Basil-Lemon Cucumber, Tomato, Mozzarella, and Garbanzo Bean Salad

Holy hell of a long salad name, amen! I can't imagine saying the name of this Basil-Lemon Cucumber, Tomato, Mozzarella, and Garbanzo Bean Salad three times fast.

Anyone want to try?

Seriously, though, this salad is packed with all the good stuff. Cucumbers are dirt cheap right now, as are tomatoes, which makes this an easy recipe to feed a crowd. The recipe itself makes ten servings, which is perfect for a big BBQ or a summer picnic, but it can easily be halved or portioned to whatever size you want. Plus it is easy to make. SO easy! I basically cut stuff up, threw it in a bowl, poured the basil-lemon mix over it, and then tossed it in the fridge to sit and marinate for about an hour.

It's a strangely complex salad, in the best way? You get some bright acidity from the tomatoes and lemon juice, and then a cooling crunch from the cucumber, which balances it out nicely. The mozzarella adds just a touch of richness, while the garbanzo beans add some much-needed texture. And of course, what is summer without basil and lemon?

Not summer, that's what.

(On a side note: cucumber-lemon water is my drug right now. I am chugging that stuff by the gallon).

I got in the mood to make this because it is finally, finally getting warm here. And it's probably going to rain tomorrow since I just declared it to feel like summer. Colorado is sassy and likes to go against whatever weather anyone predicts. Wasn't there a Garfield comic once where the weather forecaster said that the estimation was between negative 50 and 1000 degrees? Well, that's Colorado. So I'm taking advantage of the nice weather while it lasts, and making a ton of summery food!

Hope it is just as nice where you all are (and if not, I'll send some good weather vibes your way! It's not like Colorado would listen to them anyway)

Basil-Lemon Cucumber, Tomato, Mozzarella, and Garbanzo Bean Salad
Serves 10

Ingredients:

• 3 large cucumbers, washed and cubed (a bit larger than dicing)
• 10 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 (15 oz) can no salt added garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 8 ounces part skim mozzarella, diced 
• 1/4cup fresh basil, finely chopped
• zest of two medium lemons
• juice of four medium lemons
• 1/4c. olive oil
• 1/2t crushed black pepper
• 1/4t kosher salt

Instructions:

1. Combine cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, garbanzo beans, and mozzarella in a large bowl. Toss to combine, and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, black pepper, and salt. Whisk thoroughly for one minute. Pour lemon-basil mixture over the cucumber mixture.
3. Refrigerate for thirty minutes to 24 hours. Serve cold. Best served within four days.   

Nutritional Information:
Sodium: 209mg
Total Fat: 10g
     Saturated Fat: 3g
     Monounsaturated Fat: 5g
     Trans Fat: 0g
Sugar: 5g
Protein: 10g
Calories: 197

Spicy Roasted Broccoli Salad

At 4 A.M. tomorrow morning, I will be heading up to Colorado via a 18 hour drive.

I am so excited! Well, not for the driving-- but the destination certainly is somewhere I have missed quite dearly. I've been packing and shopping the past few days, and trying to use up various food items that we've had around the house. That has led to some... interesting combinations (anyone up for some Green Tomato and Apple Pie? Actually much better than it sounds. Thanks AK and UJ!). Some have been good, others great: and today I'm sharing a great one.

It starts out with roasted broccoli which, let's be real, is always delicious. Add in some roma tomatoes, green onions, and rich avocado, and the meal is pretty much complete. I also had some peppers and basil, so I made a quick pesto using sunflower seeds. It adds some heat and stops the salad from being too dry. I know that a warm salad sounds kind of strange in summer, so I chilled the broccoli before adding in the other ingredients. However, this would also be a great fall recipe for a cool day.



Spicy Roasted Broccoli Salad
Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 4 cups broccoli crowns (if you like the stems, use those too)
• Cooking Spray
• 1/4t salt
• 1/4t pepper
• 2 cups basil leaves
• 1 whole lemon, juice and zest
• 3T extra virgin olive oil
• 2T sunflower seeds
• 2 serrano peppers, quartered (if you don't want it as spicy, remove the seeds)
• 2 roma tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 1 medium avocado, cubed
• 1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Chop crowns into bite-sized pieces, and put on a baking pan coated with cooking spray. Cover with more cooking spray. Bake for 40 minutes, turning broccoli halfway through. Remove from oven; sprinkle with salt and pepper.
3. While broccoli is baking, combine basil through peppers in a food processor until well-minced and pesto-like in consistency. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl, combine broccoli, tomatoes, avocado, and green onions. Toss with basil mixture to coat. Serve hot or cold.

Nutrition Information
Sodium: 122mg
Total Fat: 12g
   Saturated: 2g
   Monounsaturated: 7g
   Trans: 0g
Sugar: 4g
Protein: 3g
Calories: 152

Basil and Chive Grilled Corn

Corn is flying off the shelves here.

Does anyone else not really consider it summer until corn goes on sale for insanely cheap prices? Like five-cobs-for-a-buck prices? For me, that's always signaled summer. Partly because I've never lived in a place that actually has summer weather until late June (Flagstaff, AZ and Fort Collins, CO always seem to have freak winter snowstorms in May, so how can one tell if it's summer or not?), and partly because corn on the cob is just the classic summer thing here. I'd add it onto my summer list with sorbet, watermelon, and melty ice cream cones-- those are always going to just scream summer to me.

Now that I'm in California for the summer, the weather is plenty hot and the corn is on sale! I decided to throw together some basil and chive grilled corn, which I grilled until tender and aromatic. The basil lends this slightly peppery taste, while the chives give a faint onion flavor that compliments that natural sweetness of the corn. For some salt and texture, I added some Parmesan cheese into the mix, which basically made it even more awesome.

Words. I can't find them. This corn is delicious. Eat it.

Basil and Chive Grilled Corn
Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 2/3c. (5/8oz) packed basil, chopped finely
• 1/2c. (5/8oz) finely chopped chives
• 1/4c. (1oz) grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4tsp salt
• 1/4tsp pepper
• 1/4tsp garlic powder
• 1tbl extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbl butter, melted
• 4 medium ears corn, husked and cleaned
• Aluminum foil, 4 pieces, big enough to wrap around each corn

Instructions:

1. Turn on grill to medium-high heat.
2. Combine basil through garlic powder in a small bowl. In another small bowl, combine olive oil and butter.
3. Lay out the four pieces of foil, and place each corn cob on the left side. There should be room at the top and bottom ends. Drizzle or brush the oil mixture over the corn. Evenly divide the herb-cheese mixture between the four corns, turning to coat and assure full coverage. Fold the top and bottom ends of the foil over the corn, and then roll like a burrito, nice and tight.
4. Grill for ten minutes on bottom rack, then transfer to top rack and cook for another 10-15 minutes, or until tender and aromatic. 

Nutrition Information:
Sodium: 277mg
Total Fat: 9g
       Saturated: 4g
       Mono: 4g
       Trans: 0g
Sugar: 3g
Protein: 6g
Calories: 170