What makes Stephanie’s Fava Bean and Tomato Salad so delicious? The fava beans! In her blog, fittingly called Scrumptious Street, Stephanie goes into detail about how to pick the perfect batch of fava beans for this recipe. Freshness is key; a soggy, old bean just won’t do! Careful not to overcook them, Stephanie allows the beans to keep their crispness. She then adds color and life with chopped tomatoes and a drizzle of olive oil.

Bring a bit of the Mediterranean to your home with Stephanie’s Fava Bean and Tomato Salad! It’s a healthy and affordable way to travel the world…with your plate :).

Indigo, of Happy Love Strawberry, did a great job of coming up with her own recipe. Inspired by a few other recipes, she picked and chose what she liked to craft her
Courgette, Feta & Tomato Quiche Tartlets. She claims that these would be a tasty tea party finger food, but they’d also make for a healthy and portable afternoon snack. These tartlets bake up in a matter of minutes, so keep Indigo’s recipe on hand to use on those lazy days when you’d normally reach for the canned soup. The fresh mint and sprinkle of lemon zest will wake up your taste buds while the combination of carbs and protein give you the energy boost you’ll need to create a sugary treat for dessert…how about a sweet tartlet?!

When you’ve had it with your rice cooker, and a simple side of mashed potatoes or pasta salad just won’t cut it, then give your dinner plate a make-over with Kate’s adapted recipe for Millet Salad with Corn and Pepper. Unlike enriched white rice, Kate’s Millet Salad is healthy, full of flavor and color!

In her blog, Kate in the Kitchen, she describes how this dish is filling precisely because it’s a grain. Aside from being a bit tricky to cook, if you’re not used to preparing it, Kate offers a few tips on how to make a successful millet salad. She even went so far as to email the author of the recipe book that inspired her to make the salad; be sure to check out her blog for the details!

I have a confession to make. I admit, there are moments in my life where I get a whiff of some body lotion or hand soap entitled “Vanilla Strawberry Dream” or “Chocolate Covered Marshmallow” and I want to devour it right then and there, aside from all the strange, very inedible ingredients. Of course, I don’t. Instead, I applaud folks like Toontz from Okara Mountain for taking part in The Beauty and the Feast Challenge. Required to make a delicious dessert that includes an ingredient named in a beauty product’s title, Toontz was inspired by Burt’s Bees Citrus and Ginger Root Body Wash! Her Coconut Ginger Scones with Lime-Ginger Curd, I am more than certain, taste a ton better than the body wash! If you’ve ever had soap in your mouth, I’m sure you agree ;).

What a great combination of ingredients; the warm flavors of the coconut, ginger, and even honey create the base for this perfect-for-summer treat. I applaud you for coming up with such a unique and tasty recipe, Toontz.

Mario Batali fans will agree that Claudia did a wonderful job of adapting his Oyster Fettuccine with Mushrooms, Sweet Garlic, and Arugula recipe. She even went so far as to make her own pasta! That’s an amazing feat, in my opinion. But in her blog, Cook Eat FRET, she explains how it really isn’t that daunting of a task. I love how she compares it to therapy! Who knew that making pasta could be so relaxing? I might just have to give it a try. When I do, I’ll definitely put this recipe to use. An elegantly presented pasta dish dressed in wine and decorated with other delicious ingredients makes Batali’s pasta recipe one to keep around for a creative date night in the kitchen.

If you take a quick look at the recipe, you’ll notice that Claudia emphasizes the use of fresh ingredients. I can understand why! Who would want to pair freshly prepared pasta with overly processed cheese?! The fresh ingredients make all the difference and set this pasta recipe aside from all the others.

Crunchy, savory, and fresh are just a few words to describe Sarah’s adapted Grilled Romaine Salad recipe. Browsing through her blog, Food and Paper, this particular salad caught my eye not only because it was colorful, but also because it was grilled! Sarah explains how this salad can be prepared over an indoor or outdoor grill, so it’s ideal for the barbecue connoisseur and aficionada whose husband prefers a light salad over a savory serving of baby back ribs ;).

