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Pook's Pantry

A Life in Food

cherry

Dinner Divas Weekly Menu Plan: Week 13 – Sandwiches

sandwiches
Sandwiches are the focus this week.  They are a lunchbox staple and the ultimate “to-go” food, but they don’t need to be boring.  The Dinner Divas have 5 incredible sandwiches from an open-faced tartine of wine-poached pears and gorgonzola to gorgeous layers of vegetables on hearty bread.

How it works:  Every Friday morning, a new meal plan will show up in your email.  It will consist of 5 dinner options, plus 2 extras.  Those two extras could be side dishes, dessert, drinks, etc. The Dinner Divas weekly menu plans will feature (mostly) healthy, seasonal foods that don’t take all day to prepare.   Getting the weekly menu delivered to your inbox on Friday morning gives you the chance to make your shopping list and get organized for the week ahead.  We’ve got so much good stuff this week!  I’d love to hear from you & see your creations!  Post a pic using #DinnerDivas and tag @pookspantry!   I hope this weekly menu plan provides inspiration and makes life a little easier… one meal at a time. 

Let’s Get to the Sandwiches!

We begin the week with these adorable Mini Crab Rolls from The Chef Next Door.  A little light prep on Sunday makes these even easier to get on the table at the start of the week.

Next up this week are my tartines.  A tartine is a fancy open-faced sandwich.  I have two recipes in one post, so you really get a bonus here!  Wine-Poached Pear with Gorgonzola Dolce and Prosciutto, Fig Jam and Parmesan Tartines

sandwiches

Our third sandwich this week is Chicken Salad with Lemon Dill Yogurt Dressing from Comfortably Domestic.  Swap the mayo for this zingy yogurt dressing and make a batch of this chicken salad tonight.

Pastry Chef Online has made a Gourmet BLT with Avocado and it is one of my all time favorite combos.  If you have never put avocado on a BLT, friends, you are missing out on something delicious.

The last sandwich this week is Girl in the Little Red Kitchen’s Summer Vegetable Sandwich Bar.  There is nothing boring about this and the Bulgarian feta?!  Yes, please.

Now, it’s time for the extras!  We have 2 different desserts this week for you that use the best of summer fruits.

First are these Cherry Hand Pies from Pook’s Pantry (me!).  They are small and portable, so they are perfect for little hands and portion controlled for bigger hands, because I need that. Fresh cherry filling and a homemade crust make these the perfect summer treat.

Last up this week is this beautiful Blueberry Galette from The Chef Next Door. Rustic and filled with fresh blueberries, it’s a perfect weekend dessert.

That’s all for this week friends. Thank you for spending a part of your day with us, join us next week as we do breakfast for dinner!

Dinner Divas

Cherry Chutney

Cherry Chutney
I’m on a serious cherry kick lately.    I can’t get enough of them…  We have gone through almost 10 pounds in the last month because they always seem to find their way into my cart.  You know, just in case I need more.  I’ve been putting them in everything from cakes to oatmeal and this week, I decided to go a savory route.    If you are unfamiliar with chutney, let me give you a quick description.  It’s like a relish, it has sweet and sour ingredients, usually coming from sugar or fruits and vinegar.  It is a blend of sweet and savory.  It’s a great condiment to use with grilled meats or vegetables and this chutney went splendidly with a grilled flank steak.Cherry Chutney

This chutney was paired with grilled meat, but it can also be a great addition to a cheese board or a charcuterie platter or even as a tasty spread on a hearty sandwich.cherry chutney

Cherry season is nearly over, so don’t wait too long to grab a couple of pounds.   I’ll be making another big batch before the summer is over to put up on the shelves so I can enjoy them long after they disappear from the stores. 

Let’s “Cherry” On with it!

