I Am Gluten Free: Southwestern-Style Bean & Avocado Salad (gluten free, dairy free)

I Am Gluten Free: Southwestern-Style Bean & Avocado Salad (gluten free, dairy free)

I have been spending a lot of time reading I am GlutenFree blogs for awhile now and have tried several of her recipes. One of the things I have enjoyed the most is that even though her recipes are gluten free they are also many times down home and work for the entire family.

Take a little detour and check out her delicious blog.

Home Made Vanilla Custard Ice Cream

Summer memories are made of stuff like this. Whether you have a hand crank ice cream maker or an electric one this recipe is easy, fantastic and will melt in your mouth like the summer heat. With simple ingredients like milk, heavy cream, egg yolks and sugar all you need to find is a beautiful vanilla bean. It will still be wonderful with vanilla extract, but the bean adds flavor you can get nowhere else.

Pull up a chair, sit in the shade and listen to the sound of the ice cream maker as your mouth waters.

Get the recipe at Planet Gift Baskets

How to BBQ Fish

I have a love hate relationship with cooking fish. It tastes so good when done right, and well, it's burnt and falls apart into pieces if you do not do it right. Here is a step by step cooking method that will give you a great flavored well cooked fish every time.

1. Have your grill hot. Don't turn on the gas, wait two minutes and start cooking. The grill must be hot and ready to sear your fish.
2. Have a clean grill, freshly oiled. Now here is a little trick to a clean grill. After the fire has been going for 5 minutes, use a scraper and scrape off all the bits of leftovers stuck to the grill. The heat will soften them and they should come off like a charm. Secondly, before placing your fish on the grill give the metal and the fish a quick one two with olive oil.
3. Bring the fish to room temperature, pat dry and make sure the fillet is equal thickness. Any variation and you will have either undone meat on one end, or crispy fries on the other.
4. Season lightly with butter and lemon juice while it is cooking.
5. Once the fish is on the grill, walk away. Do not try to look under it, just let it sit and cook. Usually we start with the skin side down. After 3-5 minutes, flip your fish. You should hear another wonderful blast of sizzle. This means your grill is nice and hot.
6. Once the fish is done, give it another coat of butter and lemon juice and enjoy.

It's easy as pie. Fish was meant to be grilled and it tastes wonderful cooked that way.

Enjoy!

The Wonders of Fresh Basil

To me, nothing says summer time like fresh basil. Recently I added some recipes to our Planet Gift Baskets Website that are all about the wonderful and complementary flavor of Basil. Check out these two links to find an amazing Mango and Basil Salsa that is beyond a perfect compliment to tacos, nachos, chicken or just eating on a crisp tortilla chip. The sweet ripe mango and the basil make this salsa a party favorite and a repeated request by all my guests.
The second recipe is a new family favorite using fresh basil and olive oil as a base dressing for this wonderful and easy summer pasta salad. Filled with yummy crisp veggies and tender whole grain pasta, you will love that you didn't need to heat your house up to get dinner on the table. The trick here is to cook the pasta in the morning, toss with olive oil and basil, and let sit in the fridge until dinner. Add the rest of the ingredients or choose your own family favorites.

The Perfect Sandwich for Your Tea Time

Summer is all about finding ways to not heat of the house with your oven. Finding simple recipes that are enjoyable without the expense of having to eat out is a goal most are looking to meet.

We found a perfect foccacia sandwich we would like to share. The Summer Tea Time Sandwich is made on foccacia because it holds up well, gives a great base for almost anything you want to put on it and doesn't take much to fill you up. It's a perfect summer food. Add home made lemonade, a summer spritzer, and this amazing Mango Avocado Salsa and you will have people begging for you to host lunch again. Instead of cilantro, add fresh basil to the salsa. You will tie in your meal perfectly.

Experiment with the ingredients and let us know how you liked it!. 

Peeling the Amazing Avocado

Yes, there is a secret to peeling an avocado. Chef Ron shows us the easiest way to get a perfect cut every time.

The Amazing Avocado

Avocados are considered a berry. Did you know that? It tops a banana in potassium, is heart rich in healthy monounsaturated fats and gives almost 50% of your child's daily fiber intake in one serving.

Avocados are perfect, smashed on a whole wheat bagel with vine ripen tomatoes. You can also make an amazing guacamole with just a few simple ingredients. Eat with whole wheat crackers or chips. Dice the avocado and add it to your scrambled eggs, wrap in a flour tortilla and you have a quick healthy breakfast, or any time of day snack.

Avocados are available anytime of year but they are the best in early spring and summer when the Hass variety is available. Hass avocados are noted for the best flavor and perfect in stand alone dishes.

Next time your out, pick up a few and enjoy :)