Category: Dining

As the warmer days of summer roll in, we share some recipes from local chefs, markets and eateries that you can easily create at home and are sure to delight your taste buds.

These portable pastries are perfect to pack for the beach or snack on by the pool.

Steak & Blues Empanada

 Submitted by MANKA, a family owned business dedicated to the pursuit of dips with unique flavors

mankafood.com

Ingredients:

(for 6 empanadas)

¼ cup of butter

¼ cup of flour

½ cup of whole milk

¾ lb of cooked shaved steak

¼ lb blue cheese

1 diced pear

¼ cup of chopped walnuts

6 Large Empanada Discs

Salt & pepper

Preparation: 

Make a bechamel sauce by melting butter over low heat in a suace pan. Once fully melted, add in the flour and stir it in. Then little by little add the milk while constantly stirring till you get a nice creamy sauce.

Next add in the blue cheese and melt into the sauce as you stir it. Once fully melted add in the pears, nuts, and cooked shaved steak and mix it all together. 

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Grab your empanada discs and fill them with the mixture and seal them by hand or with a fork and freeze them in a container wrapped in plastic wrap for at least half an hour.

Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit

Bake the empanadas on a tray with baking paper for 7-10mins or until golden brown.

Summer is the ideal time to enjoy a delicious, mouth watering steak for dinner. Local culinary enthusiast Lavina from Luv’s Kitchen shares her favorite summer steak recipe that promises to make your next meal unforgettable.

Luv’s Monty Ribeye Steak and House Roasted Potatoes

Courtesy of Luv’s Kitchen Seasoning

Luvskitchen.com  

Ingredients for steak: 

• Luv’s Monty Blend
• Luv’s Extra virgin Olive oil
• Ribeye steak 

1. Begin by drizzling evoo on both sides of the steak.
2. Sprinkle Luv’s Monty blend on both sides of the steak. 
3. Set the steak aside for at least 30 mins to marinate.
4. Drizzle oil in the pan; Heat your pan on high heat.
5. Once the oil is hot place the steak in the pan for about 2-3 mins, turn the steak over on the other side and continue to sear for another 2 mins.
6. Place the steak in a oven safe dish. Put the dish in the oven and broil for about 3-6 mins depending on the size of your steak and how well you prefer to have your steak cooked.                                                     Optional: For a more juicier steak; Cover the dish with foil before putting it in oven to broil.
7. Once the steak is done set aside for at least 5 mins before cutting it. 

Ingredients for Potatoes:

–   Luv’s House Blend

• Luv’s Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 7 Potatoes 

1. After peeling the potatoes, slice them scallop style about 1” thick.
2. Boil the potatoes in a med pot for about 5 min. 
3. Drain the potatoes and place in a bowl; drizzle about 2 – 3 tbsp all over the potatoes.
4. Sprinkle about 1tbsp of The House blend on the potatoes and mix
5. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees 
6. Place the potatoes on baking sheet. Be sure to leave space between them
7. Place the baking sheet in the oven for 15 mins. Then flip the potatoes over and bake on the other side for another 5 – 10 mins. Stick the potato with a fork to make sure the inside is soft.
8. Once the potatoes are finished baking set aside for 5 ins before eating. 

What better way to cool off and refresh your taste buds than to turn summer fruits into summer smoothies. 

Pineapple-Blueberry Smoothie

By Edible Arrangements

What you’ll need:

• A blender
• One cup of water
• Two cups of pineapple
• One cup of blueberries
• A handful of ice
• Whipped cream (optional)

The steps:

1. Pour one cup of water into the blender, along with two cups of pineapple, one cup of blueberries, and a handful of ice.
2. Blend on high until your smoothie reaches uniform consistency.
3. (Optional) Add whipped cream or fruit garnish to top off your delectable smoothie creation.

Sipping on these flavorful summer mocktails may actually make you forget you’re not at the beach.

Summer Mocktails, courtesy of The Fresh Market

Strawberry Orangeade:

• 3 strawberries, trimmed and halved 
• 1 slice blood orange or navel orange, cut in half, plus more for garnish
• 1 c The Fresh Market Orange Strawberry Juice
• Sparkling water

Blueberry Mint Lemonade:

• 2 mint leaves
• 2 tbsp Blackberry Patch Blueberry Syrup
• The Fresh Market Fresh Squeezed Lemonade
• Sparkling water
• Fresh blueberries for garnish

Kiwi Cucumber Basil Spritzer:

• 1 kiwi, peeled and sliced
• 4 slices cucumber
• 4 basil leaves
• 1 tbsp + 1 tsp simple syrup
• Sparkling water

Directions:

Strawberry Orangeade: In a shaker or glass, muddle strawberries and orange slice together. Add the juice and stir well. Divide into 2 tall glasses over fresh ice and top with sparkling water. Garnish with orange wheels.

