Breakfast is served. Grilled Pork with New Mexican Hatch Red Chile and Eggs

Thin sliced pork just off the grill sprinkled with Hatch Red Chile. I use the Hatch both during the grilling and after slicing for a really bold kick.

This is a tasty breakfast if you are really hungry.

Use the grilled pork and slice in to little cubes.

Cut a couple of toast points and then chop up a little more to soak up the egg yoke.

Add a bit of spinach and tomatoes to garnish.

Cold Au Gratin Potato Salad

I made some homemade au gratin potatoes and had leftovers. Usually I just reheat them but I thought I'd try something different. These are cold, so I took a few small pie slices and used them in a salad with some black bean and lentil mix, also cold. Mixed greens are a great go-to and they work both as a salad base or on an open-faced sandwich. The sandwich toppings can be anything you like. Sriracha and yellow mustard work perfectly on the sandwich, and tomato and feta are nice on the salad. My guess is that if you like potato salad, you're going to like either one of these.  Lightly toast your bread for a crispier base. All I had on hand was sourdough, but a nice alternative would be some delicious, nutty whole grain bread. You may decide to eat the cold au gratin potatoes all by themselves and that's good too. Salad and summer go together, and a cold serving of au gratins is a great escape from the heat.

Black Bean and Lentil Vegetable Soup with Blueberries

Add a little bright surprise to your black bean and lentil soup with some blueberries. I'm always looking for a way to switch things up with some of my standing favorites and this did the trick. Lots of other goodness went in to this soup including green tea which is another one of my special adds to many recipes. This is a tasting plate to make sure it was all working together. I made a huge pot of soup and have some more veggies to add today. I let it rest overnight, and as I mentioned in one other post, black beans put a dark cast on most ingredients, so I suggest adding these extras just before you are ready to serve. Cook them separately and then toss them in to keep the colors bright and fresh.
You can also use this as a sauce. I think it would be nice on pork loin. Freeze what you don't use and it's on hand for your next quick meal. Enjoy!

Mixed Greens and Tilapia Salad with Tomato Basil Mushroom Sauce

I don't eat much fish but I do like tilapia. It cooks quickly and it's flaky and tender. I pan poach it in a little unsalted butter and Meyer lemon. These are frozen in individual servings, so they steam in the moisture and it adds a little broth. Just before plating, I pull the mixed greens and spinach out of the fridge so it's crisp and cold. I had pre-chopped the tomatoes in a rough cut and the tomato basil mushroom sauce had been simmering for awhile. I chop the fresh mushrooms, about fifteen, in to semi-thin slices and let them sweat down in the pan before I add the tomato basil sauce. Don't drain them. It infuses extra mushroom flavor and keeps the sauce thin which makes for a nice topping. A large spoonful or two is good so the fish and greens are not overshadowed. The combinations is outstanding and gives each ingredient a chance to speak delicious.

I served this hot on cold, but it tastes just as nice when the ingredients are all cold. It just depends on what you like and perhaps the time of day you are serving. Also, the frozen fish is convenient, but if you buy fresh from the seafood counter, use it the same day for best results.

Summer Chicken Salad with Watermelon and Feta Dressing

I've been thinking about my mom a lot lately. She had so many people to feed every day, three times a day. There were eleven of us. Seven kids, and two grandmothers, plus mom and dad. Whew! In the summer it was frequently stuff on the grill for weekends with dad cooking, but most of it was on my mom. I don't like to cook much in the summer, it's just too hot to have an appetite, especially late in the season. I can't remember what mom prepared on a daily basis with all those mouths to feed. The grocery shopping alone was a feat. After years and years of doing it herself, she finally had groceries delivered by the local market. One thing I do remember is watermelon! Juicy, cool watermelon. After corn, I don't think there is anything that says summer like watermelon. This light salad, served two ways is perfect with chunky mash watermelon dressing. I added some red wine vinegar, some cranberry and pomegranate sauce I had in the freezer, a tad of lemon juice, a splash of orange juice, a little black pepper and some feta.