Shop Cheap

With all the fruit and veggies ripe and ready to go, Shop Cheap asked researcher Sheila Kern to gather recipes that we can use all summer.

Lots of berries, tomatoes and other goodies. Enjoy

Individual Cherry-Blueberry Trifles

From www.eatingwell.com

EatingWell: May/June 2010

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups halved pitted fresh cherries or thawed and drained frozen cherries

1 1/4 cups fresh blueberries or thawed and drained frozen blueberries

1 tablespoon light brown sugar

16 ladyfingers (see Note)

1 cup nonfat vanilla Greek yogurt (see Note)

4 tablespoons toasted sliced almonds (see Tip)

Directions

Toss cherries, blueberries and brown sugar in a medium bowl. Layer 2 ladyfingers, about 1/4 cup fruit mixture and 2 tablespoons yogurt in four 10- to 12-ounce tumblers or similar-size glasses. Repeat with another layer of ladyfingers, fruit and yogurt. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 1 day. Top each serving with 1 tablespoon almonds just before serving.

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day. Top with almonds just before serving.

Notes: For this recipe, we recommend using ladyfingers with a soft, sponge-cake texture found in the in-store bakery of most supermarkets. The crunchy Italian ladyfingers (sometimes found near specialty cookies) are too big to fit into individual serving dishes and won't soften as well.

Greek-style yogurt is made by removing the whey from cultured milk, which gives the yogurt an extra-thick and creamy texture. Look for it with other yogurt in large supermarkets.

Tip: To toast sliced almonds, place in a small dry skillet and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes.

Strawberry and Mozzarella Salad

From www.foodnetwork.com

Show: Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger

Yield: 4 servings, serving size: 1 3/4 cup

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 heart romaine lettuce, torn or cut into bite-sized pieces (3 cups lightly packed)

1 8-ounce container of strawberries, hulled and sliced

3 ounces part-skim mozzarella cheese, diced (about 3/4 cup)

1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, cut into ribbons

Directions

In a small bowl whisk together the oil, vinegar salt and pepper. Place the lettuce in a large bowl and toss with half the dressing. Place the lettuce onto 4 salad plates.

Toss the strawberries with the remaining dressing and place 1/4 of the berries on top of each mound of lettuce. Top each with cheese and sprinkle with the basil.

Pasta Salad with Tomatoes and Corn

From www.epicurious.com

Bon Appetit | April 2000

Ingredients

5 tablespoons olive oil

5 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

2 large garlic cloves, chopped

1 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels (cut from 3 ears) or frozen, thawed

1 1/4 pounds plum tomatoes, chopped

8 ounces penne pasta, freshly cooked

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Whisk 4 tablespoons oil, vinegar, basil and garlic in large bowl to blend. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add corn; sauté 3 minutes. Add corn to dressing in bowl. Add tomatoes, pasta and cheese to bowl and toss to blend. Season salad with salt and pepper.

Grilled Tomatoes with Basil Vinaigrette

From www.find.myrecipes.com

Southern Living, July 1997

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

3 yellow tomatoes

3 red tomatoes

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Garnish: fresh basil sprigs

Directions

Cut tomatoes in half; thread onto skewers, alternating colors. Brush with 1 tablespoon oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Grill, covered with grill lid, over medium heat (300° to 350°) 10 minutes, turning skewers often.

Combine remaining 2 tablespoons oil, vinegar, and basil; drizzle over kabobs. Garnish, if desired.

Summer Bean Salad

From www.allrecipes.com

Servings: 8

Ingredients

1 (15 ounce) can light red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 small green bell pepper, chopped

1 small yellow bell pepper, chopped

1 1/2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes

2 green onions, finely chopped

1 cup chunky salsa

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Directions

In a bowl, gently toss together the kidney beans, black beans, green bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, tomatoes, and green onions. In a separate bowl, mix the salsa, vinegar, and cilantro. Pour dressing over the bean mixture, and gently stir to coat. Chill at least 1 hour in the refrigerator before serving.

Red, White and Blueberry Salad

From www.cdkitchen.com

Serves: 8

Ingredients

2 3/4 cups fresh blueberries

2 1/2 cups fresh raspberries

2 3/4 cups fresh strawberries

1 container (8-oz. size) vanilla yogurt

1/2 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons cream sherry

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 tablespoon honey

3 tablespoons slivered almonds, toasted

Directions

Rinse and stem the fresh berries, being sure to discard any hard or too-seedy fruit. Drain well to remove all excess water. Put all the berries in a large mixing bowl and gently toss with your hands to combine.

In a separate mixing bowl, combine yogurt, sour cream, sherry, lemon juice, and honey. Stir well to blend all dressing ingredients. Spoon equal portions of the berry mixture into each individual serving bowl. Top each serving evenly with some of the yogurt mixture, and sprinkle toasted slivered almonds over each. Refrigerate to store, but serve at room temperature for maximum flavor.

Baked Parmesan Tomatoes

From www.eatingwell.com

EatingWell: August/September 2006

Servings: 4

Ingredients

4 tomatoes, halved horizontally

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano

1/4 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 450° F.

Place tomatoes cut-side up on a baking sheet. Top with Parmesan, oregano, salt and pepper. Drizzle with oil and bake until the tomatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.