Sauteed Corn with Bacon
Sauteed Corn with Bacon ~ cooks in 10 minutes ~ sweet corn, crispy bacon, bell peppers and fresh basil for an easy summer side dish.
Once corn is ‘in season’ here in the Midwest, it’s literally everywhere. Driving up north you’ll come upon one roadside stand after another selling this delicious piece of summer for literally pennies an ear. You can’t beat it.
This side dish incorporates sweet corn with crispy salty bacon and fresh herbs in an easy corn recipe you can enjoy all summer.
Grilled Marinated Flank Steak
Grilled Marinated Flank Steak ~ tender, juicy and loaded with flavor this marinated steak grills in under 10 minutes!
I love the simplicity of summer and laid back entertaining. Potluck is always fun (and delicious) because let’s face it, it’s always our goal to bring an A-game dish to share.
The host (you and me) handle what may look like the heavy lifting (meat and fresh fruit sangria) but the reality is that this part is actually easy and effortless because this flank steak grills in under 10 minutes.
Today I’m not only sharing a marine recipe that leaves you with melt in your mouth flank steak loaded flavor, but my best grilling tips and I’m taking the mystery out of “slicing against the grain”.
Italian Pasta Salad
Italian Pasta Salad ~ this easy recipe combines cheese-stuffed tortellini and bursting with flavor from all your antipasto favorites: salami, pepperoni, cheese, peppers, olives and onions dressed in a simple homemade vinaigrette.
Even if the weather hasn’t officially said summer, this salad does. We’ve had our fill of cold days and plates loaded with comfort food.
It’s time for summer fare, dips in the lake, toasted s’mores, staying out after the streetlights come on and Italian Pasta Salad with tortellini and the BEST Italian salad dressing.
Easy Key Lime Pie with Raspberry Sauce
Easy Key Lime Pie ~ the best, authentic recipe starts with fresh squeezed lime juice blended with a few other ingredients and baked in a simple graham cracker crust. Tangy-sweet with a little texture from slivered almonds. It doesn’t get much better . . . until a simple raspberry sauce is drizzled over the top.
Some of the best Key Lime Pie I’ve ever eaten is from Publix grocery store in Florida. No joke. We escape to Florida every winter to relax with family and soak up some sun. Publix pie is one of the first things we buy. Smooth and creamy ~ slightly sweet with just the right amount of tangy lime flavor.
Here in the Midwest, there isn’t a Publix within several states so when I get a craving for Key Lime Pie, I make this one. It reminds me of warm breezes, swaying palm trees, Jimmy Buffett music and the sun on my face. The raspberry sauce is my own spin that takes an already delicious pie to the next level.
Margarita Chicken Fajitas
Easy 30 Minute Margarita Chicken Fajitas ~ tequila-lime marinated chicken seared and served up with caramelized vegetables. Grill or sauté the whole meal in one skillet indoors.
Today started as many do in our house with my husband asking shortly after breakfast, “what’s for dinner?”. When I said Margarita Chicken Fajitas he asked, “well, is it chicken or a margarita?” Everyone loves a comedian.
The fact is, it’s chicken marinated in the ingredients of a margarita (including tequila!). There result is deep, rich delicious flavor. So naturally, a batch of margaritas is the perfect sidekick for this dish.
Greek Layered Appetizer Dip
Greek Layered Appetizer ~ hummus, tzatziki, olives and feta layered for a simple, healthy dip. Add chicken for a light entrée.
A weekend in Northern Michigan for a girls’ wine weekend meant lots of laughs and good food. Everyone brought their favorite wine, dishes to share and . . . I did mention wine? There was plenty.
Chips and dip and sheet pans of pizza rolls with ranch dressing were brought out for late nights. We could have used a healthy appetizer like this Greek Layered Dip. I guess that’s why there’s “next time”.
Strawberry Bread Recipe
Strawberry Bread recipe ~ moist, lightly sweet bread loaded with fresh strawberries and topped with a simple cream cheese glaze.
This Strawberry Bread is a simple to make quick bread, meaning no yeast or kneading and it takes full advantage of the abundant crop of Florida strawberries coming north this time of year.
Keep the recipe on hand in early June too when bright red, sun-sweetened homegrown berries can’t be beat. Because the bread isn’t overly sweet, a thick slice is delicious with morning coffee and equally good for dessert in the evening. Bonus: it whips up in less than 10 minutes.
Easy Soft Pretzel Bites
Easy Soft Pretzel Bites ~ Made from canned refrigerated biscuit dough generously sprinkled with Everything but the Bagel Seasoning and baked until warm, golden, lightly crisp outside and soft inside. Enjoy with cheese sauce or add to a charcuterie board for a unique twist.
Warm, fresh from the oven salty pretzels dipped in warm, gooey cheese. One of my favorite pub appetizers and today they’re getting an upgrade.
Everything but the Bagel Seasoning ~ an outrageously good balance of sea salt, garlic, onion, poppy seeds and black and white sesame seeds. Mmmm . . . did I mention garlicky? Basically everything you ever wanted in seasoning and the thing that takes these pretzel bites to the next level.
These bite size soft pretzels come hot and fresh from the oven liberally seasoned with Everything but the Bagel Seasoning and are served up with a pot of golden, gooey melted cheese sauce. Life just got a little better.
Brown Butter Honey Glazed Carrots
Brown Butter Honey Glazed Carrots ~ tender carrots oven roasted and glazed in a delicious nutty, brown butter honey-garlic sauce.
Almost every family has a picky eater. Mine ate peanut butter and jelly every single day of first grade. Growing up, she stubbornly refused to eat a vegetable other than corn and potatoes. She called carrots “the devil’s vegetable”.
She loved chicken (still does) and couldn’t pass up a french fry if her life depended upon it (still can’t). For the record, she still won’t eat a carrot but if you do and you’re looking for a simple, gourmet level side dish, this is it.
Au Gratin Potatoes
Au Gratin Potatoes ~ easy classic recipe for tender sliced potatoes blanketed in layers of creamy, cheesy sauce and a golden, slightly crispy top.
If you’ve already started planning your Easter menu a big high five to your organizational skills. To the rest of us frantically scrolling through Pinterest the day before the holiday, we’re kindred spirits. We’re not alone and I have us all covered.
There’s no better sidekick to that Easter ham (or pretty much any other protein) than layers of tender sliced potatoes blanketed in a creamy, über cheesy sauce. Enter: Au Gratin Potatoes.