Cherry Chutney
Serves 8
A sweet & sour condiment made from fresh cherries, perfect on grilled meat.
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Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
30 min
Total Time
45 min
Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
30 min
Total Time
45 min
Ingredients
  1. 1 1/4 lb. fresh cherries, pitted and roughly chopped (approximately 3 cups)
  2. 1/2 small red onion, diced
  3. 1/3 cup dried currants
  4. 1 clove garlic, minced
  5. 1 1/2 tsp. grated ginger
  6. 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
  7. 1 TB whole grain mustard
  8. 2 TB light brown sugar
  9. 1 tsp kosher salt
  10. 1 TB canola oil
Instructions
  1. In a medium pot, heat oil over medium low heat then add onions and garlic. Cook until softened, but not browned (5 minutes). Add red wine vinegar and cook a few minutes more.
  2. Add in cherries, currants, ginger, brown sugar, mustard and salt.
  3. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until cooked down and thickened.
  4. Cool completely then pack in an airtight container and refrigerate.
Notes
  1. I served this with grilled flank steak, but it would be a great addition to a cheese or charcuterie board!
Pook's Pantry https://www.pookspantry.com/
Cherry Chutney

Cherry Coconut Rum Slushie

Cherry Rum Slushie
It’s summer, people and I am all about the stone fruit right now… particularly cherries. We’ve gone through 5 pounds in a week and a half. I’ve put them in baked goods, drinks, yogurt, etc.  I must admit, this super simple libation might be my VERY favorite way to enjoy this ruby red fruit.

Summer drinks, particularly slushies,  shouldn’t be overcomplicated.  No one wants to spend an hour prepping ingredients for a drink that is meant to be sipped poolside in the summer sun.  This little libation has 3 ingredients:  blackberry soda, cherries and coconut rum.  I feel compelled to warn you about one teensy thing…  it goes down very easily and for a lightweight like me that means I’m on the train to “Tipsy Town” with only two drinks.   

This cherry rum slushie has quickly become my favorite summer sip for a few reasons.  First and foremost, it is delicious!  The fact that it is only 3 ingredients and it comes together in roughly five minutes flat is a close second.  The best reason – you can make a big batch and serve everyone at once.  

Grab a bottle of coconut rum, some fresh cherries, call your friends and celebrate summer!
Cheers!

Cherry Rum Slushie

Fire up that blender!
Cherry Rum Slushie
Yields 2
A super simple summer drink with only 3 ingredients!
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Prep Time
4 min
Cook Time
1 min
Total Time
5 min
Prep Time
4 min
Cook Time
1 min
Total Time
5 min
Ingredients
  1. 8.4 oz blackberry soda, frozen in ice cube trays
  2. 1/2 cup coconut rum
  3. 1 cup fresh cherries, pitted
Instructions
  1. Combine all 3 ingredients in blender until smooth.
  2. (about 30 seconds)
Notes
  1. I used Izze blackberry soda. They did not sponsor this post, I wasn't compensated in any way... We just like it.
Pook's Pantry https://www.pookspantry.com/
Cherry Rum Slushie Glasses:
Amazon Affiliate Link- I get a few pennies if you purchase through this link.

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Cherry Hand Pies

cherry hand pies

Cherry hand pies.  The perfect, portable summer treat.  Pack them in lunches, take them to potluck dinners, freeze them for the cold months when you need a burst of summer.  Just make them!

Do you remember your favorite childhood treat?  Mine was Hostess Cherry Pies.  Cloyingly sweet cherry pie filling encased in a lackluster pastry shell coated with a cavity-inducing glaze of white icing.  To think of eating one now does absolutely nothing for me, but the 10 year old version of me would slap me right across the face for such condescension. 

Cherry was my favorite of all the pies we had growing up and believe me, there was no shortage.  On holidays there was the obligatory pumpkin, but once in awhile we were allowed to weigh in on this topic and when the opportunity presented itself, I always chimed in “CHERRY”!

(later on and still to this day, it has changed to peach)

cherry hand pies pook Whenever stone fruit season rolls around, I, like most people, buy pounds of cherries, peaches, plums and nectarines…  and then am in a frenzy to use them up before they go bad.   It’s like my Mom has always told me “Your eyes are bigger than your stomach”.  I guess they still are. 

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