I spend a good portion of my summer out and about, living the freedom-driven lifestyle until school starts up again. So, I don’t have too much time on my hands. I have been experimenting with recipes lately that take absolutely no cook time. Some of these have corresponding photographs, some I was SO anxious to taste that I forgot all about grabbing a few snapshots of my finished masterpiece!
First off, I like a simple salad. I like to start with regular greens, add some veggies, sprinkle cheese and some slices of hard-boiled egg on top and add artichoke hearts and sunflower seeds on top, with a nice, raspberry vinegarette. Aside from that deluxe salad, I like greens with ranch dressing, sprouts and different types of canned and drained beans (such as kidney and black beans) and sliced mushrooms. Beans add the perfect taste without overwhelming the taste of the ranch-covered greens. Or, a salad similar to the above.
Another great recipe I tried out (and ADORED) was Martha Stewart’s Living magazine’s own tuna marinade with baguette. You start with some olive oil, oregano, sherry vinegar, kalamata olives, salt, pepper and mix it up in a stretched out pan. Then, wash and drain canned tuna and let it marinate in the fridge for 15-25ish minutes (we dug right in and it was delicious). Serve when ready with fresh baguette.
Another non-cook recipe similar to the tuna marinade is the fresh ricotta with mint and baguette recipe, which I must advise you all to try at your own risk, as plain ricotta has nearly no flavor at all. You mix ricotta with a generous amount of sugar and chopped up fresh mint leaves to create a yummy, semi-sweet paste for your baguette. Definitely an acquired taste which I unfortunately do not have. Experiment to your liking, and maybe try out different cheeses.
As for lower calorie sweets after the main course…
I have come up with an alternative for the sugar junkie that doesn’t want to eat a cookie or a doughnut after dinner, but still likes their ice cream fix (especially the lactose intolerant or dairy-allergic, like myself!). I came across Trader Joe’s “Soy Creamy” non-dairy frozen dessert ice cream, which is vanilla ice cream made with organic soymilk and cane sugar. I have been around the soy ice cream block more than a couple times, and I can tell you, this ice cream is no joke. It is melt in your mouth de-lish-ous! I like to serve it with peaches - a nice, not-too-sweet fruit that lets the ice cream have its moment in the spotlight.
The last thing: I like pasta (YES, I know you have to cook pasta, but I couldn’t resist adding it to this post!). The other night, I cooked a plain penne pasta coated in garlic, salt and pepper, and Parmesan cheese (not to be served alone) in all under 20 minutes. Experiment with your own favorite tastes in mind and create a easy pasta that’s just right for you.
Any non-dairy, non-cooked recipes you’d like to share with me? I’d love to hear your ideas (and review your recipes) at ukatmc@aol.com!
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