Tomato, Potato, Cucumber & Green Bean Salad

I really don't have a recipe for this; it's just one of those summer salads that I love and I add whatever I want to eat when I'm making it.

Tomato, Potato, Cucumber & Green Bean Salad

White Potatoes 2-4, depending on how much you want to make
Fresh Green Beans, 1/2 to 1 pound
Onions 1-2, depending on how big (I use one small because I prefer less onion)
Roma Tomatoes 2-4
Cucumbers 1-2 large
Olive Oil (I used maybe 1 - 1 1/2 tbsp.)
White Vinegar (I used about 1 tbsp.)
Salt and Pepper
Dill (to taste, optional)
Oregano (to taste, optional)

1. Boil potatoes then peel skin off and cut into quarters or sixths then place in bowl.
2. Boil green beans (cut in half if they are long ones) then place in bowl.
3. Cut up onions and tomatoes place in bowl.
4. Add olive oil, just regular white vinegar (I use white wine vinegar if I have it.), salt and pepper to taste (I prefer sea salt and fresh ground pepper), add dill and oregano to taste if you want.
5. Mix and then taste to find out if it needs more of the olive oil, vinegar, etc.
The theory is less is more, you don't want to drench it with the oil and vinegar unless that's the way you like it.

Chicken Salad

I was craving some chicken salad, it definitely is a summer staple! There are many different variations but this is the recipe I used and it can be altered to whatever works for you:

Chicken Salad

Ingredients
1 large cooked chicken breast, diced (about 1 cup)
1 stalked celery, diced
1/2 teaspoon sugar (optional)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/2 cup grapes, sliced or diced
1/4 - 1/2 cup mayonnaise (or miracle whip)
1/4 c. almonds, sliced or slivered

Directions
1Pull apart the chicken into large chunks and either cut it into a small dice or process in a mini food processor.
2Place chicken in a large mixing bowl and add all remaining ingredients (except bread).
3Mix well.

Easy Key Lime Pie

I've been craving something tangy and this pie is very tart. It didn't firm up as much as I thought it would, though I am not sure why. I may try it frozen too because that would be delicious as well.

Easy Key Lime Pie
from Real Simple
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 6-ounce can frozen limeade concentrate (not thawed)
1 cup heavy cream
1 6-ounce graham cracker pie crust
Zest of 1 lime

1. Place the condensed milk, limeade concentrate, and cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat until fluffy and soft peaks form.
2. Pour the filling into the pie crust and smooth the top.
3. Refrigerate until chilled and loosely set, at least 4 hours (and up to overnight).
4. Sprinkle the pie with the zest before serving.

Roasted Chickpeas

Sometimes I crave something crunchy and this is a more healthy alternative to chips or even crackers as a snack. Next time I'm going to use some creole seasoning in place of the garlic salt to give it an extra kick.

Roasted Chickpeas
1 (12 ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
2 tablespoons olive oil (I used a tsp. at the end.)
salt (optional)
(1 tsp.) garlic salt (optional)
(1/2 tsp.) cayenne pepper (optional) (Just a dash.)
Curry powder (dash)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
2. Blot chickpeas with a paper towel to dry them. (I rinsed well and then dried in paper towels.)
3. In a bowl, toss chickpeas with olive oil, and season to taste with salt, garlic salt, and cayenne pepper, if using. (I did not toss them with anything until they came out, I put them on the baking sheet dry.)
4. Spread on a baking sheet, and bake for 30 to 40 minutes (I only cooked mine for about 17 minutes or so, and they were perfect for me.), until browned and crunchy.
5. Watch carefully the last few minutes to avoid burning.
6. After taking out, toss with olive oil and seasonings. Enjoy!