Labor Day – Oh My!

Labor Day is but a week away – can you believe it? When our children were still children, Labor Day wasn’t about picnics or backyard barbecues – it was about running away from home – headed up the California Coast and cool ocean breezes. Now, we are more home bodies – and Labor Day involves extended family – which is fine. I like my nutty family. Besides, planning family events teaches our children (or in this case, our grandchild) the importance of family ties. The older we get, the more we appreciate those ties.

When I was growing up, so much of our lives revolved around extended family gatherings. It seemed most gatherings were at our house. After all, we had the space. It wasn’t just a few Uncles and Aunts – we were easily a dozen kids or more. And it wasn’t just Christmas or Easter or even Labor Day – we are talking Sunday dinners after church. Every Sunday, without fail. Oh how I miss those days. We are so scattered now. By the time our motley crew grew up, we had scattered to the four corners. Our gatherings these days are much smaller, but no less precious.

Decisions, decisions! Hamburgers? Hot Dogs? How about some foot-long franks? Chicken? Ribs? Salads – green leafy salad? Pasta? Potato? Oh, and remember those old-fashion Jell-O salads! (My mother use to make a lime concoction with chopped lettuce – not one of my fonder childhood memories). It’s just so hard to come up with new recipes without falling back on the tried and true.

Oh, one last thing before we get started – make as much or as little as you like. Add to your family favorites or just be inspired – whatever suits your fancy!

****** The Menu ******
The Grilled Meats
Grilled Smoked Sausage with Barbecue Sauce *
Boozy Bacon Bourbon Barbecue Chicken Kabobos *
Grilled Flat Iron Steak with Chimichurri Sauce *
Hot Dogs or Hamburgers for the Children

The Side Dishes
Roasted Rosemary Potatoes *
Slow Cooker Smokehouse Bacon Beans*
Warm French Bread with Melted Garlic Butter*

The Salads
Asparagus and Tomato Salad with a Honey-Balsamic Vinaigrette*
Red Potato Salad*
Tropical Pineapple-Lime Jello Salad *

The Refreshing Ends
Lemon Pie Squares*
Sugar Cookie Fruit Pizza *

Mini Cupcakes
Watermelon Wedges

* Recipes Below

****** Grilled Meats ******

Grilled Smoked Sausage with Barbecue Sauce
2 Packages Hillshire Farms Smoked Beef Sausage
1 Cup Barbecue Sauce, any flavor

Heat small grill gas grill for direct cooking. Split sausages in half width-wise to create 2 halves. Split again lengthwise to open sausage. You will now have 8 “J” shaped sausages.

When grill is ready, place sausage haves on grill skin side up until nicely cooked. Turn, brush with barbecue sauce and continue to grill until heated through.

Serve with additional barbecue sausage if desired.

This recipe can easily be increased depending upon how large a crowd you plan to serve.

Boozy Bacon Bourbon Barbecue Chicken Kabobos
2 cups Bourbon Barbecue sauce (Recipe below)
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1″ pieces
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
2 tablespoons smoked paprika
3 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
6 slices raw bacon, cut into small pieces

Light the grill and heat to medium-high, or heat a grill pan over medium-high heat.

In a food processor, combine the kosher salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, dark brown sugar, smoked paprika, and bacon. Pulse until completely smooth.

Put the chicken thigh pieces in a bowl and then rub with the bacon paste. Once well-coated, thread the chicken thigh pieces onto skewers (pre-soaked, if they’re wooden).

Place the kabobos on the preheated grill. Cook for about 5 minutes per side. Mop the kabobos with the bourbon barbecue sauce and cook for an additional minute or two on each side.

Serve with the remaining BBQ sauce.

Smoky Bourbon Barbecue Sauce
2 cups Ketchup
1/2 cup Lemon juice
4 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
4 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
2 Teaspoons Dry Mustard
1 Teaspoon Onion Powder
1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 Teaspoon Cayenne Powder (or heat to taste)
4 Tablespoons Honey
1 Tablespoon Liquid Smoke (or smoke to taste)
1 cup Bourbon

In a pan mix the ingredients. Bring sauce to a simmer to thicken. Keep warm until ready to use.

 

Grilled Flat Iron Steak with Chimichurri Sauce
Ingredients: Flat Iron Steak
1 Flat Iron Steak, about 1 1/2 – 2 pounds
1 Tablespoon Montreal Steak Seasoning

Take the steak out of the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before cooking, rub with steak rub, and let it come to room temperature.

Build a fire in the charcoal grill, heating grill to medium-high heat. Clean grate and wipe with a little oil to prevent steak from sticking.

Place Flat Iron Steak on the grill at an angle. After about 3-4 minutes, or when nice grill marks start to form, rotate steak 45 degrees using tongs and continue to grill for about 3-4 minutes more on first side.

Flip steak over, again at angle and repeat grilling on second side. Continue to grill until cooked to your liking. Flat Iron Steak should be cooked no more than medium rare, for about 12 minutes, depending upon thickness of the cut.

When steak is done to your liking, remove from grill, tend and let rest for 5 minutes to allow juices to settle. Slice steak thinly across the grain. Serve hot, with Chimichurri sauce drizzled down the center. Serve remaining sauce on the side to add as desired.

Ingredients – Chimichurri Sauce
1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro leaves (about 1 cup before chopping)
1/2 cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley leaves (about 1 cup before chopping)
2 Tablespoons Roasted minced garlic
3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 Teaspoons White or Red wine vinegar
1/4 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup olive oil

Wash cilantro leaves and parsley leaves and dry with paper towel or spin dry in salad spinner. In a food processor fitted with a steel blade, finely chop the cilantro, parsley, and garlic.  Transfer mixture to a glass bowl.

Add lemon juice, wine vinegar, and seasonings. Whisk to combine.  Slowly whisk in olive oil. Let sauce stand at room temperature for a minimum of 30 minutes for flavors to marry. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired.

 

****** Sides ******

Roasted Rosemary Potatoes
12 medium red potatoes
4 tsp. olive oil
3 branches fresh rosemary
freshly ground black pepper
freshly ground salt to taste

To peel or not to peel, that is the question. If you seriously dislike potato peels, go ahead and remove them. But if you leave them on they will become crispy and delicious during the roasting process.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Oil a baking pan with 1 tsp. of the olive oil.

Wash the potatoes, cut them into cubes and place them in the baking pan. Cut the rosemary into pieces about 1 inch (2.5 cm) long and sprinkle over the potatoes. Grind some pepper over the potatoes. Drizzle with the remaining 2 tsp. olive oil.

Roast for half an hour, give the potatoes a stir, and return to the oven for about another half hour, until the potatoes are golden and starting to brown. Be careful: The amount of roasting time will depend on your oven, so keep checking to make sure the potatoes do not get too well done.

Remove from the oven when ready. Add the salt. Serves 6. May be increased for larger groups.

Slow Cooker Smokehouse Bacon Beans
32 ounce package dried pinto beans
1 pound thick cut bacon, cooked and diced
1 medium yellow onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
8 cups water
¼ cup molasses
1 cup packed light brown sugar
½ cup ketchup
1 tablespoon dried chipotle chili pepper
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
1 tablespoon kosher salt

Sort through beans and pick out any stones, small and shriveled, excessively dirty (like a black spot covering a whole side of a white bean), or otherwise look old and mishandled beans.

Pour beans into a large sieve or colander and rinse well.  Pour rinsed beans into 6 quart slow cooker and cover with water by 2 inches.  Place cover on and leave slow cooker OFF.  Allow beans to soak overnight (about 8-12 hours).

Drain the soaked beans and rinse the slow cooker.  Place onions, garlic and bacon into the slow cooker.  Then add beans back into the slow cooker.  Add water, molasses, brown sugar, ketchup, chili pepper, vinegar, and pepper.  (Salt will be added at the end).

Cook on high for 10-12 hours until beans are tender.  Add salt to taste, we use the full 1 tablespoon.

Serve and enjoy!

COOK’S NOTE:  If you want your beans really thick, after about 10 hours remove 2 cups of beans from cooker and smash them.  Add them back to the cooker and stir.

Warm French Bread with Melted Garlic Butter
1 Loaf French Bread
1/2 Cup Butter, Melted
2 Tablespoons Johnny’s Garlic Spread

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

In a small bowl, mix melted butter with Johnny’s Garlic Spread.

Split bread lengthwise, leaving about 1/2 inch still connected to create a butterflied loaf. CAREFULLY open bread on a shallow baking sheet.

Brush bread with butter mixture. CAREFULLY close bread, turn so that cut side is up, hinged side is down. Slice bread almost all the way through, leave “hinge” in tact.

CAREFULLY open bread, place in oven open to warm. Warm until lightly toasted. CAREFULLY transfer loaf to a clean kitchen towel. Wrap and place into a French Bread Basket.

To serve, pass wrapped loaf around the table, inviting diners to “break” off a piece of bread.

****** Salads ******

Asparagus and Tomato Salad with a Honey-Balsamic Vinaigrette
Asparagus and Tomato Salad
1 bunch of asparagus
4 large tomatoes
1/4 heaping cup fresh basil, cut into ribbons

Remove the woody ends from the asparagus. Lay asparagus on a cutting board, tips even. Beginning at tips, cut trimmed asparagus into thirds.

Bring a small pot of water to a boil, add the asparagus and cook for 1 minute or until crisp-tender. Using a large slotted spoon or small strainer, pluck asparagus from the boiling water and immediately plunge into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. Let asparagus remain in ice water for about a minute. Remove asparagus from ice water, place on paper towels to drain, folding more towels over top to absorb excess water.

Place blanched asparagus into a large bowl and set aside.

Cut tomatoes into bite-size pieces. Rinse, removing seeds and pulp. Pat dry with paper towels and place into bowl with asparagus.

Lay three or four basil leaves in a stack. Roll into a cigar shape. Cut width-wise into thin ribbons. Sprinkle over salad. Toss to combine. Chill well until ready to serve.

While salad is chilling, make dressing.

Honey-Balsamic Vinaigrette
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon raw honey
1 large clove garlic, grated
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper

In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients.  Whisk together until combined and honey has dissolved.

