Cucumber Watermelon Salsa

Cucumber Watermelon Salsa is my new go-to summer salsa recipe, utilizing fresh produce from my garden and the farmer's market. Watermelon and cucumber are balanced out by jalapeno and cilantro, making it a perfectly balanced sweet and spicy salsa. Serve with tortilla chips or on top of grilled chicken.


What's your favorite salsa recipe?


Click here for recipe from Iowa Girl Eats

Pretzel-Crusted Peanut Butter Brownies

Pretzel-Crusted Peanut Butter Brownies are the ultimate brownie for chocolate|peanut butter lovers and sweet|salty lovers. This is a four-layer brownie dessert made up of a salty, buttery pretzel layer topped with peanut butter cookie dough, Reese's cups, and rich brownie batter. The outcome is decadent, with melted chocolate and peanut butter oozing out of every bite.


Pretzel-Crusted Peanut Butter Brownies

Ingredients:
·3/4 cup gluten-free pretzels, chopped so some large chunks remain - I used Glutino Gluten-Free Pretzels
·1/4 cup butter, melted
·1 cup peanut butter - I made homemade peanut butter but store-bought will work fine
·1/2 cup sugar
·1 egg
·8 regular-sized Reese's cups
·1 box gluten-free brownie mix, mixed according to package directions - I used Aldi's LiveGFree Brownie Mix

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350˚. Grease the bottom and sides of an 8x8-inch pan.

In a small bowl, mix chopped pretzels and melted butter. Press into the bottom of the prepared pan.

In a separate bowl, mix peanut butter, sugar, and egg. Layer on top of the pretzel mixture.

Place unwrapped Reese's cups on top of the peanut butter layer.

Prepare brownie mix according to package directions. Pour brownie batter on top of Reese's cup layer.

Bake for 25-35 minutes, or until a tooth-pick inserted into the brownie layer only comes out clean.

Zucchini Bread Cookie Whoopie Pies

If you have a plethora of zucchini this summer, you have to make these Zucchini Bread Cookie Whoopie Pies. They are bite-sized, semi-healthy cookies that taste like cinnamon-spiced zucchini bread stuffed with sweet cream cheese frosting. I took them to my family for a weekend visit and they are so scrumptious they didn't last long. I will definitely be making a double-batch next time.



Click here for recipe from Iowa Girl Eats - I substituted my mom's gluten-free all-purpose flour blend to make the recipe gluten-free. You can use any gluten-free flour blend to easily convert this recipe.

Greek Chicken Sandwiches

Greek Chicken Sandwiches are the perfect summer sandwich to use garden-fresh produce. This sandwich incorporates cucumbers, tomatoes, and mint all grown in our garden. The taste is phenomenally fresh, and the dish is relatively simple to prepare coming together in less than 20 minutes.

Greek Chicken Sandwiches
Recipe inspired by Culinary Mamas and Rachael Ray

Ingredients:
·2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
·Salt and pepper, to taste
·1/2 tsp cumin
·1/2 tsp garlic powder
·1/4 cup Greek yogurt
·1 TBS fresh lime juice
·2 TBS fresh mint, minced
·1/2 cucumber, sliced
·1/2 onion, sliced
·1 tomato, sliced
·Gluten-free bread or rolls, toasted

Season the chicken with salt, pepper, cumin, and garlic powder. Grill over medium-heat, until no longer pink in the middle.

For the dressing, combine the Greek yogurt, lime juice, and mint in a small bowl.

Assemble the sandwiches by spreading dressing on the gluten-free bread. Top with chicken, cucumber, onion, and tomato. Serve immediately.
 

Caprese Pasta Salad

I love anything and everything Caprese. It's my go-time meal in the summer. This Caprese Pasta Salad is a cinch to prepare and tastes garden fresh.

If you are making this with gluten-free pasta, it is best served immediately. Leftovers do not taste the same, as the gluten-free pasta hardens in the refrigerator. If you do have leftovers, heat it up in the microwave for 30 seconds or so to soften the gluten-free pasta.


Click here for recipe - I used gluten-free penne pasta to make this recipe gluten free. I omitted vinaigrette because I don't like the taste of balsamic vinegar. I drizzled extra virgin olive oil over the cooked pasta, tomatoes, mozzarella, and cheese. It was delicious.