Over the weekend, I was finally able to read the latest issue of Body + Soul, by far my favorite magazine. This month features a collection of “25 Fast & Healthy Recipes” that are pared down to their basic ingredients & simplest instructions – basically, exactly what I want in a recipe. I never bother trying to make anything with a long list of odd ingredients I don’t have or several paragraphs of instruction. You shouldn’t need to work so hard to get delicious food, & as this lovely feature shows, you don’t have to!

Yesterday, I was busy with personal issues (I do detest that we are a nation dependent on automobiles), & was therefore unable to write, & so in lieu of the usual Monday cooking feature, enjoy this. I’m going to try nearly every recipe!

Believe it or not, ice cream is actually quite easy to make, although an ice cream maker is a definite plus. They sell them at Target for as inexpensive as $30, but you can also make pretty decent ice cream without a machine as well.

Since I haven’t made a lot of it myself, I thought I’d use this week’s entry in easy summer cooking as an index for ice cream recipes from around the internets!

» To begin, here’s a super simple Nutella Ice Cream recipe. You need just two ingredients: nutella & evaporated milk!

» Martha Stewart Living has a collection of recipes, including how to make Neapolitan & Pistachio varieties. Here, too, are some tips & tricks to get the perfect batch.

» Whole Food’s Vanilla Coconut Milk Ice Cream is dairy- & gluten-free, & seems to be quite simple to modify. They suggest adding peaches or strawberries, but I think you could easily add chocolate chunks, nuts, or swap the vanilla extract for mint. Since I try to avoid dairy, this is the recipe I’d most like to try.

» Come fall, definitely try this recipe: Apple Cider Ice Cream. Sounds a bit complicated, but if it’s as good as it claims, it’d be totally worth it.

» Emeril’s Homemade Dulce de Leche Ice Cream has just five ingredients, & sounds simply divine.

» Another from Emeril, for the gourmet in all of us: Blue Cheese & Pear Ice Cream.

» Here’s a straightforward & easy recipe for Chocolate Ice Cream, courtesy of the Food Network.

» Peanut Butter Ice Cream is one of my favorite varieties, especially if you throw a bit of hot fudge on top.

» Fresh Strawberry Ice Cream for the minimalist, with only four ingredients. I don’t think it gets much more simple than that!

» I’ve had Lavender Ice Cream in the past, & it delicious. The flavors are so subtle, & just, mmm. So good.

» For all you raw fans out there, Whole Foods has a recipe for Raw Banana Ice Cream that sounds so good I might have to try it! It’s dairy- & gluten-free, vegetarian, & raw!

» Here’s something to try the next time you break out the waffle iron: Maple Ice Cream. Just make sure you don’t use the imitation chock full o’corn syrup variety.

» Alton Brown has a recipe for Serious Vanilla Ice Cream, which includes peach preserves!

» Not Eating Out in New York has a recipe for Carrot Curry Ice Cream. Care for an Asian spin on your favorite summertime treat?

» Finally, Food Network has an easy recipe to create Ice Cream Cake with what you’ve made! Enjoy!

Mmm; chips & salsa. So good, so easy, & yet it can be so costly! When it comes to chips, you have two options: get a bag of high-quality tortilla chips from your local store (I enjoy the blue corn chips, myself), or you can enjoy freshly made chips very easily!!

What you need*:
» Large pan for frying
» Bowl
» Paper towels
» Tongs

For the chips:
» 1 package corn tortillas, usually available near the cheese.
» oil of your choice (corn, vegetable, or canola works best!)
» salt

For the salsa:
» 2 large tomatoes, diced (the juiciest varieties are best – I like using Romas)
» 1 small red onion (or your favorite variety), diced
» 1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
» 1 teaspoon salt
» 1 small jalapeno, diced, if desired

How to do it:
» Make the salsa first by combining all ingredients in a large bowl. Set in the fridge so all the juices & flavors mix together.

» Cut the tortillas into chips; you can get 6-8 chips from one tortilla.

» Using a large pan or electric fryer, heat 3-4 inches of oil. Place tortilla slices in oil a few at a time (depending upon size of pan), turning with tongs. They’ll be done in one or two minutes – don’t let them burn!

» Place tortillas on paper towels to dry. Keep them warm in your oven once dry!

*Other options include swapping out cilantro for fresh peaches, pineapple, raspberries, or mango, if you’d like! You can also add a clove or two or garlic if that’s your thing. Try it & see!

Lemonade is easy, cheap, & oh-so-good. And, believe it or not, very easy to modify! The basic recipe is one my mom came up with, & I’ve yet to hear complaints about it.

Lemonade Basic Recipe:
2 quarts water
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup lemon juice, either fresh or from concentrate

Mix together in a half-gallon pitcher of water until dissolved. Enjoy!!

