Skinny Dipping...

Oh...please! It's an appetizer! 

But this does remind me of a sign that my friend Mason had in her home:

Actually, I'm talking about the best dip I've EVER MADE!!!!

It is the most versatile dip...and it's low on the calorie count too!

The base of this low cal, yummy dip!!!

So the base is yogurt, and you add the brightness of citrus and basil. 

I found the recipe in this month's Southern Living, in the "5 Porch Perfect Appetizers" section. They suggested using the dip with grilled veggies, but I used it with steak and scallops too!

So let's skinny dip!

Orange- Basil Yogurt Dip:

Grate zest of 1 orange to equal 2 tsp. Cut orange in half and squeeze juice from orange to equal 3 Tbsp. Stir together zest; orange juice; 1 1/2 cups of Greek yogurt; 1 small garlic glove- grated; and 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil in a medium bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 3 days.

Makes 6 servings. Hands-on 20 mins.

Yum! Yum Yum!

We used this dip for Cajun catfish, grilled scallops and mixed grilled veggies!

It is so delicious! And it goes with practically anything!

So start skinny dipping...it's good for ya!

La Bonne Vie Y'all!

Oh My Gosh...I Just Grilled My First Pizza!

I've been seeing all these recipes for pizza on the grill. There's one with a Thai Peanut sauce that will have to be in my future...but for now, I thought, let's just try the simple Margherita Pizza. 

There is actually an interesting legend about this pizza- how it got its name...it involves an Italian queen and a letter with a royal seal. Was it the queen's letter or was it not? You decide: BBC Food: Was the margherita pizza really named after Italy's queen?

Actually, the word margherita means daisy...which happens to be my favorite flower!

So enough with the sleuthing and flowers...let's cook!

Ingredients:

Fresh Basil- this came from a tiny herb garden in my back yard.

I love tomato- you can use pizza sauce, but I opted for Classico's Bruschetta. You will need refrigerated pizza dough (no- I do not make my own), fresh sliced tomato, fresh mozzarella- sliced, olive oil, sea salt, and fresh ground pepper.
(Note: the ingredients of the pizza are the same colors of the Italian flag. And yes- that is a crab made out of forks and spoons in the background.)

Grilling:

Heat your grill (pizza stone already on grill top) to 400 degrees. I sprinkled cornmeal on the top to make it easier to get the dough off later. I painted  the bottom of the dough with olive oil. Pre-bake the dough for roughly 6 minutes. (Let me pause here...notice the dough is shaped strangely...yes- it is. I did not make a perfect round- the stone it hot and transferring dough to a hot stone doesn't allow for lovely shaped dough. Plus- it kind of fits my personality- perfection is overrated...I think the imperfection makes it interesting!)
Then top with Bruchetta, mozzarella, basil and tomato. Grill an additional 8 to 10 minutes- cheese is gooey, tomatoes soften and basil wilts a bit. 

Here is the finished product!
I did put the tomatoes directly on the grill briefly to char a bit. I would start with that next time, and then put them on the pizza; but due to the constancy of the fresh mozzarella, I didn't have a problem removing them and then adding them back.
I topped with fresh ground sea salt and pepper.
(Note: the tomatoes and bruschetta will release juice as it cooks. Watch out- it's hot. Before topping with salt and pepper, you might want to dab some of the juices off.)

Okay- so I was pretty proud of myself. This was a first try, and pushing my grilling boundaries turned out to be good thing! It was incredibly tasty...and the smell- heaven! 

I will definitely try this again...maybe next time with prosciutto...Yum!

Happy Grilling! 

La Bonne Vie Y'all!

Welcome To My Back Porch!

I thought I should begin by welcoming you to my back porch. That's were all of the good meals, warm company, and laughter hangs out!

View from my screened in porch

My husband and I share brunch together every weekend on this porch. It's nothing fancy really. Most of the time I look to see what ingredients are in the pantry and fridge and toss it together. 

As a way to catch up on my "cooking therapy" I thought I would post the recent brunches, apps, and "themed" meals going on in the Cunningham Home. My friend Mason LOVED "themed" anything. She was so proud to pass that on to her friends!

Omelette: 1 whole egg, 2 egg whites, capers, bacon, chives and mozzarella. Plus a little Athena cantaloupe and blueberries on the side.

Ham and Egg Breakfast Bites: english muffins, cream cheese, rosemary and sun-dried tomato (Boar's Head) ham, eggs- topped with mozzarella and Dijon mustard.

Grilled Cajun catfish, scallops, peppers, onion, and baby bella mushrooms with an orange basil greek yogurt dip. (Dip recipe in another post.)

Veggie Bites! A family favorite, and definitely a Mason favorite...recipe coming soon!

Key Lime Ice Cream Cupcake...recipe to come later!

Father's Day- Dad LOVES the Beach! The following are pics from our "beachy" Father's Day dinner!

My brother's special recipe- Mai Tai's

Dad has a mustache...note the mustache straws!

Yum! Yum! Sweet and Sour Sausage, Peppers, and Onions with Grilled Polenta...recipe to post soon!

Pretty Beach Table!

And Thus It Begins

I have always had an interest in cooking. My uncle was a great cook, so was my grandfather, my mother is an excellent cook...my dad is a fantastic cook. I love to eat, to explore with food, to be creative!

It is also therapy to me.

I lost my dear friend, Linda H. Mason recently (her friends called her "Mason"). The loss is tremendous. 

So what did I do...I began to cook! 

Mason and I loved food! We also love to cook- me more than she, but we loved eating what I cooked. I thought: I should begin cooking, creating, and exploring as a way to heal through the loss of my friend.

Mason also loved anything French. I love French food. One of my favorite movies is Ratatouille- a movie (set in France) about a rat who becomes a chef. (I named my cat after the main character, "Remy"!)

Hmmm...I thought: Mason lived "the good life"- "la bonne vie". She had many friendships, cooked, ate, enjoyed the company of others...enjoyed French stuff...

Yes- that's what I would do! I would begin a blog of recipes, tastes, and smells that remind me that:

life is good. 

It doesn't have to be stuffy food, or expensive food, or require super-skills in the kitchen...just easy, creative, fun, "catching up over a good meal" kinds of dishes. Often the way we humans connect is over a meal. Mason and I always did our best "catching up" over a meal.

So join me! Join me on an eating, drinking, cooking journey to explore the good life...the way Mason would- over a good meal!

My Friend Mason at the Riverwalk in San Antonio, TX.