Shrimp with Cucumber, Tomato and Avocado Salad

My mom broke her patella while she was in Maryland a few weeks back, so she hasn't had quite the summer that she imagined she would have.  Luckily, she didn't need surgery, but she did need help in the kitchen.  My dad isn't a cook.  He once boiled hot dogs and corn on the cob in the same pan.  His rationale was that the grease from the hot dogs would "butter the corn."  Gross.  My mom has lots of fresh herbs and she always has gulf shrimp from the Kemah seafood market.  I stopped at the store on the way to her house to make lunch, picked up some fresh vegetables and this salad was invented.  Miss F inhaled the shrimp, tolerated the avocado and refused the rest.  Her loss.

Shrimp with Cucumber, Tomato and Avocado Salad

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 lemon
½ teaspoon salt, divided
½ teaspoon pepper, divided
1 large or 2 small tomatoes, chopped
1 cucumber, chopped
1 large avocado, chopped
10 leaves basil, minced
2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined

Whisk together 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, juice of ½ the lemon, ¼ teaspoon of salt and pepper in a large bowl. Gently toss the tomatoes, cucumber, avocado and basil in the dressing. Set aside.

Heat the remaining oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Sprinkle the shrimp with the remaining salt and pepper. Add the shrimp to the pan, juice the remaining lemon half over the shrimp. Sauté until the shrimp are pink and cooked through, about 5 to 7 minutes. Serve the shrimp with the salad on the side.

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Baked Chicken Gyros

This was a total recipe merge of two favorites in my house: Chicken Gyros and Baked Chicken Fajitas.  This is a fantastic summer meal, fresh tomatoes and cucumbers for the win.  The chicken bakes easily, retaining it's moisture and flavor from the yogurt marinade.  I much prefer my recipe for Naan instead of pita bread, so I always serve gyros on Naan.  That being said, I tried to use my tortilla press to roll out the naan.  Baaaad idea...very bad.  You have to go the old fashioned way and roll them out by hand, but it is totally worth it.

Baked Chicken Gyros

4 cloves garlic, minced
Juice of 1 lemon
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 pound chicken breast

1 cucumber
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
24 ounces plain Greek yogurt
2 tomatoes, diced
6 pitas, warmed

Whisk together the garlic, lemon juice, vinegar, oil, yogurt, oregano, salt and pepper in a bowl. Add the chicken and rub the marinade in.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the chicken in a 9x13 baking dish in a single layer. Bake, uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes,

Add the cucumber to the bowl of a food processor and pulse 5 to 8 times until it reaches a coarse grated consistency. Drain liquid from the cucumber. Mince garlic with salt until it forms a smooth paste. Stir the cucumber and garlic into the yogurt.

Serve the chicken in the pita topped with the tzatiki and diced tomato.

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Chopped Salad with Creamy Garlic Vinaigrette

Chopped Salad with Creamy Garlic Vinaigrette

2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
1 cup grape tomatoes
1 cucumber, chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and chopped
½ cup shredded mozzarella

Process the garlic, vinegar, egg yolk, sugar and mustard in a food processor. Stream in the oil with the processor running. Salt and pepper to taste. In a large bowl, toss the lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper and mozzarella with the prepared dressing. Serve.

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Cucumber Lime Vodka Spritzer

A month or so ago, I went to Lake Charles for the weekend with a group of girlfriends. We stayed at the Golden Nugget and had an amazing time, I highly recommend it as a much cheaper alternative to Vegas. The drive was short and the hotel was quite lovely.  We ate a Vic and Anthony's one night and three of us ordered a cucumber lime cocktail.  And three of us looked at each other in horror when we tasted it, it was awful.  I love tart tart tart cocktails, but this was too much for even my taste.  We sent the drinks back, replaced them with something much more tasty, but I still craved a cucumber and lime cocktail.  I hosted a 40th birthday for a friend and decided to try something similar, but not terrible, on my own.  This cocktail is refreshing and tasty, without being terribly tart.

Cucumber Lime Vodka Spritzer
makes 16 cocktails

8 12-ounce cans club soda
2 cups vodka
½ cup fresh lime juice
1 English cucumber, thinly sliced

In a pitcher, combine the club soda, vodka, lime juice, and cucumber. Serve over ice.

