Socially Distant Cuisine

During the summer, I love meals that don't require heating up the oven. I also love throwing random things together. And so this dinner was born, and it's quickly become one of my favorite things to eat on a hot summer night. At a dinner party awhile back, my friend Deirdre made this great cucumber "salsa," and while I love to scoop it up on chips or eat it by the spoonful out of the container, we decided that the mixed-veggie goodness of it would be great as a salad. Enter quinoa. I want to love the stuff, since it's so good for you, but I always struggled with it tasting a little too bland. Once I discovered that cooking it in a light broth really jazzes it up, I was hooked. My favorite is Better than Bullion veggie flavor, which comes in a jar rather than as a powder. I use it at about half strength, rather than full. Finally, my mother makes these really delicious chicken tostada salads. The chicken is poached, and then dressed with a red wine vinaigrette...

My mom baked me an amazing blueberry pie for my birthday last week when I was in California, so when the actual day came around, I was all set on the dessert front. But that didn't mean that I was ready to go without a birthday treat! Tonight, I had friends over for dinner and the star of the show was Herb Peel-Away Bread, one of my family favorites. It was just as delicious as I remember, plus it's got star-power: it looks far more impressive than the simple preparation it takes. Herb Peel-Away Bread 3 1/2 cups flour, divided 2 packages of Rapid-Rise yeast 1/3 cup sugar 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese 1 tsp salt 1 tsp dried thyme 1/2 tsp dried rosemary 1/2 tsp dried basil leaves 1 Tbsp dried parsley 1/2 tsp dried dill 1 cup water 1 egg (room temperature) 6 Tbsp butter, divided Set aside 1 cup flour. Combine 2 1/2 cups flour, yeast, sugar, cheese, salt, and herbs. Heat water and 4 Tbsp butter until hot to touch. Stir into dry mixture. Add the beaten egg and only enough re...

I'll call this one "Summer Succotash Couscous." I desperately needed something to do with the frozen bags of edamame and corn hanging out in my freezer... a little mix-and-match of googled recipes turned out delicious! I ate this as a main dish, but it would be great as a side dish if you left out the beans. You'll see kidney beans in the picture, as they were what was in the cupboard, but next time I'll use something milder, like cannellini, so that the butter and mint aren't overwhelmed. 1 box of couscous, prepared following box directions (I used Near East Roasted Garlic and Olive Oil) 1 1/2 Tbsp butter 1/2 small red onion, diced 1 Red bell pepper, diced 2 cups frozen corn 2 cups frozen edamame 1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed 2 Tbsp white wine 1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar Salt to taste 10 leaves of fresh mint, chiffonade Prepare the box of couscous first. While it is resting, melt butter in a large pan, stir in onion and red pepper and cook unti...