DELICIOUS BITES FOR SUMMER

DELICIOUS BITES FOR SUMMER

by Deborah Polchek

There’s no season I love more than summer. This season of the year conjures up memories of my childhood, being out of school, my parents hosting backyard barbeques, me running after the ice truck driving down the street with my dollar in hand excited for the ice I was about to enjoy, and fun picnics with my family. Now that I am a wife and mom I get to share those memories with my family by doing the same things I enjoyed as a child, and I get to see the joy it brings to my daughter Athena’s face when she bites into a barbequed hot dog and sits poolside with a flavorful popsicle. Here are just some of my favorite summer bites recipes that I am sure you and yours will enjoy too.

---

Mexican STREET CORN ON THE COB

COOK TIME: 10-15 MINUTES

What you’ll need:

• Husked corn cobbs

• Butter

• Salt

• Mayonnaise

• Cotija (Mexican cheese)

• Lime Juice

• Smoked paprika

• Cilantro

• Wooden skewers (optional)

If you choose to use wooden skewers, soak them in water for about 30 to 40 minutes so that they don’t scorch on the grill.

Boil the corn cobs in their husks first before grilling this gives them a smokey flavor and ensures that the corn is cooked thoroughly and cuts down the grill time.

Preheat the grill to medium heat, I like to add wood chips along with the charcoal to add a bit of smokey flavor.

Peel back the husks, and butter, sprinkle salt along with the smoked paprika on the kernels, fold the husks back over the cobbs, place them on the grill and cook thoroughly.

In a bowl, hand mix the mayonnaise, lime juice, and cilantro until smooth.

Place the unhusked corn cobbs on a serving tray, and apply the spread sauce mixture generously on the kernels. You can always substitute Cotija for queso fresco or feta cheese. You can add any toppings that you like to excite your taste buds. Deliciousness on a stick!

Image courtesy of Unsplash | Photographer: @micheile

Now that you have a belly full of delicious food, it’s time for a sweet treat. I love popsicles, and I think my daughter takes after me because she loves these too. Cool, your pallet and delight your tastebuds with a healthy yet fruity popsicle!

RASPBERRY yogurt pOPSICLES

PREP TIME: 15 MINUTES

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

• Fresh organic raspberries

• Vanilla Greek yogurt (strawberry or plain)

• Popsicle molds

• Wooden popsicle sticks (you can buy them at any arts and crafts spot)

Mash raspberries with a fork, or the back of a spoon, then gently fold in with yogurt in a bowl. Once completely mixed pour into molds, place in freezer, partially freeze then add the popsicle stick, and let freeze completely. I prefer to freeze my popsicles overnight, but you can freeze them for about 3 to 4 hours depending on how fast your freezer works.

Sit back with this delicious sweet treat that you and yours will love!

Image courtesy of Unsplash | Photographer: @artic_studios

---

GRILLED CHICKEN KEBABS

COOK TIME: 35 MINUTES

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

• Wooden or steel skewers

• Boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs (enough to feed people you plan on entertaining)

• 1/4 cup of fresh dill

• 1/4 cup of fresh parsley

• 1/4 cup of olive oil (virgin is always best)

• Sea or Kosher salt

• Red pepper flakes for a bit of spice

• 1 lemon or lemon juice (1/4 cup if you use juice)

• Fresh ground pepper

• 1/2 cup of plain Greek yogurt

• Summer squash or zucchini

• Onions (optional)

• Red or green bell peppers (optional)

In a blender add the dill, parsley, olive oil, 3 or 4 tablespoons of water, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and puree until the mixture is smooth. Once done with the mixture stir in the red pepper flakes. Put some of the puree in a separate bowl for the sauce, and in a large size, bowl add the diced chicken and mix or toss to coat. Let it marinate in the refrigerator overnight or at least for 4 hours before grilling, this allows the puree to settle into the chicken breast.

If you plan on using wooden skewers remember to soak them for 30 minutes before placing them on the grill. On a medium temperature preheated grill, thread the cubed chicken on the skewers place the vegetables in between, and grill the kebabs until lightly charred and cooked through, place the skewer kebabs on a serving tray and let them rest for about 5 minutes.

Mix the yogurt and reserved puree add salt to taste, and baste each skewer if you like or serve the sauce separately. Serve and enjoy!

Image courtesy of Unsplash | Photographer: @alexbelogub

As far as I am concerned no summertime meal is complete without a delicious salad to accompany the main course.

AVOCADO SALAD

PREP TIME: 5-10 MINUTES

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

• Organic spring mixed (baby greens and lettuce)

• 4 or 5 organic avocados

• Cherry, grape, or full-size tomatoes

• Garlic

• Cilantro

• Cucumbers

• Red onions

• Extra virgin olive oil

• Red wine vinegar

Wash the outer avocados, be sure and dry them with a paper towel. Carefully slice center around the seed, then separate the avocado in half. Cut into cubes or slice into half-moons pieces.

Prepare the dressing in a separate bowl, mix the extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, cilantro, and garlic thoroughly. In a large bowl add the spring mix, tomatoes, cucumbers, and red onions, add the dressing and gently toss. Yum, Yum, you have a delicious side salad that will complement any main course.

