Peach "Chicken"

We have just about finished off the last of the peaches.  So, this will be the last peach recipe for a while.  I was a little skeptical about this one.  It is an interesting mix of ingredients, but the end result is phenomenal.  You will need:

4 Quorn "Naked Chik'n Cutlets", grilled
4 peaches, skins and pits removed and quartered
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1-2" piece of gingers, peeled and minced (or grated)
1 shallot chopped (I substituted 1/2 of a medium sized mild white onion)
3/4 C vegetable broth
2/3 C peach preserves
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp hot sauce (more or less depending on preference)
Salt & pepper

Grill the chicken.  Melt the butter over medium heat in a sauce pan.  Add the peaches and lemon juice.  Cook until softened and golden , about 10 minutes.  Removed from heat.  Meanwhile, in a saute pan, warm the olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add the shallot and ginger.  Cook 2-3 minutes.  Add the peach preserves, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Continue to cook for about 4-5 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly.  Place the chicken and peaches on a platter and pour the sauce over the top.

Peach Smoothie

I am continuing with the peach theme (mostly because we still have a ton of peaches in the fridge).  This is a great recipe to try if you want a quick and healthy snack or dessert for you or the kids.  I used peaches for obvious reasons, but you could substitute just about any fruit you'd like.

2 peaches, halved with pits removed
1/2 cup skim milk (or soy milk)
1/2 nonfat plain yogurt
1-2 cups nonfat vanilla frozen yogurt, depending on how thick you like it
1 tbsp agave nectar (increase or decrease to taste)
1 cup ice, optional

Place all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth.  If your fruit is hard, chop it into smaller pieces to make it blend easier.

Peach Cobbler

In an effort to use up some more peaches, I started searching for a cobbler recipe.  Who doesn't love peach cobbler!  Little did I know it was this easy to make.  I chose to make my cobbler in 8 individual ramekins, but you could use a single, 3 quart baking dish instead.

4-5 peaches, peeled and cut into 1" pieces
1 cup sugar, divided
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1 1/2 cups milk (I use almond milk)
1 tsp vanilla
5 tbsp butter
ground cinnamon (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Place peaches, 1/2 cup sugar, and water in a medium sauce pan and stir to combine.  Place on stove and bring to a boil.  Reduce to simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Meanwhile, place the butter in the 3 quart baking dish (or divided among individual ramekins if using) and place in oven until melted.  Mix together flour and remaining 1/2 cup of sugar.  Slowly add milk and vanilla, stirring constantly to avoid clumping.  You should have a smooth batter.  Pour the batter into the hot dish with the butter.  Do not stir it together.  Spoon the peaches over the top, and finally pour over the remaining syrup.  Sprinkle the top with cinnamon if desired.  Bake in oven for 35-45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.  The dough will rise up over the fruit while cooking.  Allow to cool 5-10 minutes before serving.  Serve with vanilla ice cream if desired.  You can always make this dessert ahead of time, and pop it back in the oven for about 5 minutes to warm it up before serving.

Cinnamon Pancakes with Peach Topping

This past weekend I went to a peach festival in Queen Creek.  We came home with enough peaches to feed an army!  So, I have been trying to come up with some creative ways to incorporate this delicious fruit into our meals.  This recipe took only 10 minutes to prepare and the kids loved it!

For the pancakes:

I used boxed pancake mix and mixed it according to directions.  To it, I added 1 tsp vanilla and 1 tsp ground cinnamon.  Cook according to directions.

For the topping:

4-5 fresh peaches, pealed and cut into 1"pieces
1/2 cup sugar (you can substitue 1/3 cup agave nectar)
1/2 cup water

Combine all ingredients in a medium sauce pan.  Place on the stove and bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  I spooned the peaches on top of the pancakes and drizzled some of the remaining syrup over them.  Finally, I topped with some whipped cream.

