For me, culinary creations are a journey, not a destination as was the case with the creation of this delicious chilled soup which came about when I realized I was fresh out of peppers, but full of improvisational ingredients.
This soup is super simple to prepare and with temperatures soaring all week here in Socal makes a refreshing snack anytime or even a great starter to any breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Serve plain or sprinkle with a little Zen seasoning to kick up the spice or even add a dollop of Greek yogurt for for a creamier taste.
INGREDIENTS
5 Cups Watermelon---4 Cups chopped rough and 1 Cup diced to 1" cubes with seeds removed
1 Cup Persian Cucumbers, diced
1 Cup Green Apple, diced
½ Cup Inner Celery Stalks, diced
¼ Cup Fresh Mint, finely chopped
1 ½ T Fresh Ginger, finely grated
¼ t Sea Salt
3 T Fresh Lime Juice
1 T Red Wine Vinegar
2 T Balsamic Vinegar
Zen Seasoning, optional
½ Cup Greek Yogurt or Sour Cream, optional
DIRECTIONS
Puree 4 Cups of watermelon in blender until smooth. Transfer puree to large bowl. Add remaining 1 cup of watermelon and next 9 ingredients all chopped to uniform size. Stir to combine. Cover gazpacho and refrigerate until well chilled-- at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours. Divide into bowls and sprinkle with Zen Seasoning and top with sour cream or yogurt if desired.
Another classic summer side dish, perfect for pairing with ribs, baked beans and anything else you might throw on the grill! If you don’t have time to whip out your box grater to prep the veggies, just grab a large bag of pre-shredded cabbage, broccoli slaw and carrots and toss with this delicious dressing. It’s a simple hack to create a homemade salad in minutes!
Serves 6 or so
Dressing Ingredients
½ cup mayonnaise---we prefer Kewpie for the extra velvety texture & depth of flavor
1 tablespoon pure cane sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1-2 teaspoons Sleeper Pure Paleo seasoning
¼ teaspoon salt--may we suggest Pacific Blues or Black Hawaiian
Dressing Directions
- In a medium bowl, add mayonnaise, sugar, lemon juice, vinegar, Pure Paleo and salt.
- Whisk together until smooth and creamy.
- Taste and adjust flavor to your preference.
If you are not going to immediately toss with cabbage to complete the slaw, store in an airtight container for up to a week.
Note: If you do have the time to grate the veggies, here’s what you’ll need:
Salad Ingredients
1 small head of cabbage, about 4 cups
2 large carrots, for about 1 cup
1 small sweet onion, like Vidalia or Red for about ½ cup
1 red pepper for about ½ cup
Salad Directions
- With a box grater positioned to use the larger holes, grate the cabbage, then carrots, onions and red pepper into a large bowl.
- Toss to mix veggies.
- Add dressing and toss again to thoroughly coat the salad.
- Refrigerate for several hours to chill completely.
- Before serving, toss again and sprinkle a flourish of Pure Paleo on top for color and serve.
Note: As this type of salad will sweat, or release water with time, taste and adjust flavor to your liking.
Serve cold and enjoy!
If it’s been a minute since you tasted homemade Baked Beans, it’s time to make a batch! I know you’ll LUV my Mom’s easy recipe that I’ve kicked up a notch over the years! Trust me, these are some of the most toothsome beans ever. And, a great bite next to Mark’s ribs!
Fun fact: I grew up eating these beans cold. Yep! Mom used to baked them the night before and put them in the fridge with “shake n' bake” chicken and we would eat everything cold the next day at the picnic!
When Mark & I were dating I invited him to one of our family picnics and when he saw the beans he said, “You eat these cold?” I said, “How else would you eat them…” As I never had them hot or warm! HA!
Over the years, I’ve learned to love them warm…There’s nothing like the thickened caramelly way these beans taste---hot, warm or like the way my Mom served them... Cold!
