Tag: summer

Watermelon Limeade

There’s nothing like an ice cold cup of lemon or limeade to cool you off on a hot summer’s day. Summer, or winter, I’m a huge fan of citrus drinks, but all too often, I find that they are overly sweet. This lightly sweetened watermelon-limeade is reminiscent of agua fresca, a refreshing fruit-infused water drink popularized in Mexico . Aqua fresca is a terrific thirst quencher for summer picnics and barbeques.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been wanting to set up a lemonade stand for my kids. So when I was testing this recipe for the blog, I knew just  what to do with my pitcher full of limeade. My girls couldn’t be more excited about their reenactment of one of their favorite books “Pinkalicious and The Pink Drink,” while my son stood by asking for continuous refills. I set my kids to work designing a sign for our table (isn’t it adorable?!) while I put together all the necessities. Since we used tiny little cups, we set our price at just 5 cents, a total steal for today’s economy!

We live on a very quiet block, with not much foot traffic, so my little ones grew increasingly sad as they waited for someone, ANYONE to buy a cup. With construction going on directly across the street, we were lucky enough to have the contractor buy a round for all of his workers. He generously gave my kids more than 20 cups worth of pay. After that, traffic picked up and thanks to the generosity of strangers and friends my elated children netted $6.51. That’s a whole lot of profit when you’re asking for a meager 5 cents a cup.

I’ll never forget the excitement and smiles on the faces of my children, and the pride they showed in their first business venture. Our pink lemonade wasn’t just a thirst-quencher. For two little girls in Brooklyn, it made a favorite book come alive and wishes and dreams come true.

Watermelon Limeade

1/4 watermelon, or 3.5 lbs
3 cups water
1/4 c sugar dissolved in 1/2 c boiling hot water
juice of 2 limes
2 limes, sliced
ice cubes
sliced limes, for garnish

Method:

Peel and chop watermelon Add the watermelon to a food processor and blend until completely smooth. Pour the watermelon juice through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth, squeezing to release all the juice. Discard watermelon pulp. Bring 1/2 cup water to a boil and add 1/4 cup sugar. Mix until sugar is completely dissolved and set aside to cool. Add the watermelon juice, water, cooled sugar syrup, lime juice, sliced limes and ice cubes to a pitcher. Pour into glasses and garnish with sliced limes.

TIP: If you don’t have a citrus squeezer, see my kitchen tips for a great way to juice your limes!

1 year ago: smores chocolate toffee bark
2 years ago: salad nicoise

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Portobello Burgers with Sundried Tomato Aioli


When Dena from Chai & Home contacted me about a collaboration between Jewish bloggers to celebrate summer recipes, I was more than happy to join the team. I love the opportunity to work with and promote other bloggers, especially those that share the same traditions and customs as me. “A Very Jewish Summer Week” has been underway since Monday, with fun and exciting posts ranging from tablescapes to summer camp packages.

You can join in on the fun, by visiting the following blog posts:

Monday: Evoking Childhood Shabbat Memories on YentaMamas
Tuesday: Shabbat Style: Alfresco Orange Tablescape on Chai&Home
Wednesday: Summer Camp Care Packages on MadeByMamaleh
Thursday:  Grilled Portobello Burgers with Sundried Tomato Aioli by ME ;)
Friday: Ceviche & Champagne on Bisstyle. English translation here.

When I thought about what kind of recipe to post as part of a weeklong summerfest, I just knew it had to involve grilling. It doesn’t hurt that my newly purchased grill pan was waiting to be broken into! Well what better way to celebrate “A Very Jewish Summer Week” than with the  quintessential American summer food – burgers. Burgers, especially grilled ones on the BBQ, are a summer staple in our culture. When you think of summer BBQ’s – burgers and hot dogs are the very first things that come to mind. They cook up rather quickly on a hot grill, and paired with some fresh lettuce, tomato and onion, make the perfect summertime meal.

