Stunning Expressions

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Dilled Cucumber and Tomato Salad

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Dilled Cucumber and Tomato Salad

Here’s a stress-free salad made with dilled cucumber and tomatoes poured with vinegar mixture – a delicious side dish! Betty Crocker

  • 4 medium tomatoes, each cut into 8 wedges (about 3 cup
  • 2 medium cucumbers, thinly sliced (about 5 cups)
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
  • 1/2 cup rice vinegar
  • 4 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh dill
  • 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt

  1. 1-In large glass serving bowl, mix tomatoes, cucumbers and onion.

    2-In small bowl, mix all remaining ingredients until blended. Pour vinegar mixture over vegetables; toss to mix. Cover; refrigerate 1 hour to blend flavors. Toss again just before serving. Serve with slotted spoon.

  • For maximum cucumber crunch, choose firm, slender cucumbers with thin skins. Cucumber seeds become bitter with age. Slice older cucumbers in half lengthwise and run the tip of a spoon down the center to remove the seeds. Or try hothouse cucumber. These very long slender cucumbers don’t have many seeds but cost a bit more.
  • Rice vinegar is less acidic than cider, white or wine vinegar. Look for it near the other vinegar in the grocery store.

Italian Chicken Skewers

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Italian Chicken Skewers

Marinate the chicken in a quick savory mixture of tomato paste, olive oil, lots of garlic, and fresh parsley for the perfect accompaniment to grilled bread. – Delish –

  • 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into large cubes
  • kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tbsp chopped fresh Italian parsley, plus more leaves for garnish
  • 8 skewers, soaked in water for 20 minutes
  • 1 baguette French bread, cut into cubes

  1. 1-Season chicken with salt and pepper. Make marinade: combine tomato paste, olive oil, garlic cloves, and chopped parsley in large bowl. Add chicken and toss to fully coat. Refrigerate 30 minutes.

    2-Preheat grill to medium-high. Skewer chicken and bread. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

    3-Grill, turning occasionally, until chicken is cooked through and bread slightly charred, about 10 minutes. Garnish with parsley.

Sans Culottes

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Sans Culottes

A summer cocktail easy to make.  Marie Claire

  • 1 cup Pernod Absinthe
  • 1 cup Blueberries
  • Splash of Simple Syrup
  • 1/2 cup Elderflower Liqueur
  • 1 cup Fresh Lime Juice
  • 3 cups Coconut Water
  • 1-1/2 cups Pomegranate Soda
  • Lemon and Lime Wheels
  1. In a punch bowl, crush the blueberries and a splash of simple syrup. Add the remaining ingredients except the pomegranate soda, plus plenty of ice. Stir well and top gently with the pomegranate soda. Garnish with lemon and lime wheels.

4th of July Strawberries

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4th of July Strawberries

Red, white and blue strawberries are a simple and festive way to celebrate the Patriotic Days!

  • 8 Strawberries, washed and dried<br /><br />
  • White chocolate<br /><br />
  • Blue sugar, edible glitter, or sprinkles <br /><br />

  1. Wash the strawberries and let them dry completely. (If they are still wet, the chocolate will not stick to the berries.)

  2. Melt the white chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave, stirring it occasionally, until it is smooth and runny.

  3. Pour blue sprinkles into another bowl.

  4. Dip the strawberries in the white chocolate to cover roughly ⅔ of each berry with white chocolate.

  5. Let the excess chocolate drip back into the bowl and wipe away any globs of chocolate at the end of the berry.

  6. Then dip the strawberry into the blue sprinkles to cover roughly the bottom ⅓ of the berry with a blue stripe.

  7. Place the dipped strawberries on a baking sheet lined with waxed paper.

  8. Place the berries, uncovered, in the refrigerator to harden.

  9. Store leftover berries in the refrigerator in a sealed container. Chocolate-covered strawberries are best when eaten within 1 or 2 days of being made.

Cherry Vanilla All American Patties

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Cherry Vanilla All American Patties

These sweet and creamy Cherry Vanilla All American Patties are perfect for your 4th of July celebration! Easy to make and so versatile, you can make these fun and patriotic patties with the flavor of your choice.

  • 1/3 cup light corn syrup<br /><br />
  • 5 tbsp Challenge butter, softened
  • 2-3 tsp extract of your choice<br /><br />
  • 1/2 tsp salt<br /><br />
  • red and blue gel food coloring (start with a couple drops and add more until desired color is achieved)<br /><br />
  • 4-5 cups powdered sugar
  • 10 oz white (Vanilla) candy coating like CandiQuik<br /><br />
  • sprinkles, jimmies, etc for decoration (optional)<br /><br />

  1. Combine corn syrup, butter, extract, and salt in a medium size bowl. Stir until well combined.

  2. Stir in 1 cup of powdered sugar at a time until mixture is too stiff to stir.

  3. Add more powdered sugar and knead mixture until it no longer sticks to your hands, adding more powdered sugar as necessary.

  4. Divide into three equal portions.

  5. Leave one portion white and color one blue and the remaining red.

  6. Pinch off a piece of each color and roll into a 1-inch ball.

  7. Place on trays or baking sheets lined with waxed paper.

  8. Flatten with a flat-bottomed cup or your hand.

  9. Cover with another sheet of waxed paper and refrigerate for 60-90 minutes or until firm.

  10. Melt candy coating according to package directions.

  11. Dip the candies into the melted candy coating with a fork, tap off the extra, and place back on the waxed paper.

  12. Sprinkle with sprinkles or jimmies if desired.

  13. Repeat until all candies have been coated.

  14. Let candies set up until chocolate is firm before storing in an airtight container.

  15. Candies can be frozen in single layers separated by waxed paper if desired.

| Nell Rebowe by Jeff Tse in “Rainbow Bright” |

Stunning Expressions
Nell Rebowe by Jeff Tse in “Rainbow Bright” Beauty Editorial.  Beauty Artist: Jas Doyle – Hair Stylist Livio Angileri – FGR Beauty editorial July 2018

Marchesa Notte Resort 2019

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Marchesa Notte Resort 2019

Cheesecake-Stuffed Strawberries

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Cheesecake-Stuffed Strawberries

These bite-sized beauties contain just 23 calories a pop. It’s the perfect portion of rich, creamy filling combine with the sweetness of strawberries. Today

  • 1 cup part-skim ricotta
  • 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
  • 2 egg whites
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp lemon zest, plus addition for garnish (optional)
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp kosher salt or coarse sea salt
  • 1 tbap cornstarch
  • 40 strawberries
  1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
  2. In a food processor, blend the ricotta cheese and cottage cheese until smooth. Add the egg whites, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla, salt, and cornstarch, and pulse for a few seconds so everything comes together.
  3. Liberally coat a 9-inch round pan with nonstick oil spray and pour the cheese mixture into the pan. Bake for 50 minutes. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and let it cool. (To cool more quickly, place the cheesecake in the freezer for about 15 minutes.)
  4. While the cheesecake is cooling, wash the strawberries and slice off the tips to create a flat surface for the berries to stand on. Then, using a small knife, cut off the green stem and crave a bit of the inner strawberry to make room to pipe in the cheesecake filling.
  5. When the cheesecake has cooled, scoop it into a zip-top bag (all at once or in small batches), and push the cheesecake down toward one corner. Using a pair of scissors, cut a small hole in the bottom corner of the bag to create an opening for the cheesecake mixture to flow out. Squeeze the cheesecake filling into each strawberry, using approximately 2 to 3 teaspoons per berry. Garnish with the additional lemon zest, if desired.