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Grilled Rainbow Trout with Lemon & Fresh Herbs

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Not sure what to do with that fresh caught Rainbow Trout? This simple lemon and fresh herb recipe brings out the flavor of this mild fish. I’ll show you how easy it is to grill up your catch of the day on your campfire.

It’s the beginning of camping season and that means the kids are bringing beautiful Rainbow Trout back to the campsite. These fish clean up really quick and are a cinch to cook over the campfire. Before I head out on my camping trips I always stuff a bag full of fresh cut herbs. A snip of everything I have in my garden. From sage, dill and marjoram to cilantro and lemon balm. A nice mix of herbs flavors this mild fish with a beautiful floral taste. Combined with lemon slices, butter and a little garlic and you have a gourmet camping meal that takes very little effort.

How to Clean Rainbow Trout

If you’ve never cleaned a fish before, Rainbow Trout is by far the easiest. For this method, I’ll be removing the head and tail fin. Some people leave it on, but I’m not this time. Make sure you have a very sharp knife on hand. First you want to remove the tail fin by slicing it off at the base of fin. Next, I like to remove the head. Using your sharpest knife, cut at a slight angle behind the gills and remove the head. Finally, slice through the belly from the tail end of fish to the head end of the fish. Remove the internal organs and spray clean with water. Viola! You just cleaned your fish.

Now You’re Ready to Get Grilling

Now you are ready to slather the inside with butter and garlic, stuff those herbs inside and a few lemon slices. Place the whole stuffed fish on the grill. I like to place it over in-direct heat. Push your coals or campfire wood over to one side of the grill so you have a direct and in-direct grilling area. Grill the fish for about 5 minutes on each side, depending on the size of your trout. You’ll know when it’s done, as it turns opaque and starts to flake.

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Grilled Rainbow Trout with Lemon and Fresh Herbs

Lemon and fresh herbs bring out the natural flavor of Rainbow Trout.
Course Main Course
Cuisine PNW, Seafood
Keyword Camping Recipes, Rainbow Trout
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 4 Rainbow Trout cleaned, head and tail fin removed
  • 4 tbsp butter
  • 4 bunches fresh herbs such as sage, chives, lemon balm, marjoram
  • 8 lemon slices plus more for serving
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Fire up the grill or make your campfire. When ready, push briquettes or firewood over to one side, so you have an in-direct grilling spot.
  • Slather the inside of each fish with about 1 tbsp of butter and season with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Place a bundle of mixed herbs in each fish and a couple slices of fresh lemon.
  • Place each stuffed fish on the in-direct side of the grill. Cook for about 5 minutes on each side. You want the fish to be opaque inside and starting to flake.
  • Remove from grill. Remove herbs and lemon slices. Gently open fish and very carefully pull out the back bone. Start at the top of one end of the fish and it should just pull right out, along with the tiny bones, leaving the flesh behind to enjoy.
  • Serve along side wild rice and asparagus with sliced lemons.

Grilled Chicken Pesto Kabobs & Blistered Tomato Spaghetti

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Quick & Easy Grilled Chicken Pesto Kabobs pair perfectly with summery blistered tomato spaghetti for a lovely evening on the patio. This is one of those brilliant summer dishes that comes together in very little time.

What’s the BEST thing about summer? Fresh vine ripened tomatoes! My favorite taste that is totally summer are vine ripened tomatoes. Plucked straight from the vine, they are warm and juicy and unbelievably sweet. I tend to go a little overboard and plant way too many tomato plants. By the end of the season I have GOBS OF TOMATOES..which is fine with me.

The easiest way to summerfy (I may have made up that word) your pasta dish is to add blistered tomatoes. These are quick sauteed in a hot pan until they burst or soften as in this recipe, since they are halved they won’t burst. This method really brings out the sweetness in the tomatoes. All those sweet juices get tossed with lightly oiled spaghetti noodles and fresh basil. Place your grilled chicken pesto kabobs ever so scrumptiously on top and viola! You have a SUPER EASY summer meal you can enjoy on the patio.

