A Cool Salad for a Hot Summer Day

I love to cook, but extra heat in the kitchen when the thermometer reads almost 90...no thanks.  While the crew played in the pool I determined I felt like something refreshing and cold we could eat out on the grass. Sandwiches are always easy, and I love a good sandwich stuffed full of meat, cheese and veggies; however, not today. I really felt like something with a bit of zing.  Vinegar, something with vinegar...enter the bean salad. 
I had a college roommate who loved three-bean salad.  She would make a huge batch and eat it every day for lunch for at least a week.  I haven't made it in ages and it sounded perfect but with a few modifications. 

 

 

This was the result. I wish I had garden tomatoes. A fresh sun ripened tomato would have lent itself perfectly to the harmony of this salad. Alas, only a few, very small green tomatoes peak from behind the leaves of my plants. Enough longing for a great tomato or two or three.  Here is the salad.  A simple 3-bean, corn, fresh basil, lovely red onion, perfect for a hot summer day, salad.  The crew enjoyed it on the front steps rather than the grass; however, the grass was only a minor part of the plan so I rule my effort a success. 

I found the inspiration for this salad over on theclevercarrot.com.  (The picture below also came from that site and of course looks more beautiful than the one I snapped with my phone.)  If you want to try the original recipe find it under honey balsamic 3 bean salad.  Hope you will enjoy both versions on one of your hot summer days.

 

 

My Honey Balsamic 3-Bean and Corn Salad

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 5 mins

Total time: 10 mins
 

Serves: 6

 

Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette

• ¼ c. balsamic vinegar
• 2-4 tsp. honey (depending on your taste, I use raw honey)
• 1-2 tsp. Dijon mustard
• ½ c. coconut oil

Salad

• 1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed & drained
• 1 can of black beans, rinsed & drained
• 1 can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can sweet corn, rinsed and drained
• 1/8-1/4 c. pickled banana peppers, chopped
• ¼-1/3 c. thinly sliced red onion
• ¼ c. fresh basil, rough chopped
• salt & pepper

Instructions

1. To make the vinaigrette, add the balsamic vinegar, honey, and Dijon mustard to a bowl (or your food processor or blender). Whisk well to combine. Slowly add the olive oil, and continue whisking until the vinaigrette is emulsified. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
2. For the salad, combine all ingredients except salt and pepper in a large bowl.  
3. Drizzle with vinaigrette and toss well. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

 

German Chocolate Chunk and Heath Cookies

Sunday Afternoon Desserts

Sunday afternoon is our time to try new dessert recipes. We don't get to this little adventure every Sunday, but we made it today.  The crew assembled in the kitchen to embark on the road to culinary success and the result was a soft, semi chewy, oozing chocolate and bits of Heath deliciousness cookie.

I must admit I don't love to make cookies. People make them all the time because they are simple and quick. I find brownies or cobbler to be just as quick, unless you cook only one batch. Today we cooked only one batch and put the rest of the dough in the fridge for tomorrows enjoyment.  (It may make it to the oven, or just be eaten by the finger-full from the bowl. Only tomorrow will tell the tale.) 

Without hesitation, I can say this recipe will happen in my kitchen again. I only used half of the bag of Heath this go around; next time I will use the whole bag for just a little extra toffee. I do love toffee and trapped in a cookie it talks to the taste buds in a marvelous fashion as it mingles sleepily with the chocolate.  

The family consumed most of the first batch and would have completed the task had I not drawn the line. We don't all need two-a-days for the next week. We will reserve those for Mom, she needs them anyway.

Happy cookie baking and eating, or eating and baking, whatever order you prefer.       

 

 

German Chocolate Chunk and Heath Cookies

 Inspired by: dreamingallday.com (The picture comes from Dreaming all Day. The original version has coconut instead of Heath, and we made a few other changes. Theirs look fabulous as well. In fact, I may have to visit again to find more treasures. Thanks for the inspiration.)

Prep time:  15 mins

Cook time:  10 mins

Total time:  25 mins

 

Serves: 48

 

Ingredients

• 1 stick Butter (softened)
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1 cup Dark Brown Sugar
• 1 cup Granulated Sugar
• 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
• 2 large Eggs
• 2¼ cups All-Purpose Flour
• ½ cup Unsweetened Cocoa
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• Pinch Salt
• 2 Baker’s German’s Sweet Chocolate Bars
• 1/2-1 bag Heath chunks 

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a stand mixer or large bowl, blend butter, coconut oil, both sugars, vanilla and eggs. In a medium bowl, sift flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Add flour mixture into the butter mixture and blend until combined.
3. Break chocolate bars into various sized chunks. Stir the German chocolate chunks and Heath chunks into cookie mix.
4. Drop tablespoonful dough onto parchment lined baking sheets, 12 cookies per sheet, bake 8 to 10 minutes. Cool on a baking rack.