed rest, I am ready to entertain you all with more recipes, so that you can bring enjoyment, quality time and some new recipes back into your kitchen and bellies.  I hope you enjoy.


Sesame Shrimp Lo Mein Recipe
Ingredients:
2 cups of water
1/2 bag of Lo mein noodles
1 pound medium shrimp (peeled)
1/4 ginger- chopped
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper ( I usually eye this out, as I am not too keen on spicy foods)
1 clove garlic-minced,
1 tablespoon sesame seeds (I didn't have any on hand so none were used for this),
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1/2 red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
1/2 green pepper, sliced into thin strips
1/3 bundle of cilantro, chopped
10-12 Edible Snow Peas
3-5 mushrooms, chopped
1/4 chopped white onion
3 tablespoons Soy sauce
1/2 pound sugar snap peas
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt (to taste)

For the noodles: In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the noodles according to their package directions. Drain and set aside.

For the sauce: Combine the soy sauce, sesame oil and cayenne pepper in a large glass measuring cup or small bowl and set aside. This may look like a lot of sauce, but you have a lot of noodles and veggies to coat! 

For the lo mein: Heat a wok (I used a basic pan, as I don't have a wok) over high heat. When hot, add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, half the garlic, half the ginger and saute 30 seconds. Add in the shrimp and cook until they just start to turn pink and curl up, about 2 minutes. Transfer the shrimp and aromatics to a plate and reserve. 


In the same pan, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and add the remaining garlic, ginger. Saute 30 seconds, and then add in the mushrooms, red and green peppers, onions, cilantro and snow peas. Saute the veggies until they begin to brown and caramelize, 4 to 5 minutes. 

Whisk the cornstarch into 2 tablespoons cold water. Once dissolved, add to the sauce. Add the sauce to the pan with the vegetables and bring to a simmer. Toss in the reserved shrimp, aromatics and noodles and serve!

Side Dish: Buy the Miso Soup packets, dissolve into water and tada! Easy side dish for dinner.

TIP: Buy some fortune cookies, great treat for dessert!