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Grilled Pesto Chicken Kabobs & Blistered Tomato Spaghetti

Quick & Easy Grilled Chicken Pesto Kabobs pair perfectly with summery blistered tomato spaghetti.
Course Main Course
Cuisine italian
Keyword Grilled Chicken, Summer grilling
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings 4

Equipment

  • 8 kabob sticks

Ingredients

Grilled Pesto Chicken Kabobs

  • 16 chicken tenderloins rinsed and patted dry
  • 1 tbsp pesto in the jar
  • 2 tbsp water

Blistered Tomato Spaghetti

  • 1/2 lb spaghetti noodles cooked according to directions on package
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 large shallot thinly sliced
  • 1 large garlic clove minced
  • 2 cups multi-colored cherry/grape tomatoes halved
  • 1/4 cup white wine such as pinot grigio
  • 4 tbsp butter
  • 1 pinch red pepper flakes
  • 1 tbsp fresh basil chiffonade
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • Parmesan grated

Instructions

Grilled Pesto Chicken Kabobs

  • Fire up your grill.
  • Mix together the pesto and water. Coat chicken tenderloins, thread two tenderloins per kabob stick and set aside as you wait for the grill to be ready.
  • Grill until opaque in the center and internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
  • Serve with Blistered Tomato Spaghetti.

Blistered Tomato Spaghetti

  • Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large saute pan over medium high heat.
  • Add shallot and garlic and cook for about 2-3 minutes.
  • Add halved tomatoes and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
  • Add white wine, reduce heat to medium low and add butter, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper and fresh basil. Stir until butter is melted. Remove from heat and toss together with spaghetti noodles that have been dressed in 1 tbsp olive oil and salt and pepper.

Bite Size Strawberry Tarts

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Bite Size Strawberry Tarts, perfect for your next summer shin dig. With their graham cracker crust, fresh strawberries and cream cheese whipped cream you might just have to pop one..or two of these in your mouth!

I absolutely LOVE bite size desserts, especially if they include a graham cracker crust. Each bite delivers the entire flavor profile straight to your mouth. It’s the best of the best. And…for those of you watching what you eat, bite size desserts are perfect when you only want a little taste.

My strawberries got off to an early start this season and are loving all this beautiful Seattle sunshine. They are covered in berries and I thought I’d better hurry and whip up a dessert with them before the kids devoured every last one on the vine. These Bite Size Strawberry Tarts are the perfect way to showcase your summer strawberry crop.

First I make a simple graham cracker crust that gets baked off in the oven for just a few minutes. Next, take about a cup of those juicy strawberries and blend them up with a little water (basically making a strawberry juice) which gets cooked down with sugar and cornstarch to a glace. Glace is just a fancy word for shiny, so you’ve made shiny strawberry glaze…and it’s so yummy! This coats the halved strawberries and keeps it all together. Topped with a blend of whipped cream and cream cheese for a light fluffy addition that brings it all together.

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Bite Size Strawberry Tarts

Bite Size Strawberry Tarts, perfect for your next summer shin dig. With their graham cracker crust, fresh strawberries and cream cheese whipped cream you might just have to pop one or two of these in your mouth!
Course Dessert
Cuisine Dessert
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 7 minutes
Chill Time 4 hours
Servings 12

Equipment

  • Muffin tin with 12 muffin molds

Ingredients

Graham Cracker Crust

  • 1 1/2 packs Honey graham crackers crushed into fine crumbs
  • 6 tbsp butter melted

Strawberry Glace

  • 1 cup fresh strawberries
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch

Whipped Cream Topping

  • 8 oz whipped cream cheese
  • 3/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Other

  • 36 fresh strawberries, halved

Instructions

Graham Cracker Crust

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • Pour melted butter into fine crushed graham crackers and mix well.
  • Place about a tablespoon of graham crackers in each muffin tin. Press all around and up the sides forming the crust.
  • Bake for 7 minutes until they turn a golden brown.

Strawberry Glace

  • Blend 1 cup strawberries and water in a blender. Pour into a small sauce pan with sugar and cornstarch. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat.
  • Place a spoonful of glace in each muffin tin, right over the graham cracker crust.
  • Mound up 6 strawberry halves in each muffin tin and spoon remaining glace over the top.
  • Place in the refrigerator for about 4 hours or until firm enough to remove from muffin tins. Top each with Whipped Cream Topping

Whipped Cream Topping

  • In a medium bowl, using a hand mixer, blend together whipped cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla and heavy cream until thick and creamy.

Grilled Salmon with Rosemary and Hot Honey

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Rustic, wild Grilled Salmon with Rosemary and Hot Honey is a must for your Father’s Day BBQ. Simple to make and it’s ready in 15 minutes. So that means you’ll have more time to spend with dad. AND if you haven’t tried hot honey yet…you better scroll down to find out where to get some!

