Summer's here, which means tomatoes, which means bruschetta and crostini - well, at least the start of the bruschetta and crostini season. I made them a few times, but I'm sure we'll make them a bunch more (at least until tomatoes go out of seasons).
My biggest discovery was convection for roasting vegetables. I tried it with the Hasselback Potatoes, and then some roast zucchini. It really seemed to help. I'm not sure if it cooked faster, but everything got crisper.
Overall I made 41 things in July.
July 1
Shrimp Tacos (Dinner)
Not my best - I think I didn't wait until the oil was hot before adding the onions. The last time I got the oil hot enough that the onions started to fry a little bit, they were way better.
Roasted Vegetables
Zucchini
These were great as always.
My sister in law made roasted broccolini, and a few minutes before it came out she put thinly sliced cheddar on it. I would have roasted it for a few more minutes but I really liked the cheddar.
July 3
Hamburgers (Dinner)
Thin but Juicy Chargrilled Burgers
These were good. I made them in two batches; the first kind of crumbled on the grill, but the second held together better. I think it had a little more heat.
I tried to flip my grates over (there's a flattop deal on the bottom of the grill grates I have) but the bottom was gross and greasy and I didn't want to deal with it.
July 4
Dry Sauteed String Beans
Tomato Salad
Just some slices tomatos dressed with oil & vinegar and Maldon salt. We had company over the weekend, so it felt nice to get back to normal with a few extra veggies.
July 5
Quesadillas (Kid's Lunch)
Salami Sandwich (Kid's Lunch)
Chicken and Rice (Dinner)
Roasted Vegetables
Zucchini
I've cooked this 11 times before
Apricot Jam
I had a ton of apricots, so I tripled the recipe.
July 10
Dry Sauteed String Beans
Crispy Tofu with Cashews and Blistered Snap Peas
I've cooked this 15 times before
Crostini
Bruschetta
July 11
Sausage and Peppers Pasta With Broccoli (Dinner)
I've cooked this just once before
July 13
Oatmeal (Breakfast)
I've cooked this 11 times before
July 16
Greek-Style Chicken Kebabs with Lemon and Oregano (Dinner)
Tried this while camping and it turned out great!
I started the chicken marinating before we left on Friday (I double-bagged it in ziploc before putting it in the cooler). Then on Saturday I put it on skewers and cooked it on my grill pan (same as I did when I started making it). With hummus (I made this before hand as well) and pita chips it was a hit.
Served with corn (see below, not great) and a giant watermelon. I mean, look at the picture. Holy smokes. I've included a picnic table for scale.
I've cooked this 17 times before
Corn
Oof, this was no good. Last time I made corn camping I cooked it on my grill pan and it was great. I tried this again, but instead of packaged corn I shucked fresh, and maybe it was a different variety. It didn't have a lot of flavor, even butter couldn't rescue it. Maybe I needed to grill it longer? Or done my usual?
July 17
Crab Hands (Dinner)
It's been a while!
July 20
Zov's Hummus (Kid's Lunch)
I've cooked this 32 times before
Crostini (Dinner)
Bruschetta
Roasted Vegetables
Zucchini. Just got soggy. Maybe because I put it in the oven before it was preheated? Or maybe some other reason?
I've cooked this 12 times before
Skillet Chicken Thighs With Broccoli and Orzo
Made this late for the next few days. Early feedback was that it was fine, not great. But it was easy so maybe that's a win.
I substituted some other pasta for orzo, that worked OK. I don't remember what kind.
July 22
Crostini
Bruschetta
July 23
Bruschetta
Crostini
Hasselback Potatoes
I used convection at 350, I think that worked well. Don't try to flip until they flip easily, just wait, it'll be OK. I think all told these cooked for 50 minutes (if not a bit more).
Scrambled Eggs
I've cooked this 37 times before
Baked Panko Rockfish (Dinner)
July 25
Hasselback Potatoes
I tried 350º with convection (instead of the usual 400º without). I also waited until they were easy to move (maybe 20 minutes this time). These turned out great! They got crisp from more than just the bottom.
July 26
Pasta and Pesto (Dinner)
From MV Pasta Co.
Roasted Vegetables
Just like the Hasselback potatoes, I tried 350º with convection. And just like those, these turned out better than normal. One interesting thing - the zucchini on the sides of the pan cooked faster, so I pushed more to the edges. Maybe the heat from the oven walls?
I've cooked this 13 times before
Zov's Hummus (Kid's Lunch)
I've cooked this 33 times before
July 27
Sheet-Pan Chicken With Potatoes, Scallions and Capers (Dinner)
A great sheet pan recipe. I broiled the chicken for a few minutes to get a crisp skin. My daughter loved the potatoes.
Padron Peppers
Dry sauteed to blister, then added a spash of oil & salt at the end.
July 29
Roasted Vegetables
Zucchini
I've cooked this 14 times before
July 31
Crostini
Bruschetta
Salmon With Salsa Fresca (Dinner)
Skipped the salsa because I made bruschetta