Cucumber & Tomato with Bruschetta – the perfect summer time appetizer!
Everyone loves tomato and basil bruschetta and recently I decided to mix things up a bit. The typical recipe includes red onion, which can be too overwhelming during a party. So for my last batch, I replaced it with an English Cucumber and it was the hit of the party!
I also used red wine vinegar, instead of balsamic to keep the flavors zippy and light. When entertaining, I serve the tomato mixture in bowl, next to the bruschetta. This allows guests to pile on as much as they want, or very little.
Most recipes for bruschetta have you baking the bread in the oven. I love to fry mine in a mixture of olive oil and butter. My father-in-law goes crazy for my bruschetta and it’s because it’s crunchy, yet soft. It does take a bit more time, but it’s worth it. When serving this on our boat, I make it ahead of time at home, as we don’t have the space to fry the bread.
Enjoy!
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Cucumber & Tomato with Grilled Bruschetta
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This is a twist to the traditional Italian recipe for bruschetta. Adding cucumber gives it freshness, perfect for a hot summer day. I made this and the grilled bruschetta for my family last weekend and it was a huge hit!
Instructions
Grilled Bruschetta
In a small bowl, melt the butter and mix with the olive oil. Add red pepper flakes, garlic salt and ground pepper. Heat skillet to medium high heat – watch your heat as you go, as to not scorch your bread.
Using a basting brush, slather both sides of the bread with the olive oil mixture and fry until golden on both sides. Remove with tongs onto a plate with paper towels to absorb the excess oil. If not serving immediately, allow to cool and then cover with plastic wrap until ready to serve.
Cucumber & Tomato
In a medium bowl, mix olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper. Add cucumber, tomato and chopped fresh basil. Toss gently to mix. Serve within an hour.
Antipasto Chicken Salad for a Hungry Crowd
This antipasto chicken salad recipe is perfect has a meal and it’s very easy to make. I make this recipe all year round, not just during the summer. You can add more meat to it for a heartier dish and serve it with warm crunchy bread for the perfect meal.
When Scott and I first bought our boat Kokomo, I didn’t think we would prepare that many meals on board. But once we fell in love with being at our marina, enjoying the views of DT Seattle, I love to eat on board. The biggest challenge I have is working in a small space with not a lot of counter space. With that said, I buy ingredients that are already cooked or prepared when I make meals on our boat.
In this recipe, I will either pre-make the chicken at home or buy cooked chicken from the deli at Safeway. You could also use a rotisserie chicken too. Enjoy!
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Antipasto Chicken Salad
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This hearty salad is perfect for a hungry dinner crowd. Buy cooked chicken from the grocery store deli, add crunchy bread and you have dinner prepared!
Ingredients
Italian Vinaigrette Dressing
Ingredients
Italian Vinaigrette Dressing
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Instructions
Whisk the vinaigrette dressing ingredients until blended together. When ready to serve, toss salad ingredients with dressing (use as little or as much to your taste). Serve immediately with a warm baguette.
Hearty Beef Stew with Mushrooms, Carrots and Potatoes
It’s finally winter and who doesn’t love beef stew? This recipe is set up to make in an oven, but you can easily make it on a stove top using a Dutch oven. You don’t have to spend a lot of money on an expensive Dutch oven. I bought my Martha Stewart Enameled Cast Iron 6 qt. Round Casserole
Dutch Oven for just $99. Simply keep it at a simmer, stir often and be sure to check on it regularly.
Whether you have been boating all day or working outside in the yard, there’s nothing more comforting than a bowl of hot stew with tender beef. I recently served this for one of my dinner parties, with homemade artisan bread and it was a huge hit! Enjoy!
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Hearty Beef Stew with Mushrooms, Carrots and Potatoes
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This hearty stew is elegant enough to serve at your finest dinner parties or for your hungry boating crowd. Give yourself at least three hours to cook it for the ideal taste and tenderness.
Instructions
Pre-heat oven to 300º. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in Dutch oven on medium high. Cook bacon until crisp and remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel covered plate. Cut chuck roast into 2" pieces. Season beef with salt and pepper. Brown beef on all sides, then remove from pot and set aside with bacon.
Add remaining olive oil to Dutch oven and add onion. Cook for about 5 minutes until tender. Add garlic cloves, beef and bacon to the pot. Add thyme, bay leaves and red wine, cooking for about 5 minutes. Add beef stock and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and place pot in oven. Cook for 2 hours and check regularly. Add more broth if needed.
Add carrots, mushrooms and potatoes to beef stew and continue cooking in oven for 1 hour or until potatoes are tender. Remove from oven and return pot to stovetop. Remove thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Heat pot to a simmer. Add water to corn starch and add to beef stew to thicken. Stir gently. If it thickens too much, simply add a bit more stock. Serve with warm artisan bread.