Fishing with my dad is the strongest memory for me. Getting up at the crack of dawn was easy because dad always had a variety of Hostess doughnuts to lure us down to the marina where we kept our boat. Sometimes we would go for a day trip and sometimes it was a weekend overnight adventure. Taking the boat through the San Juan Islands was a magical experience. Exploring the many inlets and searching for whales, stopping to cast our fishing poles or drop some crab pots and coming home with gifts from the sea.

As you can tell from my recipe collection, seafood is my favorite dish to make and wild salmon is unlike any other fish. I ALWAYS choose wild salmon over farmed. Locals to the Pacific Northwest can always tell the difference between wild caught and farmed salmon. Wild caught salmon has a firmer texture and natural color. I would never buy salmon that has added color. NEVER. If I’m buying from the grocery, I look for the terms:

Wild No Color Added Fresh

I like my salmon simple and a little rustic. Some fresh herbs from the garden, butter and always fresh lemon slices. Since I’m on a HOT HONEY kick, this time I’ve added hot honey to the mix. Specifically Bee Local Hot Honey, who joined Jacobsen Salt Co. in 2015. Local to the Pacific NW and sustainable, Bee Local Hot Honey is made with scorpion chili peppers (yes, the name tells it all – it’s HOT) But…it’s so incredible that I’m using it on nearly everything and you should too! Check out their website, where you can get your own bottle of honey: Jacobsen Salt Co. – Bee Local Honey

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Grilled Salmon with Rosemary & Hot Honey

Wild Sockeye salmon drizzled in hot honey and grilled with rosemary and lemon.
Course Main Course
Cuisine PNW, Seafood
Keyword PNW Recipes, salmon
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 1 lb wild salmon fillet
  • 4 tbsp butter
  • 1 tbsp hot honey
  • 2 sprigs fresh rosemary removed from stem
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 large lemon sliced in rounds

Instructions

  • Fire up that grill! I like the flavor of charcoal, especially for salmon. Make sure the coals have burned out and are all gray. You don't want to taste any lighter fluid left of the black charcoals.
  • Slather salmon fillet with butter. Drizzle with about half the hot honey. I like to make zig-zag drizzles across the fillet. Sprinkle on about half of the rosemary and a little salt and pepper.
  • Place flesh side of salmon on grill first. Let cook until salmon turns opaque half way to the middle of fillet. Timing will depend on the thickness of the salmon. A one inch thick fillet will take about 5 minutes on each side. You will know when the salmon fillet is ready to flip over because it will come off the grill with ease. Don't rush it. Flip and continue cooking for another 5 minutes (depending on thickness).
  • Remove from grill and drizzle remaining hot honey over fillet, sprinkle remaining rosemary, season with salt and pepper and garnish with sliced lemons on top.

Steamer Clams in White Wine with Bacon & Fennel

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Simple, yet elegant Steamer Clams gently steamed in white wine and fennel with bacon a shallot. A Pacific Northwest favorite served over grilled toast.

Steamer clams are one of those things that just make you feel romantic. They’re elegant, yet rustic and one of the simplest meals to make at home. A little white wine, some fresh herbs and a salty addition make for the perfect bowl of steamer clams. Tonight we’re using fennel. I love fennel paired with seafood. It has a slight licorice flavor similar to tarragon. It grows in abundance in the garden with very little attention. It has similar characteristics to many other herbs, such as help with inflammation, heart and cancer, but it also helps with bone health. Coolness, all from an herb.

I always keep a bottle of Pinot Grigio on hand, as it is mild, a little fruity and pairs wonderfully with seafood. It also makes a REALLY GOOD wine spritzer! But tonight we’re using it to steam the clams. It’s pretty simple a little shallot and some crispy bacon…15 minutes later VIOLA. It’s done. I like to serve with grilled rustic bread that’s been rubbed in garlic and butter. The extra crispy edges soak up all the flavorful broth and well, you just can’t beat that. If you want to make it a dinner, serve with buttered noodles and parmesan and maybe a nice salad on the side.