Poblano Potato Salad

Memorial Day weekend is just about here, which means the summer picnic and grilling season is upon us.  Here is a great recipe to spice up your ordinary potato salad into something really special.  I got this recipe from FoodNetwork.com from chef Marcela Valladolid.  It can easily be made vegan with just a couple substitutions:

2 lbs baby red potatoes, scrubbed clean with skins on
3 ears fresh corn, husks and silk removed
2 poblano peppers, charred - skins and seeds removed, and chopped
1/2 C green onions, chopped
1/4 C cilantro, chopped
1/2 C sour cream (can substitute Soy Supreme sour cream)
1/4 C mayonnaise (can substitute Soyanaise or other soy mayo)
Salt & pepper to tatse

Cut potatoes into 1/2" pieces.  Place in a pan, cover with cold water, sprinkle with salt, and bring to a boil on stove.  Cook until just softened but not mushy.  Remove from heat and run under cool water to rinse.  Meanwhile, preheat grill on high.  Place corn and peppers directly on top.  Allow peppers to cook until blackened, rotating to cook all sides.  Rotate the corn occasionally until browned on all sides.

Remove corn and peppers from grill.  Allow the corn to cool for about 10 minutes.  Then, with a sharp knife (I find a serrated knife works best), cut the corn off the cobs.  Place the potatoes, peppers, corn, green onions, and cilantro in a large bowl.  Add sour cream and mayo.  Gently stir to combine.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Allow to chill in fridge covered for at least 1-2 hours before serving.

Grilled Focaccia with Sun-Dried Tomato Aioli

I like to keep a package of frozen white bread in my freezer.  It is useful in a variety of recipes.  One of them is grilled focaccia.  This is very easy and even more tasty!  You can always make the dough from scratch.  But, this is a nice and easy short-cut :-)

1 loaf frozen white bread, thawed
1-2 tbsp olive oil
salt
1 tbsp white flour

Preheat the grill on high.  On a smooth surface, sprinkle the flour.  Knead the dough into a round ball.  Begin to roll out the dough into large circle, much like a pizza.  You will want the dough to be about 1/2" thick.  Brush oil on one side of the dough and sprinkle with salt.  Place the dough directly on the grill surface, oil side down.  Brush the top with oil.  After about 1 minute, rotate the dough clockwise about 90 degrees.  Continue to cook for about 2-3 minutes, or until golden brown on the bottom.  Flip the dough over and cook for 2-3 more minutes.  Rotate 90 degrees, cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, and remove from the grill.  Cut the bread into triangles and serve with aioli (see recipe below).
*The amount of cooking time will largely depend on the heat of the grill.  You want to continue to move the bread to avoid burning it while it cooks through.

Sun-Dried Tomato Aioli

1/2 C mayo (you can use light mayo or soy mayo as well)
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1-2 cloves fresh garlic
1/4 C sun-dried tomatoes (packed in olive oil)
salt and pepper to taste

Place all ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth.  That's it!  This sauce is great for dipping the bread into, in place of mayo on burgers or sandwiches, and to dip steamed artichokes into. 

Asparagus & Gruyere Ravioli

I love shopping at Costco.  Their grocery products are high quality and delicious.  So, I try to stock up whenever I can.  Today, just about everything I made for dinner came from Costco.  However, you could easily put this dinner together with items from your local grocer.  From start to finish, this meal took 30 minutes to prepare and cook.  It was a hit with the entire family.  Hope you enjoy it!

For the Ravioli:

1 package Asparagus & Gruyere Ravioli from Costco (or your favorite ravioli)
12oz grape tomatoes, sliced in half
1-2 cloves garlic, minced (or a heaping tsp jarred garlic)
1 tsp dried basil or 2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 C dry white cooking wine or vegetable broth
salt & pepper to taste
Shredded paresan cheese, optional

Cook the ravioli according to package directions.  While they are cooking, heat up the oil in a saute pan over medium heat.  Add the tomatoes and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Add the garlic.  Cook until the tomatoes just begin to soften.  Add the wine (or broth) and reduce the heat.  You want the liquid to just barely boil for about 5-8 minutes.  Place the ravioli on a plate and spoon the sauce over the top.  Shred some parmesan if desired.

I served this with steamed artichokes and bread for a very filling and satisfying meal.