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Creamy Cucumber Salad

My grandmother made an amazing cucumber salad. But like many of her amazing dishes, there was no set recipe. It always went a little of this, a little of that...taste taste taste...then something perfect was served. She made a pie crust with vegetable oil that was insanely delicious and I don't know anyone who was able to successfully replicate it.  The only real success this year in my mom's vegetable garden has been cucumbers.  There have been a few tomatoes and bell peppers, but cucumbers have dominated the show.  C and Miss F refuse to try cucumber salad, so I keep it in a dish in the fridge and snack on it at random.  Or pull it out as a side for dinner in a single serving bowl.  This is the best I have been able to replicate my grandmother's dish, it is especially nice with homegrown cucumbers.

Creamy Cucumber Salad

¼ cup sour cream
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 large cucumbers, sliced

Whisk together the sour cream, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper. Stir in the sliced cucumber. Cover and chill for at least one hour. Serve.

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Greek Salad

I love Greek salad. I have been so lucky to receive a ton of lettuce from my mom's garden. Neither of us are sure what kind of lettuce it is, but it is delicious and perfect for Greek salad. No one else at dinner would touch the salad. I can usually count on C to have salad and Miss F to at least eat the lettuce. But this night, they were both too into naan and chicken souvlaki to have any.  I will be making this salad often this summer, hopefully with tomatoes and cucumbers from the garden, though I doubt the lettuce will make it much longer once it starts getting Houston hot.  The dressing is adapted from Ina Garten.

Greek Salad

1 clove garlic
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup good olive oil
4 cups chopped lettuce
½ red bell pepper, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
½ cucumber, chopped
¼ cup feta, crumbled
Handful of black olives

Add the garlic, oregano, mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper to the bowl of a mini food processor. Stream in the olive oil with the processor running. In a large bowl, toss together the lettuce, bell pepper, tomato, cucumber, feta and olives. Toss the salad with the dressing and serve.

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Skillet Chicken Souvlaki

I heavily adapted this recipe from Cooking Light, mainly in that I served it on naan instead of pita. I always prefer naan to pita, as long as it is homemade. My parents' garden has provided lots of bell peppers, tomatoes and cucumbers this fall, which fits perfectly into this meal.  The red bell pepper was from Kroger and the green bell pepper was from the garden.  The size difference between the two was spectacular, the garden bell pepper was about a quarter of the size of the grocery store bell pepper.  I wonder what they are doing to those peppers.  Everyone loved this meal and it also provided great leftovers.  I may have had a couple naan slathered in the cucumber yogurt sauce, it is one of my most favorite foods.

Skillet Chicken Souvlaki

1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and grated
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
½ lemon, juiced
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon fresh cracked pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
½ teaspoon oregano
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced
1 bell pepper, any color, seeded and sliced

1 tomato, chopped
1 recipe naan or pita

Stir together the cucumber, garlic, yogurt, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the garlic and oregano, saute for 30 seconds. Add the chicken and bell pepper, saute for 5 to 7 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Serve the chicken on naan or pita, topped with the tomato and yogurt sauce.

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Romaine with Creamy Italian Dressing

I love salad. Growing up I hated salad and we had it every night. I have been getting better about serving salad more often with dinner and Miss F has finally started to eat it, though she only eats lettuce and croutons. It's better than nothing, right? This salad dressing has the perfect tartness I look for in a dressing, the mayonnaise and parmesan amps up the richness. Once again, my mom's garden was a huge supplier for my dinner party salad. The only thing that didn't come from the garden was the red onion. This recipe is adapted from AllRecipes.

Romaine with Creamy Italian Dressing

½ cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup white vinegar
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
¼ teaspoon garlic salt
½ teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon sugar

5 cups romaine, chopped
1 tomato, seeded and chopped
1 bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 cucumber, chopped
½ red onion, sliced thin

Combine all the dressing ingredients in a blender until well mixed. Taste, add sugar if needed. Toss together the dressing with the romaine, tomato, bell pepper, cucumber and red onion. Serve.