I enjoy making fun tropical drinks. I love sipping on a delicious drink while relaxing on my lounge chair by the pool.

Image courtesy of Unsplash | Photographer: @alphabetania

VIRGIN GINGER LEMONADE

Image courtesy of Unsplash | Photographer: @dibaglin

PREP TIME: 5 MINUTES

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

• 4 or 5 lemons

• 1/3 cup of grated fresh ginger

• 1/3 cup of lemon juice (bottled kind)

• 1 1/2 cup of cold water

• 1/2 cup of chopped mint leaves

• 1/3 cup of Agave syrup or honey (optional)

Slice the lemons in circles or half-moons (I prefer half-moons) and let them sit.

Combine the chopped mint, ginger, and honey in a small or medium-sized bowl depending on how many people you plan on serving. Add boiling water and let steep for about 30 minutes. Strain into a measuring cup that is 4 cup size, press on the solids (I like to use the back of a fork), and extract the liquid. Add the lemon juice and cold water to measure 4 cups in total. Cover and refrigerate.

Fill each glass with ice cubes (I like to make lemonade ice cubes), pour the lemonade, and garnish with the mint leaves and lemon slices.

See, easy, peasy, lemon squeezy, so cheers and enjoy!

FOOD REVIEW

MANTRA INDIAN CUISINE AND BANQUET

I have my list of favorite international cuisines, by far Italian ranks number one, however, my number two is Indian. I stopped by my best girlfriend Nikki G’s house again, for our weekly meeting when she suggested that we go out for lunch. I was definitely here for it, and she was treating me. We decided to go to one of her favorite food spots in Temecula, Mantra Indian Cusine & Banquet. This restaurant is nestled in a strip mall sandwiched between various businesses and can be hard to miss if you are not looking for it. When we arrived my mouth was already watering and my stomach was growling in anticipation of the meal. We entered, and were greeted by the host, right off I noticed that the interior was quaint, with not too much decor, and traditional Indian music was playing, besides the decor, this restaurant was spacious, with center tables, and different types of booth seating. We were led to our booth, we were seated by the kitchen doors, and I must be honest I wasn’t too happy with that considering there were plenty of empty tables where we could have been seated. Our server was nice, he poured water into our glasses, and checked on us regularly as we studied the menu. The menu wasn’t too overwhelming with various dishes, so our food selection wouldn’t take long.

Image provided by DHMF Studios | Photographer: Di Marco

THE REVIEW

We placed our order, my meal consisted of curry shrimp with a side of basmati rice and garlic naan bread as my entree, but to get my taste bud started I ordered a samosa appetizer. Samosas are crispy patties filled with potatoes and peas. When the samosas arrived at our table, I eagerly picked up my butter knife and fork, I cut through the center without much effort as the crust was very soft, the exterior of the samosas was a nice golden brown, the crust was flaky, and not greasy. The potatoes and peas were nicely seasoned, and the texture of the potatoes and peas was soft, took the first bite without the table chutneys to allow my taste buds the experience of additional flavors, the potatoes and peas were very flavorful, and I could really taste the seasonings without it being too heavy. I decided to add the different chutneys, there was mint cilantro, chili garlic, and tamarind, these added a delicious balance of sweet, tangy, and spicy, and the flavors blended in nicely with the samosas. One word, yummy. Moving on to the main course, shrimp curry on a bed of basmati rice, I scooped up a spoonful of the basmati rice and was impressed at how the rice separated on the spoon and did not stick together with a soft and fluffy texture, topped off with parsley. Lastly, the shrimp curry. Right off the curry sauce looked wonderful, I could tell this sauce was kitchen-made and not from a jar, as I scooped up the sauce with my spoon it was thick and I could smell the sweet spices, the shrimp was the star of the sauce but the sauce was the showcase. The herbs gave the sauce definition, and the shrimp allowed for the flavors to infuse them. My tastebuds were taken on a flavorful ride with this curry dish and knew I had to take the garlic naan along too. The garlic naan was light, the garlic flavor complemented the cilantro nicely, and each air pocket was just the right amount of density. I happily scooped up any sauce left on my plate with this delicious naan. Well, with a full belly and a day full of gratitude I close with my cons of Mantra, I was not pleased about being seated next to the kitchen, but hey, I guess I am being a bit petty, but the food was very delicious. They have multiple locations in southern California, so check with Google for locations and hours of operations.

Image provided by DHMF Studios | Photographer: Di Marco

Samosa

Image provided by DHMF Studios | Photographer: Di Marco

Shrimp curry, basmati rice, and garlic naan bread

Image provided by DHMF Studios | Photographer: Di Marco

Shrimp curry on a bed of basmati rice

---

IMAGES COURTESY OF UNSPLASH | IMAGE PHOTOGRAPHERS:

Daniel Oberg, Alex Belogub, Tania Melnyczuk, Sheng Geng Lin, and lee myun seong

MANTRA INDIAN RESTAURANT IMAGES PROVIDED BY DHMF STUDIOS | PHOTOGRAPHER: DI MARCO

Images are used for illustration purposes only.

Image photographers and Unsplash are not affiliated with and do not endorse DHMICON.COM, its writers, or blogs.