Eating food: my favorite pastime, and I’m sure many of you share this common interest. Breakfast, brunch, lunch, linner, dinner, desert -- all wonderful in their own glory. We all have a favorite food or dish. Personally, I love anything potatoes -- mashed, baked, hash browns. You name it, I love it. I also love pasta -- I know, potatoes and pasta; carbs everywhere. But good-tasting food is the best kind of food, especially if you make it yourself. Yeah, it takes a lot of effort and some time out of the day, but with our longer summer nights, these recipes would be excellent to try.
1. Baked blueberry doughnuts.
What you’ll need:
For donuts:
- 1 2/3 cup cake flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons butter, melted, browned and cooled
- 3 eggs, room temperature
- ½ cup Greek yogurt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For glaze:
- ½ cup blueberries
- 1½ cups powdered sugar
Yield: 8 to 10 doughnuts
Total time: 40 minutes
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly spray Pam on the doughnut pan and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together browned butter, eggs, Greek yogurt, and vanilla extract.
4. Combine the wet and dry ingredients in the medium bowl and mix until just combined. Do not over mix or you will have rubbery doughnuts.
5. Scoop the batter into the doughnut pan, filling each about two-thirds full.
6. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until the doughnuts are baked through and spring back when lightly touched. Let cool for one minute and transfer to cooling rack. While cooling, make the glaze.
7. To make the glaze, combine the blueberries and powdered sugar in a blender. Blend until smooth. Poor into a medium bowl. Add more powdered sugar, one tablespoon at a time, if glaze is not thick enough to coat the doughnuts.
8. Once the doughnuts are completely cooled, dip them in the glaze. Let the glaze set for 20 minutes, and enjoy!
2. Spinach and ricotta grilled cheese.
What you’ll need:
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 1/3 cup ricotta cheese
- ¼ cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed
- 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
- Sea salt and cracked pepper
- Dried Italian mixed herbs, to taste (oregano and basil mix)
- ¼ cup grated light mozzarella cheese (or fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced)
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 4 thick slices sourdough bread
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ½ cup of your favorite pasta sauce
Yield: Serves two
Total Time: 10 minutes
Directions:
1. In a medium-sized pan, fry the garlic in a small amount of olive oil for about 30 to 60 seconds over medium heat. Remove from heat and place the garlic in a small bowl.
2. Add the ricotta cheese, spinach, Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper and Italian herbs to the garlic and mix until combined.
3. Spread one side of each bread with butter. Divide the ricotta mixture in half and spread it on the un-buttered sides.
4. Divide the mozzarella cheese in half and add it over the ricotta mix. Top with the other bread piece (buttered side up).
5. Place the pan on medium heat again and place the sandwiches on the pan. Cook until the cheese has melted and both sides are golden brown (about three to four minutes per side).
6. Serve with pasta sauce for some extra flavor!
3. Spicy avocado pesto pasta.
What you’ll need:
- 14 ounces rotini pasta (or any kind of pasta you like)
- 2 medium ripe avocados
- 2 cups loosely packed arugula
- 1 jalapeño pepper, cut into quarters (remove seeds and membrane for a mild pesto)
- ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves
- 2 cloves garlic
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus additional for serving
- 2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved
- Pesto sauce, store bought or homemade
Yield: Serves four
Total Time: 30 minutes
Directions:
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, adding the pasta and cooking as the directions on the package says. Drain, reserving one cup of pasta water, toss with olive oil, and put in a large bowl.
2. Scoop the avocado into a food processor and add the arugula, cilantro, jalapeno, lime juice, garlic, salt and pepper. Puree until smooth. Add the parmesan cheese and puree again.
3. Pour the avocado pesto over the pasta, then mix gently to combine together. Add the cherry tomatoes if you’d like, and serve hot.
4. Blueberry crisp.
What you’ll need:
- 1 cup rolled oats
- ½ cup almond meal
- ⅓ cup real maple syrup or raw honey
- 4 cups blueberries
Yield: Serves eight
Total Time: one hour
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Chop the pecans and put them in a large bowl with the oats, almond meal, coconut, salt, and cinnamon.
3. Add the olive oil and maple syrup and mix well.
4. Grease a baking dish (8-by-8 or 9-by-9) and place the blueberries on the bottom. Place the oat mixture on the top. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes or until the top is brown. Enjoy!
5. Frozen strawberry lemonade.
What you’ll need:
- 1 can of Bacardi strawberry daiquiri xix
- 1 can of frozen lemonade concentrate
- About 6 cups of ice
- Fresh strawberries that have been frozen in ice cube trays
Yield: Serves four
Total Time: 15 minutes
Directions:
1. Crush the ice.
2. Add the strawberry mix and lemonade mix and about 2 cups of water and blend.
3. Add the frozen fresh strawberries, don’t blend too much.
4. Pour into glasses and serve immediately, or Freeze in Mason Jars and pull out of the freezer about one to two hours before serving.
You've got approximately 53 days left to make five delicious recipes, so get on it!
