Sweet Corn Pizza

These are the perfect little summer dinner. These little masterpieces are full of yummy vegetables and seasonal sweet corn over a pesto-laced crispy pita. I know I will be making these again and again, even if I do have to use frozen corn! The combination of flavors is so delicious and the leftovers heat up well for lunch the next day. And how could you go wrong with these ingredients?



Start by placing the pita rounds on a baking sheet and brushing with oil. (I use a garlic-infused oil. If you don't have that, just combine olive oil with some minced garlic.)



Bake the shells for 5 minutes just to crisp them up a bit, then spread with the pesto.



Arrange the artichokes over the crust



then the red pepper



and corn.



Finally, sprinkle with feta



and then top with mozzarella.



Bake for about 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly. I can hardly wait for lunch!



One year ago: Feta Zucchini Pancakes
Two years ago: Lemon Blueberry Zucchini Cake

Find more inspiration at Mouthwatering Mondays, Menu Mondays, Mangia Mondays, Make a Food "E" Friend Monday, This Week's Cravings, Meatless/Vegan Mondays, My Meatless Mondays, Your Recipe, My Kitchen, Tempt my Tummy Tuesday, Tuesdays at the Table, Made from Scratch Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday, Tasty Tuesdays, Delectable Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday at Beauty and Bedlam, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Totally Tasty Tuesdays, Let's Do Brunch, A Little Birdie Told Me, Savory Sunday.

Sweet Corn Pizza

4 - 6" or 7" pita rounds
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup basil pesto
1 14 oz. can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 cup fresh corn kernels (if you use frozen, thaw first)
1/2 cup chopped red pepper
1/4 cup feta or goat cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella

Combine oil and garlic. Brush oil over pita rounds then bake them for 5 minutes at 425. Spread pesto over pitas, arrange artichokes, pepper and corn over pesto. Sprinkle with feta, then mozzarella cheese. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until cheese is melted. Sprinkle fresh basil leaves over top if you like. Serves 4.

Cherry Cheesecake Frozen Yogurt

OH. MY. This is SO good. I really like frozen yogurt, especially when it has a bit of "tang" like real yogurt. I don't like my frozen yogurt to taste too much like ice cream - I really like a more yogurt-y taste. And this delicious version has the addition of cream cheese, and my favorite summer fruit - cherries! It is SO good. Make it today!

And it couldn't be easier (except for pitting and chopping the cherries, which takes a little time). First, combine the softened cream cheese and the sugar in the bowl of your food processor.



Process together until smooth, then add the lemon juice and yogurt.



(If you don't have a food processor, you can get a good workout by just doing this by hand!)

Pour the mixture into your ice cream freezer, and process.



In the last 5 minutes, add the cherries.



When it's all mixed together well, transfer to a freezer safe bowl.



Freeze for several hours or overnight, and enjoy!

One year ago: Black Forest Freezer Pie
Two years ago: Lemon Blueberry Zucchini Cake

Find more great stuff at Foodie Friday, Friday Food, Food on Fridays, Friday Potluck, Sweet Tooth Friday, Foodie Friday (#2), Fresh Food Friday, Sweets this Week, Sweets for a Saturday, So Sweet Sunday.

Cherry Cheesecake Frozen Yogurt

1 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened (low fat is fine)
1 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
3 cups plain yogurt
2 cups pitted, chopped fresh cherries

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the cream cheese and sugar. Process until smooth. Add the lemon juice and yogurt and process until smooth. (Alternatively, in a large bowl, mash the cream cheese with sugar until thoroughly combined; stir in the lemon juice, and mix in the yogurt, about a cup at a time, until the mixture is smooth and creamy.)

Pour the mixture into an ice cream freezer, and freeze. Add the cherries during the last 5 minutes of processing. Transfer the frozen yogurt into a freezer-safe covered container, and freeze for several hours. Makes 8-10 servings.