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Grilled Flank Steak with Cucumber Yogurt Sauce

I had never grilled flank steak before making these fajitas.  And I don't know why, it is such a perfect cut for the grill and it cooks up perfectly every time.  C was not a fan of the cucumber yogurt sauce, he thought it was too chunky, I think he was wanting something more like the tsatiki sauce served at Niko Nikos.  I loved the sauce, next time I make it I am going to toss the tomatoes in the sauce as well, since C won't be eating it anyhow.  I adapted this recipe from Fine Cooking.

Grilled Flank Steak with Cucumber Yogurt Sauce

½ cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon chopped rosemary
½ teaspoon oregano
4 garlic cloves, peeled
juice from one lemon
2 tablespoons soy sauce
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound flank steak, trimmed of excess fat

1 cucumber
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Pinch cayenne
Freshly ground black pepper

8 pitas, warmed
1 tomato, chopped

Add the parsley, rosemary, oregano and garlic to a food processor and pulse until chopped. Add the lemon juice, soy sauce, salt and pepper. Stream in the olive oil with the processor running. Add the flank steak to a large Ziploc bag, pour the marinade over and refrigerate overnight.

Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise and remove the seed core. Cut each half crosswise into 1/8 inch-thick half moons and toss with salt in a medium bowl. Let sit for 10 minutes to release excess liquid. Rinse, drain, and pat dry.

In a medium bowl, combine the cucumber with the yogurt, garlic, lemon zest and juice, and cayenne. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Remove the steaks from the refrigerator 1 hour prior to cooking. Prepare the grill to medium-high.
Remove the flank steak from the marinade, wipe off any excess, and season generously with salt and pepper. Grill the steaks, covered , 5 to 7 minutes. Flip the steaks and grill for 5 to 7 minutes more. Cover with foil and let rest 15 minutes.

Cut the flank steak across the grain and serve on warm pita with the cucumber yogurt sauce and sliced tomato.

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California Fish Sandwich

I used to be obsessed with a California sandwich served at the café in Nordstrom. It was a chicken sandwich with avocado spread and alfalfa sprouts served on focaccia. It was amazing. And it was probably on the menu there 20 years ago. Times and tastes have changed, I still love sprouts, but I have not been able to find them anywhere.  I tried Central Market, Kroger, Trader Joes, Fiesta and Whole Foods. No sprouts at any of them.  My friend recommended ordering the seeds off Amazon and growing them yourself.  Desperate times!  The avocado spread was from BHG.

California Fish Sandwich

1 avocado, halved, seeded, and peeled
¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons sugar
4 small white fish filets (I used snapper)
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper
4 wheat buns
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup alfalfa sprouts
1 cucumber, sliced thin

In a blender or food processor combine avocado, olive oil, lemon juice, 2 tablespoons water, mustard, and sugar. Cover and blend until smooth; set aside.

Rub the filets with the oil and generously season with salt and pepper. Heat a skillet over medium high heat, add the fish to the pan skin side down and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes. Flip the fish over and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes more, until the fish is cooked through.

Split the wheat buns in half and brush the inside with olive oil. Broil the buns, oil side up, for 1 minute or so, until nicely toasted.

Spread the bottom half of each bun with ¼ of the avocado spread. Top each with snapper, sliced cucumber and sprouts. Add the top of the bun and serve.

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Tuna Tacos

My friend Harmony brought the best hostess gift my last dinner party: fresh tuna. Her husband catches it and I am always so grateful when I get some. I have been wanting to make a spin on tuna tartare, taco style.  Frying the wonton wrappers into a taco shell was a little tricky, but so very worth it.  Marinated tuna, fresh avocado and quick pickled carrots and cucumber make for one amazing dinner.  Radishes might also be a tasty addition.  Miss F refused to have any, her loss.  She is a traditional taco girl, but I much prefer these to regular tacos.  I may have eaten three for dinner.

Tuna Tacos

1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar, divided
1 teaspoon Sriracha
1 teaspoon sesame oil
½ teaspoon sesame seeds
1 lime
½ pound tuna, diced
8 wonton wrappers
½ cucumber, sliced
1 carrot, peeled and shredded
1 avocado

Whisk together the soy sauce, one teaspoon of vinegar, Sriracha, sesame oil, sesame seeds and juice from half of the lime together in a small bowl. Toss the tuna in the sauce, refrigerate until ready to serve.

Fry the wonton wrappers while folded in half in oil over medium high heat until golden brown, about one minute. Drain on paper towels.

