Tomato Confit Pasta with Olives and Capers

I am fairly certain that I wait all year for tomato season, you know, the same way I wait for the Giants to get back to the field or for Apple to release its latest gadget.
I don’t know why I get so excited about tomatoes. It’s in my DNA, and I’ve learned to accept it.
I eat them on eggs, in frittatas, cooked and raw in every possible format and seriously, don’t even try to bring me a sandwich without a thin slice of tomato in it. Sister did it once and let’s just say, it didn’t go very well.

Simple Maple Vanilla Roasted Plums

Okay people, this is barely a recipe.
It’s more a suggestion of how to best celebrate the incredibly sweet plums.
Since I was a kid I loved plums. Red plums, black plums, yellow plums, and even green plums.
When ripe, plums are wonderfully sweet with a rich, complex flavor. They are a convincing argument that fruit is the best candy there is.
So sweet, so juicy, so tender.

Blackberry Mint Iced Green Tea

At this point you are well aware that I love making my own iced teas and adding different combinations of fruit and fresh herbs.
So far I’ve made Rosemary-Peach, Raspberry Mint, Ginger Mint, and even a Lemon Sparkling Iced Tea.
And today I present you with some awesome, super refreshing Blackberry Mint Iced Green Tea.
Because the heat wave we’re currently experiencing in my neck of the woods is a double-whammy (with high heat and high humidity) and one of the most effective ways to cool off is to sit in the cool shade and drink a tall glass of iced tea.
Or at least that’s what I like to do!

Fudgy No-Bake Brownies

So far, the summer has been cruel: Hot, humid, and sticky just about every single day, and more often than not a combination of all three.
So you should take me seriously when I say that the heat is getting to me and that I have zero desire to cook anything that involves turning on the oven for more than 5 minutes.
Besides, why would you even need to cook for longer than 5 minutes in the dead heat of the summer? The farmers’ markets are overflowing with produce that require minimal (or zero) heat to make it tasty: Tomatoes, zucchini, and glorious stone fruit.

One-Pot Creamy Garlic Zucchini Rice

People, the season of zucchini overabundance is officially here.
The other day I came home from the farmers market with so much zucchini the overflow from the refrigerator filled a big bowl on my counter.
Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t scared at all. For many the summer mantra is “too much zucchini”, but my attitude is: Bring ‘em on.
I love zucchini so very much. It’s one of the most wondrous ingredients available and a gift to the seasonal cook.
Zoodles, casseroles, patties, fritters, frittata, even a grilled cheese. You can do anything with zucchini!

Curried Light Chicken Salad

As far as I’m concerned, I have a really clear idea of what a chicken salad should taste: crunchy, salty and sweet, juicy and tangy, fresh and light, flavorful and satisfying.
Believe it or not, this Curried Light Chicken Salad is all the above and maybe even more.
Which is the reason why I’ve been making big batches of this and snack on it throughout the week and pack it up for lunch.
YUM!

(Gluten-Free) Blender Chocolate Banana Bread

I love this recipe for so many reasons.
Let me count the ways!
1) So simple. Throw everything in the blender, pour it in a baking pan, and bake. It seriously doesn't get any simpler than this.
2) Flourless. There's no flour or flour substitute. No almond flour. No coconut flour. None of that. In fact, there's no “specialty” ingredients at all.
3) Only 6 ingredients. I can’t believe I haven’t started with this one. How good is that, though? Only 6 ingredients!
4) The flavor. Oh, how do I describe it? Before baking, the mixture is like a delicious thick banana chocolate smoothie. And though one is tempted to drink it all, I recommend you bake it.
Because after baking it becomes uh-mazing. A fudgy, thick, moist, delectable banana bread that tastes almost like a brownie.

Quinoa with Roasted Vegetables and Olive-Mint Pesto

As you are probably already aware, quinoa is one of my favorite ingredients to work because not only it has a great nutritional profile, it also is incredibly versatile.
You can use quinoa in a wide variety of dishes: casseroles, meatballs, salads, pizza crust or soups.
Quinoa is a superfood for many reasons. It’s gluten-free, easy to digest, packed with fiber, essential vitamins, and it’s also a complete protein (meaning that it contains all of the essential amino-acids).
Meaning that quinoa is a perfect option for anyone following a plant-based diet. Also for anyone that is trying to move from a meat centered diet, but is concerned about their protein intake.

Green Tea Lemonade

For reasons I can’t fully understand, if you show up at a 4th of July barbecue with pitchers of freshly-squeezed lemonade, you’ll be greeted and revered; but if you show up with the same pitchers of freshly-made green tea lemonade, people will actually flip out.
Why is green tea lemonade far more exciting than regular lemonade? It is a mystery to me as well.
But that’s what happened the day before yesterday at a friend’s Fourth of July party.
Along with other food items I was asked to bring lemonade.
I thought about bringing Cherry Lemonade, Peach Mint Lemonade, Blueberry Lemonade or just regular yellow pale lemonade. But then I thought about this Green Tea Lemonade — I make all the time — and how delicious and simple to make it is.
I gave it a shot.
And you know what?

People raved about it and many asked for the recipe. 

So here it is.

Happy 4th of July

Happy 4th of July people!

The Fourth is by far one of my favorite holidays of the year. Outdoor parties, food, family, friends, parades, fireworks. It all makes for a perfect day.

If you live in the U.S. enjoy this awesome day. Hopefully there will be plenty of sunshine, great food,  great people and, why not, a bit of booze too. If you’re living elsewhere, I hope you still have an awesome Tuesday.

Have a blast!

Mike