Yummy Summer Recipes

I love to cook- most of the time. This summer-time heat puts a little damper on my domestic aspirations in the kitchen, I must admit!

To keep our house from turning into an over-sized oven, I try to implement several habits during hot months.

First of all, I grill out doors a lot. We are blessed to have an electric grill, so this is truly a major time-saving step for me! Other perks are that grilled food is generally more healthy, AND it keeps the heat outside and NOT in my kitchen. :o)

Secondly, I used our crock pot a lot. This is a wonderful time-saver, too, and the heat generated is very minimal.

Thirdly, we eat more sandwiches, salads, and veggie trays in the summer. :o)

Per requests, here are the recipes for Homemade Beef Stroganoff, One Pot Pork & Rice, and Cucumber Salad. (The Stroganoff and cucumber salad are actually recipes in my new ebook, Meals for a Month, Volume 2, which is still in "the works". Consider this a sneak preview!)

Homemade Beef Stroganoff

½ lb ground beef
1 can diced mushrooms
½ C sliced onions
2 TBSP whole wheat pastry flour
1 C water
2 beef bullion cubes
1 TBSP cider vinegar
¼ tsp sea salt
dash pepper
1 C (8 oz) sour cream

Brown beef, onions and mushrooms in a skillet. Stir in flour; add water, bullion, vinegar, salt and pepper. Cook and stir for several minutes, until bullion dissolves. Stir in sour cream and cook until heated through (do not let boil). Serve over hot whole wheat noodles.

One-Pot Pork & Rice

This dish is not original to me, although I adapted it slightly to suite our family's taste. Here is the original recipe, as found in one of my Taste of Home recipe books.

6 boneless pork loin chops

2 tsp canola oil (I use extra virgin olive oil)

1 C uncooked long grain rice (I use brown rice)

1 large onion, sliced

1 large green pepper, sliced

1 envelope pork gravy mix (or make your own gravy using the drippings from the pork chops, flour, and milk)

1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained

1-1/2 C water

In a Dutch oven, brown pork chops in oil on both sides. Remove chops. Layer rice, onion, and green pepper in Dutch oven; top with pork chops. Combine the gravy mix, tomatoes and water; pour over chops. Cover; bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until meat juices run clear and rice is tender.

My variation is to prepare this dish in the crock pot, saving the extra heat from the stove. I prepared the ingredients according to the recipe, adding more water and using a slow cooker in place of the Dutch oven. I let it cook all afternoon- it was a simple but tasty meal!

Cucumber Salad

There are actually two easy variations of the recipe. The first is to peel and slice two whole cucumbers into a bowl. Add enough Italian dressing to coat the cukes and toss. Simple!

Secondly, (and this is my favorite) mix several TBSP Miracle Whip (or mayo, whichever you prefer) and 1 TBSP sugar cane crystals in a bowl. Add sliced cucumbers and toss.

Either way, this simple little dish is a refreshing treat on hot days and a nice break from a traditional salad. Our entire family enjoys this dish- Amy and Emily, neither of whom used to eat cucumbers, usually beg for seconds!

Any favorite summer-time recipes you'd care to share??? How do you keep your kitchen a pleasant haven during the hustle and bustle of these busy mid-year months?