Fire-Seared Antipasto Platter

It's sweltering in Arizona. It's monsoon season which native Arizonians aren't prepared for. The humidity is high and I feel like I have to swim through the air because it's so thick and heavy. Yugh! Where's the dry heat we talk up to the rest of the nation? Thanks to Cooking Light for the recipe!

Anyways, I found a delicious, hot weather dinner option that's perfect for August.

Photo credit: Cooking Light

Ingredients: 

        Dressing:

• 6  tablespoons  fresh lemon juice
• 3  tablespoons  balsamic vinegar
• 2  teaspoons  extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4  teaspoon  kosher salt
• 2  garlic cloves, minced 
•  
• Vegetables:
• 3  plum tomatoes, halved
• 2  red bell peppers, quartered and seeded
• 2  yellow bell peppers, quartered and seeded
• 2  zucchini, cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
• 1  red onion, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
• 1  (1 1/2-pound) eggplant, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
• Cooking spray
• 
  Garnishes:
• 4  ounces  prosciutto, thinly sliced
• 1  ounce  capocollo, thinly sliced
• 2  ounces  fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
• 2  tablespoons  chopped fresh basil
• 2  teaspoons  capers
• 6  green olives, sliced
• 1/8  teaspoon  kosher salt

Get Cookin'

1. Prepare grill to medium-high heat.

2. To prepare dressing, combine first 5 ingredients in a bowl, stirring with a whisk.

3. To prepare vegetables, brush 1/4 cup dressing evenly over tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, onion, and eggplant. Place vegetables on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 5 minutes on each side or until lightly charred. Arrange vegetables on platter; brush with remaining dressing. Arrange prosciutto, capocollo, and cheese on platter. Sprinkle platter with basil, capers, olives, and 1/8 teaspoon salt.

Spinich & Shrimp Salad

We had a 4th of July bbq with our families before going to the local fireworks show. I brought the dessert and salad--both were new recipes that turned out delish. The home-made dressing is what made this salad good enough to share. I'll share the dessert recipe soon.

photo from here

Ingredients:

Salad

1/2 lb. cooked shrimp (medium size 51-60 per lb.), thawed, tails removed

5 oz. spring mix greens

1/3 cup julienne cut tomatoes in oil

1 avocado, sliced

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Dressing

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

3 T. capers

1 T. Dijon mustard

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 cup olive oil

Get Cookin'

Make the salad dressing as far in advance as possible (I made mine the morning of the bbq). Refrigerate. Immediately before serving, put together salad ingredients and toss with salad dressing.