Late Summer Recipes

“The preparation of good food is merely another expression of art, one of the joys of civilized living…” ~ Dione Lucas

Good morning, everyone.  As many of you know, I enjoy cooking.  However, during these late summer days, I am especially fond of preparing recipes which can be put together in the morning and pulled from the refrigerator when it is time to serve.  Doing so always makes me feel as though there was an elf in the kitchen.  So today, I am sending a few favorites.  

Zesty Marinated Shrimp makes a great appetizer or first course and is wonderful on top of a salad with the sauce as a vinaigrette.

The first is one of Mike’s all-time favorites, Marinated Shrimp and Artichoke Hearts.  He is always beyond happy when he knows this is on the menu.

Marinated Shrimp and Artichoke Hearts

1 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

1/3 cup dry white wine ( I use a Pinot Grigio)

1 Tbls. chopped fresh parsley or 1 tsp. dried

1 tsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. paprika

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 clove minced garlic

2 pounds medium/large shrimp, cooked, peeled, and tails removed

2 (14-ounce) cans artichoke hearts(not marinated), drained and halved

1 (8 ounce) can sliced water chestnuts, drained

1 small red onion, thinly sliced into rings

In a medium bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, wine, parsley, sugar, salt, paprika, pepper, and garlic – set aside.  In a large food-storage container, combine shrimp, artichoke hearts, water chestnuts, and onion.  Add marinade, cover the container tightly, and shake it, to coat shrimp and vegetables with the marinade.  Refrigerate overnight, or at least 6 hours, shaking occasionally.

Serve with nice crusty bread and your favorite rosé or white wine.

Note:  If you can find artichoke quarters, they are perfect and will save you time cutting.

“Good food is very often, even most often, simple food.” ~ Anthony Bourdain

Gazpacho is a cool and refreshing chilled soup and is a perfect addition to your next outdoor picnic.

This recipe was given to me by a neighbor way too many years ago.  It is wonderful for lunch and also for dinner when served with a salad and bread.  And it is quite refreshing when the temperatures are in the upper 90’s.

Gazpacho

1/2 cup diced celery

1/2 cup diced green pepper

1/2 cup diced onion

1/2 cup peeled and chopped cucumber

1 cup diced tomatoes

1 can tomato soup undiluted

1 soup can of water

1 and 1/2 cups of regular V-8 juice

1 Tbls. red wine vinegar

1 Tbls. prepared Italian dressing

A good dash of garlic salt

1/4 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

4 dashes of hot sauce

A dash of Worcestershire sauce

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl or pitcher, mix well.  Cover and refrigerate overnight or at least all day.  Stir well and serve cold in bowls or mugs.

“No one who cooks, cooks alone. Even at her most solitary, a cook in the kitchen is surrounded by generations of cooks past, the advice and menus of cooks present, the wisdom of cookbook writers.” ~ Laurie Colwin

This salad is one I have prepared so many times, I no longer need to look at the recipe.  

A photo of a white serving bowl of blackbean salsa surrounded by tortill chips. The salsa is filled with chunks of green bell peppers, fresh tomatoes, black beans, corn, and red onion.

Mexican Salad

1 large head Romaine lettuce, chopped

3/4 cup halved cherry tomatoes

1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 red, yellow, or orange bell pepper, seeded and chopped

2 cups frozen corn, thawed 

 1/2 cup peeled cucumber, diced

 1 avocado, peeled, seeded, and diced

small red onion, chopped

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

 2 tablespoons honey, or orange juice

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tablespoons fresh minced cilantro (I use parsley)

Place the lettuce in a large salad bowl. Top with tomatoes, beans, pepper, corn kernels, radishes, cucumber, and avocado. Next, whisk lime juice, olive oil, honey, garlic, and cilantro in a small bowl to combine.  Pour dressing over the salad and toss.  I double the dressing.

Note:  This salad can be prepared up to 2 hours ahead and stored in the refrigerator, with the avocado and dressing left off until just before serving. 

“My love for ice cream emerged at an early age ~ and has never left.” ~ Ginger Rogers

While anytime is a good time for ice cream, sometimes it is overlooked as a dessert.  I think we often stress over a more time-consuming recipe when it isn’t necessary.  Ice cream is a lovely and easy dessert.  And is ever so scrumptious when topped with Ina Garten’s raspberry sauce.

A cup of vanilla ice cream with raspberry sauce and fresh raspberries.

I began making this sauce several years ago to use as a topping for cheesecake (always Mike’s requested birthday cake).  But I also learned,  it turns a dish of vanilla ice cream into a marvelous indulgence.

Ina Garten’s Raspberry Sauce

1 half-pint package fresh raspberries

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup water

1 cup (12 ounces) seedless raspberry jam

1 tablespoon Framboise liqueur

Place the rinsed raspberries, granulated sugar, and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 4 minutes. Pour the cooked raspberries, the jam, and Framboise into blender and process until smooth. Chill.  If so desired, garnish ice cream with a sprig of fresh mint and a few fresh raspberries.

“Great cooking favors the prepared hands.” ~ Jacques Pepin

Jacques Pepin's polenta with mushroom ragout - Houston Chronicle

 

Dear friends, I hope you will try and enjoy these recipes.  Should you have any questions don’t hesitate to contact me.

And for everyone who enjoys cooking, stay tuned, there just might be something new happening on the blog.

Know how much I appreciate your visit and I always enjoy hearing from you. 

Wishing you a wonderful day!

 

 

Bon appétit,

Sandra

 

 

Notes:  A reminder: On the home page of this blog there is a section titled recipe archive, where you will find all recipes previously posted.

Images: via Pinterest 

 

 

10 thoughts on “Late Summer Recipes

  1. Thank you so much for the much needed cooking inspiration this morning! I love to cook, but lately I’ve been in a rut. I can’t wait to try these yummy recipes! Thanks so much for sharing, and I am excited to see what you have planned for your blog. Enjoy your day, sweet friend!!!

    1. Thank you so much, Shannon. I think you will enjoy the recipes. When I am in a rut with cooking, if I can pull something from the refrigerator, it surely helps. Wishing you a wonderful day, my friend.

  2. Dearest Sandra, what beautiful and enticing recipes. I would love to have any of these for dinner and topped off with ice cream and Ina’s raspberry sauce would hit all the high notes. Jacques Pepin is a favorite, love his French cooking. Thanks sweet friend for sharing your recipes, I will be preparing these in the near future!

    1. Dear Pam, I do think you will enjoy them and you will feel like an elf visited you. Happy day to you, dear friend.

  3. These all look fabulous. Being the shrimp strumpet that I am, you know the one I’ll do first, though the gazpacho might be right with it and maybe this weekend, too. Great tomatoes at the market these days. I always make gazpacho but do it by “feel” versus measurement and it’s never quite the same, though almost always good. I’ll look forward to trying your recipe. I haven’t used celery in mine; I think that would be nice for the crunch! Thanks for all of these!

    1. Enjoy them, Jeanie. The shrimp recipe is exceptional, at least according to Mike. Happy day to you!

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