Yummmm Limeade

Nothing would be more tiresome than eating and drinking if God had not made them a pleasure as well as a necessity. ~Voltaire

I am a sucker for a good lime. Yummm.. and sooo pretty and fresh. Right now, I am relaxing with a tall glass of iced limeade, and trying to find inspiration for this blog post. When alas - that is it - Limes or maybe even, summer foods.

I am definitely a BIG believer in seasonal eating. I like my pumpkin spice frappucino in the fall, my red velvet cake in the winter, my cherry jubilee ice cream in spring and my limes in the summer. ;-)

On a serious note - my shopping and recipes really do change. Because I live in the deep south where it is hot as hades with high humidity and no sea breeze, I tend to eat lighter in the summer months.

I though today I would share with you a few of my more favorite summer staples. Give them a try! I can assure you, no disappointments!

Summer Recipes

Tzatziki

1 cucumber      2 garlic cloves    8 scallions (green onions)   

2 1/2 cups of strained plain greek yogurt     5 tablespoons chopped, fresh mint

**plus extra mint for garnish     Salt & Pepper  (served with pita bread or good for sandwich spreads or a simple salad)

Trim the cucumber, but do not peel. Cut the cucumber into small neat dice. Finely chop the garlic & scallions. Beat the yogurt in the bowl with a fork until smooth, then fold in the cucumber, garlic, scallions & mint. Season the mix to taste with salt & pepper. Transfer to a serving bowl, cover with plastic wrap, & let chill in frig.

Light - Fresh - Delish!

Hummus bi tahini (egyptian style)

14 oz. canned chick peas, drained, rinsed     

1 garlic clove, crushed to paste with a 1/4 tsp salt

3-4 tblsp of sesame seed paste (tahini)    2-4 tblsp of fresh squeezed lemon juice

1/4 tsp cumin     EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil) for thinning

Salt        Warm pita to serve with     Paprika     Parsley

Put all but 1 tblsp chick peas into food processor. Add garlic & process to a thick, coarse paste. Add 3 tbsp of tahini & process again, until well-blended. Add tbsp lemon juice, cumin, & salt to taste. Process until creamy. Taste & add extra tahini &/or lemon juice, if desired.

For a thinner dip (preferred in the middle east) - w/motor running drizzle in oil or water until you reach the desired consistency.

To Serve: put in a bowl, add indention in the middle - put chickpeas & drizzle oil. sprinkle paprika & parsley. Frig up to 3 days, freeze up to one month.

Salata Tahini

**my FAVORITE daily treat - it's pronounced - Taheena

1large garlic clove crushed to a paste w/ 1/4 tsp salt (sea or kosher salt)

4-6 tblsp water, 4-6 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

5 1/2 ounces sesame seed paste (Tahini)

1 tblsp freshly chopped parsley  salt

warm pita

** I add cayenne pepper,black pepper,  paprika and a dash of vinegar for an extra kick. What is above is the basic recipe

Put garlic in a bowl & stir in 4 tbsp. water & 4 tbsp lemon juice. Use fork to whisk in tahini, then season to taste with salt (and other ingredients I added above). Taste & add extra tahini & lemon juice until sauce has a smooth, pouring consistency. Stir in parsley. Transfer to a bowl. ** it thickens when chilled. Just add more water or lemon juice.

Dip your pita, crackers or chips!

Pasta Salad - Thurston Style

1 large box angel hair pasta

1 cucumber, peeled, diced

1 tomato, diced

1 bunch of scallions

1 bottle balsamic vinaigrette dressing

1 container of salad seasoning (small)

Dash of hot sauce

Cook pasta.

Drain.

Mix all the ingredients together.

Chill

Margarita Pie

1 qt vanilla ice cream, soft (I pick the fat free)

1 (12 oz) can frozen LIMEADE (woo hoo), thawed

1-2 drops green food coloring

1 (6 oz) Graham cracker pie crust

Cool whip (fat free) and lime wedges

Beat ice cream, limeade and food coloring - medium speed until well blended. Spread into crust. Freeze 4 hours. Let stand at room temp - garnish with cool whip and lime wedges.

Pineapple Aloha Pie

1 8 inch graham cracker crust

4 oz. cream cheese     1/4 c sugar

10oz. can crushed pineapple, drained

1/2 c. whip cream.

In bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Add sugar & beat. Add pineapple & mix well. Spoon into pie crust. Chill.

** I am a BIG salad eater. Some of my favorite home made salad dressings are here:

GreeK Salad dressing

3/4 olive oil     1/4 cup red wine vinegar or white vinegar

1/2 tsp salt      1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1/4 tsp oregano

Creamy Herb Salad Dressing

1 c. buttermilk     1 tbsp fresh chives, chopped    1/2 tsp dried dill

1/4 c. fresh parsley chopped   1/4 tsp dry mustard  1 clove of garlic, minced

1/4 tsp salt   1/8 tsp black pepper

As for other things I eat:

1. I chop cucumbers up and soak them in white vinegar or balsamic vinegar and black pepper. Then chill. I eat them as a snack.

2. I will bake chicken tenders and brush on olive oil and sprinkle lemon pepper for a quick fix.

What about you? What are some of your summer staples?