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Pook's Pantry

A Life in Food

Summer

Ceviche with Jalapeño and Fresh Summer Corn

Ceviche with Fresh Summer Sweet Corn, Red Onion and Jalapeño | Pook's Pantry
Ceviche is raw fish “cooked” by acid, usually lime juice.   If you are a bit squeamish about raw fish, let me assure you that once the ceviche has marinated in the lime juice, you wouldn’t notice a difference had the fish been cooked in a traditional manner.

This is a very traditional recipe with the exception of the sweet corn.  I added it for a bit of summer sweetness and texture with the super fresh fish for a wedding that I catered recently.  The bride was very happy and thus, I was very happy.

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Dinner Divas Weekly Menu Plan: Week 12-Salads

Salads
Welcome Back, friends! Our focus this week is salads.  I don’t know about you, but just thinking about turning on the oven in the summer makes me sad.  The air conditioning is already running 24/7 here and the thought of making it HOTTER in this house is unbearable.  Besides the fact that I just spent the past 4 days eating All The Things in front of me, I could use a virtuous dinner.

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. 

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Fresh Fruit and Coconut Yogurt Popsicles

Fresh Fruit and Yogurt Popsicles | Pook's PantryFresh fruit and coconut yogurt make these popsicles  guilt-free.  A simple blueberry pureé, yogurt and fresh raspberries are the only ingredients in this icy treat.  Summer is officially here and this is how I plan to beat the heat.

Recently, I met up with my friend Sue.  She generously bestowed upon me pounds and pounds of fresh blueberries from her farm.  I have to admit that I ate a quite a few.   Have you ever heard someone describe something as “jammy”?  Well, these blueberries were most definitely jammy.  As in, they tasted like JAM.   They were so incredibly sweet, I could help myself.  That’s my defense.  They were too good, so I had to eat them.  Lots of them.

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Dinner Divas Weekly Menu Plan: Week 9

Dinner Divas
The Divas are back, friends! It’s Friday and that means a week’s worth of dinner recipes along with 2 extras.   From pizza to pasta,  we have it all this week, including a fresh tomato tart and a gorgeous salad for lighter meals. 

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. 

I am over the moon for this Pork Banh Mi Burger from Girl in the Little Red Kitchen, It has everything I love in a burger. Tons of flavor!

Divas

Next is this One Pot Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes and Spinach from The Chef Next Door.  I don’t know about you, but Tuesdays are always harder for me than Mondays.  This is the perfect low effort meal for me.

One of my favorite (and most popular) recipes.  This Heirloom Tomato and Goat Cheese Tart is a serious stunner.  Although it looks quite fussy, it’s not as difficult to make as you might imagine.  It’s a beautiful way to use up those luscious summer tomatoes!

Divas

This beautiful Strawberry Mango Salad with Strawberry Poppyseed Dressing from Comfortable Domestic is a great option for a light Summer dinner when it’s just too hot to cook.

Friday means PIZZA and Pastry Chef Online does not disappoint with her Sausage Gravy Pizza with Peppers and Onions.

It wouldn’t be summer without an awesome recipe for potato salad.  Girl in the Little Red Kitchen brings Potato Salad with Bacon, Corn and Peppers as an extra treat this week.  I would be first in line for this!

Finally, we close out the week with The Best Strawberry Shortcake from Comfortably Domestic.  I can’t imagine a backyard gathering without it.  What a perfect way to wrap up!

 

Thank you all so much for being here!  Next week, our theme will be RED, WHITE & BLUE!  Just in time to plan your 4th of July menu.

Remember, if you make any of these recipes, use the hashtag #DinnerDivas so we can see your creations!  See you next week!

Dinner Divas

 

Fresh Blueberry Bourbon BBQ sauce

Blueberry Bourbon BBQ sauce | Pook's Pantry
Blueberry season is here and I couldn’t be happier about it.  I’ve been on a bit of a “blueberry bender” as of late.  I have “blueberried” everything feasible including barbeque sauce, because, why not?  This Blueberry Bourbon BBQ sauce will soon be your go-to for ribs.  I paired it with a slab last weekend and it was wildly delicious.  The copious amount of vinegar lends itself nicely to fatty pork.  The sweet jamminess of the blueberries with the heat from the peppers comes together to make this bbq sauce out of this world.

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Grilled Lemon Herb Shrimp Skewers

Grilled Lemon Herb Shrimp | Pook's Pantry
Grilled shrimp is the perfect addition to any summer soirée.  It’s quick and easy, it’s a crowd-pleaser and it goes great with a crisp, chilled summer wine.  

This is our first summer in our first house and I have dreams of summer parties.  Everyone is gathered under twinkly cafe lights, sounds of sultry jazz fill the air dotted with the “clink” of wine glasses and raucous laughter.  Obviously, everyone has a wonderful time and the food is fabulous. That goes without saying.   The parties I conjure up in my head are like the pages of a magazine came to life right in my backyard.  They do not actually turn out that way, but often it’s even better.  Life has a way of doing that, doesn’t it?   The imperfect becomes the most perfect and better than we could’ve imagined.

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Pork Burger with Hatch Chiles and Pickled Red Onions

Hatch Chile Pork Burger | Pook's PantryIt’s Burger Month again and this time, I made a pork burger!   If you’ve been around here awhile, you know my deep-seated love for all things pork and that love extends to pork burgers.  I wanted to create something that reminded me of pork tacos.  I wanted heat, the vinegary bite from pickles, the creaminess of avocado all mixed with the juicy pork burger.  I think I nailed it.

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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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Save Recipe
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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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