Tag: summer

Cucumber Salad

It has been HOT in Pittsburgh this week. I think the high today is 80° which is a far cry from the snow storm we had last Thursday. But with this heat comes the need for cold, refreshing recipes and this salad from Budget Bytes is perfect.

I made this this past weekend as a side for the burgers we made for dinner, and it was delicious. Refreshing, fresh, crunchy, and so easy! Just chop up your veg, make a quick dressing, and enjoy! Or let it hang out in the fridge to absorb all the tasty flavors (which is what I did).

We’ve had this just chilling in the fridge for the past couple days and it’s made an excellent side for burgers or sandwiches (especially made with leftover Easter ham!) but today I decided to switch it up by mixing it with pasta! It made for an excellent, pretty filling lunch for today and was a nice little change up from eating it plain. You could also totally do that with rice or quinoa too!

So try out this cucumber salad for your next hot spring or summer day! You won’t regret it.

Cucumber Salad

Ingredients

Red Wine Vinaigrette

  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper

Salad

  • 2 cucumbers
  • 4 Roma tomatoes (about 1 lb)
  • 1/2 small red onion
  • 1 bell pepper
  • 2 oz feta

Instructions

  1. Prepare the vinaigrette first to let the flavors blend as you prepare the rest of the salad. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, oregano, salt, and pepper. Set the dressing aside.
  2. Peel the cucumbers if desired. Dice the cucumbers, tomatoes, and bell pepper. Thinly slice or dice the red onion. Crumble the feta cheese.
  3. Place the cucumbers, tomatoes, bell pepper, red onion, and feta in a large bowl Pour the dressing over top and toss to combine. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to eat.

Cucumber and Peach Salad

It has been SO hot in Pittsburgh the past few weeks. And my apartment doesn’t have air conditioning so I basically exist in a state of sweat haha. This situation slightly complicates cooking though– turning on the stove or oven is akin to turning on a heater in my already steamy apartment. So in order to avoid cooking I have accidentally become a vegetarian, subsisting off of pasta salads of all kinds. Which, to be fair, is a delicious existence.

Last week I made a salad (very) loosely based off this recipe from Bon Appetit, which I saw and IMMEDIATELY wanted to try. I didn’t quite have everything the recipe called for, so I winged it with what I had (the beauty of cooking!) and also added chickpeas for some protein 🙂

I ended up eating the entire bowl myself for dinner… but it could easily feed two or make an awesome side dish or lunch! And it’s so yummy and summery 🙂 So try out this Cucumber Peach Salad next time the last thing you want to do is turn on the stove!

Cucumber and Peach Salad

Cook time: 10 minutes

Serves: 1-4

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cucumber
  • 2 peaches
  • 1/2 can chickpeas
  • Olive oil
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Basil
  • Asiago cheese

Instructions

  1. Slice the cucumber in half lengthwise twice, and then chop into small pieces. Put in a medium bowl with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt, pepper, and basil.
  2. Dice the peaches and add to the cucumber.
  3. Add the chickpeas and season more to taste.
  4. Top with shaved or shredded asiago cheese, and serve!

Spicy Steak and Charred Pineapple Chutney Crostini

Recipe from Christin of @christincreativeco on Insta

A couple weeks ago I shared the menu that my dad and I made for my mom for Mother’s Day, and this was the recipe I made for our family lunch before I headed back to Pittsburgh. I was scrolling through Instagram a few days before Mother’s Day, and stumbled across a pic on Christin’s profile of these steak and pineapple crostini. I showed the pic to my mom and she practically started salivating (I mean who doesn’t love grilled pineapple??), so I knew I had to make it.

I was a little worried because I’ve never actually made steak before? But it was a success! I was planning on grilling everything outside, but it was absolutely pouring, so I utilized our broiler and everything turned out delicious.

This dish is surprisingly super easy and would make a perfect Sunday brunch, date night, or summer BBQ dish. So definitely try it out and give Christin a follow!

Spicy Steak and Charred Pineapple Chutney Crostini

Ingredients

  • 1 French or Italian style Baguette
  • 1 1/2 pound flank steak
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 tablespoon salt (or to taste)
  • 1/4 teaspoon cumin
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • One pineapple
  • Handful of fresh cilantro
  • 1/4 of a medium sized red onion
  • 2 cloves fresh garlic
  • 1/2 fresh lime
  • 1/2 fresh habanero (no seeds)

Instructions

Steak:

  1. Combine spice mix in a bowl
  2. Drizzle olive oil on flank steak, rub in spice mix, and let marinate at least 30 minutes.
  3. Grill steak or broil on high about 5 minutes per side for medium rare.

Pineapple

  1. Cut the top and base off of the pineapple. Run knife down the sides to peel off the skin, then slice pineapple into rings.
  2. Grill pineapple or broil on high 1-2 minutes per side or until char marks appear. Cut into small chunks and add to a bowl.
  3. Chop the red onion, garlic, and cilantro and add to pineapple.
  4. Cut the habanero and remove the seeds, chop into small pieces, and add to pineapple mixture.
  5. Squeeze half a lime and mix together.

Assembly:

  1. Slice the baguette at an angle, about 1/2 inch thick, and toast.
  2. After resting 5-10 minutes, slice flank steak against the grain, about 1/4 inch thick.
  3. Top each piece of toast with a slice of flank steak and some pineaple chutney, and serve!
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