Toss the cucumber and carrot with the remaining teaspoon of vinegar, salt to taste. Mash the avocado with the juice from the remaining half of the lime.

Fill the wonton shells with the tuna mixture, then avocado and top with the cucumber-carrot slaw.

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Cucumber and Tomato Shrimp Salad

This dish was inspired from my spring dinner party. For lunch the next day, I had leftover shrimp, cucumber and tomatoes...so Cucumber and Tomato Shrimp Salad was born and it was the perfect lunch. And I have had it a couple times since I enjoyed it so much. I love a good cucumber and tomato salad and the addition of chilled roasted shrimp puts it over the top.  This combination would be equally lovely served over top of mixed greens as well.  My mom has planted cucumbers and tomatoes in the garden again this year, so I hope to be having it garden fresh this summer.

Cucumber and Tomato Shrimp Salad

½ pound shrimp
1 teaspoon olive oil
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 English hothouse cucumber
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons sour cream
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
¼ cup chopped fresh dill
1 garlic clove, minced
½ teaspoon sugar
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Peel and devein the shrimp, leaving the tails on. Place them on a sheet pan with the olive oil, salt, and pepper and spread them in 1 layer. Roast for 8 to 10 minutes, just until pink and firm and cooked through. Set aside to cool. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Cut cucumber in half by slicing down the middle lengthwise. Scoop out the center seeds. Cut into thin slices and place in a colander with the salt.. Toss with salt and let sit in sink at least 30 minutes to drain the water out. While the cucumber is draining, make the dressing. Whisk together the sour cream, mayonnaise, white wine vinegar, dill, garlic, sugar and black pepper in a medium bowl. Pat the cucumber dry with a paper towel, then toss it and tomatoes with the dressing. Top with the chilled shrimp.

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Mixed Greens with Creamy Dijon Vinaigrette

My father has a couple food hang ups. He won't eat raw seafood and he won't eat anything with raw egg in it. I have no problem with either practice, especially the raw seafood part. I think he is missing out on so many delicious things, especially sushi, but he stands firm. So when I hosted my parents for dinner, I didn't tell him until afterwards that the salad dressing had raw egg in it. Oops! This dressing comes together quickly and is one of my favorites. I usually make it with my mini food processor to make the emulsification process even easier.  The recipe is loosely based on one from The Barefoot Contessa.  If Ina Garten is okay with raw eggs, then so am I.  And who wants to miss out on eating raw cookie dough?  Certainly not me.

Mixed Greens with Creamy Dijon Vinaigrette

1 egg yolk
¼ cup white wine vinegar
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon sugar
½ cup extra virgin olive oil

6 cups mixed greens
1 tomato, seeded and chopped
1 cucumber, peeled and chopped

Whisk together the egg yolk, vinegar, Dijon, salt and sugar. Add the olive oil in a slow stream, whisking constantly. Toss the greens, tomato and cucumber with the prepared vinaigrette. Divide onto 6 plates and serve.

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Seared Tuna with Sesame Cucumber Salad

When Miss F is in school, I often eat leftovers for lunch, especially now that C is not home during to eat any leftovers with me during the week. But that can get old quickly. Most fish cooks up amazingly fast, but nothing is as fast as seared tuna.  I am semi-obsessed with cucumber salad and since the cucumber plants were the one thing that survived in the garden this summer, this dish was destiny.  The whole thing takes less than 10 minutes to make, which is certainly faster than any drive thru lunch option and about 100 times better tasting. And a shout out to my friend Harmony: I need more tuna!

Seared Tuna with Sesame Cucumber Salad

1 cucumber, peeled and seeded
2 teaspoons sesame seeds
2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
½ teaspoon soy sauce
½ teaspoon sesame oil
½ teaspoon Sriracha
pinch of sugar

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tuna steaks

Slice cucumber thinly, preferably with a mandolin. Toast the sesame seeds in a dry skillet until golden brown. Whisk together the rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, and Sriracha. Toss the cucumbers with the dressing and sesame seeds. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the tuna a minute or two per side. Plate and top each steak with the cucumber salad.

