Beverage, Recipe
Sometimes you just need something easy, light, and refreshing, especially in the midst of this seemingly unending summer heat wave.
This sparkling grapefruit zinger kicks the fancy factor up a notch with snazzy basil, peach, & lime ice cubes. Feeling really fancy? Make it a cocktail instead.
These ice cubes will add fun & pizazz to any summer beverage, but I especially love them paired with the crisp flavor of the grapefruit juice.
by with a Side of Sneakers
- Water
- Lime juice
- Peaches
- Basil
Dice peaches & rip basil into small pieces.
Fill ice cube trays half full with water.
Add a few peaches & basil pieces to each cube.
Fill remaining space with lime juice.
Freeze & add to favorite beverage or water.
by with a Side of Sneakers
- Sparkling water
- Grapefruit juice
- Batch of Peach Basil Ice Cubes
Place a few Peach Basil Ice Cubes in each glass.
Fill glass with half sparkling water & half grapefruit juice.
Serve & enjoy ice cold.
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What’s your favorite way to cool off during the summer?
Recipe
When the husband and I first got married, we were living in a tiny one bedroom apartment and didn’t know anyone in town. I thought it was the absolute greatest thing that now I got to plan meals, grocery shop, and cook dinner every night. {I had no idea how old that’d get.}
I’d gotten a cookbook as a wedding gift and there was one recipe in particular I couldn’t wait to try out. It was some kind of pasta dish starring sun dried tomatoes and goat cheese. What’s not to love about that?
{Please do not ask why I like the sundried variety of the horrible fruit that is a tomato. It’s a purely inexplicable phenomenon.}
So hear I am, newly married, thinking going to the grocery store and shopping for dinner ingredients is just the best thing ever. I pick up some pasta, a jar of sundried tomatoes, a log of goat cheese, garlic, wine, and a few other ingredients the recipe called for.
I came home all proud of myself and got to cooking. As I set two plates down on the coffee table in front of the couch {totally high class, I know}, I beamed with pride and picked up my fork in excitement.
It was the worst meal I’d ever created. Even the husband strayed from his lowest critique of “it’s not the best thing you’ve ever made” to a flat out agreement that it was indeed, gross.
To this day, I don’t know if it’s because I used cheap wine, the wrong kind of tomatoes or cheese, or if I was just a really bad recipe follower- I’ve never attempted to make it again.
Instead, when I want sundried tomatoes and pasta, I go simple. Super simple.
Sundried Tomato and Massaged Kale Chips over Angel Hair
Whole wheat angel hair pasta
Sundried tomatoes in oil
Kale
Lemon juice
Olive oil
Pepper
Fresh basil
So simple there’s no need for measurements- just use as much or as little as you like of any ingredient, and adjust to how many people you’re serving.
Cook pasta according to directions.
Rip kale into small pieces and drizzle with lemon juice. Massage kale leaves with your hands for a few minutes so they start to wilt. {I don’t know why massaged kale is a “thing” but it is…ask any foodie.}
If you like massaged kale, skip the next step. If you’re like me and don’t, bake the kale at 450 for 7-9 minutes until it just starts to crisp and brown, a little shy of how crispy you’d make regular kale chips.
Slice sundried tomatoes and basil into strips.
When pasta is done, drizzle with olive oil and some oil from sundried tomato jar. Stir in sundried tomatoes, kale, and basil. Season with black pepper.
Unlike my first attempt at sundried tomato pasta, this was a success. Two thumbs up on the husband scale.
Recipe
I’m not a cheese person. Don’t get me wrong, I love cheese. Cheese just doesn’t love me. Or any dairy for that matter. But, every once in awhile, I sneak in a little bit. Some of it’s just too good to pass up.
Luckily the ones that are a little gentler on my body are the ones that are hard to resist. Plus, you don’t need much to notice the impact it has on a dish…gorgonzola, feta, goat cheese…
It’s the goat cheese that draws me in every time. It’s just.so.good.
I had a little left over from making my jalapeno peach goat cheese crostini, and I couldn’t let it go to waste. It sat there in the fridge taunting me for a few days, until finally I caved.
{The Goat Lady is a local lady who makes all kinds of different goat cheeses and sells them at the farmer’s market. Soo good.}
Although I was tempted to lick it right out of the tub, I resisted and went a slightly more mature route.
Grilled Zucchini Goat Cheese Sandwiches
1 zucchini
3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp olive oil
2-4 oz spreadable goat cheese
4 leaves fresh basil
handful baby spinach leaves
salt & pepper
crusty loaf of bread
Cut the zucchini lengthwise into long, thin slices. Put zucchini slices in plastic bag with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Shake to coat zucchini; let sit for a few minutes. {Longer if you have time.}
When ready to cook, place zucchini on a hot grill pan or griddle. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook zucchini until both sides brown.
Slice bread in half lengthwise and toast for a few minutes until the edges cut crusty.
Spread bread liberally with goat cheese.
Top with grilled zucchini slices, spinach, and fresh basil leaves.
Green goodness sandwich.
{Oh of course I lost the picture of the finished sandwich…I’m sure you get the idea.}
Now tell me that’s not hard to resist.
