Blueberry and cherry pie

My favorite part of summer? Fresh fruit galore!

I've been stocking up on fresh cherries because well, I love them! And what better to do the other day when it started pouring down outside and I couldn't enjoy my Sunday? Yes, you guessed it right: Ch-ch-ch-cherry pie! And since I had a few leftover blueberries that were threateneing to go bad, I decided to use them up in a beautiful sweet pie!

Here's how I did it.



INGREDIENTS:
- 2 cups of fresh blueberries
- 2 cups of fresh cherries, stemmed and pitted
- zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 pie crust (click here for a recipe)
- a small piece of butter and a pinch of flour to grease and dredge the dish (not pictured)


RECIPE:
- preheat your oven at 375F
- Pit and stem the cherries, and mix them with the blueberries, lemon zest, juice, cornstarch and sugar and let rest at room temperature until ready to use

- grease the pie dish with butter and dredge with flour, then roll out the pie crust thinly (about 1/8") and place gently in the center of the dish

- scoop the pie filling in the center of the crust and trim the extra dough

- if you are feeling artistic, feel free to use the dough trimmings to decorate your pie

- bake the pie at 375F for about 45 minutes, or until the dough is just golden and the filling is cooked and bubbly

- this delicious fruity, summery and juicy cherry-blueberry pie is best enjoyed warm with a dollop of sour cream or vanilla ice-cream!

Tuna melt

There are days when you just do not have what it takes to cook a full-on meal. You just want something quick and simple, but the fridge and freezer are empty, and the pantry is not too far behind… Today was such a day for me.

Here's a super easy recipe for a tuna melt sandwich that will use those last slices of bread you forgot you had in the bottom of the freezer, the last pickle in the jar and that lonely tuna can.

Enjoy!



INGREDIENTS (for 2 medium sized sandwiches):
- 1x 5oz can of tuna in the brine, very well drained (don't hesitate to squeeze really hard, you do not want any liquid in the tuna salad)
- 4 small slices of bread (I used whole wheat with lots of grains)
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup freshly grated sharp cheddar
- optional: 1/2 sour pickle (or capers if you like)
- 1 tbsp butter or olive oil for frying (not pictured)


RECIPE:
- prepare the tuna salad: mix the tuna, mayonnaise, diced pickle, salt and pepper

Note: you can actually stop right there and enjoy a freshly prepared homemade tuna salad. Great as is, but fantastic with avocado, spread on crispy baguette or as a dip for crackers
- spread the tuna salad on two of the bread slices, top with cheese and finish with the two other bread slices

- in a little butter or olive oil, fry the sandwiches over very low heat until golden brown (about 2-3 minutes per side)

- enjoy!

Garlic and basil pattypan squash stir-fry

There is nothing simpler than this delicious pattypan squash stir-fry! Fresh seasonal ingredients and literally 12 minutes from cutting board to belly.

Try it and let me know how you liked it!



INGREDIENTS (2 people as main vegetarian dish, 4 people as small side):
- 2 lbs assorted summer squash (I used a mix of pattypan squash and round zucchini)
- 1 handful of fresh basil leaves
- 1 large garlic clove
- 2-3 tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste


RECIPE:
- dice the squash into bite-sized cubes, crush the garlic clove and chop the basil leaves

- in a large pan, infuse the olive oil with the garlic clove and a basil bloom (if you have one on hand, otherwise just a few strips of chopped basil will do) over very low heat, then remove the golden garlic and either reserve for service or discard

- saute the diced squash in the infused olive oil over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, then add salt and pepper to taste as well as the basil leaves and cook over medium heat for another 5 minutes, or until the squash is cooked to your liking (I like mine quite al dente)

- serve hot, room temperature or cold as a main vegan dish, along with some rice or quinoa, as a side to grilled pork, chicken, tuna or swordfish (that's how I ate mine). The leftovers are delicious as a cold salad with a splash of balsamic vinegar, or just as a snack on toast!
- Enjoy!

Pea tendrils, raw kohlrabi, chioggia beets and goat cheese salad

This recipe was born yesterday morning after I hauled a ton of veggies from a local farmers market. Simple as that. I found myself with a bag of pea tendrils (never tried them before), two kohlrabis (50 cents apiece) and a bunch of beets, which until I sliced them open that same evening I thought were plain red (my inner food dork was hella happy). I started thinking of a dish as soon as I was back on my bike and on my way home, and this is what I came up with.

Hope you'll enjoy!



INGREDIENTS (for 2 people):
- 1/2 bag of pea tendrils (about 2 cups)
- 1 raw kohlrabi
- 1 cooked chioggia beet (any beet will do)
- about a 1 inch slice of fresh goat cheese (the recipe can be adapted to a vegan diet by leaving out the goat cheese)
- 1 tsp honey
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper


RECIPE:
- peel and slice the kohlrabi and beet very finely using a mandolin

- prepare the dressing: mix the salt, pepper, honey, vinegar and oil
- place the sliced roots on a bed of pea tendrils, sprinkle the crumbled goat cheese and drizzle the dressing over the salad
- enjoy!

Refreshing shrimp, grapefruit and millet salad

This very refreshing shrimp, grapefruit and millet salad is absolutely perfect for hot, sunny days.

Not much to say about it, except it is very easy to make, wallet friendly and super healthy! If you do not like shrimp, you can absolutely replace the protein source by grilled chicken, tofu or grilled tempeh, or even roasted chickpeas.

This recipe can be adapted to a vegan diet.

Here is how you can make it too!



INGREDIENTS (4-6 people):
for the salad:
- 2 cups of millet
- about 1/2 lbs frozen raw shrimp (you can also use fresh, or already cooked shrimp, I just happened to have frozen raw shrimp at hand)
- 1 pink grapefruit
- 1 bunch of scallions
- 1 heart of romaine lettuce
- 1 bunch of radishes
- 1 large carrot


for the dressing:
- 1 tbsp raw granulated sugar (you can use brown sugar)
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tsp sesame oil (plus extra olive oil if you find it too lean, but I liked mine like that)
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 inch of grated fresh ginger
- 1 clove of garlic, grated
- 1 tsp sesame seeds



RECIPE:
- cook the millet according to the package instructions and let cool until ready to use

- while the cooked millet cools to room temperature, prep all your veggies and fruits: slice the radishes, chop the romaine and green onions, julienne the carrot and pare the grapefruit segments

- bring about 1-2 cups of salted water to a boil in a skillet and boil the shrimp until cooked through (about 3-4 minutes), drain and peel the shrimp until ready to use

Note: you can cool the cooked shrimp faster in a bowl of water with ice cubes
- prepare the dressing: mix all the ingredients and set aside until ready to use

- when the millet and shrimp are cooled, assemble the salad in a large bowl and drizzle the dressing on top

Note: take a good look at this serving bowl guys, because the next day I broke it into a million pieces! This is the last time you will ever see this beauty :(
- enjoy!