Make Ahead – Page 4 of 8

Mediterranean Lentil Salad with Olive Toast

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It had been so hot lately in Los Angeles, and even though the day promised to be only in the high 70’s, I still did not want to heat up the house. It was also Friday, which in our house, means no meat. We had some leftover grilled sweet peppers that I wanted to use, and some remnants of other vegetables. My friend, Amber, had planted a basil plant I had brought home into two larger containers, and they had plenty of leaves to go with my vegetables. So, what kind of good, cool salad could I make and still have the protein that our bodies require? Lentils were the perfect answer!

As I was checking out at my favorite store, the Adams Supper Market in Glendale, I mentioned my plan to the cashier and said I would be back later to get some nice crusty bread to go with it if I didn’t have any at home. As it turned out, I did have bread at home, but by the time I discovered I didn’t have any butter, Adams Supper Market was already closed. No problem, Olive Toast to the rescue!

It’s a recipe for a cool, protein-rich salad on a hot day.

Grilled Asian Orange Cornish Hens with Asian Vegetable Medley Salad

Grilled Asian Cornish hens are just wonderful on a summer day with a light vegetable and pasta salad. You can use an outdoor grill or a stovetop grill. Enjoy this with white wine or your favorite beer.

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When I was a little girl living in Germany, my mother used to get frozen crab cakes. I loved them. A few years ago, I found a package of Zatarain’s crab cake mix, and I made it with imitation crab. Yup, you heard me right – imitation crab.

Here’s my thoughts on imitation crab. What is imitation crab? Imitation crab is made from surimi, a concoction of fish, usually pollock, a binder and flavoring. I never think of imitation crab as crab, I think of it as Krab.

I went to the market yesterday, and stood there thinking about what to make for Friday Food. Krab was on sale, and there was a nice package of small bay shrimp on sale as well. Since I was going to be making this for Amber’s family as well as mine, I got both, and thought I would mix them together.

Fresh Raspberry Blueberry Cream Tart

Fresh Raspberry Blueberry Cream Tart is a lovely, delicious, and easy dessert for those hot summer days when you don’t want to turn on your oven.

London Broil with Rosemary and Grilled Mushrooms and Shallots

London Broil with rosemary studded with garlic makes an impressive yet easy-to-make meal. They are served with mushrooms and shallots cooked with sherry.

Balsamic Strawberry and Blueberry Trifle with Lemon Cream for 4th of July

Balsamic vinegar macerated strawberries, blueberries, and lemon cream with pound cake make a lovely trifle for a summer celebration.

Marinated White Asparagus

When I was a child, my mother would sometimes bring home the white asparagus in the can. That was a big treat – except it didn’t have much flavor. When I saw white spears that looked a lot fresher and nicer than their green brethren, I knew I could so a lot better, so I decided to bring them home and marinate them.

Basil Pine Nut Pesto – Freshly made with love

Basil pine nut pesto is one of the most delicious and easy things to make. It’s even better in the summer when your basil plant is fat with big green leaves.

Seafood Stuffed Avocado with Marinated Asparagus

Seafood stuffed avocado is a delight in the spring when perky asparagus comes into play. Here we marinated it to give it extra flavor. Enjoy!

Food Art – Teacher’s Garden No Bake Lemon Wafer Cake

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Lemon Wafer Cake

The PTA at John Muir Elementary School puts on a staff luncheon every year. Parents are asked to bring in their best dish. Our teachers and staff are very lucky, as a lot of our parents are very good cooks. This year, in fact, the recipes are going to be collected and the PTA is publishing a cookbook. The luncheon was going to take place in the newly planted Teachers’ Garden. I decided to make a cake and decorate it as a garden.

The cake looked lovely tilted up at the dessert station. In fact, it looked so lovely, and so real, that no one ate it. Some guests thought it was too pretty to cut, a few thought it was art, and a few didn’t think it was really edible. I wound up taking it home and will share it with family and friends.

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