Summer salads and a sweet treat

Treat yourself this summer with these light fresh recipes

By GOURMETKOSHERCOOKING.COM
tunasalad (photo credit: gourmetkoshercooking.com)
tunasalad
(photo credit: gourmetkoshercooking.com)
Here are some nice light recipes that take advantage of the fresh ingredients of summer.  They’re all good but the raspberry white chocolate blondies are out of this world!
Salad Niçoise
2 pounds fresh tuna, cut into steaks 1 cup kalamata olives2 hard-boiled eggs, cut into quarters1 large cucumber, cut into chunks½ pound fresh green beans, steamed1 pound baby red or white potatoes, cut in half and boiled until soft1 ripe avocado, chopped (optional)1 large head romaine, cut into small pieces
Coat a medium-sized saucepan with cooking spray and sprinkle tuna with garlic.  Sauté over medium heat.  Add a splash of soy sauce while cooking.  Cook for about 5 minutes on each side, depending if you like the center red, pink, or fully cooked.  Cook and cut into pieces.  Refrigerate.
When ready to serve, mix together all salad ingredients and toss with ½ to ¾ cup dressing.
Dressing:
1 cup olive oil2/3 cup apple cider vinegar2 teaspoons oregano2 teaspoons sugar1 teaspoon pepper
Mix all ingredients together and shake well.
Tomato salad.
Tomato salad.
Tomatoes with Mozzarella and Basil
6 hot-house tomatoes, sliced
1 (8 ounce) package of mozzarella, cut into squares that will fit on top of the tomatoes
1 bunch basil, leaves separated
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ cup olive oil
On a large platter, arrange tomatoes in a single layer.  Top withmozzarella, then a basil leave.  Sprinkle salt over all and thendrizzle with olive oil.  Serve at room temperature.
Raspberry White Chocolate Blondies
Raspberry white chocolate cake.
Raspberry white chocolate cake.
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
2 cups (packed) golden brown sugar
¾ cup unsalted butter, margarine
2 large eggs
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans or macadamia nuts
1-½ pints basket fresh raspberries
1 cup white chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350.  Line a 9x9 inch baking pan with aluminum foil,extending foil over sides by 2 inches.  Butter and flour foil.  Whisk 2cups flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in medium bowl toblend.  Using electric mixer, beat brown sugar and butter in large bowluntil light and fluffy.  Beat in eggs 1 at a time, then vanilla.  Addflour mixture and beat just until blended.  Stir in chopped pecans. Spread batter evenly in pan.  Sprinkle raspberries over top.
Bake until top is golden and tester inserted into center comes outclean or with moist crumbs, about 50 minutes. Cut into small squaresand serve room temperature. 
Can be dipped half way in melted chocolate (melt 2 cups chocolate chipswith 1 T Crisco).  Dip half way in chocolate and refrigerate to allowchocolate to harden.
'This article was provided by www.gourmetkoshercooking.com'