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Steamer Clams with Bacon & Fennel

A Pacific Northwest favorite, steamer clams are simple and delicious with bacon and fennel.
Course Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine PNW, Seafood
Keyword Manila Clams, Steamed Clams
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 lb fresh steamer clams littleneck or manila clams, scrubbed clean
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 shallot minced
  • 1 cup white wine such as pinot grigio (mild white wine)
  • 6 slices bacon cut in lardons
  • 1/2 shallot sliced
  • 1 clove garlic chopped
  • 1-2 tbsp fresh fennel off the stem
  • 2 lemons sliced for squeezing

Grilled Toast

  • 4 slices rustic french bread cut in 1 inch thick slices
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1-2 tbsp butter

Instructions

  • Cook bacon lardons in a large pan over medium heat, rendering the fat (cook slow enough to cook the fat out and not burn the bacon). Remove bacon to a paper towel. Add garlic and sliced shallot to the pan and cook in the bacon grease until just softened, about 1 minute. Remove to a bowl and combine with bacon.
  • Increase the heat to medium high. Add olive oil to the pan. Add minced shallot and clams. Cook clams, stirring constantly for about 2 minutes. Add wine and about 1 tbsp of fresh fennel. Cover and cook until clams are opened. Remove from heat. Add the reserved bacon-shallot mixture. Serve over grilled toast with lemons on the side.

Grilled Toast

  • Butter each slice of toast. Rub garlic over each slice of toast. Grill until golden and crispy.

Crispy Pork Tacos

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Tender pork gets crisped up and served in a charred flour tortilla along side fresh corn and onion sauté with roasted tomatillo salsa. Like to meal prep on the weekends? This recipe can be made ahead of and finished in a cast iron pan adding that street taco crispiness.

If you’re like me, you never get tired of tacos! In fact, I love creating new taco recipes using seasonal ingredients. This time it’s corn. Corn adds that nice crisp sweetness that pairs perfectly with charred meat.

I’m using a small one pound pork shoulder roast that I had in the freezer. I like to get a big pork shoulder roast and save a little piece for later when I need a quick meal. Usually you won’t find this small of a roast at the grocery, but you can just cut a large roast down and freeze the rest for another time OR adjust the recipe to double or triple for a large dinner.

As you know, if you’re a regular at The Herbalist & The Carnivore, I like to get straight to the recipe and get you cooking! Scroll down for the goods:

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Crispy Pork Tacos

Tender pork gets crisped and served in a charred flour tortilla with corn relish and tomatillo salsa
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Keyword tacos
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 1 lb pork shoulder roast cut in 1 inch cubes
  • 1/2 onion cut in 1 inch wedges
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
  • 1/3 cup triple sec Orange liqueur used in margaritas
  • 2-4 cup water
  • 8 medium flour tortillas grilled

Pork Rub

  • 1 tbsp fresh garlic minced
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp dried Mexican oregano
  • 1/4 tsp dried coriander
  • 1/2 tsp achiote powder found in Mexican grocery aisle (if you can't find, o.k. to omit)

Corn Saute

  • 2 ears sweet corn cut off the cob
  • 1/2 yellow onion cut in 1/4 inch wedges
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • salt to taste

Tomatillo Salsa

  • 5 tomatillos husk removed
  • 1/2 yellow onion quartered
  • 1/2 jalapeno
  • 1 tsp honey
  • 1/2 cup water
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Crispy Pork

  • Combine all Pork Rub ingredients and massage into cubed pork.
  • In a large pot over medium high heat, heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil. Add onion and cook for about 3 minutes. Remove onion to a bowl.
  • Working in two batches, brown pork in oil left in pan from cooking onion. Remove the fist batch to the bowl with the onion. Repeat with second batch.
  • Add orange juice and triple sec to the pot and scrape off browned bits from bottom of pot. Add browned pork and onion back to pot. Cover with water. Reduce heat to medium low. Simmer for about 1 1/2 hours or until for tender.
  • Remove pork from pot, being careful to keep the cubed shape. Discard juices.
  • Heat a cast iron pan (or large saute pan) over medium high heat. Add 1 tbsp vegetable oil. Place cooked pork cubes in cast iron pan and sear until crispy on the outside.
  • Serve with flour tortillas, corn saute and tomatillo salsa.

Crispy Beef Lettuce Wraps

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Crispy Beef Lettuce Wraps are going to be your new go-to weeknight dinner for hot summer days. Sweet and spicy ground beef, pickled cucumber, thinly sliced radish and crunchy hazelnuts wrapped up in butter lettuce.

These lettuce wraps are totally awesome for several reasons! First, they use ground beef, so you’re not breaking the bank here. Second, they come together is about 15 minutes, which is EVERYTHING in the summer. Because who wants to be hanging around the stove, right? Third, I mean do I even need a third? O.k. Third, they are beautiful. You’re getting your colorful veggies and a vibrant punch of flavor.