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Grilled Salmon with Creamy Dill Cucumber Salad

Back in March we planted a small raised bed garden in my parents' backyard. It hasn't been the most plentiful this summer, but we did get one gorgeous cucumber this week. And it was destined for this dish.  The dill plant has been suffering in the Houston heat, but there was more than enough for this dish.  Firstly, this salad was amazing.  I will have it on its own as well as on the salmon.  I did have some adventures with my parents' grill.  When I went to get the salmon, the skin was on fire.  Literally.  Apparently this happened last time they cooked on it...looks like it is time for a new grill.  Luckily the salmon was fine once we took off the skin.  Credit to Once Upon a Chef for this wonderful meal.

Grilled Salmon with Creamy Cucumber Dill Salad

1 English hothouse cucumber
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons sour cream
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
¼ cup chopped fresh dill
1 garlic clove, minced
½ teaspoon sugar
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

4 salmon fillets
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Cut cucumber in half by slicing down the middle lengthwise. Scoop out the center seeds. Cut into thin slices and place in a colander with the salt.. Toss with salt and let sit in sink at least 30 minutes to drain the water out. While the cucumber is draining, make the dressing. Whisk together the sour cream, mayonnaise, white wine vinegar, dill, garlic, sugar and black pepper in a medium bowl. Pat the cucumber dry with a paper towel, then toss it with the dressing.

Preheat the grill to high heat. Brush the grill rack with oil. Brush the salmon with olive oil and season generously with kosher salt and pepper. Place fillets skin side down and grill until golden brown and slightly charred, about 4 to 5 minutes. Flip the fillets over and continue grilling another 2 to 3 minutes. Let cool slightly and serve with the cucumber-dill salad.

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Crockpot Cuban Pork Tacos

This is the second amazing taco recipe I have gotten from Elly Says Opa!  The first was actually a recipe for Short Ribs in Chipotle, but I converted it into tacos.  This one is even better.  I swapped out the bell pepper for cucumbers in the slaw, but other than that I kept it pretty much the same.  Of course C and Miss F went with cheese and salsa on their tacos after proclaiming jicama "disgusting."  Their loss, more leftover slaw for me.  I love the crunch it adds to the tacos.  I had to juice clementines because that is what I had on hand, but that was easy to do in my lime squeezer, so it wasn't too bad.

Crockpot Cuban Pork

1 (2-3) pound pork roast
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
¼ to ½ teaspoon cayenne
½ teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon oregano
1 large onion, thinly sliced
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons brown sugar
½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
zest of 1 orange
2 limes, juiced
¼ cup chicken broth
Warmed corn or flour tacos, for serving
Jicama Slaw (recipe follows)
Chipotle Cream (recipe follows)

Rub the pork roast all over with the Dijon and oil. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Combine the cayenne, chili powder, cumin, paprika, and oregano in a small bowl. Then, rub the mixture all over the pork. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate overnight.

Place the pork in the crockpot. Place the onions and garlic on top of the pork. Combine the brown sugar, orange juice and zest, lime juice, and chicken broth, and then pour into the crockpot. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. Shred with a fork and serve on tacos topped with Jicama Slaw and Chipotle Cream..

Jicama Slaw

½ jicama, peeled and sliced into sticks
½ cucumber, sliced thin
1 carrot, peeled and sliced into strips or ribbons
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons canola oil
Salt and pepper, to taste

Toss together all ingredients in a medium bowl.

Chipotle Cream

½ cup sour cream
1 chipotle in adobo, finely minced
1 teaspoon lime juice
salt to taste

Mix all ingredients in a bowl or mini food processor until well combined.

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Red Snapper Tacos with Cucumber Slaw

I love fish tacos, especially ones with snapper. I wanted something lighter for dinner after eating our way through Disneyland for five days. These tacos fit the bill perfectly. The slaw is light and provides a great crunch to contrast the delicate fish. I much prefer corn tortillas with fish tacos, not sure why, I think the flour tortillas can often be too heavy.  Any firm white fish would work perfectly with these tacos, they would also be amazing with grilled snapper.

Red Snapper Tacos with Cucumber Slaw

1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 pound red snapper filets
1 lime
1 cucumber, sliced thin
1 carrot, shredded
½ cup shredded cabbage
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon hot sauce
8 corn tortillas

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. In a small bowl, stir together the salt, cumin, cayenne, pepper and juice from half of the lime. Rub the seasonings over the snapper filets. Saute the fish for 3 to 4 minutes per side, depending on the thickness. Remove and set aside.

