No-Cook Peach Ice Cream

Several years ago, we bought a countertop ice-cream maker by Cuisanart. This is a terrific appliance because it's so easy to use (no ice or rock salt), the ice cream freezes in about 30 minutes, and it only makes about 1 1/2 quarts. I love homemade ice cream, but sometimes I don't want to cook the custard base. For just such a time, this no-cook version, which doesn't have any eggs, is the best way to go. I've made so many fresh peach recipes this summer, and this one is a keeper for sure. Thanks for all the Chilton County peaches, J!

No-Cook Peach Ice Cream
5 oz. evaporated milk
1 (14-oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups whole milk (I used 1 cup whipping cream and 1 cup skim milk because that's what I had on hand.)
2 cups chopped fresh peaches

1. Combine evaporated milk and remaining ingredients in a mixing bowl. Chill mixture 30 minutes. Pour into an ice-cream maker, and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. Scoop into a bowl, cover with lid, and freeze for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Oven-Baked Tilapia

Besides being good for you and yummy, fish is a terrific weeknight supper option because it comes together so quickly. Work is crazy right now, so we may be having a lot of fish over the next few weeks. We like tilapia because of it's mild flavor and inexpensive cost (usually between $5 and $6 per pound. For the two of us, I bought 2 fillets, which weighed a little over a half pound. Panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) form a crunchy exterior, without frying. (If you haven't tried panko yet, you must! I promise.) Easy Rémoulade is a tasty accompaniment for the fish. We also had Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Yukon Gold Potatoes, and Onions and Stuffed Tomatoes. All in all, an easy, delicious meal that was ready in about 40 minutes. Enjoy!

Oven-Baked Tilapia
2 tilapia fillets
2 tsp. country-style Dijon mustard
Panko
Olive oil
Pepper

1. Rub one side of each fillet with Dijon mustard; sprinkle with panko until thoroughly covered. Place fillets, panko side down, on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet drizzled with olive oil. Sprinkle additional panko over top of fillets, and sprinkle with pepper. Coat tops of fillets with cooking spray.
2. Bake at 425° for 6 minutes or until fish flakes with a fork.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Yukon Gold Potatoes, and Onions

This side dish is very versatile. It's good with fish, pork, and steak. You could also mix up a vinaigrette and toss it with the roasted vegetables. Then sprinkle the dish with crumbled bacon and you have potato salad.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Yukon Gold Potatoes, and Onions
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
2 Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into chunks
1 large sweet onion, chopped
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper

1. Place potato chunks and onions on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
2. Bake at 425° for 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Easy Rémoulade Sauce

This is version of rémoulade sauce, which is great as a dip for fish or as a spread on a shrimp po'boy. You could also use it as a dip for hush puppies. It's so simple. Combine 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 1 Tbsp. country-style Dijon mustard, and 2 to 3 Tbsp. Wickles Pickles relish. (Wickles are made here in AL and have a salty-sweet-little-bit-spicy flavor.) Yummy!

Sausage Ratatouille

Yes, I just posted another ratatouille recipe a couple of weeks ago, but I have been so tempted by all the fresh produce at the farmers market that I decided to make it again. This time I used fresh chicken Italian sausage from the meat case at Whole Foods. This sausage has terrific flavor and it has less fat than regular sausage. It's also tasty mixed with ground beef to make meatballs for spaghetti. This ratatouille used most of the same vegetables as the one I made earlier, but I also tossed in some big chunks of eggplant. Andy doesn't like eggplant, but it doesn't stop him from eating the dish—he just picks them out. Enjoy!

Sausage Ratatouille
1 onion, chopped
Olive oil
1 lb. chicken Italian sausage
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
Salt and pepper
2 tsp. herbs de provence
3 zucchini, chopped
1/2 eggplant, cut into chunks
1 (28-oz.) can tomato puree
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Hot cooked ziti

1. Sauté chopped onion in hot oil 5 minutes; add in sausage and next 2 ingredients. Cook until veggies begin to soften. Stir in salt, pepper, and herbs de provence. Add in zucchini and eggplant, and cook 10 more minutes. Stir in tomato puree, 1/2 cup water, and tomato paste. Cook, stirring occasionally, 10 more minutes. Stir in parsley, basil, and freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Serve over hot cooked ziti.

Goat Cheese-Tomato-Avocado Salad

This is a liberal variation of Caprese Salad. Really, the only similarity is the way it's arranged on the plate and that it contains sliced tomatoes. The goat cheese rounds were rolled in panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) and sautéed in butter to make them crispy on the outside, melty on the inside. The smoothness of the avocado is a nice textural contrast. Balsamic Vinaigrette adds depth of flavor. For the goat cheese, I used Belle Chèvre, which is made a couple of hours north of here in Elkmount, Alabama. Enjoy!

Goat Cheese-Tomato-Avocado Salad
1/2 cup panko
Pepper
1 small log goat cheese, sliced
2 Tbsp. butter
1 large tomato, sliced
1 avocado, sliced
Salt
Balsamic Vinaigrette

1. Combine panko and pepper to taste in a shallow dish. Roll goat cheese rounds in panko, coating on all sides. Melt butter in a skillet; cook breaded goat cheese rounds in hot butter until crispy, about 2 minutes on each side. On a serving plate, arrange sliced tomatoes, goat cheese rounds, and sliced avocado. Sprinkle with salt and pepper; drizzle with Balsamic Vinaigrette.

Peach-Pecan Pancakes

Say that three times fast! This morning I decided to make more-than-basic pancakes. It occurred to me that chopped peaches and pecans would be nice additions to the batter recipe that I love so much. I decided not to stir the peaches and the pecans into the batter; instead I sprinkled them on top of the pancakes after I scooped the batter onto the grill pan (see photo below). The key is to make sure you see bubbles all over the top before flipping them. This is true with just regular pancakes, but it's especially relevant when you add extra ingredients; this makes the pancakes heavier and harder to flip cleanly. This same technique would work well with any kind of berries. I served the pancakes with Maple-Pecan Bacon. Enjoy!