Switching it up:
Raspberry, Blueberry, or Strawberry Lemonade: thaw about a half package of frozen berries (5 oz), & toss it into your pitcher. Add a bit more sugar as needed. If you want to use fresh berries, crush a few cups in a large bowl, toss two tablespoons of sugar on top, & let sit for an hour before adding to lemonade.

Passion Tea Lemonade: the incredibly refreshing, very popular Starbucks variety, now available at home! See the archived post for all the details.

Bing Cherry Lemonade: heat the cup of sugar & one cup of water on your stove until the sugar dissolves. Add one cup pitted bing cherries & bring to a boil until the cherries begin to soften, about 2-3 minutes. Strain cooled bing cherry syrup into a large pitcher, pressing on the cherries to release their juice.

Lavender Lemonade: steep two cups of dried lavender into a very strong tea in two quarts of water. Allow to cool, & then add lemon juice & sugar as directed above. Lavender lemonade is a beautiful pale pink, perfect for picnics & tea parties.

Minty Lemonade: add a stem of fresh mint or spearmint to your glass!

I’m rather fond of eating a large bowl of air-popped popcorn (lightly salted), with a tall glass of lemonade. Enjoy!

Ah, July. Fresh produce is available everywhere now, & nothing says summer like a big salad chock full of veggies. I was reading somewhere about all these salad toppings you’d “never thought of using,” & all I could say in response was: wait, really? Most people haven’t thought of using nuts, fruits, & the like? But it’s so good! So, I thought that as this week’s entry in easy summer cooking, I’d give a few salad combinations are simply divine.

» Salad #1: spinach or spring mix, blue cheese crumbles, red onion, pecans, mandarin oranges, poppyseed dressing. An old favorite; you’ll be amazed at the play between the onion, oranges, & dressing. Because some of the ingredients are a bit more on the pricey side, this is a real treat.

» Salad #2: romaine, red & yellow pepper, snow peas, almonds, asparagus, carrots, sunflower seeds, grilled chicken, ground black pepper, dash of lemon juice. The lemon lets all those wonderful fresh flavors really sing through.

» Salad #3: red (or green) leaf lettuce, grilled portobello mushroom, grilled chicken, tomato, red onion, basil, balsamic vinaigrette. Very earthy & delightful – I had this for lunch today!

» Salad #4: romaine, red onion, apple, grilled chicken, walnuts, feta cheese, italian dressing. Apple is a wonderful balance to the red onion – feel free to switch feta for blue cheese; this is tasty either way.

» Salad #5: (choice of lettuce), black olives, corn, black beans, onion, tomatoes, blue corn tortilla chips, avacado, apple, cilantro, dash of ranch dressing. Hot peppers if you’d like, although I usually just add a bit of medium salsa. Perfect for lunches; the mix of sweet, spicy, & crunchy is a fabulous way to take a break.

» Salad #6: spring mix, strawberries, raspberries, brie, red onion, grilled chicken, almonds, just a touch of italian. Very elegant & perfect for a fancy dinner party.

All these veggies are interchangeable, & I usually just work with what I have – most of my salads end up just being a big bowl of whatever fruit & veggies are in my fridge, topped with whatever nuts I have lying around. But these combinations, in my extremely humble opinion, make for a fantastic meal. & of course, in a perfect world, every great big salad would be paired with a good hunk of sourdough or multigrain baguette. Which is how you should enjoy them! :)

There’s nothing quite like a movie marathon with friends, & where there’s a gathering, there ought to be food. Of course, during the summer, no one wants to ruin the fun by making the house uncomfortable! Here are three dip recipes to be eaten with various things throughout said marathon. They’re quick & super easy to make!

Theta Alpha Famous Bagel Dip
What you’ll need:
» one pack of bagels (6-8)
» one jar Kraft Old English spread
» one package cream cheese

How to do it:
» cut the bagels into small pieces.
» remove lid from Old English spread; microwave about a minute
» place cream cheese in microwave safe dish; soften in microwave (about a minute)
» mix spread & cream cheese together! Eat with the bagels. You’ll possibly want to make enough for two batches – you’ll see why when it disappears before the trailers are over.

Easy Fruit Dip
What you’ll need:
» fruit! (strawberries, blackberries, bananas, apples, & pineapple taste best with this)
» one package whipped cream cheese
» one jar (7oz) marshmallow cream

How to do it:
» combine cream cheese & marshmallow cream in a bowl (told you it was easy)
» serve with fruit

Spinach Dip
What you’ll need:
» a rainbow of veggies
» one thawed package of chopped spinach
» one pint sour cream
» one cup of mayonnaise
» one package Knorr vegetable mix

How to do it:
» combine sour cream, mayonnaise and vegetable mix.
» drain and add spinach.
» allow to sit for about an hour before serving. eat with veggies!

If someone complains about a lack of meat, I would suggest picking up a package of pre-cooked apple chicken sausage. You can make them in the microwave (nuke for about 30 seconds per sausage; they usually come in packages of four to five), & then slice into thin pieces. They’re just elegant enough to match the rest of your meal. *wink*