Toss together the cucumber, carrot and cabbage with oil, vinegar, hot sauce and the juice from the remaining half of the lime.

Warm the tortillas on the hot skillet.  Slice the fish.  Top the tortillas with a slice of snapper, top with the slaw. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.

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Grilled Salmon Salad

This salad was thrown together for lunch one afternoon at my parents' house.  Originally, the plan was to grab a pizza, but Miss F decided she didn't want pizza for lunch, so we threw that plan right out the window.  My mom had a salmon steak in the fridge and off we went to make a salad.  She was in charge of grilling the salmon, while I prepped the salad and dressing.  This salad is bursting with summer flavors. The dressing is tangy and complements the salmon perfectly.  And it tasted so much better than carry out pizza.  I just used the veggies that my mom had on hand, but it would work well with any summer vegetable.  Just don't skip out on the avocado...

Grilled Salmon Salad

1 salmon steak, sliced in half
1 teaspoon olive oil
Juice from half a lemon

1 head of romaine, chopped
½ cucumber, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
½ cup cooked corn kernels
¾ avocado, diced

¼ avocado, mashed
3 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons olive oil

Heat the grill to medium-high. Brush the salmon steaks with olive oil and lemon juice. Salt and pepper to taste. Grill 3 to 5 minutes per side, until salmon is cooked through.

Divide the romaine, cucumber, tomato, corn and avocado on to two plates. In a small food processor, process mashed avocado, vinegar and sugar. Pulse until well combined. Drizzle the olive oil into the dressing with the processor running. Drizzle the dressing over the prepared salads. Place each salmon steak on top of each salad. Serve.

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Spicy and Sweet Cucumber Salad

When I made the pulled pork sandwiches for the sandwich recipe swap, I wasn't interested in the jalapeno-cilantro slaw that accompanied the sandwiches, but I still wanted something that provided a tangy crunch to go alongside it.  I could live on cucumbers and tomatoes, especially in the summertime.  If you have a mandoline, now is the time to break it out.  It eases the prep so much that this salad can come together in less than five minutes.  I actually used more than a teaspoon of Sriracha, but I really enjoy spice.

Spicy and Sweet Cucumber and Tomato Salad

1 English hothouse cucumber
1 cup of grape or cherry tomatoes
2 tablespoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ to 1 teaspoon sugar, to taste
½ to 1 teaspoon Sriracha, to taste

Slice the cucumber lengthwise. Then slice into 1/8” thick half moon slices. Slice the tomatoes into halves or quarters, depending on the size. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, oil, sugar and Sriracha. Salt and pepper to taste. Pour the vinegar mixture over the cucumbers and tomatoes. Chill until ready to serve.

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Shrimp Gyros

Now that my parents live nearby, I head down there at least once a week for some time in their pool and for a visit to the seafood market. I was craving Greek food after we returned home from Paris and I figured shrimp would work well in gyros.  It did!  The shrimp were fresh caught and just needed lemon juice, vinegar and oregano to flavor them for the gyros.  I dragged my bread machine to my parents to make the pita bread, because I have become too lazy to make any type of yeast product without it.  Shrimp gyros are a perfect summertime meal.

Shrimp Gyros

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Juice of two small or one large lemon
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon oregano
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined

Pita bread
Tzatiki sauce(recipe follows)
1 tomato, chopped
1 cucumber, chopped

In a medium bowl, whisk together one tablespoon of olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, oregano, salt and pepper. Toss the shrimp in the marinade and set aside for 5 to 10 minutes. In a large sauté pan, heat the remaining olive oil over medium high heat. Sauté the shrimp for 5 to 6 minutes, until pink and cooked through. Serve the shrimp on pita bread topped with tzatiki sauce, tomatoes and cucumbers.

Tzatiki Sauce

1 English hothouse cucumber, peeled and chopped into chunks
2 large garlic cloves
1 teaspoon kosher salt
24 ounce container plain Greek yogurt

Meanwhile, add the cucumber to the bowl of a food processor and pulse 5 to 8 times until it reaches a coarse grated consistency. Drain liquid from the cucumber. Mince garlic with salt until it forms a smooth paste. Stir the cucumber and garlic into the yogurt.

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