Serves about 6
Ingredients
2 large cans Bush Beans, 28 ounces each
½ pound uncooked thick bacon strips, 4-6 slices
1 medium red onion, diced
½ cup ketchup
¼ cup dijon mustard
¼ cup dark Karo syrup,
(feel free to substitute molasses, maple syrup or even honey for a lighter sweetness)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Soy sauce
2 teaspoons Sleepers Original Seasoning
Serving & Garnishing Options: Simple & Spicy Coleslaw, sour cream, diced green onions, Calipeños™
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350ªF.
- Open the can and pour beans into a 2-quart casserole dish.
- Mix in the chopped onions then add ketchup, syrup, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, dijon mustard, soy sauce, and Sleepers Original seasoning to beans stirring well to incorporate.
- Place the bacon strips over the beans.
- Cover the casserole dish with a lid or aluminum foil.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 60 minutes.
- When the beans are bubbly, remove the lid and continue to cook for another half hour or so.
As the warm days of summer and their bounties of fresh goodness start to fade into fall I thought it would be lovely to capture some of our favorite flavors in a summery roll cake.
If you know us, you know we LUV peach anything and with the addition of blueberry and chantilly cream, well, you have our full attention! This cake is light and creamy with just a hint of fruity sweetness and bakes in less than 15 minutes.
Inspired by lazy summer days of the past when I would idle away afternoons with my little one hunting roly-poly bugs at the park, digging for treasures at the beach, or just lying back in the grass letting our imaginations find pictures in the clouds. Moments like these are priceless memories, and part of what makes summertime so special to me.
This cake is a perfect treat that's airy enough to leave room in your belly for a second slice before you go chasing rainbows or get lost in another great book. So, if you feel like slowing down, unplugging and baking a cake "just because," give this recipe a try.
Serves 4-8
For the Cake:¼ teaspoon salt
For the Filling:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons of jam---plus a few extra tablespoons to spread on the cake.
(Citrus Blues Summer LUV! or ANY of your favorites!
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup chopped fresh fruit---peaches, blueberries, raspberries
Additional ingredient for assembly:
½ cup powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 375º
DIRECTIONS:
Line a jelly roll pan (15 x10x1) w/parchment paper & spray with nonstick cooking spray.
Add eggs to a mixing bowl and beat on high speed until thick & lemony in color, about 5 minutes.
Gradually beat in sugar.
Add water and vanilla on low speed.
Measure flour, then remove 1 tablespoon and replace with 1 tablespoon of corn starch. (This will aid in preventing cake from cracking when it's rolled.)
Sift together all dry ingredients: (flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt.)
Slowly add dry ingredients to the egg mixture, beating just until the batter is smooth.
Pour batter into the prepared pan spreading out evenly to corners.
Bake @ 375º for 12-15 minutes, until a wooden toothpick comes out clean and the cake springs.
Watch closely! This cake can overbake in seconds!!!!
While cake bakes, spread a large (at least 10x15,) clean, smooth, tea towel or flour sack on the counter.
Spread a generous coat of the confectioner’s sugar to cover the cloth, this will assist releasing the thin cake from the towel when it is time to roll!
When the cake is done, loosen from the pan and immediately invert on top of the powdered sugar covered towel.
Remove the pan and the parchment paper and gently roll the cake lengthwise.
Transfer cake to refrigerator and cool completely. At least 30 minutes.
While the cake cools, make the filling by whipping the heavy cream until it forms fluffy peaks, then whip in the jam and vanilla.
Carefully unroll the cooled cake and paint a thin layer of jam onto the cake to the edges, then add a layer of the whipped cream.
Sprinkle the cake with fruit pieces and immediately re-roll tightly.
Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve. This ensures the filling is set and results in beautiful slices!
To prep for service trim the ends off of the cake to reveal a sharp edge and a beautiful swirl.
Place on a platter, and If desired dust lightly with powdered sugar and add any other tasty embellishments of your choice.
Enjoy!
Note: Wrapped well, this cake can be frozen to savor at a later date. Just double wrap in plastic wrap and freeze for up to three months. When you're ready to have another slice or two, remove from the freezer and thaw in the refrigerator for a couple hours! How great is that?
