Simple White Bean Salad With Lemon Recipe

This dish requires no cooking at all, which is really a great thing for you once summer temperatures really start to rise this July.  This salad has a variety of textures and flavors that taste really refreshing.  Instead of a side dish add this bean mixture over a mixed bed of salad greens and you got yourself a light lunch!

2 cans of cannellini beans, rinsed

1 tomato chopped

2 scallions chopped

2 garlic cloves minced

4 tablespoons chopped parsley

2 tablespoons of lemon juice

3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon of honey

Salt and Pepper To Taste

1.  Combine the cannelloni beans, tomato and scallions together. 

2.  To make the dressing, add the remaining ingredients together in a small bowl and stir until the honey is incorporated.

3.  Pour this over the beans, chopped tomatoes and scallions, so that the dressing is fully incorporated into the salad. Let this rest for at least 10-15 minutes so that the flavors can fully develop then serve. 

Red, White And Blue Pops Recipe (Strawberry And Blueberry Lemonade Yogurt/Cool Whip Pops)

Perfect and oh so yummy for the 4th of July!  These popsicles combine some of your favorite summertime flavors.  They are creamy, fruity and lemony and nothing but refreshing on a warm summer day.  In my trial run, I used both yogurt (bars to the left ) and cool whip (cup to the right).  I think I like the cool whip ones a little better because once the popsicle starts to melt it tastes like fresh fruit with whipped cream!

1 cup of plain non-fat plain yogurt or fat free cool whip ( I used both in my trial)

1 cup of fresh or frozen strawberries

1 cup of fresh or frozen blueberries

1 cup of 100% lemonade juice concentrate, divided

Popsicle molds or 3 oz paper cups with Popsicle sticks

1.  In a food processor puree the strawberries and 1/2 cup of the lemonade juice concentrate and puree until smooth.  Add this to a separate bowl.  Now add the blueberries to the food processor and the other half of the 1/2 cup of the lemonade juice concentrate and puree until smooth.

2.  Using ice-pop molds layer the strawberry mixture, yogurt or cool whip and blueberry mixture.  Allow popsicles to freeze for about two hours an then insert wooden popsicle sticks.  Freeze for at least 8 hours.

3.  Dip molds into hot water quickly to remove from the mold.   

Simple Italian Flat Beans with Lemon Juice Recipe

I love the taste of fresh green beans in the summer, so I wanted to keep this recipe simple.   Pole Beans are flat and are larger than your typical green bean, so they take a little more time to cook.   However, they are still super easy to make and is a great way to incorporate veggies into your diet.  My italian grandfather grows these in his garden, so I get a little nostalgic when making this recipe!

1 pound of Italian Flat Beans (or pole green beans), ends trimmed

1 tsp of lemon zest

3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

Salt and Pepper to taste

Juice of 1 lemon

1.  Blanch the green beans in a large pot of boiling water until they are tender, roughly about five mintues.  

2. Drain the beans.  Add the oil, juice of one lemon and salt and pepper.  Toss the beans.  Top with the lemon zest and serve.