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If you’ve been following my blog posts, you know that I like to keep things short and simple. Let me tell you why…I’m ALL ABOUT the food. When I see a recipe that I like, I want to go straight to the recipe. Sure I’ll read about 1-2 paragraphs, but then I find myself scrolling through to find the recipe. Yes, the SEO helper says ‘type more Tamara’, but you know, I’m a little rebellious and I’m hungry…just give me the recipe!

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Crispy Beef Lettuce Wraps

Crispy Beef Lettuce Wraps are your new go-to summer dinner. Sweet and spicy ground beef get crisped up and paired with pickled cucumber, radish and butter lettuce. Top it with crunchy chopped hazelnuts and basil for a flavor packed bite.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Asian
Keyword 15 minute dinners, Gluten free
Prep Time 20 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup yellow onion fine diced
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup soy sauce
  • 1 tsp garlic chili sauce
  • 1 tsp fresh grated ginger
  • 1 tsp rice wine vinegar
  • salt and pepper to taste

Pickled Cucumber

  • 1/2 English cucumber thinly sliced
  • 1 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp salt

Other Ingredients

  • 1 head living butter lettuce leaves individually removed
  • 5-6 radishes thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup hazelnuts chopped
  • 1 tbsp fresh basil torn

Instructions

  • Heat vegetable oil in a large pan over medium high heat
  • Add onion and cook until softened about 2 minutes. Push over to side.
  • Add the ground beef, cook crumbling as you brown until a little crispy on the edges. Drain grease and return to heat.
  • Add remaining ingredients. Reduce heat to low and cook for another 10 minutes.
  • Serve in a butter lettuce leaf with pickled cucumber, radish, chopped hazelnuts and fresh basil.

Pickled Cucumber

  • Place sliced cucumber in a bowl. Cover with apple cider vinegar, sugar and salt. Let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes.

Thai Chicken Skewers

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Moist and delicious grilled Thai Chicken Skewers, drizzled with an Asian inspired peanut sauce and served over delicate sesame noodles. Summer served on a skewer starts here.

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Thai Chicken Skewers

Course Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine Asian, Chicken
Keyword Chicken kabobs
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes

Equipment

  • Skewers / Kabob Sticks

Ingredients

Chicken

  • 12 chicken tenderloins
  • 1/2 cup coconut milk
  • 1 tbsp red curry paste
  • 1/2 tsp soy sauce

Sauce

  • 1 tsp vegetable oil
  • 1 tsp red curry paste
  • 1 tsp fresh grated garlic
  • 1 tsp fresh grated ginger
  • 3 tbsp coconut milk
  • 1 tbsp peanut butter
  • 1 tsp honey

Sesame Noodles

  • 1/2 lb spaghetti noodles
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
  • 3/4 tsp sesame oil
  • 1/2 tsp honey
  • 4 tbsp green onion thin sliced

Other

  • 1 cup snap peas sliced thin and angled
  • 1 tbsp fresh cilantro chopped

Instructions

Chicken

  • Combine coconut milk, red curry paste, vegetable oil and soy in a large bowl. Add chicken tenderloins and soak for at least 15 minutes.
  • Get your grill fired up. While that's happening, make the sauce.
  • Thread chicken onto skewers. Grill until charred and cooked through. Serve over sesame noodles with sauce drizzled on top and garnished with peas and cilantro.

Sauce

  • Heat vegetable oil in a small sauce pot over medium heat. Add garlic and red curry paste. Stir quickly. Add remaining ingredients and cook over low heat for 10 minutes.

Sesame Noodles

  • Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and add remaining ingredients.

For those of you who follow me, you may notice that I’m not a huge chicken fan, so you better bet when I post a chicken recipe that it is AMAZING. I need crunchy caramelized bits on the outside and moist tenderness on the inside to be at all interested in chicken.

These chicken tenders are soaked in a coconut milk and red curry mixture that guarantees a tender juicy inside. Threading the tenders on skewers ensures a short cooking time and allows the outside to get beautifully charred with caramelization from the sugar in the coconut milk and spices form the red curry paste.

Serve these flavorful skewers over sesame noodles for a complete meal. I like to garnish with fresh sliced snap peas and thinly sliced baby red bell peppers with a sprinkle of cilantro. This adds the freshness that ties it all together.

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I’d love to here from you! Try my recipe and leave a comment below!

