Not my Grandma's Bean Salad

Don't get me wrong - I love my grandma's 5 bean salad. It's a classic and has been around for at least 100 years! But, I don't always have all the ingredients to make it! So, I use what I have on hand. Right now, in my garden, the beans are in full swing. I've got yellow beans, green beans, and long beans ripening. Also, the onions are filling out - not quite big enough to be a full size cooking onion, not small enough to use as a green onion, but oh, so sweet! They're perfect! Here's the bean salad recipe I came up with. 

Ingredients: 

1/2 cup fresh green beans

1/2 cup fresh yellow beans

1/2 cup fresh long beans

1/2 cup frozen edamame

1/2 cup diced red pepper

1/4 cup minced onion

1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil

1 Tbs seasoned rice vinegar

1 Tbs sugar

Directions: 

Bring a saucepan of water to boil. Cut the beans into 1 or 2 inch lengths. Place all the beans, together with the edamame into the boiling water. Cook for 2 minutes, until crisp tender. Drain. Make the dressing by mixing together the oil, vinegar and sugar. Add the beans and remaining vegetables to the dressing. Chill until serving. 

I like this best when it's been chilled overnight. It will keep several days in the refrigerator, if it lasts that long!

Stealthy Cooking Tip: This has my grandma's dressing spirit at the heart of it. Sure, I changed out her red wine vinegar for rice vinegar, and I may have lessened the sugar a bit. However, it's the memory that counts! Feel free to revise old family recipes to your liking. The important thing is to honor a memory!

Caprese Salad with Blackened Fish

Caprese salad represents pure summer to me. Fresh tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella! It's the height of summer here, which means that tomatoes are fresh off the vine every day. Whether you pick your tomatoes from your garden or pick them up at the store, you're sure to find they are extra tasty this time of year. This combination is a nice respite from the heat of summer. Enjoy!

Ingredients: 

2 cups young spinach leaves

1 cup grape tomatoes, halved if large

1/2 cup black or kalamata olives

1/2 cup mozzarella or feta cheese, broken or cut into small pieces

2 tsp balsamic dressing

2 pieces of fish cooked with blackening spices

Directions: 

Mix the spinach together with the tomatoes, olives and cheese. Toss with the balsamic dressing. Cook the fish (I used barramundi, a type of sea bass), then top the salad with the fish. Serve. 

Serves 2 

Stealthy Cooking Tip: Sometimes a salad is just what it takes when it's hot outside. This salad is substantial enough to fill you up, and light enough for a hot summer evening.