End of Summer Recipes and Fall Soups

Summer has been slow to say adieu with the mid-day temperatures still lingering in the lower and upper 80s. Thus, local summer farm produce is still readily available. I a finding an abundance of corn, cherry tomatoes, eggplant, and zucchini still available at the farm stands!

I was looking through end of summer recipes that I had posted over the years (13 years of blogging) and selected six of my favorites to share today. 

Lemony Israeli Salad with Cherry Tomatoes and Cucumbers

Do you love salad the way I do? As one of my commenters said, "the vibrant colors and fresh ingredients make this salad a feast for both the eyes and the taste buds"! The lemony dressing is light and refreshing!

Easy Frozen Cauliflower or Broccoli Recipe

Pressed for time? Think frozen broccoli or frozen cauliflower which can be ready in minutes!! Just don't forget to eat your vegetables on a daily basis!

This simple, yet delicious, side dish provides lots of antioxidants which may help protect us against degenerative diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and Inflammatory diseases. 

I try to include vegetables at every meal (including breakfast)- but sometimes I'm just lazy to prep the fresh vegetables. I have found that storing a few bags of frozen cauliflower, broccoli, and green beans in the freezer is convenient and time saving for me. There is no waste, no mess, and supposedly frozen vegetables provide almost the same nutrients as fresh vegetables. 

I used a large dutch oven type skillet, a bag of frozen broccoli or cauliflower, a pint of cherry tomatoes, and any other vegetable I may have in the fridge or I just use the bag of frozen vegetables and tomatoes with the seasoning.

I know this post is barely a recipe; it's more like an idea! However, how many times do you skip making a vegetable because it's too much bother to clean and prep the vegetable. Want to consistently eat vegetables- try using frozen especially in the winter. 

In the summer, I do like fresh produce that I usually get at a local organic farmer's market! 

Ingredients: 

1 bag of frozen broccoli or cauliflower

1 pint of red cherry tomatoes or multi colored cherry tomatoes

Generous amounts of cracked salt, pepper, garlic powder and turmeric 

Directions: 

Empty a bag of frozen vegetables into a skillet. Add the entire pint of cherry tomatoes into the heated skillet. Cook on medium for about 10 minutes- stirring if needed to prevent burning. Add 1/4 cup of water at a time to help the vegetables cook. Season with generous amounts of cracked salt, cracked pepper, garlic powder and turmeric (if you like it)

My Notes: 

1. I like my vegetables on the soft side, so I cook them for about 15 minutes. 

Roasted Vegetable Pasta Primavera

Looking for a delicious, light, and healthy pasta entree that is loaded with flavorful roasted summer vegetables, tasty olives, capers, and artichoke hearts? This easy vegan pasta primavera is it!!

WHAT'S IN MY KITCHEN - AUGUST

What's IN MY KITCHEN this month? 

I've got lots of new things in my kitchen this month, but after 3 weeks without a refrigerator, my new refrigerator is first on my list this month!

Mushroom, Tomato, and Spinach Sauté

Sometimes the simplest recipes are the best. This easy sauté using large white mushrooms, cherry tomato halves, and fresh spinach in a special sauce that only takes minutes to make and is sweet and delicious.

Arugula Tomato Salad - Oil-Free Dressing

I love the beautiful greens in this arugula tomato salad, but I decided to add cooked wild rice and pine nuts, it gave this beautiful simple greens salad a richer more filling flavor.

Arugula is a spicy green that gives a salad a perky spicy flavor. 

I started to make this Arugula tomato salad just using arugula, spinach, and cut up cherry tomatoes. I loved the look of this bright green healthy salad but I wanted more flavor. 

I decided to add wild rice and additional healthy vegetables to my salad such as sliced celery, red cabbage, parsley. blanched almonds, pine nuts, and some wild rice. The salad was filling and satisfying.

You might be thinking. "Wait"- that doesn't look like just wild rice in the photo. You are right. When I went to make the salad to photograph, I only had brown rice. Thus this photo of the salad  is with brown rice but the recipe is made with wild rice.

The wild rice is delicious, but if you don't have any you could substitute brown rice like I did.

I love the taste of the balanced almonds and the pine nuts. 

I'm always looking for new ways to keep salads interesting. I think the wild rice adds an exotic touch to this delicious salad.

What is salad without a dressing? 

I've been dressing my salads with a low calorie no oil dressings lately and loving it. 

Let me explain why. For years,  I've been noticing that many of the doctors who are writing diet books are suggesting a no-oil approach. Partly because of calories and partly for heath reasons. Initially, it sounded absolutely crazy to me; however,  the more I've been reading, the more I realize they have a point. 

The Oil-Free Thoughts

1. Oil is a processed factory-made product that is very concentrated. 

2. It is very high in calories and calorie density 

3. It has no fiber and very few nutrients

4. It's questionable (depends on which research you look at and which doctor you follow) if oil is actually good for us- yes this includes olive oil.  

