Happy 4th of July, everyone! I actually have two days off (Sunday and Monday) before my opera workshop kicks into high gear. It's lovely to have a little bit of domestic time, cooking, tarting up the house with 4th of July decorations, flopping on the floor twenty times a day to play with the dogs. We're planning a fairly quiet celebration at home, but of course you know there's going to be good --- healthy! --- food. Here's my menu:
Grilled corn on the cob
Grilled zucchini, yellow squash, sweet onions, portabello mushrooms
Cole slaw (nonfat)!
Insalata caprese with multi-colored pear tomatoes and mini mozzarella balls
Red, White, and Blue Potato Salad (nonfat)!
Homemade Nonfat Peach Frozen Yogurt
Homemade Blueberry Pie (not low fat, due to the crust, but not much sugar)
As I type this, my husband is talking to his parents on Skype, describing our menu (which, as all things do, sounds so much more elegant in French. I can hear my mother-in-law exclaiming, "Ooh-la-la!" in response to the tarte aux bleuets. Yes, French people really do say "ooh-la-la"; however, my favorite exclamation shall always be "Oh, la vache!").
For the corn, I soak the whole cobb (husk and all) in cold water, then peel back the husk, leaving it attached, and rub with a little butter or olive oil mixed with herbes de provence, plain ol' salt and pepper, or a flavored salt (I have some yummy hickory salt; might try that this year). Then, just grill it til tender. Most of the husk gets burned off, and it's easy to shuck off what's left. Veggies get sliced , spritzed with olive oil, and salt and pepper before going on the grill. I like to melt just a sprinkling of shredded parmesan or mozzarella cheese on the mushrooms.
The cole slaw couldn't be easier. Mine is based on this recipe from FatFree Vegan Kitchen. I skipped the vegan mayo and just used my homemade nonfat Greek yogurt; substituted blood orange vinegar for the apple cider vinegar, and used a pinch of brown sugar instead of agave syrup (because I was out).I also chose dill --- wish I'd had fresh, but dried will do in a pinch. It's a very crunchy, slightly sweet slaw. I made it this afternoon so we'll see what it tastes like tomorrow, after the flavors have had time to marry.
I had hoped to make my Red, White, and Blue Potato Salad, which is always a big hit a 4th of July gatherings. I use fingerling potatoes in the above colors ; but I couldn't find them this year, so I'm just using red, and I'm also basing the recipe off this one from ILovenNapa.com; it sounds so refreshing!
This morning, I made my homemade Greek yogurt, and this evening I will get to work on the peach frozen yogurt. I've been wanting to make my own frozen yogurt for some time, so I can control the ingredients. I'm using this recipe from The Bay Area Bites website and I can't wait to try the peanut butter version --- but one batch at a time.
Eric is in charge of making pie crusts in this household. He makes fantastic pie crust, and I haven't the patience for it, especially when you can buy really good ones (even whole wheat ones!) at the grocery store. Still, his pie crusts are special --- so tender. It's worth the trouble for special occasions (and those are the only times I'd bake a pie, any more). Blueberry pie is one of the easiest things in the world to make. All you need is a lot of fresh or frozen berries, some lemon juice, and a little bit of sugar and corn starch. I'm basing mine off this recipe, which is originally from The Joy of Vegan Baking. I will probably use a little maple syrup instead of the sugar (and less than is called for, since we don't like our pastries to be super-sweet). I do like to sprinkle a little sugar on the top crust of the pie --- it's pretty, and it adds a burst of sweetness when you bite, so you don't need as much in the filling.
Those are the big plans! And Tuesday, after the feast, we kick off Spotlight on Opera Session II with a nice, hot, much-needed boot camp. I can't wait!
Have a great holiday, everyone.
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