The only problem with featuring an authentic burger on “A Very Jewish Summer Week” is that as an observant Jew who keeps kosher, cheeseburgers are a no-no (we don’t eat milk and meat together). I’ve never been to McDonalds or Burger King, and I’ve never tried a slice of melted cheese on a beef patty.

So what’s a kosher blogger to do? I decided to celebrate both my Jewishness, and the joy of Summer BBQing with something even better. A grilled portobello burger with all the fixings. With the Nine Days (a period of mourning in which observant Jews abstain from eating meat). soon approaching, we’ll be thankful for this delicious vegetarian take on a summer classic!

Now, back why you’re all here. The burger. I decided on a portobello mushroom cheeseburger because thick and meaty portobellos are the perfect stand-in for beef in a vegetarian sandwich. They also lend themselves really well to grilling. To take this vegetarian burger over the top, I topped it off with some sundried tomato aioli, the perfect complement to grilled mushrooms. The addition of mozzarella cheese, beefsteak tomatoes, bitter arugula and red onions leaves nothing behind. One bite of this heavenly sandwich and you’ll forget what meat burgers are all about!

UPDATE 10/2/13: This recipe won 2nd place in The Mushroom Channel’s Swap It or Top It Contest. To watch me make the burger for News 12 Brooklyn, click here.

Grilled Portobello Burgers with Sundried Tomato Aioli

portobello mushrooms
olive oil
salt & pepper, to taste
mozzarella cheese
arugula
beefsteak tomato
red onion
burger bun
sundried tomato aioli, recipe follows

Method:

Heat up your grill pan until it’s nice and hot. Lightly clean the mushrooms and brush with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Grill for approximately 5 minutes per side. While the mushroom is still on the grill, top with slice of mozzarella cheese.

If desired, toast the burger bun on the grill. Top with sundried tomato aioli, arugula, portobello mushroom with cheese, tomato & red onion.

VARIATION: For added flavor, you may marinate the mushrooms for several hours in some Italian dressing, garlic-infused olive oil, or any marinade of your choice.

Sundried Tomato Aioli

1/2 cup mayo
3 sundried tomatoes packed in olive oil
1 tbsp olive oil from sundried tomato jar
1 clove garlic
juice of 1/2 lemon
s&p to taste

Method:

Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth.

1 year ago: kid-friendly dirty rice
2 years ago: easy strawberry shortcake

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Blueberry Frozen Yogurt Bites

When it comes to summer, especially here in Brooklyn, I think most people are about eating light and healthy foods that keep them from feeling heavy. Fruits are especially welcome on a hot summer’s day, as long as they’re cold, or my favorite way – frozen.

If you’ve ever bit into a frozen grape, you know just how a little time in the freezer can turn a simple grape into a sweet and creamy frozen snack. Chocolate-dipped frozen banana’s are another popular guilt-free delicacy. And then there’s the fruit-filled ice cubes, and the all-fruit Popsicle blends. But have you ever tried a Greek-yogurt-covered-frozen-blueberry?

Frozen blueberries are good enough on their own, but dipped in vanilla Greek yogurt, they’re simply outstanding. The yogurt freezes to form a creamy coating over the blueberries, making it the perfect snack on a hot summer day. Once you give these delicious frozen treats a try, you’ll be dipping everything from apricots to raspberries in your favorite Greek yogurt flavor. So have fun, get creative and enjoy the best that summer has to offer!


Blueberry Frozen Yogurt Bites

1 container vanilla Greek yogurt
1 pint blueberries (or your favorite fruit for freezing)
toothpicks or spiral dipping tool

Method:

Wash blueberries and drain. Working one at a time, dip the blueberries into the yogurt (with a toothpick or dipping tool) and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. If you are using toothpicks, you can use a second toothpick to help slide it off. Freeze the blueberries for 1-2 hours, remove them from the baking sheet and place them in a Ziploc bag. Return to the freezer and keep frozen until ready to eat.

1 year ago: loaded baked potato omelette
2 years ago: strawberry rhubarb soup

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