Creamy Cucumber Salad

Ceamy Cucumber Salad -- not everyone in our family loves cucumbers, but the health benefits outweigh the complaints.  So here we go with one of my favorites! This classic recipe is made with fresh cucumbers, red onions, fresh dill, and a handful of other ingredients for a side dish that everyone (did I just say everyone?)     will love! Well maybe!

It’s light, creamy, and incredibly easy to make. The perfect salad for picnics, pot lucks, or summer grilling.

Whether you grew up on it or are trying it for the first time, you’re sure to LOVE the flavor in this easy cucumber salad!  The best part --- it takes less than 10 minutes to prepare but does require some chill time in the fridge to bring the flavors together. 

There’s something nostalgic about it – it’s a recipe that’s been around forever and a dish that most of us have probably enjoyed at family get-togethers at one point or another.

I love it because it’s such a simple salad, yet it’s packed with so much flavor.

Between the crunchy cucumbers, the creamy sauce, and the fresh dill, this salad truly is no-fuss in every way. It’s easy to make, perfect for prepping in advance, and it stores well in the fridge.

Here is the ingredients list:

• 1-2 cucumbers
• ¼ red onion
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• ⅓ cup milk
• 2 tbsp white vinegar
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill
• ¼ tsp kosher salt
• ⅛ tsp black pepper
• Wash the cucumber and peel 
• Use a sharp knife or a mandoline to thinly slice the cucumber. I'm lucky to have a super Sous Chef who knows how to slice and dice perfectly.  
• Thinly slice the onion
• In a large bowl, whisk the mayonnaise with the milk, vinegar, sugar, dill, salt, and black pepper until combined.
• Add the cucumber and onion to the dressing and stir until combined.
• Cover the bowl and refrigerate it for 2 hours.
• Serve and enjoy

Creamy Hawaiian Macaroni Salad

 Creamy Hawaiian Macaroni Salad is served on every plate for lunch at L&L Hawaiian Barbecue.  This Hawaiian Macaroni Salad is so good, it's addictive and the bowl was gone completely.   It was easy to make, it fed 8 of us, and it tastes awesome. 

Here is how it comes together:

1/2 lb dry elbow macaroni

1/4 cup red onion, minced

1 carrot shredded

1 cup real, whole mayo

1/4 cup green onion, thinly sliced

1/2 tsp white pepper

1 tsp kosher salt

Instructions:

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to boil.  Cook macaroni until tender, about 8 minutes. 

NEXT UP -

Creamy Cucumber Salad   

 

Fresh Summer Salsa - Oh We Miss You Grandpa Buffo

 Woo-hoo! I don’t know about your family but salsa is a staple in our family!  Grandpa had a garden that was the envy of the town.    We are trying our best to keep the tradition going.  

Salsa tastes amazing on everything or simply by itself. There is no shame in standing in front of the fridge with the doors open and sneaking a spoonful of salsa.  Salsa is like a magic potion that can transform the worst dishes into something spectacular. So let's get right to Grandpa Buffo's recipe!

4-5 medium ripe tomatoes, diced

1 medium onion, diced - I like red but whatever you have on hand works!

1 green pepper, diced

1/4 cup parsley, chopped 

1 clove of garlic, minced 

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/8 teaspoon ground cumin

1 squeeze of lime

Combine all ingredients and refrigerate.

Ripe tomatoes are absolutely key to making this garden fresh salsa.  Roma tomatoes are a very good choice since they are less watery.  Core the tomatoes and remove the seeds before chopping.  Use every last bit of the red tomato flesh inside!   

Voila!  

Zucchini and Tomato Gratin Bake

And they just keep coming....so tender, so delicious, and so HEALTHY????

This dish is made with thinly sliced zucchini, tomatoes, onion, garlic, parmesan cheese, and fresh oregano from the garden!

Ingredients:

1 zucchini, thinly sliced

3 Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced

1 onion chopped

1 clove of garlic, minced

shredded parmesan cheese to cover the top

minced oregano 

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2. Saute onion until translucent.  Add minced garlic and saute for 30 seconds.  Transfer 1/2 of the mixture to the bottom of a medium round tart dish.

3. Layer the tomatoes and zucchini in a circle by alternating a layer of 2 zucchini slices and 1 tomato slice until the dish is full.

4. Top with remaining onion-garlic mixture.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper, oregano to taste.  Top with the shredded Parmesan cheese.

5. Bake the Parmesan zucchini and tomato gratin in a preheated oven for about 35 minutes, or until lightly browned.   

 

Party Chicken

I’m sure most everyone has had the classic “Company Chicken” recipe that calls for lining the baking dish with chipped beef, right? Well, when I  started making that recipe only to find at the last minute that I had no chipped beef on hand.  So off to the store and I decided to use sliced roast beef instead!  Loved the difference! In this simple recipe chicken thighs are baked in a casserole with bacon, roast beef, and creamy sour cream/soup sauce.   It is perfect for a busy day and keeps well if you want some leftovers.  

A dish as hearty as this needs little else to make it great, but hot cooked rice, pasta, or mashed potatoes work well and soak up the flavorful juices.  On the side, I loved to serve up Peanut Cucumber Salad and some steamed broccoli.  

 

Party Chicken 

8 boneless chicken thighs 

8 slices roast beef - chopped

8 strips of bacon

16 oz. sour cream

1 can cream of chicken/ 1 can cream of mushroom

Lightly grease 9×13 glass casserole dish and line with chopped beef.

Wrap bacon around the chicken and lay them on top of the beef

Mix sour cream and soups together.
Pour over chicken

Cook for 45 minutes at 350 degrees or until tender.

The sauce thins as it cooks but you can also add water to create a thinner sauce.

Oh What do you do in the Zucchini Patch?

 Zucchini Brownies are rich and oh so chocolately!  With zucchini abundance here is what we made this afternoon.  

Zucchini Brownies 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 1/2 cups white sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 egg

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 1/2 cups grated zucchini undrained

Frosting:

1/3 cup milk 

1/3 cup butter

1 1/2 cup white sugar

1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degreets

2. Grease and flour a 9 x 13 pan

3. Combine oil, sugar, egg, and vanilla.  In a separate bowl, combine flour, cocoa, and baking soda.  Ad the flour mixture to the sugar mixture and stir well.  It will appear quite dry.  Gently stir in the zucchini mixing until fulling incorporated.  Spread the mixture into your prepared pan.  

4. Bake 25- 30 minutes

Frosting:

While the cake is cooling, combine butter, milk, and sugar in a small pan.  Bring to a boil over medium heat.  Allow it to boil vigorously for 30 seconds.  Remove from heat and stir in chocolate chips. Pour over warm brownies.  Let cool completely before cutting.  

Next up ---- Air Fryer Zucchini Fries!