Pineapple Salsa

I hope you are all enjoying your summer! We finally got some rain down here after 3 weeks without even a drop! It has cooled off a little but it still seems to be too hot for this time of year. Usually around August it get so hot you can't breath and are compelled to run around with the least amount of clothing on as possible. For some reason June has been almost unbearable.

June 21 this year was not only my mother's birthday, but also Father's Day. Mom wanted to spend the day at the camp and have lunch so we all pitched in to fix something to bring. I fixed mac n cheese and pineapple salsa. The salsa idea came from a Pampered Chef party I went to at Crystal's house. The lady used a really cool pair of kitchen shears with 2 blades that they called a salad chopper to chop up all of the ingredients, but she had to cut them into smaller pieces to begin with so why not just chop it all up the first time instead of messing up another utensil?

Anyway....you will need a pineapple, tomato, cucumber, red onion, cilantro, lime, jalapeno, salt and pepper.

Cut up the pineapple into small pieces.

Peel the cucumber. Scoop out the seeds and chop into small pieces.

Mince about 1/4 of the red onion.

Remove the seed from the tomato and chop.

Remove the seeds and membranes from the jalapeno then mince.

Add all of that to a bowl.

Top with chopped cilantro.

Add the juice of one lime, salt and pepper.

Mix together and serve with tortilla chips.

It was a hit on a hot summer at the camp. Mark isn't a fan of pineapple, but he ate some anyway. I think next time I will add some cumin or chili powder to it to give it a little something extra. Try it out and let me know what you think. I will be making some L.A. caviar soon so stick around for that!

No, I haven't bought a new battery for my camera yet. Yes, I took the pictures with my iPhone. Sorry. It is still on my list of things to do.

Greek Pasta Salad

Well, summer is here whether you like it or not! Mobile, Alabama only has 2 seasons: Hot and Hot as Hell. We have just begun the "Hot as Hell" season and it will only get worse. I happen to love hot weather, just not while I'm pregnant. There will be no ice cold Coors Light or deep sea fishing trips for me this summer. I had to take my wedding rings off and a ring that my Nanny gave me because my fingers were swelling. It's not from the foods that I eat, it's from the HEAT! Now every time I go somewhere I feel the eyes go strait to my left finger to see if I'm married and pregnant or just knocked up. Just because I live in Theodore, doesn't mean I have to act like it!

Hot weather means it is cold food season as well. Salads, pasta salads, cole slaw, potato salad, gazpacho...you get the picture. I am a huge fan of pasta salad so I decided to make a Greek pasta salad.

Start by using a box of Italian style pasta salad mix from a box. Boil the pasta and drain.

While that is going, chop up some cucumber, grape tomatoes and red onion.

Add some black olives and feta cheese to the mix.

Top with some Parmesan cheese, croutons, salt, pepper and some Greek seasoning.

Toss with some chopped Romain lettuce, refrigerate and enjoy!

I skipped the whole "refrigerate" part because I was starving and I am highly impatient. Since my boys are anti-salad, I ended up eating the whole thing by myself. You won't hear me complain about it though. It was so good! A great way to cool down on your lunch break.

Sorry about the picture quality. Yes, I took them with my phone, again. Still haven't bought a battery for my camera but it is on my list of things to do.

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Red Snapper and Fried Green Tomatoes

Last week was the opening day of red snapper season so Mama and Daddy went deep sea fishing with Doug and Carol Pridgen on their charter boat "Movin On Up." They had a wonderful time while I "held the fort down" with JW. I would have LOVED to have gone with them, but someone has to be at the office and I'm terrified I may slip and fall on the boat. It has been done before. At least they shared some fish with me. We are so blessed to live on the Gulf Coast and so close to fresh seafood year around.

Along with the fresh red snapper, Mama send a few green tomatoes from her garden at the camp. I love fried green tomatoes! I even tried out for the movie when I was younger. My family and I have been eating at The Original Whistlestop Cafe or the Irondale cafe for decades. You can't eat there and not order fried green tomatoes. I am not a huge fan of red tomatoes and I probably never will, but I will eat a crate of green tomatoes in a heartbeat!

Pre heat the oven to 350.

Wash off the fish fillets, pull out any remaining bones and pat dry.

On an oiled and foil lined cookie sheet, lay out the fish and sprinkle with salt, pepper, Mrs. Dash and Old Bay seasoning.

Top with some butter and bake until the fish is white and flaky (about 15-20mins).

While the fish is cooking mix together some mayonnaise, creole mustard, green onions, garlic and some Old Bay seasoning making a remoulade to go with the fried green tomatoes.

Wash and slice the green tomatoes.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper and let them weep for a few mins.

In a bowl, combine flour, salt, pepper and Old Bay seasoning.

Get some oil good and hot in a cast iron skillet. Dredge the tomatoes in the flour mixture, dunk in milk and dredge again. Carefully lay them in the oil to fry.

When they are golden on each side, remove to a paper towel lined plate.

When the fish is ready, remove and top with lemon juice.

Top the fried green tomatoes with some remoulade sauce and enjoy!

Needless to say, we didn't have any leftovers for Thibodeau to feast on. I think one of the best parts of this meal is that I didn't have to buy anything. Hopefully they will be making more fishing trips soon. I really would like to make some ceviche with some grouper. When I made it last year I didn't tell anyone that it was fish until it was all gone. Even the non-fish eaters loved it. I'll keep you posted!