Place dressing into a small container with a tight-fitting lid. Set aside until ready to serve.

When ready to “dress” salad, shake dressing well to emulsify. Drizzle over salad and toss to coat. Serve remaining dressing along side salad with a small spoon to drizzle as desired.

Red Potato Salad
3 pounds red potatoes, cut into chunks
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup Mayonnaise Real
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon white vinegar
4 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
1 dill pickle, chopped
1/3 celery stalk, chopped
2 green onions, chopped
1 dash hot sauce
1 tablespoon dried dill weed
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 dash onion powder
salt and pepper to taste

Place the potatoes in a pot with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook for about 10 minutes, or until easily pierced with a fork. Drain, and transfer to a large bowl to cool.

In a medium bowl, mix the sour cream, mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, eggs, pickle, celery, green onions, and hot sauce. Season with dill, garlic powder, onion salt, salt, and pepper. Pour over the potatoes, and gently toss to coat. Chill at least 3 hours in the refrigerator before serving.

Tropical Pineapple-Lime Jello Salad
1 Large Can Crushed Pineapples, well-drained
1 ½ Cups Mini-Marshmallows
1 Box Large Box Lime Jello
1 Cup Cottage Cheese, small curd
1 Cup Cool-Whip, thawed

Drain pineapple juice into a measuring cup. Add enough water to create 1 ½ cups liquid. Bring to a boil. Add marshmallows, allow to melt.

Add Lime Jell-O, stir to dissolve. Cool until thickened. Add Cottage cheese and cool whip, stir to blend.

Place in a mold or glass serving dish. Chill overnight.

****** Refreshing Endings ******

Lemon Pie Squares
2 envelopes cook & serve lemon pie filling
3 cups of graham cracker crumbs
12 tbsp melted butter
2 tbsp sugar
1 pint Heavy Whipped cream to top
1/4 Cup Sugar (or to taste)
2 Lemons, sliced for garnish

Prepare pie filling according to directions. Let cool in fridge.

Mix graham cracker crumbs with sugar and melted butter. Press into greased 9″ X 13″ inch pan. Pour filling onto crust. Place in fridge to chill.

Whip cream with sugar until stiff peaks form. Remove Lemon Pie Squares from refrigerator. Top with whipped cream and sprinkle with graham crumbs.

Serve chilled, garnish with slices of lemons, if desired.

Sugar Cookie Fruit Pizza
Sugar Cookie Crust
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature*
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature*
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 & 1/2 cups spoon & leveled all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 &1/2 teaspoons cornstarch

In a large bowl using a hand-held mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the softened butter for about 1 minute on medium speed. Get it nice and smooth, then add the sugar on medium speed until fluffy and light in color. Beat in egg and vanilla. Scrape down the sides as needed.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cornstarch. With the mixer running on low-speed, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in 3 different parts. Once completely combined, cover the dough tightly and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes and up to 1 day. Without chilling, your cookie dough may spread over the sides of the pan.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 12-inch pizza pan with cooking spray. Remove chilled cookie dough from the refrigerator and press onto the pizza pan in an even flat circle, as pictured above. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the eyes are very lightly browned. Over-baking will lend a hard crust. Allow crust to cool completely before decorating. After 10 minutes of cooling; crust can be placed in refrigerator to speed up the cooling process.

While crust cools, cream frosting and chop fruit.

Cream Cheese Frosting and Fruit Topping
8 oz Cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1-2 Tablespoons cream or milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 Kiwi, peeled and sliced
Handful of Blueberries
1 Mandarin Orange, peeled and sliced
1 Small Basket Strawberries, sliced

In a medium bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter together on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the confectioners’ sugar and 1 Tbsp cream. Beat for 2 minutes. Add the vanilla and 1 more Tbsp cream if needed to thin out. Beat for 1 minute. Spread in a thick layer over the cooled sugar cookie crust.

Decorate with fruit. Cut into slices and serve.

Fruit pizza may be made 1 day in advance, covered tightly, and stored in the refrigerator before serving. Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

****** Enjoy the Fruits of Your Labor this Labor’s Day ******

 

Sparklers and Fire Sticks – Celebrating the 4th of July

The idea of a themed barbecue revolving around grilled foods on a skewer is one I had been kicking around for a while now. Suddenly a light came on – 4th of July! We’ll all be firing up our backyard grills – why not cook everything on a “fire stick”? It would be fun, easy to serve; not to mention a change from all those burgers and dogs we generally grill up. Be it Beef, Chicken, Pork or Seafood, everything for your plate neatly packaged on a stick. Variety of selection with lots of veggies. How convenient! You can always do some burgers and dogs for the kiddies.

For dessert; let’s not forget my fruitfully delicious 4th of July Flag Cake. And who can resist sweet watermelon slices for the fireworks show!

Tips for success: Read through each recipe and make a grilling plan – decide what you wish to grill and note how long each recipe will take to prepare, marinate and cook. When ready to thread, prepare all the kabobs for each recipe at once. Be sure to clean your work surface between recipes to avoid cross contamination. Keep each type in an aluminum pan until ready to grill. Start grilling with the kabobs that will take the longest to cook. If there is room on the grill, add more kabobs based on their cooking time. If not, then grill in batches. Have additional aluminum pans with lids at the ready. Transfer grilled kabobs to awaiting pans, cover and hold in a warm oven until ready to serve. When everything is ready, set a serve yourself buffet tables that will allow guests easy access to plates, utensils and serving pans.

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Super Sensational Sirloin Kabobs
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic pepper seasoning
4 fluid ounces lemon-lime flavored carbonated beverage
7 UP Soda 12 oz Cans
2 pounds beef sirloin steak, cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes
2 green bell peppers, cut into 2 inch pieces skewers
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, stems removed
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 fresh pineapple – peeled, cored and cubed

In a medium bowl, mix soy sauce, light brown sugar, distilled white vinegar, garlic powder, seasoned salt, garlic pepper seasoning, and lemon-lime flavored carbonated beverage. Reserve about 1/2 cup of this marinade for basting. Place steak in a large resealable plastic bag. Cover with the remaining marinade, and seal. Refrigerate for 8 hours, or overnight.

Bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Add green peppers, and cook for 1 minute, just to blanch. Drain, and set aside.

Preheat grill for high heat. Thread steak, bell peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, and pineapple onto skewers in an alternating fashion. Discard marinade and the bag.

Lightly oil the grill grate. Cook kabobs on the prepared grill for 10 minutes, or to desired doneness.

Baste frequently with reserved marinade during the last 5 minutes of cooking.

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Honey Chicken Kabobs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic
5 small onions, cut into 2 inch pieces
1 red bell peppers, cut into 2 inch pieces
1 Zucchini Squash, cut into rounds
8 Chicken breasts, boneless Skinless cut into 1 inch cubes
Bamboo Skewers, soaked in water 30 minutes

In a large bowl, whisk together oil, honey, soy sauce, and pepper. Before adding chicken, reserve a small amount of marinade to brush onto kabobs while cooking. Place the chicken, garlic, onions , squash and peppers in the bowl, and marinate in the refrigerator at least 2 hours (the longer the better).

While chicken is marinating, soak skewers.

Preheat the grill for high heat or build a hot bed of coals.

Drain marinade from the chicken and vegetables, and discard marinade. Thread chicken and vegetables alternately onto the skewers.

Lightly oil the grill grate. Place the skewers on the grill. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes, until chicken juices run clear. Turn and brush with reserved marinade frequently.

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Apricot Preserve Grilled Pork Kabobs
4 (1/2 to 3/4-inch-thick) boneless pork loin chops (1 lb.), trimmed of fat
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt or dried pork seasoning
2 small zucchini, cut into 12 (1-inch) pieces
8 medium mushrooms
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 12 pieces
1/2 cup apricot preserves
1 tablespoon cider vinegar

Heat grill or build a nice fire.

Sprinkle both sides of each pork chop with seasoned salt; cut each chop into 4 pieces.

Alternately thread pork pieces, zucchini, mushrooms and bell pepper evenly onto four 12 to 14-inch metal skewers.

In small bowl, combine preserves and vinegar; blend well.

When ready to grill, place kabobs on gas grill over medium heat or on charcoal grill 4 to 6 inches from medium coals.

Brush with preserve mixture. Cook 5 minutes.

Turn kabobs; brush with remaining preserve mixture. Cook an additional 5 to 7 minutes or until pork is no longer pink.

************

Grilled Shrimp, Scallops and Squash Skewers
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3/4 pound sea scallops
12 large shrimp in shells, raw
8 medium whole fresh mushrooms, (about 6 ounces)
8 cherry tomatoes
1 medium zucchini, (about 1 inch in diameter), cut into 1-inch slices
Metal Skewers

Heat coals or gas grill for direct heat.

Mix lemon juice, oil, thyme, salt and pepper. Cut scallops in half if over 1 inch in diameter.

Thread scallops, shrimp, mushrooms, tomatoes and zucchini alternately on each of four 10-inch metal skewers. Brush with lemon juice mixture.

Grill uncovered 4 inches from medium heat 10 to 15 minutes, brushing frequently with lemon juice mixture and turning once, until scallops are white and shrimp are pink and firm.

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Still looking for 4th of July ideas? Here are the links from past years for your humble consideration.

Keeping the 4th of July Simple

Beverage:
Vintage Lemonade

Main Attraction:
Fresh Ground Gourmet Burgers with Fire-Grilled Red Onions
Beer Bratwurst with Caramelized Grilled Onions

On the Side:
Mema’s Macaroni Salad
Cheater’s Easy Baked Beans

For Dessert:
Home Made French Vanilla Custard Ice Cream

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The Birth of a Nation – An Independence Day Celebration in Food

Beverages:
Vintage Lemonade
Snapple Inspired Iced Teas

Main Attraction:
The Ultimate Barbecued Chicken
Easy Onion Burgers
Grilled Hot Dogs

On the Side:
Macaroni Salad
Potato Salad
Baked Beans
Corn on the Cob

For Dessert
4th Of July Flag Cake

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Summer’s End – A Casual Backyard Barbecue

It’s September, and the summer heat has not faded. In the central valley of California, we are poised to break record highs for this time of year – well over 100 degrees. The experts are warning of a dangerous heat wave in the coming week. When it’s this hot, I don’t mind eating later in the day (like around sunset) and I sure don’t mind it if dinner can be cooked outdoors. Especially if the food doesn’t require a lot of attention, allowing the cook to retreat into an air-conditioned house if only briefly. This entire menu might have been cooked on the grill if it weren’t for one thing – the potatoes. For whatever reason, when grilling up beef or chicken, I get a hankering to round out the meal with either fried or roasted potatoes. It seems we’ve been eating our fair share of country fried potatoes or baked potatoes lately (must be all that outdoor grilling).  With tonight’s chicken, I decided to try a new potato recipe that is a cross between “roasted” and “baked”. But I’m getting ahead of myself here . . .

