Italian Fish and Veggie Pockets

Ingredients

• 1 lemon, zested
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt, plus more for seasoning
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning
• 1 ½ pounds sugar snap peas, stemmed
• 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
• 1 orange bell pepper, sliced
• ½ cup white wine
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• 4 teaspoons olive oil
• 4 (4-ounce) trout fillets, skinned (or other fish about ½-inch thick)
• 8 thin slices lemon
• ¼ cup fresh chopped mint leaves

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a small bowl mix together the lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Set aside.

Lay out the 4 sheets of aluminum foil. Place ¼ of the sugar snap peas, ¼ of the yellow bell peppers, and ¼ of the orange bell peppers on each sheet of foil. Over each pile of vegetables drizzle 2 tablespoons of white wine, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Sprinkle with the lemon zest, salt and pepper mixture and gently toss.

Top each pile of seasoned vegetables with a piece of fish. Sprinkle the fish with some of the reserved lemon zest mixture. Top each fish with 2 slices of lemon.

Fold up the foil into an air-tight packet. Place the foil packets in the oven and bake for 15 to 18 minutes depending on the thickness of the fish. Sprinkle the fish with mint just before serving.

Notes: I made this for dinner tonight and made a couple of alterations. First I used salmon, and second I marinaded the veggies in the white wine, lemon juice, olive oil and seasoning mixture. I will update soon about my personal experience.

• Source: Giada De Laurentiis
• Prep Time: 20min
• Cook Time: 18min
• Total Time: 38min
• Recipe Yields: 4 servings

Strawberry Sunshine Cocktail

Ingredients

• 2 cups strawberries, stemmed and sliced, plus slices for garnish
• 4 limes, quartered
• ½ cup mint leaves
• ½ cup strawberry syrup
• 1 bottle Champagne

Directions

Special equipment: mortar and pestle

Add strawberries and limes into a large mortar or bowl. Crush together to extract juices. Add mint and crush to incorporate the flavors. Add strawberry syrup and pour into a pitcher. Add Champagne and stir. Serve in ice filled glasses and garnish with strawberry slices.

• Source: The Neely’s
• Recipe Yields: 4 to 6 servings

Very Berry Fruit Salad

This picture does not do this recipe justice. I just saw Ina Garten make this on TV, and it looked spectacular! Plus she served it in adorable martini glasses, which made it look that much better. You know, when the Hubby and I were registering for wedding gifts, I thought to myself, “What the hell do we need 12 martini glasses for? I don’t even like martinis. Plus the glasses suck, because liquid spills out of them so easy. Whoever invented them is an idiot” Well, this recipe right here makes up for it. This recipe gives purpose to the 12 martini glasses collecting dust in my garage. Someday I am going to have a party (with 12 people or less), and I am going to serve them Very Berry Fruit Salad in a perfect little martini glass. BTW, Sorry to the person who bought us our martini glasses. It is not your fault that we registered for them. Thank you very much though and we love them… Now.

Ingredients

• 1 pint strawberries, hulled and cut in half, or smaller if preferred
• 1 pint blueberries
• 1 pint raspberries
• 1 tablespoon good balsamic vinegar
• ¼ cup sugar
• Fresh mint, for garnish

Directions

Place 6 glasses in the refrigerator.

In a large bowl, combine the berries, vinegar and sugar. Stir gently. Cover securely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Spoon the berries into chilled glasses. Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint.

Notes: Can be used as breakfast or dessert. Ina says not to wash your raspberries, because it makes them tough. Also, try serving the fruit salad in a fun martini glass for the ultimate presentation!

• Source: Ina Garten
• Prep Time: 5min
• Cook Time: 30min
• Total Time: 35min
• Recipe Yields: 6 servings

Frozen Peach Champagne Cocktail

Ingredients

• ¼ cup sugar, to rim glasses
• 1 pint peach sorbet
• 2 shots Triple Sec, Grand Marnier or Cointreau
• Chilled champagne or sparkling wine, to fill blender, 1/3 bottle
• Raspberries and 4 springs mint, optional garnish

Directions

Place a shallow bowl of water along side a shallow bowl with ¼ cup sugar in it. Dip 4 cocktail glasses in water, then sugar to rim glass.

Place 4 scoops peach sorbet in blender. Add 2 shots orange liqueur. Fill blender with Champagne to maximum fill line or up to 1-inch from top of blending pitcher. Place cover on blender tightly. Blend until smooth and pour into cocktail glasses, keeping an eye out not to wreck the pretty sugar rims. Garnish with a few raspberries and a sprig of mint and serve.

• Source: Rachael Ray
• Recipe Yields: 4 servings

Peach Cobbler Cocktail

Ingredients

• Crushed ice
• 2 to 2 ½ ounces rye whiskey
• 2 ½ ounces peach nectar
• Dash bitters
• About 5 wedges frozen peaches, halved
• 3 to 4 fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped
• 1 lemon wedge

Directions

Fill a large wine goblet with crushed ice. Gently muddle the rye, peach nectar, dash of bitters, peaches, mint, and a squeeze of lemon juice in a cocktail shaker. Pour over ice and serve cold.

Notes: At first, the rye can pack a real punch; as the ice and fruit melt, they mellow it into a wonderful summer drink.

• Source: Food Network
• Recipe Yields: 1 drink