Rolled Tacos in Poblano Sauce

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Get these Rolled Tacos in Poblano Sauce on the table and in your mouth with quickness. 30 minutes to the cheesiest inside, crunchiest outside soaking up all that poblano sauce, taco goodness.

I don’t know about you, but the quicker I can get tacos in my mouth the better. I live for Taco Tuesday. Its got all my favorite flavors and textures. Crunchy, cheesy combined with the freshest garnishes. I really love the depth you can get from simply roasting poblano peppers, onions and jalapeno. It’s the easiest thing to do. Really!

Grab that sheet pan, throw the poblanos, onion and jalapeno on and broil until charred. So easy, right? The hardest part about this recipe is peeling the kin off the poblanos after they cool. Seriously. After that you just blend it all up and you have an amazing poblano sauce.

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Rolled Tacos in Poblano Sauce

Cheesy inside, crunchy outside soaking up all that roasted poblano sauce.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Keyword Rolled tacos, taco tuesday
Prep Time 7 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 8 medium corn tortillas
  • 1 cup cheddar cheese grated
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 packet taco seasoning such as Lawry's
  • vegetable oil for frying

Poblano Sauce

  • 4 small poblano peppers
  • 1/2 yellow onion quartered
  • 1/2 jalapeno
  • 1/2 cup water adjust water for desired thickness
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream

Toppings

  • cilantro
  • radish
  • yellow onion
  • sour cream
  • lime wedges
  • Cotija cheese

Instructions

Poblano Sauce

  • Place whole poblano peppers, onions and jalapeno on a sheet pan under broil, flipping sides, until charred on all sides.
  • Remove from oven. Add onion and jalapeno to blender. Remove skin and seeds from poblano peppers then place in blender.
  • Add water, sugar and salt. Blend until smooth. Add heavy cream and blend again. Add more water if sauce is too thick.

Rolled Tacos

  • Brown ground beef, drain fat and use your favorite taco seasoning according to package directions.
  • Heat vegetable oil over medium high heat.
  • Heat corn tortillas in microwave for about 25 seconds, just until pliable.
  • Place a little taco meat and cheese in each tortilla and roll, leaving ends open.
  • Fry each taco until just golden brown. Drain on wire rack.
  • Place a large spoonful of poblano sauce on plate, place rolled tacos on top, followed by another spoonful of poblano sauce. Top with fine diced onion, cilantro, radish and Cotija cheese.

Panzanella Salad

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Panzanella is the perfect summer dinner salad. Vine ripe tomatoes, fresh basil and crusty French bread accompany fresh mozzarella, cucumber and red onions with vinaigrette. Hearty enough to serve alone, but perfect next to a big juicy grilled steak.

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Panzanella Salad

Course Salad
Cuisine italian
Keyword entree salad
Prep Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1/2 loaf Rosemary Olive Oil Artisan Bread or 3-4 cups any full bodied french bread, cubed
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 8 oz Ciliegine Mozzarella
  • 1 cup cucumber cut in 1/2 inch cubes
  • 1/2 cup red onion thinly sliced
  • 2 vine ripe tomatoes sliced in wedges
  • 1-2 tbsp fresh basil chiffonade

Dressing

  • 1 tsp shallot minced
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp honey
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/8 tsp pepper
  • 5 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 4 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place cubed bread on a sheet pan and drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil. Cook until toasted about 10 minutes.
  • Combine mozzarella, cucumber, red onion, tomatoes and basil in a large salad bowl. Toss with dressing and let sit for about 15 minutes. Add toasted bread and toss again to combine.

Dressing

  • Combine all ingredients except olive oil and whisk in olive oil last.

My first summer craving is always Panzanella Salad. Juicy tomatoes, crusty French bread and fresh basil paired with crunchy cucumber, thinly sliced red onion and fresh mozzarella in a red wine vinaigrette. It screams summer and celebrates all of the goodness we waited all winter for.

I like to let all the vegetables sit and soak up the flavor before adding the crusty French bread. Tonight I’m using rosemary bread that’s been toasted until extra crunchy. Sometimes I use Kalamata olive bread, which is so fabulous. The main idea is to use a rustic, full bodied bread with lots of flavor.

This salad takes me back to my vegetarian days. I was modeling in Seattle/NY and rarely cooked, so my cupboards were pretty much non-existent. This salad was made from a few things I could grab from the farmer’s market and even without meat, it is so filling!