Marinated London Broil

Today, we're traveling back in time to a recipe from two summers ago. This is such a great grilling recipe that I wanted to bring it up to the front - plus, it's fun to go back and revisit old favorites to give them a little more "airtime."

This delicious and inexpensive cut of beef sits in a savory marinade overnight, so plan ahead. The marinade flavors the meat beautifully and the short grilling time means you can have supper on the table quickly. (Any leftovers make delicious sandwiches too!)

This is a recipe repeat. If you want a complete step by step, visit the original post.

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Marinated London Broil

3 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. dijon mustard
2 Tbsp. Oriental sesame oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. chopped, pared fresh ginger
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 round steak for London Broil (2 pounds)

Combine the soy sauce, sugar, mustard, oil, onion, ginger, garlic and pepper in a blender. Whirl until combined. Place steak in a shallow baking dish or other container that you can cover. Pour marinade over steak and refrigerate for at least three hours or overnight.

Grill or broil steak for 6-7 minutes each side for rare. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing. Serves 6.

Roasted Red Pepper and Artichoke Tapenade

This is a really tantalizing appetizer that can also be used as a sandwich spread, or pita stuffer, or whenever you need a great condiment-y type item. I think it would also be really beautiful on a Christmas-time buffet because of the colors, but I made it in the summer. Whenever you make it, and for whatever reason, you will not be sorry. It is delicious, easy and pretty.

Start by chopping up the red peppers and artichokes. You're going to pulse them in the processor later, so they don't have to be perfect, just chopped a bit from the larger pieces.



Put them in the bowl of a food processor, then add the capers,


garlic,



cilantro,



parmesan cheese,



olive oil and lemon juice. Pulse a few times until the mixture is finely chopped and blended.



Transfer to a serving bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least two hours to blend the flavors.

Serve with pita wedges, crackers, crusty french bread, or as a sandwich spread (it was delicious on my steak and provolone sandwich)!



Two years ago: Kitchen Sink Muffins

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Roasted Red Pepper and Artichoke Tapenade

1 - 7 oz. jar roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
1 - 6 oz. jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup drained capers
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the red peppers, artichoke hearts, cilantro, Parmesan cheese, olive oil, capers, garlic, and lemon juice. Pulse until finely chopped and the mixture is blended. Transfer to a serving bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving to blend the flavors. Serve with pita chips or crusty sliced french bread, or use as a sandwich spread.

Raspberry Almond Bars

Is there anything better than a chewy, almond-laced bar? Only when it also has raspberries! I hope you've tried the delicious raspberry custard bars, and if you had raspberries left over from those (like I did!) you should try these too!

Prepare an 8 inch pan with a foil liner - just like in the raspberry custard bars.

In a small mixing bowl, combine the flour, oats, baking powder, salt and almonds.



In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Then add the egg and almond extract



and mix until combined. Add the flour mixture, and mix just until the dry ingredients are incorporated. Spread about 2/3 of the dough into the foil-lined pan



and then drop the raspberries over the dough.





Now drop the remaining dough by spoonfuls over the raspberries. Try to get most of the raspberries covered (not completely but so they have a little dough on them).



Bake for 25-30 minutes til golden brown and cool in the pan for 10 minutes.



Remove the bars with the foil handles and cool completely on a wire rack. These bars are delicious at room temperature, but I also liked them chilled.

Find more great stuff at It's a Keeper, Full Plate Thursday, Recipes I Can't Wait to Try, Let's Do Brunch, Recipe Swap Thursday, Turning the Table Thursday, Foodie Friday, Food on Fridays, Friday Food, Foodie Friday (#2), Bake with Bizzy, Sweets for a Saturday.

Two years ago: Fruit Crisp

Raspberry Almond Bars

1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup oats
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. almond extract
1/2 cup fresh raspberries

Line an 8-inch square baking pan with foil, forming handles over the edges, then spray with nonstick cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, oats, baking powder, salt and almonds. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and almond extract and mix to incorporate. Mix in the flour mixture until just incorporated.

