Sauteed Chicken Livers with Onions, by Cheryl

I've always loved chicken liver. My mom used to cook them up when she made her roasted chicken and my dad loved them! They are a nutrition powerhouse food, packed with protein, vitamins A and C, and iron, while being low calorie. And they are pretty budget friendly when bought on their own since they aren't the most popular food. I love them, despite the strange looks I get from Jon! Yum!

Ingredients:

1 large onion, sliced into rings or half rings

1 lb chicken livers

2 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper

Directions:

1) Pat dry the livers. Cut in half and cut away any visible fat parts.

2) Heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until golden brown, about 10 minutes.

3) Remove the onions and keep warm. 

4) In the same skillet add the livers. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. 

5) Cook until browned, but slightly pink in the middle, about 2-3 minutes per side.

6) Divide the livers amongst plates and top with the onions. 

Limoncello, by Diane

 

I came across this recipe in the spring and thought it would be the perfect drink for summer! It's incredibly easy to make yourself and looks so pretty! It came out really smooth, and pretty strong. I tried it straight, but am also looking forward to combining it with something fizzy to make as a spritzer and cut the strength too. Overall, indeed this is a wonderful summer drink :)

Ingredients:

750 ml grain alcohol

9 organic lemons, yellow peels only and washed well

1.1 Liter water

2.5 cups sugar

Directions:

1. Combine lemon peels and alcohol in a large glass jar and store in a dark cool place for 30 days.

2. After 30 days, bring a large pot of water and sugar to a gentle warm temperature and stir until combined. Allow to cool to room temperature. 

3. Strain the alcohol mixture and discard the lemon peels. Combine the alcohol with the cooled sugar mixture and stir well with a wooden spoon. The mixture should become cloudy.

4. Store in a glass container for another 30 days in a cool dark place until ready to serve.

Summer Heirloom Salad, by Diane

Once again Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat has helped me intuit another amazing combination of flavors for one of the best salads I've had in a long time. The key is really ripe heirlooms here, and be prepared to scarf this all down! I love the way this book makes me think about balancing ingredients with different flavor profiles and textures, and the results really do make what comes out of my kitchen a million times better! I loved the use of lemon flavored olive oil here, which was a last minute choice in thinking about acidity for flavoring. YUM!

Ingredients:

Red Butter lettuce

1 yellow and 1 purple heirloom tomato, chopped into bite size pieces

1 pack serrano ham, torn

1/4 cup basil leaves, torn

1/2 cup green olives (mine were garlic marinated and I recommend this!)

1/8 cup red onion, thinly sliced

1/4 cup capers, drained and dried

Drizzle lemon flavored EVOO and balsamic vinegar

Directions:

1. Over medium high heat, cook the capers until crispy and puffed. Let cool to room temp.

2. Add all ingredients and toss, adjusting tastes as needed.

Watermelon and Prosciutto Salad, by Diane

 

I made this salad for a summer meal with a friend and it was so good! Reading Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat is definitely changing the way I combine flavors naturally, and coming up with this salad was no exception! I wouldn't top the watermelon too far in advance with the remaining ingredients since it pulled the water out and there was a lot of liquid soon after in the bottom- so serve it fresh and ready to go!

Ingredients:

1/2 large watermelon, cubed

1 pack prosciutto, torn

1 large handful of mint, torn

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

1/2 cup toasted pistachios

Drizzle EVOO and balsamic vinegar to finish

Directions: Toss everything together and adjust to taste!

Indian Pickles, by Diane

 

After the success of Quickles and Korean Pickles, I wanted to see if I could create any other fun pickle recipes with other international flavors because they are awesome to snack on after the pool or being outside. This recipe from myrecipes.com was awesome with one big exception- I wouldn't let these marinate for longer than a few hours. By the time I got to them after 24 hours they were so strong I couldn't handle them! So in the future I'd follow these instructions and pull them after 40 min. I also used a mandolin to make pickle slices, but this recipe called for spears which may have also made them taste stronger. Side note- I had all the spices on hand thanks to our cooking through the countries activities during quarantine, so that felt like a win!

Ingredients: 

1 tsp vegetable oil

1/2 tsp each brown mustard seeds, black peppercorns, coriander seeds, whole allspice

1 tsp cumin seeds

3 cardamom pods, split open

2 small dried red chiles, broken in half

1/4 tsp ground turmeric

1 cup white vinegar

1/2 cup fresh lime juice

1/2 cup water

3 tbsp packed light brown sugar

1 1/2 tbsp kosher salt

4 garlic cloves, peeled and cut in half

1 inch ginger, peeled and sliced thick

6 persian cucumbers sliced thin (I used a mandolin)

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium heat and add in mustard seeds for 2 min.

2. Add remaining spices except turmeric and cook for 1 minute stirring constantly. 

3. Add turmeric, then remaining ingredients except cucumbers and bring to a boil, then simmer for 2 min. 

4. Put cucumbers into a glass jar or bowl, then pour liquid over top. Marinate for 40 minutes at room temp, then drain liquid and chill for up to 2 days.

Turkey Cucumber Roll-Ups, by Diane

This has been my go to lunch in the hot summer this year, and they really couldn't be easier. I've found that a combo of smoked turkey and spicy red pepper hummus make these taste best, but you could easily sub in whatever you like. The only note is not to prep these too far in advance because the salt will draw the water out of the cucumbers and you'll end up with a soggy mess. Lately, I've been making these even lazier by simply cutting a cucumber into pickle-shaped spears then spreading hummus on them and wrapping a piece of turkey around it like a cigar. Awesome healthy lunch to go!

Ingredients:

1/2 English cucumber, sliced length-wise with a mandolin or peeler

6 slices turkey

Hummus

Everything Bagel seasoning

Directions:

1. Lay the cucumber slice on a paper towel and dry off excess moisture. 

2. Spread hummus on the cucumber, then slice turkey to fit and lay it along the cucumber.

3. Roll up your cucumber and sprinkle the tops with seasoning.