Summery Strawberry Watermelon Salad

Strawberry Watermelon Salad

🍓🍉🇺🇸 Strawberry Watermelon Salad 🍓🍉🇺🇸
Feta Cheese, Toasted Almonds, Balsamic Glaze

A fantastic seasonal Strawberry Watermelon Salad paired so well with our Memorial Day BBQ of grilled Tri-Tip au Jus and Corn on the Cob, it would be excellent on Flag Day or the 4th of July or really any day for a cookout this summer! ☀️

This salad was inspired by one of the dishes we enjoyed last month at Primal Steakhouse Las Vegas. It was quite a celebration at Primal where they set things on fire and employ lots of smoke in their cocktails and dishes. 🔥

Their Watermelon Salad was surpringly fresh and delightful, a perfect counterbalance to all the rich smoky foods including bone marrow shanks, bacony seared scallops, four cheese lobster mac, smoked NY steak, and more.

The service was super-fun and super-friendly. The themed atmosphere was charmingly mysterious and medieval. Guests are fully encouraged to unsheathe and pose with the assorment of swords from a coat of arms hanging on the wall, as well as take pics wearing helmets fashioned from the middle ages!

Themed restaurants unfortunately can vary widely in the quality of their food. This one impressed us by offering delicious upscale food and entertaining service, as well as a unique and memorable dining experience.

And while our dessert crème brûlée was set ablaze, the server handed me a heavy 4-foot-sword to heave into the air while all the folks in the dining room sang “happy birthday” and finished with “off with his head!”

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Dayboat Scallops with Coconut Lentils

Dayboat Scallops with Coconut Lentils

Dayboat Scallops with Coconut Lentils

The natural sweetness of the scallops, the rich creaminess of the coconut lentils, and the nutty chewiness of the brown basmati rice come together to create a colorful dish that is both sophisticated and comforting. Each component complements the others, resulting in a harmonious and delightful meal that is impressive and satisfying.

Day-boat scallops  are harvested from fishing trips that return to port the same day. This is key to their pure, unadulterated flavor as they do not need to be stored on ice at sea for extended periods. Additionally, they are not treated with sodium tripolyphosphate, a common preservative that can degrade the quality of scallops by making them waterlogged and altering their texture and flavor.

Dayboat Scallops with Coconut Lentils

Coconut Lentils are a flavorful and aromatic base for the scallops. The red lentils are cooked with coconut milk, which imparts a creamy texture and rich flavor. Turmeric brings warm, earthy flavors and a vibrant hue. Tomatoes, garlic, and onions add depth and savory notes, while lemon and ginger provide bright, zesty accents. Thinly sliced red chile adds the contrasting spicy element while mixed herbs contribute freshness and complexity to the dish.

Steamed Brown Basmati Rice accompanies the dish, providing a nutty flavor and chewy texture that pairs well with the creamy lentils and tender scallops.

Dayboat Scallops with Coconut Lentils Recipe

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No-Cook Mexican Corn Soup

No-Cook Mexican Corn Soup

🌽 No-Cook Mexican Corn Soup 🌽

Fresh Corn, Golden Tomatoes, Yellow Bell Pepper
Tortilla Strips, Avocado, Jalapeño, Pepitas
Mexican Crema, Cotija Cheese, Lime Juice, Cilantro

Well…  it’s a “no-cook” recipe, except for the tortilla strips. And I highly recommend frying your own tortillas. The toppings on this raw soup take it over the top – visually, texturally, and flavorfully. The chilled soup itself is refreshingly delicious but definitely don’t skimp on the garnishes.

Corn season in the United States typically runs from late spring to early fall, so we are at the start of another glorious corn extravaganza.

It’s at peak sweetness and flavor when freshly picked. After harvesting, the sugars in corn begin to convert to starches, which diminishes its sweetness and overall flavor. Fresh corn is also higher in moisture, for these reasons this tasty soup is best using only fresh picked corn.

The time it takes for fresh corn to get from the field to the supermarket can vary based on several factors, including the proximity of the farm to the market, the distribution process, and logistical efficiency. However, under typical conditions, fresh corn generally reaches the supermarket within 1 to 3 days after being picked. Once at the supermarket, the corn is typically stocked on shelves quickly to ensure freshness, usually within hours of arrival.

If you can get it from a local farm or farmers market, even better!

No-Cook Mexican Corn Soup

No-Cook Mexican Corn Soup Recipe

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Gochujang Sloppy Joes

Gochujang Sloppy Joes

Gochujang Sloppy Joes

In the early 70s, my high school cafeteria lunch was almost always a sloppy joe sandwich with a bag of Cheetos and a cold bottle of Coke. Diet Coke hadn’t been invented yet. And there was only one type of Cheetos, Crunchy. Baked Cheetos and Flamin’ Hot Cheetos would come later.

I also remember my mother making tasty sloppy joes for dinner with three ingredients: ground beef, ketchup, and mustard. No measuring, she just added ketchup and mustard to the browned beef. Served it on hamburger buns or white bread (it was Wonder, which helped build strong bodies 12 ways). 💪

It has been decades since I’ve had (or even wanted) a sloppy joe sandwich. But after coming across several intriguing sloppy joe recipes on the internet that included gochujang, I had to try my own version.

Now these Gochujang Sloppy Joes are much spicier and more complex than old-school style. Gochujang is a Korean red chili paste with sweet heat and a fermented umami richness. It has a balanced fruitiness, slight smokiness and depth of flavor from the sun-dried Korean red peppers. Gochugaru, also made from sun-dried red peppers, is a coarse-ground chili powder. Together, they give this messy sandwich its distinctive Korean spiciness.

Gochujang Sloppy Joes Recipe

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Duck and Sweet Potato Enmoladas

Duck and Sweet Potato Enmoladas

Duck and Sweet Potato Enmoladas
New Mexican Mole

Enmoladas are similar to the more familiar Mexican enchiladas, but with a mole sauce instead of a chile sauce. And where enchiladas are usually baked in the sauce as a casserole, enmoladas are usually stuffed with fillings, rolled, and plated then the sauce is ladled on top. The word enmolada translates to “covered in mole.”

The inspiration for this duck and sweet potato version comes from a menu item called Enmoladas de Pato at Sazón restaurant in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Sazón Santa Fe
Sazón Santa Fe

Originally from Mexico City, Chef Fernando Olea was named Best Chef Southwest 2022 by the James Beard Foundation for his unique interpretation of contemporary and traditional Mexican dishes.

Duck and Sweet Potato Enmoladas

The menu states that mole is a sauce of complex flavors that usually includes toasted and ground spices, seeds, nuts, chocolate and chile. Many mole recipes contain more than thirty ingredients and some recipes have five varieties of chile alone. Moles can be defined by their color such as rojo, verde, and negro; the town they are from such as Puebla, Oaxaca, Michoacan; and social class, such as pobres and ricos.

Not only does the Chef offer a tasting of his unique moles at the restaurant, he also sells them online so we can enjoy them at home!

Enmoladas Recipe

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