Watermelon, Black Bean & Feta Salad

Tags

basil, BBQ, black beans, brunch, cilantro, feta, food, foodie, lime, picnic, pignolias, pine nuts, postaday2011, potluck, recipe, salad, seasonal favorites, seasonal recipe, summer, summer salad, watermelon

Watermelon Feta salads have been all over the internet this summer, and I’ve delay posting mine. I first created my recipe when I was inspired by this recipe. Knowing Hubster would never eat it with the olives, or the onions, or the mint… (and he thinks I’ma picky eater). The only things I kept the same was the watermelon, Feta and Lime…

Watermelon, Black Bean & Feta Salad

Ingredients:
cubed watermelon, crumbled Feta cheese, cubed cantaloupe, black beans, pine nuts (pignolias), fresh chopped basil, fresh chopped cilantro, 2 limes, 4 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, fresh cracked black pepper, fresh ground sea salt

Directions:
Zest and juice limes. Mix together, EVOO, lime zest, lime juice, basil, cilantro, salt and pepper to create dressing. Toss together watermelon, black beans, pine nuts and Feta cheese. Drizzle with dressing. Serve chilled. Garnish with basil leaf.

I used all of my remaining basil on this recipe, so I did add mint after all… as a garnish. Also, we don’t currently have pine nuts in our pantry, so I had to omit them from today’s dish.

Try to add protein to most of my summer salad recipes. Delicious!

What’s unique about your version of a Watermelon Feta Salad?

Potato Rivel Soup

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potato dumpling soup, potato rivel soup, potato soup, seasonal recipe, Soup recipe, vegetarian soup

A local restaurant makes this soup (it’s the one item worth going there). I got this recipe from the Mennonite woman, whom which I purchased potatoes this summer.

Soup Ingredients:
8 medium potatoes
1/4 c. minced onions or 1/2 c. finely chopped onions
1/4 c. finely diced celery
2 Tbs. butter
salt
pepper
2 c. water (you could use vegetable or chicken stock instead)
1 can evaporated milk

Rivel Ingredients:
3/4 c. flour
1 egg
salt

Directions:
1) Peel and cube potatoes. Cook all soup ingredients together (except milk) until potatoes are soft. Smash about 1/4 of the potatoes and stirred soup throughly.

2) Mix together rivel ingredients and drop by the spoonful into the soup. Boil for five minutes, stirring constantly.

3) Add evaporated milk and simmer for a few minutes.

*Garnish with or stir in crispy bacon.

*Add scallions, leeks to taste (I swapped out the mince onions for finely chopped scallions).

*I made an extra large batch!

This is the perfect recipe to warm and fill you on a cold evening.

Thursday Night Dinners

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baked sweet potatoes, date night, dill mustard sauce, Friday night dinner, mustard sauce, pecan crusted chicken, pecan encrusted chicken, sauteed spinach, seasonal favorites, seasonal recipe, spinach and feta, Thursday night dinner

Friday night dinners were my favorite part of the week with Hubster. It was the one night I had enough time to try a new recipe (other than a quick meal recipe during the week). However with our son’s sports and activities, we often spend the weekend at my MIL’s and no longer have Friday night dinners together at home. We’re often at my MIL’s for Friday night or if I’m home alone (due to hunting season) I whip up something quick (usually leftovers).  I decided I reinstate Friday Night Dinner again, even if it is now Thursday Night Dinner.

Pecan Encrusted Chicken
I chopped up about 1 c. pecans and place on a plate. I pounded two chicken breasts into thin strips and then marinated in maple syrup and a splash of brandy overnight. I dipped the chicken into milk and then flour. I beat two eggs together and I dipped the chicken in egg then the pecans, making sure to press the larger pieces into the chicken. I then browned the chicken in a pan using EVOO and then baked to completion.

Sautéed Spinach
I used the same pan to sauté the spinach with a fresh drizzle of EVOO, balsamic vinegar, fresh garlic, artichoke hearts and cranraisins. Just before I transferred the spinach to the plate, I sprinkled it with Feta cheese.

Mustard Sauce
I didn’t make my mustard sauce from scratch, instead I grabbed a glob of spicy brown mustard, mustard seeds, a bunch of dill weed and a cup of cream. I mixed them together and heated until warm. I poured the mustard sauce over the pecan encrusted chicken and promptly served my Thursday Night Dinner.

Baked Sweet Potatoes
I scrubbed two sweet potatoes and made a slit down the middle. I baked them in the oven, putting a little butter and cinnamon in the middle slit 10 minutes before they were ready.

I served dinner with fresh french bread and the table was graced with a beautiful centerpiece. I guess Hubster was thinking the same thing about Thursday night, because today he surprised me by sending a dozen light pink roses to me at work with a note that read “Thank you, from your secret admirer”… He can be romantic from time to time.