Cucumbers + Onions + Vinegar = SUMMER

Nothing says summer to me more than the good old Cucumber and Onion Salad. Growing up, we always had a bowl of this in the fridge-white onions, Kirby cucumbers, vinegar, water, salt and a bit of dill. My mom would write it on the grocery list as "cucs -n- onions"-that way she knew all the ingredients she needed for the dish. Today, there is a Tupperware container that sits in my fridge- nearly all summer long- that is full of the same ingredients. I simply replenish each ingredient as needed. (Don't worry-I wash out the container once in a while, too.)

When I make these, I emphasize the vinegar. That's right-the more vinegar, the better. I love the sour/bitter taste it leaves when the first drop hits my tongue. I know, I know....some of you will say it tastes sour, some will say bitter and some will say it just tastes---vinegar-y.

A normal ratio would be 2-3 parts water to 1 part vinegar, but I prefer mostly vinegar with a large splash of water. Now I know that there are no quantities listed-and that is for a reason. For this salad, you go by taste-not measurement-to get the flavor you are looking for to make it refreshing on a hot summer day. Trust yourself. You can't screw this up-I promise!

Cucs -n- Onions
English Cucumbers-washed, peeled and sliced into thin rounds
White Onion-sliced in rings or crescent shapes
Fresh Dill
White Vinegar
Salt to taste
Water

Many people ask "what about sugar?". Yes, many recipes for this type of salad call for sugar. Truth be told-its not needed. One quick way to eliminate added sugar from your calories! This salad is so light, cool, thirst quenching--not to mention filling!

There is so much to know about vinegar-there are so many types-balsamic,red wine, white wine, champagne, sherry, rice, apple cider, malt, fruit infused, etc. My favorite right now is white balsamic vinegar. Try drizzling it over salads mostly with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper.

The folks over at the Vinegar Institute are serious about their calling. This site gives more information about vinegar-uses, recipes, FAQ's and an excellent overview of market trends with regard to sales and consumption of vinegar (if you're into that kind of stuff). It's actually a professional organization with members from around the world. Check it out in your spare time.

What says summer to you besides the old stand-bys of watermelon, sweet corn, home grown tomatoes and fresh picked blueberries? Would love to see what food memories summer conjures up for you!

Fire Up the Grill! 5 Minute Marinades for Summer

In the past week, I've been treated to two delicious-I-didn't-have-to-do-a-thing-home-cooked meals. Lucky me!

Both meals contained marinated and grilled meat. Since grilling season is upon us, I thought that two, basic marinade recipes to keep in our back pockets were in order. There is truly no need to buy pre-made marinades. Have you looked at the label on those? Check out the added sugars and salt the next time you pick one of those bottles and throw it into your cart. If you watch your salt and sugar intake, this is a great place for those ingredients to hide. Many people have no realization that these ingredients are added in large quantities at times. Same goes for salad dressings. All I'm saying is that it's SIMPLE and FAST to make your own marinade and odds are that you have many, if not all, of the ingredients at home right now! We're talking less than 5 minutes to whip these up.



Grilled Pork Tenderloin Marinade (2 loins)
1/4 c low sodium soy sauce
1/4 c bourbon or whiskey
2 T brown sugar
Whisk together and allow to marinade for at least 2 hours in the fridge.


Grilled Flank Steak Marinade (2 1/4 pounds of steak)
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup olive oil
4 1/2 T honey
6 large garlic cloves, minced
3 T chopped fresh rosemary or 1 T dried
1 1/2 T coarsely ground pepper
1 1/2 t salt
Whisk together and allow meat to marinate for 2 hours in the fridge.

This particular recipe is on www.epicurious.com, but was actually created by Chef Richard Chamberlain of Chamberlain's Steak and Chop house in Dallas.

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup olive oil

4 1/2 tablespoons honey

6 large garlic cloves, minced

3 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary or 1 tablespoon dried

1 1/2 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Grilled-Flank-Steak-with-Rosemary-731#ixzz0mMrSHZAN

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup olive oil

4 1/2 tablespoons honey

6 large garlic cloves, minced

3 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary or 1 tablespoon dried

1 1/2 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Grilled-Flank-Steak-with-Rosemary-731#ixzz0mMrSHZAN

Yep, that's it!

It's easy to make homemade salad dressings, too. I love to do a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil with a good splash of red wine vinegar directly onto my salad. Add freshly ground pepper and a pinch of salt and toss. Any flavored vinegar will work-my newest addiction is white balsamic vinegar.

Tell me your favorite homemade marinades and salad dressings!

Many thanks to Cari and Rachelle for sharing their recipes with me! And, thanks for dinner!

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup olive oil

4 1/2 tablespoons honey

6 large garlic cloves, minced

3 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary or 1 tablespoon dried

1 1/2 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Grilled-Flank-Steak-with-Rosemary-731#ixzz0mMoZp0kc

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup olive oil

4 1/2 tablespoons honey

6 large garlic cloves, minced

3 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary or 1 tablespoon dried

1 1/2 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Grilled-Flank-Steak-with-Rosemary-731#ixzz0mMoZp0kc