4. Most agree that natural fats such as avocado, nuts, olives, and seeds are very good for you and I do include them in my diet. 

I've decided to try no-oil cooking and salad dressings. 

I've found great websites, Youtube demonstrations and recipes for inspiration. 

My Favorite Websites and Youtubes for Oil-free Recipes 

My favorite oil-free ideas and recipes come from Plentiful Kiki (link) but I love her YouTube videos the best! followed by High Carb Hannah. - Both of their recipes are based on the McDougall Diet (link) and the book The Starch Solution. 

Forks Over Knives (link) is another site that has a variety of oil-free recipes 

Fit for Life based on Dr. Joel Furhman's diet (link) also advocates oil free cooking.

I made a very simple salad dressing that I find flavorful and delicious. 

Ingredients

I use 1/4 cup of dijon mustard

1/4 cup of rice vinegar

Directions: 

Whisk them well together and pour on the salad and toss

 

Roasted Asparagus and Cherry Tomatoes Side Dish

Roasted asparagus and roasted cherry tomatoes are light side dish that makes a lovely presentation and is always a hit!
Asparagus are a delicacy that are now in season, and there are many wonderful ways to enjoy them. This colorful roasted asparagus and cherry tomato side dish was a star at a recent luncheon I hosted for a few neighbors. It seems everyone appreciates lower calorie and lighter healthier options! Of course vegetables are naturally gluten free.

Cherry Tomato Marinade Sauce for Pasta, Rice, Vegetables or Zoodles

Looking for a quick, but tasty and easy spring or summer dinner?
Marinate some halved cherry tomatoes for about an hour and then use them for a delicious sauce for zucchini noodles or your favorite cooked ( gf) pasta. It's that easy and cherry tomatoes grow abundantly or are always available in the market. It's a perfect seasonal dish!

Great Sauce - No Cooking- Just Marinating
I grow lots of cherry tomatoes plants, and right now they are so prolific that we are having trouble keeping up with what to do with all those beautiful little gems. In addition, I belong to a CSA that provides me with additional cherry tomatoes.  This sauce is the perfect answer since it requires no cooking. 

Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Nut Free and Raw
The beauty of this recipe is that it is not only gluten free, grain free, and dairy free.! So it's a perfect allergy friendly recipe that most guests or family members can enjoy.

Since this delicious sauce is not cooked, it's especially great for those who eat a raw food diet or for those who want to include more raw food enzymes in their diets. Some nutritionists say that a diet of 80% raw food and 20% cooked food is the healthiest diet.

In addition to the cherry tomatoes, this recipe calls for some fresh chopped basil or any other fresh herbs that you may have growing in your garden or on your windowsill. There is something about tomatoes and fresh basil that scream summer. Their flavors are fabulous together.

Need to use up lots of cherry tomatoes and also zucchini?
This fabulous pasta recipe will do the job!
I never tire of making simple zucchini noodles in minutes using my sprializer, and I love this marinated cherry tomato sauce. Of course if you are a pasta lover, you could use any kind of pasta. It's a perfect recipe for a hot summer night!

Cherry tomatoes are easy to grow and will keep you well supplied with tomatoes from end of July through at least the end of September if you live on the East coast. If you are ever interested in growing tomatoes, cherry tomatoes are the easiest and most prolific to grow. They are great plants for little ones who can enjoy the thrill of picking their own little tomatoes. They grow best in the ground, but can be planted in pots.

The marinated tomato recipe is  light and tangy and gives any pasta a delicious flavor. Feel free to add toppings of your choice like feta cheese, grated Parmesan cheese, or even some cooked chickpeas. Any of them would make great toppings, or you can just eat the sauce plain or top it with slices of avocado if you are vegan.
Check out this post from last year for cherry tomatoes, avocado and chickpeas

The marinated cherry tomato sauce only has to marinate for about an hour, but it can marinate for even 6 hours. The taste just gets better and better.

Author: Judee Algazi @ Gluten Free A-Z Blog
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: none
Marinating Time: Minimum 30 minutes up to 6 hours

Cherry Tomato Sauce Ingredients:
2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved ( I used yellow, orange, and red cherry tomatoes)
juice of one fresh lemon
1/4 cup ( or more)  of olive oil
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
( any other fresh herb you have in the garden -rosemary oregano, thyme, etc.)
optional: 1 clove fresh garlic, pressed
salt and freshly cracked pepper to tast

Directions:
Mix all ingredients together, marinate for at least an hour. Eat over pasta, rice or zucchini pasta. Makes a great side dish or a BBQ. The marinade can be used cold or at room temperature. You can use it over hot pasta or hot vegetable pasta too.

When writing this post I wasn't sure whether marinade was spelled with a "d" or a '"t" . I learned something.

• Marinade with a "d" is a noun- so it's a tomato sauce marinade
• Marinate with a " t" is a verb- so I would marinate the tomatoes

Whew! Glad I got that straight!

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