As part of our Labor Day Casual Dining, I’m trying two new recipes. The first is for barbecued chicken. The recipe is one I came across on Oh But I’m Hungry that first appeared in October 2014. (http://butimhungry.com/2014/10/17/bacon-bourbon-bbq-chicken-kebabs/)

Oh sure, we’ve all had barbecued chicken before. Bourbon Barbecue is nothing new. Neither is Bacon Barbecue. Putting the two together isn’t such a stretch of the imagination. So it’s not a matter of what but how the bacon-bourbon barbecue are merged that gives this recipe its interesting spin. While having all the flavor of marinated chicken, you create a raw bacon “paste” to slather over the chicken. The paste keeps your chicken moist while imparting a wonderful flavor unlike anything I’ve tasted before. There is no other way to describe the coating for the chicken – it’s a paste – thick and sticky and strangely fun. This is one of those wonderful recipes that invites you to play with your food – let it slip and slide around in your hands. So be sure to roll up your sleeves for this awesome chicken and prepare to have a little fun.

This would be a great recipe for a mid-week supper, except Hubby and I use a chimney and briquettes for barbecuing – adding roughly 25 to 30 minutes to any recipe. So although the chicken only takes about 20 minutes or so to cook, it’s about an hour from match to table.

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Back Yard Barbecue Menu:

Bacon Bourbon Barbecued Chicken Thighs

Smashed Loaded Baked Red Potatoes

Grilled Corn on the Cob

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Time Table:

Prepare corn and soak for 30 minutes. While corn is soaking, prepare chimney for grill and soak skewers for chicken. (If your corn soaks for longer than 30 minutes, that’s okay).

Preheat oven. While oven is heating, prepare potatoes for roast/baking. Pop potatoes into the oven to roast/bake and set a timer for 10 minutes. Light chimney and begin heating coals. Set timer for 20.

Once grill is ready, remove corn from water and begin grilling. Set timer for 10 minutes, then place chicken on grill. While chicken grills, check potatoes. If potatoes are ready, reduce oven to 300 degrees, finish potatoes and keep warm until ready to serve.

************

Bacon Bourbon Barbecue Chicken Thighs
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
2 tablespoons smoked paprika
3 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
6 slices raw bacon, cut into small pieces
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1″ pieces
10 Bamboo Skewers, soaked in water
2 cups Jim Bean Master Blend Barbecue Sauce
4 Oz Jim Bean (or favorite whisky)

Light the grill and heat to medium-high heat.

In a food processor, combine the kosher salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, dark brown sugar, smoked paprika, and bacon. Pulse until completely smooth. Add about a tablespoon of barbecue sauce to moisten the paste.

Put the chicken thigh pieces in a bowl. Plop the bacon paste on top, and begin rubbing it into and over the chicken. Once well-coated, thread the chicken thigh pieces onto skewers. You should be able to get about 4 chunks of chicken onto each skewer. Place on a rimmed baking sheet and set aside until fire is ready.

Pour barbecue sauce into a bowl.  Add bourbon and whip until smooth and well blended. Set aside until ready to use.

Place the kabobs onto the grill and cook about 5 minutes per side with the grill shut and the smoke circulating the thighs.

When the chicken is nearly cooked through, brush with bourbon infused barbecue sauce and finish grilling, about 1 or 2 minutes per side.

Remove from grill, stack on a serving platter and serve with remaining barbecue sauce for dipping.

My second “new” recipe to try was an inspiration from fellow blogger, Laura Layne of Cooking from the Heart. She’s part of my blogger reads, and a great source of inspiration. (Here’s the link to her original recipe: http://cookingfromtheheart.net/2014/06/19/smashed-loaded-red-potatoes/) Laura’s recipe called for avocado, skipping the sour cream. And the preparation is slightly different, but if you check out her original posting, you can clearly see the similarities. I skipped the avocado and shredded cheese for Hubby’s sake – he’s not a big fan of either. And the sour cream – well who can resist a baked potato (smashed or otherwise) smothered beneath creamy sour cream? I sure as heck can’t . . .

Smashed Loaded Baked Red Potatoes
10 small red potatoes
3 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 Cup Sour Cream
4 strips of cooked bacon, chopped
2 green onion sprigs, chopped
1/2 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese (Optional)
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Wash potatoes, pat dry and place on a rimmed baking sheet. With a sharp knife, cut an “X” on the top of each potato. Rub potatoes with olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. (I like mine heavy on the salt, light on the pepper).

Place potatoes into the oven and let roast until cooked through, about 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending upon size of potatoes.

Split potatoes open with a fork and “smash” to create a nice little well in each potato. Place half of the potatoes into a rimmed serving dish. Spread some sour cream over the potatoes, sprinkle with half of the green onions, cheese (if using) and bacon bits. Top with remaining potatoes, more sour cream, green onions, cheese and bacon bits.

Return dish to oven and allow cheese to melt into potatoes. Keep warm until ready to serve.

There is nothing like sweet, fresh from the farm corn on the cob that has been grilled in its own husks. For best results, buy your corn no more than a day before grilling. If time and distance allows, get your corn straight from the farm early in the morning for grilling later that same day. Soaking the ears in water before grilling will prevent the husks from burning, while allowing the corn to soak in a little extra “moisture” for the best “steamed in their husks” corn you have ever had. About the only time I boil corn on the cob is in the winter, when the ears have been frozen. Fresh corn just screams “grill me!” The spicy butter is purely optional – this method of grilling corn is great all on its own. Skip the spicy butter and serve ears with a little creamy sweet butter and a pinch of salt.

Grilled Corn on the Cob with Spicy Garlic Butter
8 ears corn, in husks
4 fresh limes, quartered
2 sticks butter, slightly softened
8 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
¼ Habanero pepper, seeded
¼ bunch fresh chives
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Build coals in grill using indirect cooking method. Trim tip and end of corn (making it easier to insert cob knobs to finished corn).

Remove thick outer husks from the corn, leaving several layers of the thinner, pale husks in tact. Peel back these layers of husks from the corn without removing them from the ears. Remove the silks, rinse ears and recover the corn with the husk. Secure husks with kitchen twine. Place ears of corn in a large pot of cold water. Let soak for at least 30 minutes. (The kernels will absorb some of the water, allowing them to steam in their husks when placed on the grill.)

While corn is soaking, make spicy butter. Combine butter, garlic, Habanero, and chives in a food processor and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside until ready to use.

When ready to grill, remove corn from water and shake off excess. Place the corn on the grill, directly over fire; close the cover and grill. Check and turn periodically. If husks begin to burn, transfer ears and continue to cook using an indirect method. Grill for about 20 to 30 minutes. Corn should be firm but tender when properly grilled.

When corn is cooked, unwrap and brush with the garlic butter. Sprinkle squeezed with lime and garnish with chopped chives.

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Happy Grilling Everyone!

Fabulous Filipino Barbecue

My family spent the summer of 1965 in the Philippines, getting to know Mom’s side of the family. We stayed in her childhood home and immersed ourselves in a world that at first glance seemed very different from the one we knew “back home”. Yet, strip away the outward surroundings, and it really wasn’t different at all. Families gathered, visited, enjoyed one another and ate. When you think about it, these are family scenes played out every day throughout the world. The “native” foods vary from country to country and the language spoken might not be the same, but the warmth, laughter and the love are universal.

One of my fondest memories (aside from all the family) was the barbecued meats on a stick – pork or chicken were the most common meats served. The marinade has a flavor all its own, different from anything else. If allowed, I could have eaten it every night and not grown tired of the flavor.

Years later, a Filipino-owned restaurant opened along the river on the outskirts of town. My cousin, Joey, was a friend of the owner, Rick. Joey called me, all excited, that Rick’s Place served the same wonderful barbecue we knew in Paco. In Paco, Filipino barbecue was a fun food served on a stick that was always a hit with the kids. At Rick’s it was served as an appetizer. Hubby, Joey and I spend an entire evening at Rick’s eating nothing but appetizers – we’re talking a lot of appetizers!

That evening sparked my desire to make the wonderful “stick food” at home. I searched through scraps of paper for the marinade recipe and came up empty. At every family gathering and reunion, I asked my Titas, each having their own take, but none were “just right”. The usual response was “That’s easy – 7-Up, garlic and ketchup.” Like most natural-born cooks, my Titas never measure anything.

I scoured cookbooks, sampling them all. While some were closer than others, none was exactly what I remembered. Something unique was missing. I was about to give up, when I shared my sad plight with a Filipino co-worker who asked a simple question “Are you using banana ketchup?” Banana ketchup? Really? Much to my surprise, there is such a thing and it can be found in the international or oriental section of a well-stocked grocery store. Pulling from all my assorted recipes and replacing the ketchup with banana ketchup, I gave it a whirl. Wow – pagkasakdal (perfection)!

Fabulous Filipino Barbecue
3-4 lbs Boneless Chicken Thighs (or pork tenderloin)
1 Cup Soy Sauce
6-8 Cloves of Garlic, minced
1 Onion, Finely Chopped
¼ Cup Lemon Juice
½ Cup 7-Up
1 Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
3 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
½ Cup Banana Ketchup(found in Oriental or International section)
10-15 Bamboo skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes prior to use

Cut meat into long, thin strips – no more than ¼-inch thick, 2 inches wide.

