Grilled Peach, Chicken, and Goat Cheese Salad

I have a confession to make...I am addicted to peaches. I've been devouring about 5 pounds a week by myself. I've been eating them in my fruit salads, broiling them and topping them with vanilla cinnamon sugar (aka my daily dessert), raw (duh), and now grilled. No matter what, peaches are my summer candy (that is, until I grab a bag of cherries, my all time fave).

I love the idea of including fruit in my salad, and thought I would take advantage of the fact that I have so many peaches in my fridge. I remember seeing the original recipe on Eat Live Run about a year ago, and was stoked that I had nearly all the ingredients on hand. I substituted toasted pine nuts for toasted hazelnuts (yes, I slightly over toasted them...oops), and regular balsamic vinegar for white balsamic. I think I may have a thing now for balsamic vinegar and peaches. The pairing just works!

The end result was wonderfully simple and delicious, just how all summer dishes should be. The only thing missing was a chilled glass of white wine...mmm.

As usual, I will be submitting this salad to Souper (Soup, Salad and Sammies) Sunday at Kahakai Kitchen!

Grilled Peach, Chicken, and Goat Cheese Salad

Ingredients

Dressing

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon honey

Pinch of salt

Roughly 8 cups greens of choice (I used arugula, also my fave)

2 yellow peaches, slightly firm to the touch

1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

1 cup cooked chicken, shredded

2 ounces fresh goat cheese

Directions

First, make the dressing. Whisk together the ingredients and set aside while you prep the rest of the salad.

Preheat your grill to medium/high heat.

Slice peaches in half and discard pit. Place peaches, cut side down, on a preheated grill. Close the lid and grill about five minutes, checking occasionally. Alternately, you could broil them for the same amount of time. You want the peaches to soften and get char marks across the bottom. Remove peaches and thinly slice.

To assemble salads, divide greens into two bowls. Top greens with chicken, goat cheese, pine nuts and peaches. Drizzle dressing over the top and toss.

Recipe Source: adapted from Eat Live Run

Gnocchi Mac 'n Cheese

 

I am very particular when it comes to macaroni and cheese for a number of reasons. For starters, my mom's recipe will always be the best (I should really blog about it!), I never put bread crumbs on top, as I prefer the crunch to come from the top layer of cheese and pasta, and I usually find the addition of a béchamel sauce to my mac 'n cheese too floury. You may be surprised to learn that the recipe I'm sharing with you today has both panko bread crumbs on top and a béchamel sauce, and it is to die for.

This is what I would like to call mac 'n cheese for grown ups. Full of stinky cheese, Dijon mustard, and herbed panko, it is ridiculously tasty. Bon appétit!

Gnocchi Mac 'n Cheese

Ingredients

1 lb. store-bought gnocchi (or you can make your own)

2 tablespoons butter

2 teaspoons garlic, pressed (about 2 cloves)

1 tablespoon flour

1 cup milk (I used 2%)

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/2 cup grated Gruyere*

1/2 cup grated Parmesan*

1/4 cup to 1/3 of a cup herbed panko bread crumbs, depending on what cheese to crumb ratio you desire (my panko was plain, I added a pinch or two of Italian Seasoning)

Salt and pepper to taste 

Directions

Preheat oven to 375F

Place gnocchi in a pot of boiling salted water and cook until they float to the surface, just a couple of minutes. Drain and place in a single layer in a 1 1/2 quart shallow baking dish that has been sprayed with nonstick spray.

Next, prepare the béchamel. Melt the butter in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Stir in garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Next, whisk in the flour until it thickens and bubbles, then whisk in milk and Dijon. Continue to whisk the mixture until slightly thickened, about 3-5 minutes. Combine the Gruyere and Parmesan, and reserve 1/3 cup for the topping. Add remaining 2/3 cup cheese by the handful to the milk mixture, stirring until melted before adding more. Once all the cheese is melted, taste the sauce, and season with salt and pepper. Pour the sauce over the gnocchi.

In a small bowl, combine remaining 1/3 cup cheese and panko. Sprinkle evenly over the gnocchi. 

Bake the gnocchi until they puff and the cheese is golden and bubbly, about 25 minutes. Let the gnocchi rest before serving.

*The original recipe called for 1/3 cup each of Gruyere, Fontina, and Parmesan. I only had Parmesan and Gruyere, and rarely have all three at a time, but if you do, go for it! 

Recipe Source: adapted from Deliciously Declassified

Crispy Parmesan Zucchini Fries with Sriracha Lime Mayo

Unlike many people, I have zero problem eating my veggies. In fact, I could totally be a vegetarian if it weren't for my love of bacon. Mmm...bacon.

I bought a fair amount of zucchini at Findlay Market about two weeks ago, and still had some that needed to be cooked. I already used some of my loot in pasta, and though I've been wanting to try using it in baked goods, I ultimately just wanted something savory and simple. These fries fit the bill perfectly. They're ultra crisp and the smell of zucchini and Parmesan baking in my oven was absolutely intoxicating. The sriracha lime mayo was also a nice touch, and great for dunking, though I bet ranch would be tasty as well. I urge all of you, veggie lovers and haters, to make these immediately! You'll love them! 

Crispy Parmesan Zucchini Fries with Sriracha Lime Mayo

Ingredients

Fries

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 large egg
1 tablespoon water

1 cup Panko breadcrumbs

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 lb zucchini (about 1 medium)

Mayo

3 tablespoons mayo

1 1/2 teaspoons sriracha sauce 

1 teaspoon lime juice

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place a wire rack in the baking sheet.

Add the flour to a resealable plastic bag. Combine the egg and water together in a shallow dish, and beat lightly with a fork. In a second shallow dish, mix together the Panko, Parmesan, salt, garlic powder and cayenne pepper.

Slice the top and bottom off the zucchini. Cut the zucchini in half, then continue cutting in half again and again.

Add the zucchini to the resealable bag containing the flour. Shake to coat them evenly. Working with one fry at a time, shake the excess flour off, then dip in the egg mixture and dredge in the Panko mixture, pressing to coat completely. Place the fries on the wire rack. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the coating is golden brown and crisp.

While the fries bake, make the sriracha lime mayo by adding all of the ingredients to a small bowl and stirring to combine. 

Serve the fries with the mayo. These are best served immediately.

Recipe Source: as seen on Tracey's Culinary Adventures, who adapted it from here and here.