Gender stereotype reversal aside, this is a healthy side salad anyone can enjoy! Pine nuts give Sarah’s salad bite while the mingling flavors of sundried tomatoes and parmesan cheese combine to create a tasty background for anchovies dressed in a lemony dijon dressing.

After putting in 8 hours at the office, I imagine the last thing you want to do is cook (unless you’re a half-crazy foodie who actually enjoy cooking anytime, like me!). But there is one thing I never enjoy, and that’s washing dishes! Who doesn’t want to come home to a savory meal that tastes like it took all day to prepare but won’t require any scrubbing of the pots and pans?!

Part of the reason why I love Sharon’s Pulled Pork BBQ Sammies so much is because they do take hours to cook, making them tender and amazingly flavorful, but I don’t have to wash dishes after the cooking process is over! And guess what? This is also the perfect meal for the busy family with hungry kiddos, because it practically makes itself. All you’ll need to make these tasty sandwiches is a slow cooker and a few fun ingredients, like Root Beer!

Thankfully, Sharon shares other delicious recipes like these on her blog,Culinary Adventures of a New Wife.

If you love berries, but can’t decided between lemons and limes, then don’t! Personally, I like them both, which is why I’m happy that Elle of Elle’s New England Kitchen was nice enough to share both her Lemon Glazed Blueberry and Lime Glazed Raspberry cupcake recipes with us. She describes the cupcakes as “moist, tangy, and not too sweet”. These are two wonderful desserts that pair seasonal ingredients with tart fruits to produce tasty, puckerful desserts.

Check out Elle’s blog to view even more yummy cupcake photos. Those berries she photographed look deliciously ripe; I imagine they have a supernatural effect on the taste of these divine cupcakes!

Be sure to get involved in July’s Key Ingredient Cook’s Kitchen (KICK) recipe contest. The KICK recipe contest is open to anyone who loves to cook! All participants are asked to come up with their own berry-inspired recipe* or recreate one by cloning a recipe from Key Ingredient.

Bloggers may feature the recipe on their blogs as soon as they’ve completed the contest. Those who do not have a blog can email us their recipe and recipe picture; we will then post them on The Back Burner. After completing the contest, all participants are asked to upload their recipes to Key Ingredient by the last day of the contest, August 15th.

To upload your recipe to Key Ingredient, please take the following steps:
1. Click on the following link to join KeyIngredient.com: https://keyingredient.com/signup/?next=/recipes/new/

2. Click on the link in the email you receive immediately after sign-up to confirm your account

3. Add your first recipe by clicking on the following link:
http://keyingredient.com/recipes/new/

Be sure to email Sophie, Key Ingredient’s blogger, at sophiekiblogger@gmail.com with the link to your recipe after you’ve uploaded it. All participating bloggers will be placed on The Back Burner’s blogroll. We can’t wait to see what tasty recipes you’ll come up with!

*If you are unable to use berries (due to not having any in your area, allergies, or financial reasons) please let us know! You can still be involved in this month’s recipe contest, so long as you use a fruit that is in season in your area. Send all notifications to sophiekiblogger@gmail.com, thanks!

What happens when a wonderful Southern baker relocates to Amesterdam, New York? You get A Southern Grace! Grace is a lovely gal who knows how to bake up an addicting dessert. Her Miniature Toitle Cheesecakes are sweet, in every sense of the word. These are perfect party treats that won’t leave too many crumbs behind; pack them up in a mini cupcake container and you’re ready to go! Just make sure you don’t eat them all before the hostess of the party gets a taste. Better yet, don’t even wait for a party, make a batch of these fun desserts for yourself!

I have to agree with you, Grace, these turtle cheesecakes are turtle enough for me, too :). I don’t think I could promote this recipe if that cute turtle on your blog entry was the spotlight ingredient in the cheesecake!