In a non-reactive bowl, mix soy sauce, minced garlic, onion, lemon juice, ground pepper, sugar, banana ketchup and soda. Whisk to blend. Reserve about 1/4 or so of marinate to moisten cooked chicken.

Place meat strips in a casserole dish or marinating container. Pour sauce over meat and refrigerate for several hours or over night for best results. Turn meat occasionally for even saturation.

Prepare a hot grill. As the coals are heating, string the meat onto the bamboo skewers in a ribbon-like fashion.

When coals are ready, place skewers on the hot grill and cook for about 10-15 minutes, turning every few minutes on each side. Use leftover reserved marinade to baste meat while cooking. (Remember – if using chicken, stop basting during the last few minutes to prevent contamination of the meat).

Plate skewers on a serving platter and enjoy.

Serving Suggestions: Filipino Pancit with Chicken, Pork & Shrimp or Filipino Egg Rolls – Lumpia

For a large gathering, serve these along with Asian Marinade Flank Steak with Stir-Fried Spaghetti

The Triumph of the All American Steak Burger

If the recipe looks familiar, that’s because I’ve shared it before – as part of 4th Of July – Keeping it Simple. So why am I sharing it again – and so soon! Well, let me tell you a little story . . .

It’s the 4th of July – so hubby and I rose at the crack of dawn and hurried on down to our neighborhood market. We usually do our grocery shopping on Saturdays – which would have meant getting all the “fresh” stuff for our barbecue nearly a week early. We wanted the produce fixings fresh, the buns fresh and most of all, the skirt steak fresh.

As we were wandering about the market, I noticed a display for Sutter Homes Wine – Build a Better Burger contest. Hum, I’ve never entered a contest before. I’ve never been brave enough to enter a recipe contest. Me? I’m just a home cook, nothing special. We all have talents within us, we just need to let them out.

The hardest part of the entry form to complete was the very first question “what inspired you to create this recipe?” Really? It’s a burger. Just how much inspiration do you need to come up with a burger recipe? And then I went to their website, to read last year’s winning recipe and those that were runners-up. Wow – these people are creative! Last year’s winning recipe was “Chipotle Bacon Maple Jam Burger with Pear, Spinach and Hazelnut Salad”. I froze, in awe. Granted, that’s a mouthful, but wow – what a mouthful. No way could I compete against recipes like that. There it was again – fear of rejection, fear of humiliation, fear of not measuring up. Just do it. Who cares about the outcome – just do it! And so I did it. That said, I don’t expect anything to come of my simple little entry. But then again, I didn’t enter to win. I entered to conquer my fears and insecurities. I entered because I’m no body special, and that’s okay – I’m special enough for me. As I see it, hitting the “submit” button made me a winner. And that’s triumph enough.

The inspiration answer: Growing up in a cow town, fresh ground meat was abundant. The best burger joint in town wasn’t a “restaurant” at all but rather a space inside a butcher shop with few tables, a grill set up and a deep fryer. You could come in, have a burger for lunch and pick up a roast for dinner. What made those burgers so good was that the meat was fresh – as in it was part of a side of beef that morning. It was this quest for the perfect “fresh” ground meat the lead to the creation of my awesome skirt steak burgers.

Skirt steak or Flap Meat is perfect for “grinding” in the food processor. The meat is tender, making it easy to grind, with just the right amount of fat to lean ratio to produce a succulent, flavorful burger that is out of this world. I love to use sharp Cheddar Cheese to top these burgers. Sargento makes a decent “thin” sliced Cheddar the will melt more easily than a thick slice of cheese. Grated Cheddar is also good.

Ingredients – Fresh “Ground” Burgers:
4 lbs Flap Meat, well marbled
4 Teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
2 Teaspoons Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper

Ingredients – Grilled “Extras”:
8 Thick slices of Red Onion
2 Avocado, sliced into fourths (Optional)
8 Thin Bamboo Skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes
8 Kaiser rolls or other hearty buns
Olive oil

Ingredients – Toppings
8 Thin Slices Sharp Cheddar Cheese (optional)
8 Green Leaf Lettuce
8 Slices Beef Steak Tomatoes
Dill Pickles
Mustard
Mayonnaise
Ketchup

TO MAKE GOURMET BURGER: Cut flap meat into manageable “chunks”. Using a food processor fitted with a chopping blade, add half of the flap meat, rapidly pulse until the consistency of ground beef, 1-2 minutes. Remove meat to a bowl and season with salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce. DO NOT MIX.

Repeat with remaining flap meat, place in processor bowl on top of seasonings.

Use hands to mix seasonings in well into the meat. Form meat into a large ball, then quarter the ball for even distribution. Form each quarter into a hamburger patty. If meat is cold, let it come to room temperature before grilling. Cook as you would any fresh hamburger, turning once.

DO AHEAD: Prepare a platter with lettuce leaves, sliced tomatoes and small ramekins or bowls with mustard, mayonnaise and/or Ketchup.

Prepare grill for hamburgers. Brush grill with a little olive oil to prevent burgers from sticking.

While grill is heating, thread 1 slice of onion each bamboo skewer (looks like a lollipop), and brush with olive oil to prevent sticking.

TO GRILL THE STEAK BURGERS: Place onions on grill along side burgers, turned as necessary to prevent onion from burning. Brush avocado wedges with olive oil to prevent sticking. Place avocado slices on the warming rack of grill, turn as needed to prevent burning.

When burgers are cooked through, transfer to a platter, top with cheese (if desired) and tent loosely. Allow to rest 5 minutes to retain juices. Remove onions and avocados, CAREFULLY remove from skewers then set on platter with other condiments.

Brush buns lightly with olive oil. Grill buns, cut side down, until golden, 2-3 minutes. Plate buns & call everyone to build their burgers.

Select skirt steak that is well-marbled.

Cut steak into cubes for “grinding” in the food processor.

Grind cubed steak in food processor fitted with blade until the consistency of coarse ground beef.

Form seasoned steak into patties slightly larger than the bun. The shrinkage of these burgers is minimal.

Grill over a hot fire as you would any burger. (Excuse the smoke – but that’s how you know it’s juicy.)

Pile on the fixings and enjoy!

Happy Grilling Everyone!

Keeping the 4th of July Simple

Sometimes less is more and simple is better. Sometimes it’s less about the food and more about the people. This year, we are keeping our 4th of July simple. Keeping it simple means serving our favorite easy to make backyard foods in a relaxed and unhurried atmosphere. Gracing the table this year will be Vintage Lemonade, Gourmet Burgers, Beer Bratwurst, Macaroni Salad, Cheater’s Baked Beans and Home-Made Ice Cream.  If some of the recipes seem familiar, that’s because I’ve shared them before. For the sake of convenience, I’m sharing them again. That way, everything will be on a single post. It just makes things . . . simple, don’t you agree?

 *** Vintage Lemonade ***

The Vintage Lemonade takes a bit more work than simply squeezing lemons into a pitcher of cold water, but end result is a good, old-fashioned turn of the century lemonade that is well worth the extra effort.

Ingredients:
10 lemons
2 1/2 cups white sugar
1/2 Gallon Water (8 cups)

Peel the rinds from the lemons and cut them into 1/2 inch slices. Set the lemons aside.

Place the rinds in a bowl and sprinkle the sugar over them. Let this stand for about one hour, so that the sugar begins to soak up the oils from the lemons.

Bring water to a boil in a covered saucepan and then pour the hot water over the sugared lemon rinds. Allow this mixture to cool for 20 minutes and then remove the rinds.

Squeeze the lemons into another bowl. Pour the juice through a strainer into the sugar mixture. Stir well, pour into pitcher and pop it in the fridge! Serve with ice cubes.

Mason Jars with a lemon wedge garnish will give you a fun “Vintage-Country” look.

 

*** Mema’s Macaroni Salad ***

The mayonnaise in the macaroni salad makes it creamy and light. You could use Miracle Whip for a sweeter, more tangy salad, or a combination of both. When using Miracle Whip, you’ll want to cut back or eliminate the vinegar as the flavors may clash.

Ingredients:
6 Eggs, hard-boiled
1 lb Salad Macaroni
¼ Cup Green Onions, finely chopped
¼ Cup Red onion, finely chopped
2 Celery Stocks, finely chopped
1 Tablespoon Dill Pickle Relish
1 ½ Cups Best Food Mayonnaise
½ Tablespoon Red Wine Vinegar
Salt and Pepper to taste
Green Onions for garnish

The Night Before:
Place eggs in a saucepan, add cold water to cover eggs. Bring to a boil, remove from heat and cover. Let sit for 12-14 minutes, then plunge eggs into cold water to stop cooking process. Remove from water, gently roll on counter to “crack” shell. Place back into cold water and let rest 30 minutes before peeling.

The Morning Of:
Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package directions. Drain and rinse well under cold running water. Set aside to continue draining.

In bowl, combine onions, celery, pickle relish, mayonnaise and red wine vinegar. Whisk to combine. Taste dressing and season with salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste. Adjust seasoning according to personal tastes.

Chop 5 eggs. Add to dressing. Cut V marks in 6th egg to create two tulip flowers. Reserve one or both flowers. If reserving one flower, chop other half and add to dressing. Taste dressing a second time, adjust seasonings as necessary.

Place macaroni in a large bowl. Pour egg dressing over macaroni and toss to coat. Smooth out top. In the center, using the back of a spoon, create a small indentation. Place Egg flower into indentation. If desired, garnish with green onions.

To color your salad, divide into three parts. Add blue food coloring gel to one, red to the other, leaving the final third white. Place into a decorative glass bowl in layers of red, white and blue.

 

*** Cheater’s Easy Baked Beans ***

When using a good canned bean as a base, the Cheater’s version tastes like you’ve slow-cooked the beans all day. Taste about mid-way through, and add a little brown sugar if desired. You’ll want to start the beans several hours before serving to allow them to warm nicely while soaking in all the “doctored” flavors.

Ingredients:
2 Large Cans Baked Beans (Bush makes a good base)
6 Slices Bacon
1/4 White Onion, finely chopped

Cook bacon until almost crisp cooks, releasing about 1/4 cup of bacon drippings into the pan. Remove bacon from pan, set aside on paper towel to cool. Chop into pieces.

