A Tall Drink of Agua Fresca

Chances are, wherever you are right now, it's hot outside. And heat brings thirst... and I've honestly never had a more thirst-quenching and refreshing beverage than this one: Cucumber Lime Mint Agua Fresca. I realize it's a mouthfull (hah... I'm so punny), but it's so freaking fantastic! I don't usually post about beverages on this blog... in fact I don't think I ever have. But, this beverage deserved a post. It's from the site, Simply Recipes, and it is definitely simple to make and delicious to drink. Just make it. You'll be oh so glad and oh so cool.

Photo from Simply Recipes

Cucumber Lime Mint Agua Fresca
1 lb of cucumbers (about 2 good sized cucumbers), ends trimmed, but peel still on, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup lime juice from fresh limes (from about 1 pound of limes, or 5 to 10 limes, depending on how juicy they are)

1 1/4 cup packed mint leaves (about a large handful), woody stems removed

1/2 cup sugar (I used agave nectar to taste)

Approximately 1 1/4 cup of water

Put ingredients in blender, add enough water to fill 3/4 of blender. Hold the lid on the blender and purée until smooth. Place a fine mesh sieve over a bowl and pour the purée through it, pressing against the sieve with a rubber spatula or the back of a spoon to extract as much liquid out as possible. Fill a large pitcher halfway with ice cubes. Add the juice. Serve with sprigs of mint and slices of lime.

Easy peasy! Please make it... and tell me if you like it!
 
~ Mari

Panzanella

I just got Ellie Krieger's cookbook, "So Easy," and I found a great-looking recipe for a dish we made in culinary school: Panzanella (Italian Bread Salad). Ellie's recipe is a bit different from the one we made in school, but it has the same basic ingredients - bread, cucumbers, tomatoes, and onions. So, I decided to combine the two recipes into my own version of the classic Italian salad!

Panzanella

3-4 cups of bread, cubed

1 English cucumber, seeded and diced

2 cups grape tomatoes, halved

1/2 of a small red onion, thinly slivered

1 avocado, peeled and diced

a few sprigs of fresh fennel (or any other fresh herb you have on hand)

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

Salt & Pepper to taste

dried italian herbs to taste

3 links of chicken sausage

First, preheat the oven to 320 degrees F. Then put the cubed bread on a sheet pan.

Next, combine a few tablespoons of olive oil with salt, pepper, and dried italian herbs in a shallow bowl.

Dunk each bread cube into the olive oil mixture on two or three sides. Put them back on the sheet pan and toss them around a bit.

Stick the sheet pan in the oven on the bottom rack and allow them to cook for 15 - 20 minutes (until they're crispy). While they cook, combine all of the vegetables and herbs in a bowl. Sprinkle salt and pepper on them and toss.

Once the bread cubes are done, add them to the vegetable mixture.

Pour the rest of the olive oil and the balsamic vinegar over the vegetables and bread. Now toss it more. I added some black cooked lentils (from Trader Joe's) as a garnish - you can too if you have them. If not, it should be just fine! Then I cooked the sausage, sliced it, and served it alongside of the panzanella. That was Ellie Krieger's pairing idea - and it was perfect! I also plated the salad overtop of some mixed baby greens.

I hope you enjoy it! It was so simple to make - I couldn't even believe it! Plus, it was delicious and full of texture!

~ Mari

Flank Steak Tacos

Tacos are kind of amazing. Especially when they're easy to make and good for you! I'm a huge fan of fish tacos and shrimp tacos, but I saw a lovely Flank steak at Kroger and decided that I would go that route. We rarely eat red meat, but it just seemed like one of those times. So, I turned the grill on and got to cookin'!

Flank Steak Tacos

For the steak:

Olive oil

Flank steak

Chili powder

Cinnamon

Cayenne pepper

Salt

2 cloves garlic

For the salsa:

1/2 cup pre-made salsa

1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced

1/2 small red onion, slivered

1 lime, juiced

1/4 cup fresh tomato, chopped

1 avocado, diced

1/2 cup red, yellow, and orange bell peppers, diced

For the slaw:

1/4 bag slaw mix

1/4 cup yellow bell pepper, cut into strips

1 lime, juiced


While the grill heats, rub the steak with olive oil (enough to coat it). Then sprinkle it with the spices. Put the garlic cloves through a garlic press and rub it around on both sides of the steak. Grill it for about 10-15 minutes (however you want it).



Here's Ryan - hanging out by the grill on our back porch. :)

Mmmmm... here's the steak! Let it rest for about 10 minutes.

After the meat has rested, slice it thinly. Yum.

For the slaw, simply mix the above ingredients together and toss.

For the salsa, again, mix all the ingredients and toss! I told you this was easy...

Now, all you have to do is pile it on a tortilla in whatever order you want. I wouldn't eat this with the new in-laws or anything... it definitely dribbled down my face. But, it was worth it!

Enjoy!

~ Mari

Greek Salad with Arugula and Artichokes

Today for lunch I was in the mood for one of my favorite salads: Greek salad. Yum. There's nothing fancy about it, but it's delicious, healthy, and (best of all) salty! Hah. Didn't expect that one, did ya? But, who doesn't love salt. For realz.

So, here's all I did to get that beautiful insalata in the photo above:

I chopped some Cucumbers:

Then I sliced some cherry tomatoes in half:

Then I chopped up some Feta cheese, kalamata olives, and marinated artichoke hearts:

Then I threw in some baby arugula and tossed it all with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. And as a last touch, I threw a dash of Italian seasoning on it!

Wahoo, right? Easy peasy. Hope you like it!

Cause I did! ;)

~ Mari