Steak Salad

I absolutely love a good salad. And there is certainly nothing better than a good, well-seasoned steak. Why not combine the two into one, glorious meal? To me, it's perfect for summer. You get your protein with the steak without feeling like you had an enormous, heavy meal. It's super simple to make, and really only requires a little bit of your time to make. Been wanting to check out that local farmer's market of yours?! Here's your excuse! Drive on over there and get yourself some fresh veggies for your salad. And of course, if you know anything about me by now, you know that I love a meal that you can tailor to your own tastes.

Ingredients:

Fresh veggies for your salad

1 top Sirloin, marinated if you would like (for 24+ hours)

Shredded Cheese

Salad Dressing

Directions:

1. Take your freshly marinated steak and toss that puppy on the grill! OR - slather on your favorite meat rub before you grill it instead of marinating!

2. While the steak is grilling, start working on your salad. Make sure you periodically check on the steak! You don't want a blackened steak salad! ;)

3. Once the steak is done, slice into thin strips or cube it. Add desired amount onto salad.

4. Top with some shredded cheese and your favorite salad dressing.

5. Enjoy!

Shrimp & Grits

Let's be honest. I'm Southern - yes, with a capital S. I was born and raised in Georgia. I have sweet tea coursing through my veins. And I can smile while silently looking down my nose at you with a "Bless your heart." So to say that shrimp and grits is a favorite meal of mine is an understatement! J treats me to a meal of shrimp and grits at least once per month, and more often if it's summertime and the shrimp is fresh!!!

Shrimp and grits is an easy, flexible dish. Have 2 for dinner? No problem. 8 people? Still a cinch! It is easy to make an amount specific to the number of mouths you are feeding. The best part?! It takes no more than 20 minutes to make this amazingly satisfying dish! It's also very popular, particularly here in the South! Recipes abound! Just check out Pinterest. But J makes an amazing, slightly hot (spicy hot) version that is to die for! So how do YOU get your paws on such a Southern tradition?! Look no further! J has given me access to his secrets.

Ingredients:
Shrimp (I generally guesstimate about 6 shrimp per person)
Grits (Don't frown at us - we use Instant Grits)
2 Tbsp Butter
1/4 tsp Garlic
Dash Hot Sauce
1/4 tsp Tony's Cajun Seasoning
Shredded Monterrey Jack cheese

Directions:
1. Melt butter in saucepan (large enough to hold all your shrimp) on medium heat. You may need to use a bit more butter for larger amounts of shrimp. Keep in mind we cook for 2.)
2. Add in garlic and Tony's seasoning, as well as a dash (or 5 if you are J) of hot sauce.
3. Once the butter and seasoning mix starts to sizzle a bit, toss in your shrimp! Cook until those puppies are pink! Stir occasionally.
4. While the shrimp are cooking (and sizzling - I love that sound!), start cooking your grits. We just follow the stove-top directions on the Instant Grits box (do not get the individual packets, get the huge box that'll last you a while). This is a bit more time consuming, and requires just a *bit* of babysitting, but I can attest that it is worth it.
5. Once the grits have reached the desired consistency, get a bag of shredded Monterrey Jack cheese. Add by the handful, stirring as you add cheese. Add as little or as much as you would like.

To Serve:
Once everything has finished cooking, I recommend you serve this in a bowl! Get your bowls out and plate as such:
1. Spoon (with a ladle - don't skimp!) the desired amount of grits into each bowl. We generally do 1.5-2 ladle-fulls per person.
2. Spoon 5-6 shrimp per person on top of the grits, making sure to get some of the spicy goodness still left in the pan drizzled on top of the shrimp.
3. Enjoy - carefully! This dish will be piping hot, so go slow (and don't burn yourself!).

Make a few extra, and you have a topper for your salad for lunch tomorrow! Yum! :)

Homemade Chicken Salad

Summer is the perfect time for salads: spring salad, fruit salad, tuna salad, and chicken salad (my favorite!).  I could go on and on, but you get the idea! With so many fresh fruits and veggies available at the local grocery stores, plus all the farmer's markets open - your choices are endless!  J and I personally are HUGE fans of making chicken or tuna salad during the summer.  The chicken salad is my favorite of all just because it is SUCH a good blend of so many different flavors!  It's great because you can use all that left over chicken from last nights' dinner, use a Rotisserie chicken, OR the canned chicken/salmon/tuna is always an option as well! Right from the start there are SO many options, and that's exactly what I love about this recipe!

I'm going to be totally honest (let's face it - I usually am!): This is actually MY recipe that I came up with.  It's actually inspired by Folk's (aka Po'folks back in the day). It's not quite the Folk's recipe, and it's actually taken on a life of its own (and kind of moved away from the Folk's recipe).

Close up of the yumminess that is chicken salad!

Ingredients:
Chicken (Duh! The amount is totally dependent on how much you want to make.  We generally use left over rotisserie chicken - all of it)
Mayo (this is also not measured as it is to your personal taste)
1/8 tsp Garlic
1/4-1/2 Cup grapes, sliced in half
1/4-1/2 Cup shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
1/8 tsp cracked black pepper

Directions:
1. Take 2 forks and shred the chicken REALLY well - no chunks in this chicken salad!
2. Add mayo to taste (Again - no real measurement as this is totally based on personal preference).

How can you NOT fall in love with
that cheesy goodness???

3. Toss in garlic and pepper.  Mix well.
4. Add in grapes and shredded cheese.  Mix well.

Now, you can enjoy that deliciousness with a fork (which if it's your first time, I highly recommend).  OR if you want to take it a step further, you can eat it on crackers.  If you're a connoisseur, like me, then you may want to take it to the last step: Chicken. Salad. Melt. Yes, you read that right, my friends!

After you make the chicken salad, pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Take 2 slices of bread, add mayo to one side of each piece.  Top one slice with shredded cheese (or a slice of cheese) of your choice, and on the other slice, pile on the chicken salad. Yes - pile it on.

Place in the oven for 10 minutes.  Put slices together as a sandwich and put back in the oven for another 3-5 minutes (depends on how toasted you like your bread!).  Flip the sandwich over, and put back in the oven another 2-3 minutes.  Take out of the oven and enjoy! J likes his with Wickles, but I just like my chicken salad piled on with no other flavors added. :)

J's favorite way to eat his chicken salad melt!