Saute onions in bacon dripping until tender, about 3 minutes.

Place baked beans in crock pot. Mix in onions and bacon. Cook in crock pot on LOW setting until ready to serve.

 

*** Fresh Ground Gourmet Burgers with Fire-Grilled Red Onions ***

Skirt steak or Flap Meat is perfect for “grinding” in the food processor. The meat is tender, making it easy to grind, with just the right amount of fat to lean ratio to produce a succulent, flavorful burger that is out of this world. I love to use sharp Cheddar Cheese to top these burgers. Sargento makes a decent “thin” sliced Cheddar the will melt more easily than a thick slice of cheese. Grated Cheddar is also good.

Ingredients – Fresh “Ground” Burgers:
4 lbs Flap Meat, well marbled
4 Teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
2 Teaspoons Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper

 

Ingredients – Grilled “Extras”:
8 Thick slices of Red Onion
2 Avocado, sliced into fourths (Optional)
8 Thin Bamboo Skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes
8 Kaiser rolls or other hearty buns
Olive oil

Ingredients – Toppings
8 Thin Slices Sharp Cheddar Cheese (optional)
8 Green Leaf Lettuce
8 Slices Beef Steak Tomatoes
Dill Pickles
Mustard
Mayonnaise
Ketchup

TO MAKE GOURMET BURGER: Cut flap meat into manageable “chunks”. Using a food processor fitted with a chopping blade, add half of the flap meat, pulse until the consistency of ground beef, about 5-10 pulses. Remove meat to a bowl and season with salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce. DO NOT MIX.

Repeat with remaining flap meat, place in processor bowl on top of seasonings.

Use hands to mix seasonings in well into the meat. Form meat into a large ball, then quarter the ball for even distribution. Form each quarter into a hamburger patty. If meat is cold, let it come to room temperature before grilling. Cook as you would any fresh hamburger, turning once.

DO AHEAD: Prepare a platter with lettuce leaves, sliced tomatoes and small ramekins or bowls with mustard, mayonnaise and/or Ketchup.

Prepare grill for hamburgers. Brush grill with a little olive oil to prevent burgers from sticking.

While grill is heating, thread 1 slice of onion each bamboo skewer (looks like a lollipop), and brush with olive oil to prevent sticking.

Place onions on grill along side burgers, turned as necessary to prevent onion from burning. Brush avocado wedges with olive oil to prevent sticking. Place avocado slices on the warming rack of grill, turn as needed to prevent burning.

When burgers are cooked through, transfer to a platter, top with cheese (if desired) and tent loosely. Allow to rest 5 minutes to retain juices. Remove onions and avocados, CAREFULLY remove from skewers then set on platter with other condiments.

Brush buns lightly with olive oil. Grill buns, cut side down, until golden, 2-3 minutes. Plate buns & call everyone to build their burgers.

*** Beer Bratwurst with Caramelized Grilled Onions ***

Hubby hails from Wisconsin. A grilled Bratwurst that has first been cooked in beer is the state’s official dish. Or at least that’s what Hubby tells me. All I know is that if the Packers are playing, we’re grilling brats. In our house, nothing but Johnsonville Bratwurst will do. And the beer must be Miller’s. I’m not a beer drinker, all I know is that these things come from Wisconsin, which seems to be important in the Beer Brat experience.

Ingredients: 
2 Package Johnsonville Bratwurst
2 Onion, sliced
Beer – enough to cover Bratwurst
2 Package Steak Rolls

Pierce Bratwurst with a fork to allow fat to drain and beer to soak into meat. Place Bratwurst in a large pot. Cover with beer and bring to a full boil. Lower heat and simmer about 45 minutes.

While bratwurst  are simmering, thinly slice onions. Saute with a little butter over medium-low heat until golden, about 20-30 minutes.

Heat a gas grill. (Or add to the big grill with the burgers, if room allows). Remove bratwurst from liquid. Grill to sear outside.

Spread mustard or favorite condiment onto bun. Top with bratwurst and onion.

 

*** Home Made French Vanilla Custard Ice Cream ***

This ice cream will take 2 days to make.  You’ll want the custard base to be well chilled prior to pouring it into your ice cream maker. Since this is the 4th of July, a nice touch would be to serve the creamy white ice cream with some ripe red strawberries and sweet blueberries.

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups half-and-half cream
8 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
2 1/2 cups whipping cream
2 Vanilla Pods
1/8 teaspoon salt

Place vanilla pod in a medium sauce pan with half and half. Over medium heat, heat the half & half until very hot but not boiling, stirring often. Remove from heat. Remove pods, split open and scrape out seeds.  Place seeds in half and half, set aside.

Place egg yolks and sugar in mixer bowl. Whip using whip attachment on low/medium speed 30 seconds or until well blended and slightly thickened. Continuing whipping on low/medium speed very gradually add the warm half & half and mix until blended.

Return mixture to the saucepan over medium heat stirring constantly until small bubbles form around the edge of pan and the mixture is steamy. DO NOT BOIL.

Transfer the half-and-half/egg mixture to a large glass bowl and stir in whipping cream and salt. Cover with plastic wrap and chill thoroughly, at least 8 hours or overnight.

Pour into your ice cream maker and process as directed or until desired consistency.

To serve soft, immediately transfer to serving dishes. For harder ice cream, freeze in an airtight freezer container at least 2 hours.

Garnish as desired or serve “naked”.

Don’t forget the watermelons. Nothing says summer like a cold, refreshing slice of watermelon. Personally, I like to sprinkle a little salt on mine. That’s the way Dad eats his, it’s the way we grew up eating ours. The only other person I’ve ever met who puts salt on a watermelon hailed from Oklahoma, just like Dad. Maybe it’s an Okie thing . . .

Happy grilling everyone!

The Birth of a Nation – An Independence Day Celebration in Food

Every 4th of July, my family, like most families across America, gets together to barbecue and eat all day. The kids can hardly wait for the sun to dip below the horizon, and as the last strands of golden light begin to fade, they eagerly line up to receive their sparklers. With squeals of delight, they dart about the yard, their happy faces illuminated in the soft, smokey glow of their prized sparkler. As darkness fully sets in, everyone finds a seat, be it on the ground or the line of lawn chairs set up on the driveway, to watch the “show”. The teenagers, especially the boys, strut their stuff in a right of passage from spectator to “Light Master” of the fireworks extravaganza set up in the middle of the street. Depending upon location, we’ve even been known to block off the street, invite all the neighbors and have a whopper of a 4th of July celebration, complete with games and a Bike Parade where every child receiving a ribbon. The biggest reason we returned to California was to be closer to family, especially during the holidays throughout the year.

In our extended family, each household brings their own burgers and dogs. The host is generally in charge of the grilled foods such as chicken or ribs (check out Country Ribs with Golden Eagle Barbecue Sauce for a great rib recipe) as well as the usual condiments – ketchup, mustard, lettuce, tomato and whatnot. Since my family is big on eating, everyone contributes a side or beverage to share. Regardless of who is hosting, my yearly contribution has always been the dessert – a flag cake with fresh berries that I’ve been baking and serving without fail for more than twenty year. (This year I’m considering something different, and if I do, it will be an after 4th of July post).

While we were living out-of-state, I missed our big family gatherings so much that I recreated them with our adopted family – a small group of our closest friends and their children. Since I was the stay-at-home mom of the bunch, instead of having a potluck, I usually made everything myself. (In case you haven’t noticed by now, I love to entertain!) The menu that follows was my standard 4th of July crowd pleaser.

If you’re putting on the 4th of July spread yourself, this menu is complete with everything from Beverages to Dessert. If you’ve got help, you can divvy up the dishes as need be for a pot luck celebration. If nothing else, perhaps the menu will serve as good starting point from which you can build – add, subtract or replace with your own family traditions and favorite Independence Day dishes.

Depending on time, and my busy schedule (chasing Kiddo when he was younger, building our home, being active in our parish and so on), desserts and some of the sides were either made completely from scratch or “doctored” from a  store-bought springboard. In the recipes that follow, I’ve included the cooking from scratch recipes and the “cheaters” version for both the baked beans and the cake. Take your pick, whatever your schedule and time allows.

Depending upon refrigerator space, the macaroni and potato salads can be made a day or two in advance. The cake can be made a day in advance as well, all the way to the point of applying a light crumb frosting.  Then all you need to for the dessert on the day of your celebration is decorate it. When using fresh berries, it’s always best to place the berries shortly before serving. Generally, I’ll finish the cake just before guests arrive.

If room allows in your refrigerator, make the lemonade and iced tea the day before. They will be well-chilled by serving time. There are a number of attractive dispensers on the market these days for chilling and serving large quantities of chilled beverages. I like to make a basic iced tea, and then one or two of the “flavored” teas – usually lemon-strawberry and lemon-orange. It’s just as easy to make a batch of basic, with lemon wedges on the side for those who like their tea with a bit of lemon.

As for the chicken, it’s actually on the grill just long enough to absorb some of that nice grill flavoring and to have those attractive grill marks. From there, it’s finished in the oven. This is great when you are also grilling burgers and dogs as it frees up valuable grill space.

The directions for corn on the cob is one I’ve shared before, but it’s worth mentioning again here. The corn is actually “cooked” in a camping cooler. The beauty of this is that you can make huge amounts of cob corn without crowding the grill or filling the house with a lot of steam from boiling pots of water. The corn will also keep nicely in the cooler, giving even late arrivals a piping hot ear of corn. (By the way, cooler corn works well for picnics, just boil the water at home, pour it in the cooler, load that into the car and by the time you arrive at your destination, the corn is ready).

One final note: The sides will easily feed a crowd. As for the “main attraction”, each recipe will yield 8 servings. Since most 4th of July gatherings begin late in the afternoon and continue well after dark, I usually plan one serving of each per person: 2 pieces of chicken, 1 burger and 1 dog. Generally speaking, the guys will eat that much, the ladies and children won’t so do a head count and plan accordingly. Any of recipes can be easily doubled or even tripled as needed.