Italian vegetable noodle soup is one of my all time favorite soups. I’m one of the strange people who love soup all year round. Scott only likes it in cold weather and I was glad that the nights are finally getting cooler so I could make up a big pot of goodness.
Most soups require an all day simmer and lots of salt. Luckily, this soup is very easy and super flavorful. In fact, you can add your own favorite ingredients and it would be just as good. It’s also really easy to prepare on a boat, with only two pots.
This soup would also pair great with our Antipasto Chicken Salad recipe for a heartier meal.
Enjoy!
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Italian Vegetable & Noodle Soup
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This hearty comfort food soup is very easy to make on a boat and is a definite crowd pleaser!
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped Checkout my chopper recommendation on our Boat Gear & Gadgets page
- 1 medium carrot, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic cloves, minced
- 5 oz European bacon or pancetta, chopped You can find European bacon in the butcher section, or you can use thick bacon
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp fresh ground pepper
- 1 12 oz can diced tomatoes with garlic & olive oil
- 1/2 tsp thyme, dried
- 1/2 tsp summer savory, dried
- 1/2 tsp oregano, dried
- 4 cups kale, no stems chopped I buy bags of chopped kale, but be sure to pick through it and remove stems
- 1 12oz can white kidney beans, drained (cannellini beans)
- 5-6 cups chicken broth this varies depending on how liquid you want your soup to be
- 8 oz ditalini pasta, cooked
- 1/4 cup shreeded parmesan cheese
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped Checkout my chopper recommendation on our Boat Gear & Gadgets page
- 1 medium carrot, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic cloves, minced
- 5 oz European bacon or pancetta, chopped You can find European bacon in the butcher section, or you can use thick bacon
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp fresh ground pepper
- 1 12 oz can diced tomatoes with garlic & olive oil
- 1/2 tsp thyme, dried
- 1/2 tsp summer savory, dried
- 1/2 tsp oregano, dried
- 4 cups kale, no stems chopped I buy bags of chopped kale, but be sure to pick through it and remove stems
- 1 12oz can white kidney beans, drained (cannellini beans)
- 5-6 cups chicken broth this varies depending on how liquid you want your soup to be
- 8 oz ditalini pasta, cooked
- 1/4 cup shreeded parmesan cheese
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Instructions
Heat olive oil in a large stock pot and add onion, carrot and garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes until tender. See my note below about my vegetable chopper.
Chop the European bacon and add to the pot. Again, you can find European bacon in the butcher section - it's a bit more smokey than regular bacon. If you can't find that, you can use pancetta or bacon, just make sure they are thick sliced. Cook bacon for about 5-7 minutes until slightly crispy. Season with salt and pepper.
Add diced tomatoes, thyme, summer savory, oregano and kale. I buy bags of chopped kale, but be sure to pick through the kale and remove any stems. Cook for about 3-5 minutes.
Add kidney beans and chicken broth. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook for about 35 minutes. Add cooked ditalini pasta and simmer for 2 minutes. Top with shredded parmesan cheese and serve with crusty bread.
Pasta with Chicken, Kale & Mushrooms
Pasta, chicken, kale, mushrooms and whatever else is in the fridge. The other day I found a recipe for chicken soup with mushrooms. It sounded delicious and I was planning on making it. However, Scott only eats soup on a cold blustery day (yes, this is true!) and it happened to be a nice sunny day.
I’m not one to waste ingredients, so I wondered, what else could I make? I’ve been trying to use up tons of my veggies in the fridge and so I decided to whip up a quick pasta! This is so easy and filling. You can easily make it on the boat for a crowd! Enjoy!
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Pasta with Chicken, Kale & Mushrooms
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There is a lot more in this pasta than chicken, kale and mushrooms. In fact, you could add any of your favorite veggies too! This is a very rich and hearty dish, perfect for cold boating season.
Instructions
Cook pasta according to the directions, drain and set aside.
In a large skillet, heat olive oil and add onions and mushrooms. Saute' until tender, about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic, bacon and kale. Season with Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Add chicken stock and simmer for about 5 minutes. Add whipping cream and chicken and blend well. Cook for another 5 minutes until thickened. To make the sauce thicker, in a small bowl, whisk corn starch with 2 tbsp. of water and add to skillet. Add cooked pasta to the mixture and mix in parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.
Dutch Oven for just $99. Simply keep it at a simmer, stir often and be sure to check on it regularly.
, especially on our boat. No mess, easy cleanup and super easy to use!
