Blue Cheese Vinaigrette

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Here's a summer picnic ready to go.  Blue Cheese Vinaigrette;
Roasted Turkey Breast;
Pistachios; Local Tomatoes;
Raw Local Sweet Corn; Blanched Local Green Beans;
Local Pepper; Cucumbers; Scallions. 
Pack up the cooler along with some lettuces and you're good to go!

Makes about 1¼ cups

Recipe from October 1997 Bon Appétit

Served at the Peacock Dining Room at the Hassayampa Inn, Prescott AZ 

Husband-Tested in Alice's Kitchen

I'm a big fan of blue cheese so this recipe gets an enthusiastic thumbs up from me (and also the reviewers at Epicurious.com) This is not a thick, gloppy blue cheese dressing. This is a true vinaigrette, thin enough for drizzling, but rich with blue cheese flavor that will tickle your taste buds with a bit of tang. Now that fresh basil is in season, be sure to give this a try and serve it over your favorite salad, drizzle it over a platter of fresh tomatoes or try it drizzled over Summer's Best Salad In the winter, when fresh isn't in season, you could substitute 1 heaping teaspoon of dried basil or if you're lucky enough to have some pesto in your freezer, try a bit of that in the dressing instead! Then drizzle this over your favorite crisp salad or even on steamed broccoli or asparagus.

7 Tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 teaspoons minced garlic

3/4 cup crumbled blue cheese (about 2½ oz.)

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

1 Tablespoon water

1 Tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 Tablespoon chopped fresh basil

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in heavy small skillet over medium heat. Add 2 teaspoons minced garlic and sauté until golden, about 1 minute. Transfer garlic mixture to blender or small food processor. Add blue cheese, white wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon water, sugar, hot pepper sauce, salt, pepper and remaining 6 tablespoons olive oil; blend well. Transfer vinaigrette to bowl. Mix in chopped basil. (Vinaigrette can be prepared 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.) 

Nutritional Info:   1 Tablespoon = 62 calories
 

Cashew Cheese Sauce (Vegan)

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Recipe from The Oh She Glows Cookbook by Angela Liddon

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Makes about 1 cup sauce

Other than soaking the cashews overnight, this recipe takes just minutes to make.  You will be amazed at how “velvety cheesy” this vegan sauce tastes.  This is the sauce that holds Broccoli & Cashew Cheese Burritos together.  It’s also fabulous drizzled atop nachos (pictured above) made with whole-grain tortilla chips, Pinto Bean Taco filling, fresh corn kernels, black olives, chunks of avocado, minced red onion, you’re your favorite salsa. Use this sauce for anything that requires a creamy, cheesy sauce. 

¾ cup raw cashews

1 clove garlic

½ cup unsweetened almond milk

¼ cup nutritional yeast

1½ teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon white wine vinegar or lemon juice

¼ teaspoon onion powder

½ teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt

Place the cashews in a bowl and add enough water to cover.  Soak the cashews for at least 3 or 4 hours, preferably overnight.  Drain and rinse the cashews.

Place all the ingredients in the order listed in a food processor or high powered blender.  Process until smooth.  The sauce should be thick, almost like a light cake batter.

Green & White Bean Salad with Tuna

Recipe from Everyday Food

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Serves 4

Green bean season is about to end and so I wanted to enjoy them for one last hurrah by making up a salad featuring them for lunch. This low-calorie salad has 8 grams of fiber and 15 grams of protein per serving.  Add this to your lunch box and include a piece of seasonal fruit and a whole-grain cracker for a very satisfying, healthful mid-day meal.

Kosher salt, to taste

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

¾ lb. green beans, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces

2 Tablespoons white-wine vinegar

2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 can (15.5 oz.) cannellini beans (or chickpeas), rinsed and drained

½ small red onion, thinly sliced

1 can (5 oz.) solid white tuna packed in water, drained and broken into pieces

¼ cup thinly sliced pepperoncini or mild banana pepper rings, drained and chopped (These are found in jars.)

In a medium pot of boiling salted water, cook the green beans until bright green and crisp-tender, about 3 minutes.  Drain and plunge into iced water to stop the cooking.  Pat dry.

In a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar and oil and season with salt and pepper.  Add the green beans, cannellini beans (or chickpeas), onion, tuna and pepperoncini and stir to combine. 

Nutritional Information per Serving:  229 calories; 9 grams fat (1 gram sat. fat); 15 grams protein; 23 carbohydrates; 8 grams fiber