On the Menu

Beverages:
Vintage Lemonade
Snapple Inspired Iced Teas

Main Attraction:
The Ultimate Barbecued Chicken
Easy Onion Burgers
Grilled Hot Dogs

On the Side:
Macaroni Salad
Potato Salad
Baked Beans
Corn on the Cob

For Dessert
4th Of July Flag Cake

 

*** BEVERAGES ***

Vintage Lemonade
10 lemons
2 1/2 cups white sugar
1/2 Gallon Water (8 cups)

Peel the rinds from the lemons and cut them into 1/2 inch slices. Set the lemons aside.

Place the rinds in a bowl and sprinkle the sugar over them. Let this stand for about one hour, so that the sugar begins to soak up the oils from the lemons.

Bring water to a boil in a covered saucepan and then pour the hot water over the sugared lemon rinds. Allow this mixture to cool for 20 minutes and then remove the rinds.

Squeeze the lemons into another bowl. Pour the juice through a strainer into the sugar mixture. Stir well, pour into pitcher and pop it in the fridge! Serve with ice cubes.

This recipe has been around since the turn of the century. It is a bit more labor intense than simply juicing a few lemons, takes a bit more time, but the flavor cannot compare. Makes 1/2 gallon of lemonade.

Snapple Inspired Iced Tea
2 quarts water
3 Lipton Tea Bags
3/4 cup sugar (or 1 16 oz. bottle light corn syrup)

Lemon Iced Tea
1 Batch Snapple Inspired Iced Tea (above)
1/3 cup + 2 tbsp Lemon juice
Lemon slices to garnish the glass

Lemon-Orange Iced Tea
1 Batch Snapple Inspired Iced Tea
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/4 Teaspoon Orange extract
Orange Slices to garnish the glass

Lemon-Strawberry Iced Tea
1 Batch Snapple Inspired Iced Tea
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/4 Teaspoon Strawberry extract
Strawberries to garnish the glass

For any of the flavors, boil the water in a large saucepan. When the water comes to a rapid boil, turn off the heat, put tea bags into water and cover. After tea has brewed about 1 hour, pour sugar (or corn syrup) into a 2 qt. Pitcher, then add the tea.

The tea should still be warm so the sugar or sweetener will dissolve easily. Add the flavoring ingredients (plus additional water if needed to bring the tea to the 2 quart line). Chill.

*** THE MAIN ATTRACTION ***

The Ultimate Barbecued Chicken
2 qt water
2 tablespoons kosher salt
¼ cup brown sugar
2 Garlic Cloves, smashed
4 sprigs Fresh Thyme
8 chicken legs & thighs, still connected, bone in, skin on

For the brine, in a mixing bowl combine the water, salt, sugar, garlic, and thyme.

Transfer the brine to a 2-gallon sized resealable plastic bag. Add the chicken, close the bag and refrigerate 2 hours to allow the salt and seasonings to penetrate the chicken.

Meanwhile, make the barbecue sauce.

Barbecue Sauce
1 slice of bacon
1 bunch Fresh Thyme
½ Onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 Cups Ketchup
¼ Cup Brown Sugar
½ Cup Molasses
2 Tablespoons Red or White Wine Vinegar
1 tablespoon Dry Mustard
1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
1 Teaspoon Smoked Paprika
Freshly Ground Pepper to taste

Wrap the bacon around the bunch of thyme and tie with kitchen twine so you have a nice bundle.

Heat about 2 tablespoons of oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the thyme and cook slowly 3 to 4 minutes to render the bacon fat and give the sauce a nice smoky taste.

Add the onion and garlic and cook slowly without coloring for 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients, give the sauce a stir, and turn the heat down to low.

Cook slowly for 20 minutes to meld the flavors. Once the sauce is done cooking, remove about 1 1/2 cups of the sauce and reserve for serving alongside the chicken at the table. The rest of the barbecue sauce will be used for basing the legs.

To Barbecue the Chicken:
Build charcoal fire. Take a few paper towels and fold them several times to make a thick square. Blot a small amount of oil on the paper towel and carefully and quickly wipe the hot grates of the grill to make a non-stick surface.

Preheat oven 375 degrees F.

Take the chicken out of the brine, pat it dry on paper towels. Arrange the chicken pieces on the preheated grill and cook, turn once mid-way, and cook for a total of 10 minutes.

Transfer the grill marked chicken to a cookie sheet.  Place into the oven. Cook the chicken for 15 minutes, remove it from the oven and then brush liberally, coating every inch of the legs with the barbecue sauce.

Return to the oven for 25 to 30 more minutes, basting the chicken for a second time half way through remaining cooking time. Serve with extra sauce.

The chicken can be served still joined together or separated and placed onto a large serving platter, legs on one side, thighs on the other.

Easy Onion Burgers
4 lbs Ground Beef
2 Envelope Dry Onion Soup Mix
6 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
Salt & Pepper to taste

In a bowl, combine ingredients until well-mixed. Divide meat mixture into four parts, divide each part into 3 balls. Form each ball into hamburger patties. Separate patties with waxed paper, stack on tray, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

All Those Burger Toppings
3 Steak Tomato, sliced
Lettuce leaves
12 Hamburger Buns
Sliced Cheddar Cheese
Mustard
Mayonnaise
Ketchup

Sliced tomatoes, onion and prepare lettuce leaves. Set aside until ready to use. Prepare grill 15-20 minutes before ready to cook.

Grill hamburgers over hot coals until cooked through, turning once. Season meat with hamburger seasoning. Tent and keep warm

Grilled Hot Dogs
8 Hot Dogs
1/2 White Onion, finely chopped
Dill Relish
8 Hot Dog Buns
Mustard
Mayonnaise
Ketchup

Chop onions for hot dogs, set aside until ready to use. Grill dogs until cooked through. Tent to keep warm until buns are ready.

*** ON THE SIDE ***

Macaroni Salad
6 Eggs, hard-boiled
1 lb Salad Macaroni
¼ Cup Green Onions, finely chopped
¼ Cup Red onion, finely chopped
2 Celery Stocks, finely chopped
1 Tablespoon Dill Pickle Relish
1 ½ Cups Best Food Mayonnaise
½ Tablespoon Red Wine Vinegar
Salt and Pepper to taste
Green Onions for garnish

The Night Before:
Place eggs in a saucepan, add cold water to cover eggs. Bring to a boil, remove from heat and cover. Let sit for 12-14 minutes, then plunge eggs into cold water to stop cooking process. Remove from water, gently roll on counter to “crack” shell. Place back into cold water and let rest 30 minutes before peeling.

The Morning Of:
Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package directions. Drain and rinse well under cold running water. Set aside to continue draining.

In bowl, combine onions, celery, pickle relish, mayonnaise and red wine vinegar. Whisk to combine. Taste dressing and season with salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste. Adjust seasoning according to personal tastes.

Chop 5 eggs. Add to dressing. Cut V marks in 6th egg to create two tulip flowers. Reserve one or both flowers. If reserving one flower, chop other half and add to dressing. Taste dressing a second time, adjust seasonings as necessary.

Place macaroni in a large bowl. Pour egg dressing over macaroni and toss to coat. Smooth out top. In the center, using the back of a spoon, create a small indentation. Place Egg flower into indentation. If desired, garnish with green onions.

Potato Salad with Eggs
3 lbs Yukon Gold Potatoes
4 Eggs, hard-boiled
1 Red Onion, minced
2 Celery Stocks, minced
1 Tablespoon Bacon Drippings, warm (Optional)
¼ Cup Parsley
1 Cup mayonnaise
1 Tablespoons Mustard
2 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar plus a sprinkling for potatoes
Kosher Salt & Fresh Black Pepper to taste

The Night Before:
Peel and slice potatoes into large chunks. Place potatoes in a stockpot and cover with 1-inch of salted water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until potatoes are just tender but not soft, about 10-15 minutes. Drain well. Sprinkle LIGHTLY with red wine vinegar and set aside in refrigerator to cool.

Place eggs in a saucepan, add cold water to cover eggs. Bring to a boil, remove from heat and cover. Let sit for 12-14 minutes, then plunge eggs into cold water to stop cooking process. Remove from water, gently roll on counter to “crack” shell. Place back into cold water and let rest 30 minutes before peeling.

The Morning Of:
In bowl, combine onions, celery, bacon drippings, parsley, mayonnaise, mustard and red wine vinegar. Whisk to combine. Taste dressing and season with kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste.

Chop 3 eggs. Add to dressing. Cut V marks in 4th egg to create two tulip flowers. Reserve 1 flower, chop other and add to dressing. Taste dressing a second time, adjust seasonings as necessary.

Place potatoes in a large bowl. Pour egg dressing over potatoes and toss to coat. Smooth out top.

In the center, using the back of a spoon, create a small indentation. Place Egg flower into indentation. If desired, sprinkle lightly with paprika. Cover with plastic and refrigerate until well chilled.

Easy Cheater’s Baked Beans
2 Large Cans Baked Beans (Bush makes a good base)
6 Slices Bacon
1/4 White Onion, finely chopped

Cook bacon until partially cooks, releasing about 1/4 cup of drippings. Remove from pan, set aside on paper towel to cool. Chop into pieces.

Saute onions in bacon dripping until tender, about 3 minutes.

Place baked beans in crock pot. Mix in onions and bacon. Cook in crock pot on LOW setting until ready to serve.

Note: Guy Fieri makes an awesome Old School Baked Bean found in the refrigerated section of Costco. Although a bit more expensive than “canned” baked beans, no “Doctoring” is required, simple warm in a crock pot a few hours before serving. These beans are packed with bacon and onions, with a wonderful sauce and awesome flavor.

Crock Pot “Baked” Beans with Bacon
3 Cups dried pinto beans
1 pound thick cut Hickory-Smoked Bacon
1 medium yellow onion
6-8 cups water
¼ cup molasses
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup Chili Sauce
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Fresh Ground Pepper to taste
Sea Salt

Sort through the beans and discard any that are old, shriveled or look mishandled. Using a colander, rinse beans well under cold water.

Place rinsed beans in a large crock pot and cover with about 2-3 inches of water. With the pot off, cover and leave beans overnight to soak. This can also be done in a large stock pot.

