Summer Bucket List

The weather was gorgeous today! So nice that it inspired Dustin and me to make a summer (and spring) bucket list. Some things on our list:

• Build garden boxes; plant garden
• Go to batting cages
• Host garage sale
• Play paintball, miniature golf, volleyball, and tennis
• Join Toastmasters
• Go to Yankee game(s)
• Go to Moose Alley along Route 3 (??)
• Helicopter ride over NYC
• Go to Niagara Falls
• Go to Atlantic City, NJ
• Take up archery and MMA
• Hudson river cruise

That’s only about a quarter of the list, so it looks like we’re going to be very busy for the next several months. Yay! Busy = GOOD Have you made any plans for the spring and summer? Our list is still under construction, so I’m sure we’ll have more things to add to it as we go along.

Another unwritten plan I have for spring and summer: Use the grill more often! We grill year-round, but I need to start planning my meals around grilling to keep the heat outside. Today, we grilled and chilled salads, plus deep-fried cauliflower that we were going to have for Easter, but we already had plenty for Easter dinner!

Tonight’s Grilled and Chilled Menu:

• Grill-blackened chicken leg quarters marinated in extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, whole garlic, sea salt and black pepper
• String bean + red onion salad tossed in olive oil, red wine vinegar, sea salt, and pepper
• Raw pea + red onion salad tossed in olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic sea salt, and pepper
• Breaded cauliflower egged and breaded and deep-friend in organic palm shortening
• Haagen-Dazs strawberry ice cream

We don’t eat the skin anyway, so the charred parts weren’t an issue. Under the skin was tender, perfectly cooked meat. Not much of it after the bone and charred parts, LOL, but what was there was tasty.

Italian fried cauliflower—an old favorite. Recipe below!

Told you to expect peas in my upcoming posts, haha. Consider this 1/100!

Followed by a scoop of strawberry Haagen-Dazs for dessert—no pic, sorry! Everything was fabulous. Extra virgin olive oil + red wine vinegar is my go-to salad dressing of choice. Simple and full of flavor. Another life-long favorite.

My family has made fried cauliflower as long as I can remember, and probably long before I was born. It’s so amazing, and incredibly easy to make. It always seemed completely normal to me, but then again I grew up in a traditional Italian family that also eats seven types of fish on Christmas Eve, so what do I know about “normal”? LOL

Italian Fried Cauliflower

Ingredients:

• One head cauliflower
• 2.5 cups breadcrumbs, Italian-style recommended
• 4 beaten eggs
• Oil for frying (organic palm shortening recommended)

Method:

1. Wash cauliflower and dry thoroughly; cut into smaller chunks ~1.5 inches or so
2. Preheat oil to 350 degrees F
3. Coat cauliflower pieces in egg, then roll in breadcrumbs
4. Gently place breaded pieces in hot oil, cook until browned
5. Remove from oil with slotted spoon, place on plate lined with paper towel

Note: If using unseasoned breadcrumbs, I suggest adding salt and pepper and any other seasonings to the crumbs before coating for more flavor.

YUM! Have you ever had fried cauliflower? It’s SO, SO, SOOO GOOD!

I’m going to chill with Tivo now. Save some energy to start checking things off of my summer bucket list!!

Tagged as: cauliflower, chicken, fried cauliflower, fried cauliflower recipe, peas, salads, spring, string beans, summer, vegetarian