“In the summertime when the weather's high”

Wednesday, August 1, 2007

You can stretch right up and touch the sky,
When the weather's fine,
We go fishing or go swimming in the sea.
We're always happy,
Life's for living, yeah, that's our philosophy

Its amazing how my days are going by so fast…even if it means spending time lazing outside :o) Bhatji is back! And needless to say life has resumed itself as if he had never left. This also means that I am cooking again and busy spending time with him. It is super hot during the days but in the evenings you can catch me and Bhatji lounging in our balconies with a beer or lemonade. Ahh there’s nothing like lounging on your papasan, enjoying a warm evening breeze while the sun is setting. I am super excited because today Bhatji is making his famous turkey burgers and we are actually gonna grill outdoors! Of course I will blog this event so you won’t miss on the juicy recipe. Men get so excited when it comes to grilling and it will be interesting to see him cook something without any help from me :o)
Last night all Bhatji was craving was soup and salad. Basically one thing that I have noticed that the summer weather makes you crave lighter meals and cool drinks. So I made a very summer salad. Here are the ingredients I chose that will guarantee a perfect meal to enjoy out on your balcony.
Ingredients:
A Salad bag from your grocery store (Fresh express salads have lettuce, carrots and radishes)
1 medium cucumber thinly sliced (farmers market product)
1 small red onion cut thin and long
1 small banana pepper cut thin (farmers market product)
2 tbl spn of olive oil
1 tbl spn vinegar
1 can of garbanzo beans or red kidney beans
Parmesan cheese as needed to sprinkle on top
Salt and pepper to taste
And any dressing you like. I love the red vinaigrette and Bhatji loves Italian dressing

To Make:
In a big bowl mix all ingredients listed above except the banana pepper, cheese and dressing. One all the veggies blend well you serve the salad in a bowl. Add the banana pepper if you like some kick to your salad and sprinkle cheese according to taste. Finally add the dressing of your preference and enjoy.


You can also add pickled jalapeno or banana peppers for a sourish tinge but personally I prefer a spicy kick to my salad. It goes perfect with the sweet red vinaigrette. You can also throw a few pieces of apples and walnuts for a sweeter taste. There’s nothing like a sweet and tangy salad and a cold glass of beer or buttermilk to create a seamless summer evening. Until the next spicy blog entry…indulge in a perfect summer meal :o)