Drain the soaked beans well. If soaked in the crock pot, rinse the pot as well. Return beans to the crock pot and set aside.

In a skillet, fry up the bacon. Drain on a paper towel, let cool and then crumble.

Drain all but about a tablespoon or so of the bacon dripping from the skillet (if you’ve got any Southern roots in you at all, you know those drippings are saved for a variety of uses).

Peel and coarsely chop onion. Fry in the reserved bacon grease until lightly browned, just enough to help the onion soak in that smokey bacon flavor.

Place onions and bacon into the crock pot. Add all remaining ingredients EXCEPT the salt. (Salt will toughen the beans, so it’s always added last, after the beans have cooked and softened). Stir to blend, and cook on high for 8-10 hours. (Note, cooking time can be reduced to the lower end of 8 hours by placing everything in a large stockpot on the stove. Bring to a rolling boil, let boil for about 10-15 minutes, then CAREFULLY transfer beans to the crock pot to continue to cook).

Just before serving, add salt to taste.

Cooler Corn on the Cob
12-24 Ears of Corn
Boiling Water

Husk, clean and trim ears of corn. Place corn in a clean camping cooler. Bring several kettles or pots of water to a boil, enough to cover corn.

Pour boiling water over corn, close lid and let steep for 30-45 minutes.

*** Dessert ***

4th of July Flag Cake with Buttercream Frosting
Cake From a Box:
2 Boxes French Vanilla White Cake
6 Eggs
1 Cup Vegetable Oil
Water according to cake package

Preheat oven to 325-degrees

Prepare 13×15-inch cake pan with cake release. Set aside until ready to use.

Place eggs and oil in mixing bowl. Beat until light and foamy. Add water and cake mix. Mix on low for 30 seconds, increase to medium speed and beat for 2 minutes.

Pour batter into prepared pan, smooth top with back of spatula. Tap on countertop to release any trapped air pockets.

Place cake in oven and bake 35-40 minutes or until golden and tester comes out clean.

Place on wire rack and cool 10 minutes in pan.

Line cutting board with parchment paper. Invert cake onto cutting board. Quickly invert cake again onto second large cutting board, remove parchment paper. (Cake will now be top-side up)

Let cake cool completely. If large “crown” exists, use cake cutter to level top. Invert final time to cake board. (Cake will now be top-side down)

Cake from Scratch
2 cup Butter
4 Cups Sugar
12 Eggs
4 Cups Flour
2 Teaspoons Baking Soda
2 Cups Buttermilk
1 Cup Vegetable Oil
In a large bowl, sift flour and baking soda together, set aside.

Cream butter and sugar together until fluffy.

Add eggs, one at a time and gently mix with each addition until blended. Add flour mixture and buttermilk to the batter, alternating between wet and dry in four additions without mixing. Slowly mix to incorporate, then increase speed and mix well.

While the mixer is running, add oil.

Pour batter into prepared pan, smooth top with back of spatula. Tap on countertop to release any trapped air pockets.

Place cake in oven and bake 35-40 minutes or until golden and tester comes out clean.

Place on wire rack and cool 10 minutes in pan.

Line cutting board with parchment paper. Invert cake onto cutting board. Quickly invert cake again onto second large cutting board, remove parchment paper. (Cake will now be top-side up)

Let cake cool completely. If large “crown” exists, use cake cutter to level top. Invert final time to cake board. (Cake will now be top-side down)

Buttercream Frosting
1 Cup Solid Butter-Flavored Vegetable Shortening
1 Cup Butter, Softened
2 teaspoon Vanilla extract
8 Cups sifted powdered Sugar*
6 tablespoons milk**

Cream butter and shortening with electric mixer. Add vanilla.

Gradually add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl between additions and after the last of the sugar has been added. When all sugar has been mixed in, the frosting will appear to be dry.

Add milk one tablespoon at a time and beat a medium speed until light and fluffy.

*For thinner frosting, add 3-4 tablespoons light corn syrup. Corn Syrup will also create a frosting that is smoother. Keep frosting covered with a damp cloth until ready to use.
Once cake has cooled, frost entire cake with a thin layer of frosting. Set aside until ready to decorate.

Decorations:
2 Baskets Strawberries
1 Basket Blueberries
1 Container Strawberry Glaze

To Assemble and Decorate Cake:

Arrange Blueberries in upper left corner for “blue background”, leaving space between berries for piped “stars”.

Dip strawberries into the glaze, this will create a layer between the fresh fruit and the sugar in the frosting. Sugar naturally draws out the juices of the strawberries and without a barrier, the fresh berries tend to bleed. Arrange Strawberries to create red “stripes”. These can be whole berries or sliced, it’s a personal preference thing. Whole berries “dip” easily into the glaze, sliced berries lend themselves more easily to the “strip”.

Fill pastry bag fitted with star tip. Create stars between blueberries and stars for white stripes of flag.

Here’s to American Independence! Hope you all have a Safe and Happy 4th of July!

Father’s Day Cookout for the Whole Gang

Father’s Day is nearly upon us, another special day for gathering with family to break bread, tell a few stories and take time out of our hectic lives to reconnect with one another. This is especially true if siblings have scattered with the four winds. Having grown up in a very close family, Father’s Day is extra special.

Have you ever wondered why barbecues are so popular for Father’s Day? I don’t have the answer, except to say that men tend to like fire-grilled foods and we, as his loving family, want to feed Dad with foods he likes. And who can grill up big slabs of meat better than dear old Dad? So you’ll have to stand your ground and let him know, this year the family will be doing the cooking, so relax Dad – we’ve got it under control.

This year’s menu will consist of Chocolate Fudge Cake with Chocolate Fudge Frosting, Grilled Tri-Tip with a peppery dry rub, red potato skewers and corn on the cob grilled inside their husks, then smeared with a spicy butter. And for a colorful side, a green bean and tomato salad. The cake can be made a day in advance, just keep Dad away. He can lick the mixer after the cake is frosted, but that’s it. If there’s enough frosting left over, spread that between two gram crackers to satisfy Dad’s urge to have dessert early, but remember to stand your ground! “We love you, Dad, but dessert comes later.”

You’ll want to soak the ears of corn while the tri-tip is warming on the kitchen counter. Once the meat and corn comes off the grill, that’s the perfect time to roast the potatoes since these don’t take very long. The salad can be made anytime, then left to sit out or refrigerated to serve well-chilled. Before getting started, read through the recipes and the timetable will be easy to figure out based on how many people are assisting. Just make sure Dad doesn’t get involved. After all, it’s his special day! As the foods are finished, just tent everything to keep it warm until ready to serve.

Chocolate Fudge Cake
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons baking cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Prepare a 13-inch x 9 inch x 2-inch cake pan. There are two options. First is to use Wilton’s Cake Release, my personal favorite since the oil and flour are conveniently mixed in one container. All you need do is to shake well, squeeze a generous amount into the bottom of the cake pan, then use a pastry brush to spread a thin layer over the bottom and up the sides. I’ve never had Wilton’s Cake Release fail me yet. Another option is to grease the baking pan; line with parchment paper. Grease the paper; set aside.

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and brown sugar. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine water and milk.

Combine the flour, cocoa, cream of tartar, baking soda, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk mixture.

Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 22-27 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack. Remove and discard parchment paper (if used). Cool cake completely.

Chocolate Fudge Frosting
1/2 cup butter
3 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate
1 pound powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup milk

Melt chocolate and butter in the microwave, or in the top of a double boiler. In a large bowl, combine confectioners’ sugar, vanilla and 1/2 cup of the milk.

Blend in the melted chocolate mixture. Add remaining milk, a little at a time, until desired consistency is achieved.

Let stand until spreadable (frosting will thicken as it cools).

Tri-Tip with a Dry Spice Rub
Ingredients – Spice Rub
1 1/2 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
2 tablespoons salt
1 Tablespoon each:
1 Tablespoons Sugar
1 Tablespoons Onion Powder
2 Teaspoons Ancho Powder
1/2 teaspoon Chipotle Chili
1/2 teaspoon Cayenne pepper
2 Teaspoons Mustard Powder
2 Teaspoons Garlic Powder

3 lb Tri-Tip Brisket, trimmed

Note: The rub is more than enough for a good size tri-tip brisket. If feeding a large crowd, go ahead and make two. You shouldn’t need to double the rub.

You’ll want to get a tri-tip that has as close to a uniform shape as possible. One end will be pointed and less thick than the other, which is part of the “Tip”. Although it should be trimmed of excess fat, you’ll want a nice layer of fat that will melt while the bathing the meat in a wonderful smoky flavor. Because a tri-tip isn’t exactly even, one end will be more to the well-done side while the other end will be more to the medium-rare. This is nice when feeding a crowd of varying tastes – everyone will get a slice of beef that is cooked just right.

Mix all ingredients for spice rub. Rub into tri-tip brisket. Wrap brisket in plastic wrap, refrigerate for 1 hour 15 minutes. Remove from refrigerator, let stand on counter for 45 minutes prior to grilling. (Total marinating time is 2 hours)

Build nice bed of hot coals. Open the bottom and top vents half way, place grate over coals and close lid to heat, about 5 minutes. Clean grate and oil paper towels dipped in vegetable oil.

Raise coals to high position (or lower grate, depending upon grill). Grill meat, fat side up, for 3-5 minutes or until nicely seared. Turn and sear other side. Lower coals (or raise the grate, depending upon grill), cover and continue to cook meat 7-10 minutes longer. Turn and cook 6-8 minutes longer or until cooked to desired doneness. Transfer to platter and tent loosely.

The key to a juicy piece of meat is to let the meat rest 10-15 minutes after grilling to allow the juices to soak back into the meat rather than run all over the cutting board. Be patient – it’s worth the wait.

Grilled Corn on the Cob with Spicy Garlic Butter
Ingredients – Corn
8 ears corn, in husks
4 fresh limes, quartered
2 tablespoons chopped chives, for garnish

Remove thick outer husks from the corn, leaving several layers of the thinner, pale husks in tact.