Blueberry Mint Lemonade: In a shaker or glass, muddle mint leaves and blueberry syrup together. Divide into 2 tall glasses over fresh ice and top with lemonade and sparkling water. Garnish with fresh blueberries.

Kiwi Cucumber Basil Spritzer: In a shaker or glass, muddle kiwis, cucumber, basil and simple syrup together. Divide into 2 tall glasses over fresh ice and top with sparkling water, stirring well to incorporate.

The prettiest said you’ll eat all summer!

Beet & Avocado Salad

Courtesy of The Cheesecake Factory 

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup Honey Yogurt Sauce* (see recipe below)
• 4 oz. Red Beets, cooked, cooled, cut into 1″ pieces & glazed with a little honey
• 1 ea. Orange, cut into 1″ segments
• 1 tsp. Honey
• 1/2 ea. Avocado
• 1/2 Cup Arugula
• 1/2 tsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 ea. Lemon Wedge
• 6 ea. Radish Slices, halved
• 1/8 tsp. Maldon Salt
• 2 tsps. Crispy Quinoa

Honey Yogurt Sauce 

• 3/4 cup Greek Yogurt, plain
• 1/4 cup Ricotta Cheese
• 1 Tbl. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 Tbl. Honey

Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl with a whisk.

Directions

1. Spread the honey yogurt sauce across the plate.
2. Place the glazed red beets and orange segments evenly over the sauce.
3. Drizzle the honey evenly over the beets and oranges.
4. Dice the avocado into 1/2″ pieces and place evenly onto the beets and oranges.
5. Place the arugula into a small mixing bowl.
6. Squeeze the lemon wedge evenly over the arugula and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, gently toss to incorporate.
7. Place the arugula evenly over the beets, oranges, and avocado.
8. Place the radish halves evenly over the arugula.
9. Sprinkle the Maldon salt and crispy quinoa evenly over the salad.

There is more variety on today’s grocery store shelves than ever before. With so many choices, it is easy to get overwhelmed.

Stay within your grocery budget while feeding your family well, by following these 10 tips:

1. Don’t shop when you’re hungry.It may be more tempting to make impulse purchases, especially on less nutritious items that cost more, when shopping on an empty stomach.
2. Make a shopping list and stick to it.Plan in advance and make a menu of meals for the week—check what you have at home first, so you know what you need and don’t overbuy. A list can help you avoid buying more than you plan to eat and wasting food that may spoil.
3. Organize your list into sections according to the layout of the supermarket. This can help cut down on the time and the number of passes you need to make through the aisles.
4. Check for supermarket specials.Check the weekly store circulars for sales and coupons for items you regularly purchase or that are on your grocery list for the week. Also, look at company websites and apps for coupons. Check for in-store deals like “manager’s specials” of day-old bread or foods close to their expiration date.
5. Shop the bulk foods aisle.Many stores offer bulk herbs, spices, nuts, dried fruits, whole grains, dried beans, and other items at discounted prices. Sometimes these are foods in a less processed form, which means you are getting an added bonus of healthy options for less money.
6. Stock up on staples when they go on sale.Browse grocery aisles or weekly flyers for sale items and stock up on foods you can keep in the pantry and freezer. Look for nonperishables such as canned and bottled goods; dried beans and peas; whole-grain pastas, crackers, and cereals; brown rice; tomato sauces; and nut butters.
7. Think canned and frozen. Canned and frozen fruits and vegetables often are less expensive than their fresh counterparts. Plus, they’re great to have on hand when you’re short on fresh options. Fruits and veggies are canned at their peak of nutrition and quality. Be sure to choose no-salt-added, no-sugar-added, or less-sodium varieties.
8. Use a slow cooker.This handy kitchen appliance uses a moist-heat method of cooking that helps tenderize less expensive but tougher cuts of meat. Stretch that dollar further by adding frozen vegetables or beans to your slow cooker recipes. Meals from a slow cooker are hearty and filling, and they make the house smell good!
9. Cook meals in large batches, then freeze for later. Batch-cook and freeze meals over the weekend when you have more time. On weekdays, all you have to do is take a meal out of the freezer and simply reheat it. You also can use leftovers from a roast or chicken to make a stir-fry, tacos, or soup other days of the week.
10. Take advantage of loyalty cards, store brands, coupons, and specials.If you haven’t signed up for your grocery store’s loyalty card, do it now. Sometimes sale prices are only valid with the loyalty card, and you could miss out on big savings. Consider purchasing the store brand of packaged foods—they usually are a better value than commercially branded items.