Spread about 2/3 of the dough into the prepared baking pan. Gently lay raspberries evenly over the dough, then drop the rest of the dough by spoonfuls over the raspberries.

Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes. Let cool for about 10 minutes in pan, then gently pull them out by the foil handles and cool completely on a wire rack.

Pineapple Sorbet

I hope you're not tired of new ice cream ideas yet, cause I'm not tired of making them! I've had this recipe in my collection for nearly a decade, and I'm so glad I finally got around to trying it.

Sometimes I think of sorbet as kind of an "icy" version of ice cream, but this recipe turns out so creamy and delicious (and doesn't freeze too hard, bonus!) that you won't know it's sorbet! And with only three ingredients, it couldn't be simpler!

Start by cutting up your pineapple. Here's a tutorial. You'll need a small pineapple, which should yield about 3 cups of pineapple chunks. Put those in a food processor and add the lemon juice



and the sugar. (I assure you, I have had a manicure since these photos.)



Process the mixture until smooth - just a few seconds! - and then pour into your ice cream freezer.



When it's finished, trasfer to a freezer safe bowl and freeze overnight. And then be amazed at how delicious three ingredients can be!

One year ago: Canteloupe Sorbet
Two years ago: Oat Waffles

Get more great recipes at Mouthwatering Mondays, Mangia Mondays, Menu Monday, Your Recipe, My Kitchen, Food on Friday: Pineapple.

Pineapple Sorbet

1 small pineapple, cored, peeled and chunked (about 3 cups of chunks)
1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. lemon juice

Combine the pineapple chunks, lemon juice and sugar in a food processor and process until smooth. Pour into an ice cream maker and churn until it reached desired consistency. Pour into a freezer safe bowl and freeze overnight.

Basmati Rice and Chicken Salad

This is a great main dish salad to make in the heat of the summer. And if you use a rotisserie chicken, or cook the chicken in the crockpot, there will be very little heat in your kitchen. (Even less if you have a rice cooker!) There are lots of interesting flavors going on here, so if you're able, let it marinate for a couple hours in the fridge, then bring to room temperature before serving.

Start by cooking the rice and garlic together.



While it cooks, chop up all the other ingredients - chicken, sundried tomatoes, artichokes and green onions.



Next, make the dressing. In a small measuring cup, combine the chicken broth, oil,



mustard,



lemon juice, salt, pepper and oregano. Whisk well. When the rice is done cooking, let stand for a few minutes, then put into a large bowl to cool slightly. Add the lemon zest, chickpeas (rinse and drain first!)



chicken,



and the artichokes, sundried tomatoes and green onions.



Drizzle the dressing over



and toss well to coat all the ingredients.



Yum!

One year ago: Canteloupe Sorbet
Two years ago: Shrimp and Vegetable Stir Fry

Find more great stuff at It's a Keeper, Full Plate Thursday, Pennywise Platter, Recipe Swap Thursday, Turning the table Thursday, Foodie Friday, Food on Friday, Friday Food, Friday Potluck, Fresh Food Friday, Foodie Friday (#2).

Basmati Rice and Chicken Salad

Salad:
1 cup uncooked basmati rice
3 garlic cloves, minced
2-3 cups cooked chopped chicken
1/2 cup thickly sliced green onions
1/4 cup chopped sun dried tomatoes
1 tsp. lemon rind
1 16 oz. can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained
1 8 oz. bottle marinated artichoke hears, drained and chopped

Dressing:
1/4 cup chicken broth
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. dried oregano

Cook rice with the garlic. Let stand, covered, 5 minutes after cooking. Cool in a large bowl. Add the chicken, onions, tomato, lemon rind, chickpeas and artichokes. Stir gently to combine.

In a measuring cup, comibne all the dressing ingredients and mix well. Drizzle over hte salad to coat. Serves 6.