Fruity Ginger Slush

It's 7/11! I might suggest heading to your nearest convenience store for free slurpees, but I won't, because if you are really jonesing for a slushy, I've got a better option right here.

Have you ever seen what is really pumped into those slushy machines in convenience stores? I hadn't, until last summer in Wyoming when an open door gave me a glimpse under the hood, so to speak. It was a massive beast of pumps and tubing, the size of the entire closet and filled with neon colored sugar water that was siphoned off through the walls to be pushed out frozen from the slushy machine. It was truly horrifying, and I'm pretty sure I'll never ever buy another slush again.

Luckily, I don't have to, because my Grandmother has been making a homemade version of slush for decades that is so much better than the convenience store version. It also takes some focus and a little bit of effort before you can drink it, which makes for a refreshing, leisurely break on a hot July day.

Her original recipe also makes for a very sweet result, so I tweaked it a bit to cut down on the sugar and make use of more whole ingredients where I could, like fresh squeezed orange juice instead of concentrate and a higher quality ginger ale. I think I got pretty close to what she's been serving up all these years!  I can almost imagine I'm sitting by a river in Virginia with my feet propped up on a deck, sipping spoonfuls of my slush while I wait for the lighting bugs to come out.

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Fruity Ginger Slush

Makes 2 Slushies

• 1/4 cup water
• 1/6 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
• 3/4 cup pineapple juice (from one 20 oz can pineapple)
• 1/2 banana
• ginger ale, for serving

1. In a small saucepan, boil water and sugar together for a minute or so, until the sugar is dissolved.
2. Add sugar water to the orange juice and pineapple juice. Mash banana until smooth and then stir into the juice mixture. 
3. Pour mixture into ice cube molds and freeze until solid.
4. When ready to serve, divide slush cubes between two tall glasses and top with ginger ale. Mash the frozen cubes up a bit with a spoon to combine into a slush and serve immediately.

Skirt Steak and Cherry Salad with Dijon Goat Cheese Dressing

It's cherry season! AKA the happiest, red-fruitiest and stone-fruitiest weeks of the year! AKA the reason I still have a giant jar of cherry jam in my refrigerator! 

But I'm not complaining about that today.

No, today, I'm talking about a way to use up some beautiful cherries in an easy, summery way that makes you feel like the most healthy, virtuous, fresh fruit eating person.

And then we're going to add steak!

Faced last week with an office-wide wellness initiative to add more fruits and veggies back onto our plates, I signed up immediately, after mentally running through my diet for the last few months (I ate at Disney World for an entire week, and I can't seem to stop making ice cream, so you can imagine the horror). The first week's challenge was red fruits and veggies, and luckily, I had a giant container of cherries sitting in my refrigerator left over from popsicle research. I almost forgot myself and churned them into a frozen yogurt, but remembering my healthy mission, I decided to throw them into a salad and call myself a winner. But then I had the irresistible urge to add steak to that salad, because cherries and meat together are just wonderful, and well, here we are. 

Sometimes you have to let yourself have a little of the bad with the good, and I don't regret any of this steak. It's grilled to juicy perfection and shouldn't be skipped. I added in some cucumber for crunch and some pickled shallots for zing, and then threw the lot onto a bed of sharp, peppery greens coated in a creamy, mustardy dressing that ensures a bite of tangy goat cheese in every bite. Highly recommend. 

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Skirt Steak and Cherry Salad with Dijon Goat Cheese Dressing

Makes enough for 4 entree-sized salads

• 1 lb skirt steak
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup + 1 tbs extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 tbs + 1 tsp dijon mustard, divided
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• salt and pepper
• 2 oz goat cheese
• juice of 1 small lemons
• 2 shallots
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• pinch sugar
• 2 cups cherries, pitted
• 2 small cucumbers, peeled and diced into large chunks
• 8 oz peppery greens, such as arugula or baby mustard

