Summer dishes using food storage.

In an earlier post, I mentioned how I have a really hard time getting excited with food storage because I love to cook fresh. Except for baking and the occasional pasta, I don't cook from the pantry much. This week I thought I would try to use some of my pantry items while taking advantage of the summer bounty.

Grilled Chicken and Hummus Salad. When I waitresses at an Italian restaurant in college, I sometimes maned the salad station. Since then I have made it a little hobby to see how closely I can replicate salads I've ordered in restaurants. This one is based on a fantastic salad at Big River Grille. It is greens tossed with a champagne vinaigrette, topped with grilled chicken and a huge dollop of homemade hummus. Sprinkled with Roma tomatoes and freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Served with warm pita bread. The only thing I didn't have for this was goat cheese.

Food Storage used - Champagne vinegar, Extra virgin olive oil, canned chickpeas.

Fourth of July Salad. I like something at BBQs other than just meat and chips. Though I really like the meat and chips. Any occasion when it is okay to eat a hamburger and a hot dog in one meal is okay by me.

Baby spinach, sliced strawberries, blueberries, chow mein noddles, sliced almonds, craisins, rotisserie chicken tossed with poppy seed dressing.

Food Storage used - Chow mein noodles, almonds, craisins, dressing.

Alaskan king crab with cheddar mashed potatoes. (Crab leftover from Father's day)

Food Storage used - potato pearls. - These are great because they are so creamy, you can pipe them onto the plate. I just used a sandwich bag and snipped the end.



Couscous with grilled vegetables. Grilled zucchini and yellow squash, rotisserie chicken, scallions & fresh basil, all tossed with a lemon vinaigrette. Feta and pinenuts would be great in this.

Food Storage used: lemon juice (I use fresh, but you can store it), olive oil, Dijon Mustard, Couscous. I love couscous. Stays forever in your pantry, cooks in 5 minutes. I use it with my weekly rotisserie chicken and whatever veggies are in the fridge. In the summer we grill every weekend and I always have Shane grill extra veggies to use during the week. Great to put over noddles or rice.

Lemon Vinaigrette
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
1/2 cup good olive oil
1 TBS Dijon Mustard
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, mustard, olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Naptime for the kids, lunch time for me.

Fresh peaches served with Greek yogurt and drizzled with honey. Would be great with toasted pecans.

Food storage used - Honey.

So there you go. My attempt for the week. I am still trying to get pumped about food storage, but I just think it is going to be baby steps for me. Now if only someone would come show me what to do with all this wheat I just bought....

Check out Lydia enjoying some of our summer bounty here.