Cucumbers and Pineapple

A super easy use for cucumbers is:

Peel and thinly slice. Put in a bowl with rice vinegar and some sugar. Let marinate for the afternoon. This makes a refreshing side dish or snack!


Pineapples are one of my all-time favorite fruits. I was so excited when we started getting a veggie co-op box every week that had 2 pineapples in it every time! Here's a few great ways to use them, besides just chopping them up and eating them whole, which is what we've been known to do most of the time:

Grilled pineapple

Slice the pineapple into long, slightly thick chunks
Put them onto skewers if you have them, it makes it easier
Add to gril for the last few minutes before your main course is done. Cook until just slightly charred, and turn. Cook that side as well, and remove. Yummo!

Pineapple Salsa

1/2 to 1 pineapple, cored, peeled, and diced
1/2 red pepper, seeded and diced
1/4 small, sweet onion, diced
cilantro
juice of 1 lime

Mix in bowl and serve with tortilla chips. Or eat by itself. Or put it over grilled fish.


Mango, Pineapple, Banana shake

1 or 2 mangoes, peeled and sliced
1/2 to 1 pineapple, peeled and chopped into smaller pieces
1 or 2 bananas
1 cup water
honey to taste
dash of vanilla
dash of sea salt
5 or 6 ice cubes

Use the amount that fits your blender. We have a family sized commercial blender, so we use a lotof fruit. Blend. This is yummier than a milk shake, and so much better for you

Yummy Tomatoes

Since this is tomato season, here's some ideas for how to use them, besides, of course, just eating them sliced, with salt. Or between 2 pieces of bread. Yum!

Tomato, Avo salad

Sliced tomato
Sliced Avocado
Very thinly sliced onion
Sharp cheese, cubed
Balsamic Vinegar
Olive oil
Freshly ground sea salt and pepper

Put tomato slices on plate. Arrange Avo slices and cheese cubes around tomatoe. Top with slivered onions. Drizzle balsamic vinegar and olive oil over the whole thing. Sprinkly with salt and pepper.


Corn and Tomato Salad

1 can sweet yellow corn (or sliced off 3-4 cobs)
1 big tomato, diced small
1/2 small, sweet onion
1/4-1/2 jalapeno, chopped very fine
1 TBS red wine vinegar
2 Tbs olive oil
Salt and Pepper

Toss together in big bowl


Guacamole

4 Avocadoes, peeled, seeded and smooshed with fork in big bowl
Add to that:
1 diced tomato
Juice of 1 lime
thinly sliced onion
1/2 cup corn
cilantro to taste, chopped fine
Salt, to taste

Mix and enjoy! This is very flexible. you can make it with just avo's, cilantro, and lime. Or add it all. It's good any way you make it!

Tomato Cucumber salad

Sliced tomatoes and cucumbers in equal amounts. Add vinegar and toss in bowl. Easy, peasy. And good!

Chez Nous Gazpacho

This was the first thing I ever ate a 5 star French restaurant near our house. It was so good I had dreams about it. The week after, there was the recipe in our paper!! This has been a staple in our house every summertime, since. It tastes like a wonderful summer salad in a bowl!

Chez Nous Gazpacho

3 cucumbers, peeled, seeded
6 tomatoes, chopped (I usually only use 4 or 5)
1 small, sweet onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 red pepper, seeded and chopped (it looks prettier if it's red)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup ice water
3 tbs tomato paste
1 tbs fresh tarragon (I use dried)
1 tsp Tobasco sauce
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup olive oil

Croutons, diced cucumber for garnish

Place cucumber, tomato, onion, garlic, pepper, vinegar, bread, water, tomato paste, tarragon, and Tabasco in food processor.

Pulse until almost smooth. Add salt and pepper. Let food processor run, and pour in olive oil in a slow stream

Refrigerate, or serve immediately with garnish.

More salads

Ok, here's some more favorites:

Celery salad

1 bunch celery
1 green pepper (doesn't have to be green, but it looks better)
1 small, sweet onion
1 cucumber, peeled

the key to this salad is to chop everything super fine. I use a food processor. Just chop, chop, chop. Then toss with lemon pepper dressing.

Lemon Pepper dressing

1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup olive oil
pepper to taste, I use a lot
1 or two minced cloves of garlic, according to taste
dash honey

Mix the dressing in a bowl with a fork. I use half this dressing for the salad, or it's swimming in the bottom. This is sooo good and refreshing!

Fruit salad

2-4 sliced peaches or nectarines
1 pint blueberries
2 sliced bananas
1/4 cup chopped pecans
dash maple syrup

Mix in bowl, and enjoy the sunshine!


Greek salad

1 head lettuce, washed, chopped and spun
1 or 2 big tomatoes, chopped
1/4 small onion, sliced very thin
1 or 2 cucumbers, peeled and chopped
1/4 to 1/2 cup feta cheese
sunflower seeds, optional, but adds good crunnch

Toss with Greek dressing:

1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
2 - 3 TBS seasoning mix

Shake in a cruet, or stir in a bowl. I use about half of this with the salad. This keeps in the cupboard, no need to refrigerate.

Greek seasoning mix:

1/3 cup garlic powder
1/3 cup oregano
1/3 cup basil
1/4 cup onion powder
1/4 cup salt
1/4 cup pepper
1 TBS sugar

This makes a better mix, if you grind the spices in a spice grinder. Then, combine in a small, covered bowl, and stir. This makes a wonderful mix for dressing, but it's also good sprinkled on garlic bread, pizza, etc.

Thanks, Gwen, for the great mix recipe :-)

Summer salads

Since we're from Texas, and it's HOT outside, I thought I'd start with my favorite salad of the moment. It's sweet, tangy, and just right for a summer day. First, you make the dressing:

Oriental Dressing:
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons soy sauce


Then, you toss about half of it into one of these two salads:

1 head lettuce, washed, and chopped up
2 oranges or pears, cut up into bite sized pieces
1/4 sweet onion, sliced very thin
1/4 cup (or 2 handfuls) feta cheese
1/4 cup (or 2 handfuls) slivered almonds

OR:

1 head cabbage
2 apples, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
1/4 sweet onion
1/4 cup (or 2 handfuls) feta cheese
1/4 cup (or 2 handfuls) slivered almonds

This is so refreshing on a hot day!

Why blog about Whole Foods?

Hmmm. Good question. There are so many, many cooking blogs out there. Basically, when I learned my oldest son had serious food allergies, I had to completely re-think my kitchen. I had to re-think our meals, snacks, and everything I did in my house. It took a LOT of thought, and effort, and time, and research. Healing his little body took over my life! So, I'm hoping that this blog might help make someone else's life a little easier, with simple, healthy meal ideas for anyone with allergies, or who just wants to live a healthier, fuller life.

I'm from the south, and love all things southern: Fried chicken, Iced tea, fresh corn on the cob, tomatoes straight from the garden, fried okra, biscuits, greens, and all that wonderful stuff. We do use a LOT of white flour, sugar, and cream soup, though. So, when I had to adjust to my son's allergies, it took a LOT of work.

What I'm going to post here are Whole Food recipes. What I mean by that is: you can pronounce the ingredients, and if you leave it out on the counter, it will go bad. They are not necessarily low-calorie, or Dr. approved health foods. But, they are REAL foods that taste wonderful, and really feed our bodies with the nutrients we need for a strong, healthy, productive life.

By the way, my son outgrew his allergies. He's now in high school, eats whatever he wants, and is over six feet tall!