1. In a small bowl, combine the balsamic vinegar, 1 tbs olive oil, 1 tsp dijon mustard, garlic, a few good pinches of salt, a few good grinds of pepper and whisk to combine. Place skirt steak in a sealable plastic bag or container and pour in the marinade. Make sure meat is evenly coated and refrigerate, at least 6 hours or up to 24 hours.
2. When ready to cook steak, remove steak from the refrigerator and let sit while you preheat a grill pan (or grill) and make the dressing and pickle the shallots.
3. Make the dressing: in a small bowl, crumble or mash the goat cheese with a fork, then add remaining 1 tbs dijon, lemon juice, and some salt and pepper and stir to combine. When mixture has formed a thick paste, add in the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil and whisk until a creamy dressing has formed. If it still seems a little thick, add in more olive oil. Set aside.
4. In a small saucepan over medium high head, combine the rice vinegar and sugar and bring to a simmer.. Thinly slice the shallots and transfer to a small, heat proof bowl. Pour the vinegar mixture over the shallots and let sit while you grill the steak.
5. When grill is very hot, remove steak from marinade, blot dry of any excess marinade, and grill to desired doneness (I like my steak closer to well than medium, so I did about 6-7 minutes per side, but for most people this is likely too done).
6. Remove steak from grill and let rest for 10 minutes while you assemble the salad. In a large bowl, toss together the greens, cherries, cucumbers, and pickled shallots (drained) with the dressing until well-coated. Divide among plates, for serving.
7. When steak is finished resting, slice against the grain and divide steak among the salads. Finish each with some fresh cracked pepper and a small sprinkle of flaky sea salt, if desired.

Overnight Oats with Meyer Lemon Cashew Cream, Raspberries, and Pistachios

This here is what I think they call a "power breakfast". It's a plant-based protein bomb that will take you from early morning right through to a late lunch, which means it's perfect for busy, post-holiday work days. It's also made overnight in the fridge, so it's basically grab and go, and it's also served chilled, so it's perfect for hot summer mornings.  Did I mention it's also healthy? It is, unless you are allergic to tree nuts, in which case this triple whammy of almonds, cashews, and pistachios might not be for you. But if you are nut-allergy free, then by all means, step this way.

Overnight oats are, I will admit, a concept that takes a little adjusting to, especially if you are used to eating your oats hot from the microwave or crisped up into granola form before dousing in milk. These oats fall somewhere in between the two, with the oats soft like cooked oatmeal, but then served at the same cold temperature as granola and milk. I felt a little confused the first time I tried it, attempting to reconcile a familiar flavor with the "wrong" temperature. It's the same dissonance that keeps me from liking bloody marys, but happily, I got over the initial weirdness in this particular case. 

Once you get used to it, these really are a delicious way to have your morning oats. The oats are soft from their milk bath but still pleasantly chewy, and the array of mix ins and toppings is pretty much endless. I sometimes like to add some chia seeds into the oat mix, for a little nuttiness and also to soak up more liquid, but then sometimes I also leave them out if I want a slightly "looser" texture to the oats (think soggy cereal, but in a good way). I like to add fresh fruit for extra flavor and brightness and some toasted nuts for crunch, and for these oats, I went the extra step and made a meyer lemon cashew cream to dollop on top and swirl in with the oats, giving my entire breakfast a bright, lemony zing (and more protein).

The options go on and on though. I've mixed cocoa in with the oats for extra indulgence, which would be killer with either raspberries or cherries. Peanut butter and jam would be super delicious, or what about nutella and bananas? Use your imagination and go nuts.

(That pun may have been intended)

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Overnight Oats with Meyer Lemon Cashew Cream, Raspberries, and Pistachios

1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup almond milk (or other non-dairy milk)
chia seeds (optional)
pinch salt
1 tsp maple syrup or honey
cashew cream (recipe below)
raspberries
pistachios, toasted and roughly chopped

Meyer Lemon Cashew Cream

1 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight
1 meyer lemon, zested and juice
1 1/2 tbs maple syrup (or honey)
6 tbs water

1. Make the cashew cream: drain and rinse cashews, then add to the bowl of a high speed blender with the lemon zest, lemon juice, maple syrup, and water. Blend until completely smooth and no cashew pieces remain. Taste and adjust for sweetness or lemon, if desired. Store, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
2. To make the overnight oats: combine oats, almond milk, chia seeds (if using), maple syrup, and salt in a sealable container. Stir to combine, seal container, and refrigerate overnight.
3. When ready to eat, top with a dollop of the cashew cream, raspberries, and pistachios.