My Favorite Vegetable Salad: Chickpeas & Cukes

Ingredients:

* 2 cucumbers, peeled & diced

* 1-2 cups of grape tomatoes

* 1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed & drained

* 1/2 red onion, diced

* 1 cup crumbled feta cheese

* 2 TBS extra virgin olive oil

* 6 TBS lemon juice

* 1/2 tsp garlic salt

* 1/2-1 tsp black pepper

Directions:

- Layer the tomatoes, garbanzo beans, cucumbers, onion, and feta cheese.

- Combine the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic salt, and pepper.

- Pour over the layered vegetables and cheese.

- Cover and refrigerate 4 hours until ready to serve.

- Prior to serving, mix well to combine all ingredients.

Hint: No grape tomatoes? Substitute diced fresh tomatoes instead. Not a fan of feta cheese? How about mozzarella cubes instead? I like to eat this salad with wheat crackers or bagel chips. Definitely a kitchen favorite in my house - enjoy!!


This recipe is being shared at MomTrends Friday Food post - go check it out and see what other great cooks are making this week!

Homemade Lemonade

Ingredients:

• 3 cups sugar
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup lemon peel strips (about 6 lemons)
• 3 cups lemon juice (approximately 14 lemons)
• 1 liter bottle of club soda, chilled

Directions:

1. Over medium heat, in a large saucepan - heat sugar and water until sugar is completely dissolved. Stir frequently.
2. Gradually stir in lemon strips. Bring to a boil.
3. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Remove saucepan from heat and cool liquid.
5. Add lemon juice, cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.
6. Remove lemon strips and combine chilled liquid mixture with chilled club soda.

Hint: Slowly stir lemon mixture into club soda, or it will bubble over quickly. If you don't mind pulp in your lemonade - freshly squeezed lemons are best. (My kids have texture issues and won't drink "fuzzy" drinks.) Add some frozen strawberries for a little extra pop - or - my favorite, maraschino cherries. Enjoy!!

Curried Beef Kabobs

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup beef broth
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tsp curry powder
• 2 tsp salt
• 4 bay leaves
• 16 whole peppercorns (I subbed 2 tsp ground black pepper)
• 2 lbs. beef tenderloin, cut into 1 1/4 inch cubes
• 2 large green peppers, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
• 3 medium tomatoes, cut into wedges
• 3 medium onions, cut into wedges

Directions:

1. Combine olive oil, beef broth, lemon juice, garlic, curry powder, salt, bay leaves, and peppercorns to create marinade for beef cubes. Reserve 2/3 cup for basting, and refrigerate.
2. Add beef cubes to main marinade mix in a covered dish or resealable bag. Turn to ensure beef is fully coated. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.
3. Prior to assembling kabobs, drain and discard marinade from beef cubes. Prepare kabobs on metal or soaked wooden skewers by alternating beef cubes, tomatoes, green peppers, and onions.
4. Grill or broil on high heat 3 minutes on each side. Baste with reserved marinade.
5. Continue cooking on high heat, turning and basting for 10-12 minutes - or until meat reaches desired doneness. (medium = 160 degrees F, well-done = 175 degrees F)

Hint: I think this may be my favorite new recipe - even me, the non beef fan...loved this dish! (Although, I am equally sure that it would be great using chicken too!) As it turns out, our propane for our grill ran out as we getting ready to put these on the grill - so we used the broiler in our kitchen oven to cook these delicious kabobs. The only complaint from my kids, why did I make more... I hope your family enjoys them as much as we did!!

This recipe is being shared at Everyday Mom's Meals for Church Supper #35. If you haven't stopped by to check at a Church Supper - please do! This is a great exchange of wonderful recipes!!

Polynesian Sausage Kabobs

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 lbs smoked kielbasa or Polish sausage, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 small pineapple, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1 small cantaloupe, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 2 medium green peppers, cut into 1 inch pieces
• salt & pepper to season as desired

Directions:

1. Making the marinade: In a large bowl, combine lemon juice, soy sauce, water, honey, and salt. Divide in half. Half will be used to baste and half should be put into a resealable bag or covered dish to marinade the sausage.
2. Refrigerate reserved marinade, and marinading sausage separately in the refrigerator for 3 hours.
3. Remove the marinading sausage from the refrigerator - drain and discard the marinade.
4. On soaked wooden skewers or metal skewers, thread alternately sausage, pineapple, cantaloupe, and green pepper.
5. Preheat grill to medium heat.
6. Grill skewers uncovered over medium heat for 10 minutes while turning and basting with reserved marinade.

Hint: Grilled cantaloupe did not sound appealing to me - but OMGoodness it is delicious! We keep a blend of *house* seasoning, (equal parts salt, pepper, garlic powder, and red pepper) on hand to add a little extra punch. Sparingly. On these kabobs, it was delicious!! Even on the pineapple chunks - it worked very well! Maybe next time we will add some chunks of red onion. Maybe!

This recipe is linked up over at Grateful Belly for this week's What's New Wednesday post...go see what other AWESOME and AMAZING ideas are being shared!!

Black Bean Tuna Melts

Ingredients:

1 (15 0z) can black beans, drained & rinsed

2 (5 oz) cans of tuna in water, drained

1/2 white onion, diced

1/2 tsp dry dill

2 dashes of hot sauce

1/2-1 cup of shredded colby-jack cheese

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

salt & pepper to taste

*sliced rye bread*

*butter or margarine*

* Combine rinsed black beans, drained tuna, diced onion, dry dill, hot sauce, shredded cheese, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt & pepper in a mixing bowl with a fork.

* Heat griddle or grill to medium heat, and prepare sliced rye bread with butter or margarine for grilling.

* Place one slice of rye bread, butter side down, on griddle.

* Top with tuna mixture.

* Cover with a second slice of rye bread, butter side up.

* Cook on both sides until golden brown, about a minute on each side.

Hint: My husband and one of my sons added an additional slice of American cheese on to their sandwiches as I was loading our griddle. Big success at our house! A great alternative to traditional salad dressing with salad dressing or mayo.