Peel back these layers of husks from the corn without removing them from the ears. Remove the silks, rinse ears and recover the corn with the husk. Secure husks with kitchen twine. Place ears of corn in a large pot of cold water. Let soak for at least 30 minutes. (The kernels will absorb some of the water, allowing them to steam in their husks when placed on the grill.)

While corn is soaking, make spicy butter. (recipe below)

When ready to grill, remove corn from water and shake off excess. Place the corn on the grill, directly over fire; close the cover and grill. Check and turn periodically. If husks begin to burn, transfer ears and continue to cook using an indirect method. Grill for about 20 to 30 minutes. Corn should be firm but tender when properly grilled.

When corn is cooked, unwrap and brush with the garlic butter. Sprinkle squeezed with lime and garnish with chopped chives.

Ingredients – Spicy Garlic Butter
2 sticks unsalted butter, slightly softened
8 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
¼ Habanero pepper, seeded
¼ bunch fresh chives
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combine butter, garlic, Habanero, and chives in a food processor and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside until ready to use.

Fire Roasted Red Potato Skewers
2 pounds red potatoes (about 6 medium), quartered
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup chicken broth
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Place the potatoes and water in an ungreased microwave-safe 2-qt. dish. Cover and microwave on high for 10-12 minutes or until almost tender, stirring once; drain. In a large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients; add potatoes. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Drain, reserving mayonnaise mixture. On six metal or soaked wooden skewers, thread potatoes.

Grill, uncovered, over medium heat for 4 minutes on each side, brushing occasionally with reserved mayonnaise mixture or until potatoes are tender and golden brown.

Green Bean and Cherry Tomato Salad
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot (from about 1 medium shallot)
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest (from about 2 medium lemons)
2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more as needed
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed
6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 3 medium lemons)
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 pounds green beans, ends trimmed
2 pints (1 pound) cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves and stems

Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil and prepare an ice water bath by filling a bowl halfway with ice and water; set aside. Meanwhile, make the dressing.

Place the shallot, lemon zest, and measured salt and pepper in a medium, nonreactive bowl and add the lemon juice. While whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in the oil and whisk until evenly combined. Set the dressing aside.

Add the green beans to the boiling water and cook until crisp-tender, about 3 to 4 minutes. Drain and transfer to the prepared ice water bath. When the beans are chilled, drain again and thoroughly pat dry with paper towels.

Place the beans, tomatoes, and parsley in a large bowl, pour in the dressing, and toss to coat thoroughly. Taste and add more salt and pepper as needed. Set aside at room temperature or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Hope you have a wonderful Father’s Day!

Country Ribs with Golden Eagle Barbecue Sauce

Outside of Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin stood the Golden Eagle Tavern. The bar itself was small, with living quarters on one side and a separate building on the other side that made and sold the most amazing barbecue sandwiches. The location was perfect – right along the highway between Wisconsin Rapids and Steven’s Point. On any given day, travelers along the picturesque wooded state route would pull off the road and mosey on up to the rustic log establishment to order some of the best barbecue around. What set the Golden Eagle Tavern and Grill apart was their barbecue sauce. It was different, tangy with a peppery taste. The longer the sauce was allowed stewed, the more intense the flavor became. Without question, the Golden Eagle Barbecue Sauce was the key to the success and popularity of the Golden Eagle Tavern and Grill.

At least as far back as 1950s, (I’ve heard tell it might have been as far back as 1930s or 40s) The Golden Eagle Tavern and Grill was owned and operated by Joe and Nelda Goodwin. Joe and Nelda weren’t a young couple venturing into the restaurant business who suddenly struck gold. By the mid to late 1950s, when the Golden Eagle Tavern and Grill became popular among locals and travelers alike, the Goodwins had a few years under their belts. Joe Goodwin was born in 1888, his wife, Nelda, in 1901. They were married in 1928, and sometime thereafter the Golden Eagle open its doors. It’s unclear if Joe or Nelda developed the recipe for Golden Eagle Barbecue Sauce, or if it was a collaborated effort. Joe passed on in 1970, and sometime after that, Nelda decided to hang up her apron (she tended bar as well) and sold the joint. When the restaurant was sold, the recipe was part of the packaged deal. Eventually the original buildings were bulldozed over and an old favorite was forever gone, lost in the march of progress. Today another bar and grill sits on the lot, a bit further back from the road and much larger. Yet the Golden Eagle Barbecue sauce has managed to survive.

Nelda Goodwin was my husband’s grandfather’s sister. When my husband’s grandmother passed away, we went to Wisconsin to help sort through her belongings. In a box on a scrap of paper that was yellowed by age was a hand-written recipe for Golden Eagle Barbecue Sauce. I don’t know if Nelda herself wrote it down more than fifty years prior for her sister-in-law, but there it was all the same, in its original glory.  My husband remembers the sandwiches as thin slices of smoked beef smothered in this amazing sauce. I use it to make Country Ribs. We also use the sauce on chicken, pulled-pork and even burgers. The recipe will make more sauce than you can use in a single sitting, and it stores well in the fridge. By the time you get to those last few drops, the intensity of the flavors is incredible!

So for this post, you’re getting two recipes – some of the best, moist country ribs around and a sauce that has endless possibilities. When we do up the ribs, I like to serve them will country-style fried potatoes and grilled corn on the cob.

Some people “boil” their ribs for a while to help in the cooking process. I like to slow-cook the ribs in a warm oven over a pan of seasoned water, then finish them off on the grill. It’s braising – only in reverse. This method results in a country rib that is fork-tender with flavors that have penetrated the meat completely.

COUNTRY STYLE PORK RIBS WITH GOLDEN EAGLE BARBECUE SAUCE
Ingredients Ribs:
4-6 lbs Boneless Country Pork Ribs, trimmed
2 Cups Water
1 Onion, cut into large chunks
3-4 Garlic Cloves, minced or pressed
1-2 Tablespoon Liquid Smoke

Preheat oven to 300-degrees.

In the bottom of a broiler pan, add water, onion and liquid smoke. Rub minced garlic into meat.

Lightly brush ribs with barbecue sauce. Let sit for 15 minutes to soak in the sauce. Place on top of broiler pan, cover tightly with foil cook in the oven 1-2 hours or until meat is tender but not falling apart.

Increase oven to 325-degrees and cook an additional 15 minutes. Keep a watchful eye on the ribs at this point. You want it to be tender but still intact, otherwise it will fall apart when finished off on the grill.

Ingredients: Golden Eagle Barbecue Sauce
1 Bottle Hunt’s Ketchup (32 oz) – see footnote
3 Tablespoon Dry Mustard
2 Teaspoons Ground Pepper
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
½ Cup Cider Vinegar
½ Cup Water
1 Tablespoon Chili Sauce
1 Tablespoon Hickory Liquid Smoke

To make barbecue sauce, combine all ingredients in a heavy sauce pan. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat, let “steep” until ready to use – the longer the better. Refrigerate any unused sauce. (The empty Ketchup bottle works well, just be sure to label it “Barbecue Sauce” so no one gets a surprise on their burgers or French fries).

To Finish off Ribs: Build a nice bed of coals in the barbecue. Transfer meat to a clean barbecue grate that has been wiped with vegetable oil to prevent sticking. Sear ribs 3-5 minutes, turn and sear other side. Mop heavily with Golden Eagle Barbecue Sauce during final grilling.

Note: For whatever reason, Hunt’s Ketchup is the only brand that works well with this sauce. Apparently “Ketchup is Ketchup” isn’t an accurate statement when it comes to this recipe because when other brands have been used, the results were less than desirable.  There’s something about the base in Hunt’s Ketchup that works well with the other ingredients to create the famous Golden Eagle sauce. On the handwritten paper “Hunt’s” was underlined, further emphasizing the importance of a particular brand of ketchup.

 

Memorial Day Menu 2 – A Feast for a Crowd

If you want to go all out this Memorial Day and put on a spread that is out of this world – have I got some ideas to share with you!

You can approach these recipes one of two ways – make huge portions, assuming that everyone will have their fill of everything on the buffet table or make a reasonable amount of each dish, assuming that not everyone will eat everything.

And by everything, I’m talking King Crab Legs, Smoked Ribs, Corn on the Cob, Bacon, Ham & Gruyère Sliders, Macaroni Salad, Potato Salad, Texas Ranch Beans and a Red-White and Blue Berry Trifle. And just for good measure, you could even grill up some All-American Hot Dogs for the kids in the crowd or the picky eaters.

While the recipes aren’t all that complicated, they take oodles and oodles of time.  So you’ll need to pace yourself, do as much as possible the day before or early in the morning. Both the potato and macaroni salads are even more awesome (if that were possible) on day two, so those would be great to make a day ahead.

Crab legs come to us already cooked (unless you’re using fresh, live crab), so all we need do is thaw them in the fridge overnight and warm them before serving.  The typical ways to warm crab legs are either to steam them or boil them.  Both these methods are easy and quick. Another great way to warm the legs is to do so on the grill (my personal favorite) but you’ll have enough food to grill as it is, and crab legs take up a ton of grilling space. So why not warm them in a slow cooker?  This works best with a large, oval slow cooker. By slowly warming the legs, it allows the flavors of the garlic-butter to better penetrate the shells and seep into the sweet, delicate meat. Besides, using a slow cooker means no tending, just start it and forget it for about four hours.

The ribs are best if rubbed the day before.  Then remove from the refrigerator while the coals are prepared. The smoked ribs are going to take about three hours to cook, with very little tending, so that’s good. It will free you up to make the beans. The Texas Ranch Beans are going to take about four hours from start to finish (not including an overnight soak). The prep work is minimal. Honestly, the most difficult part of the beans will be the periodic tending to prevent the beans from burning – not a lot of work, just a watchful eye. (Another alternative would be to buy a couple of large cans of Ranch Style Beans, and warm them in a slow cooker. They will taste wonderful, can be served right from the pot and everyone will rave about all the fuss you must have gone through.  I won’t tell if you won’t tell).

Your sliders can be assembled ahead of time, then popped into the oven shortly before serving. This give time to clean up the mess before the guests arrive. If you use a nice warming tray, you can serve the sliders straight from the oven.

The corn is really cool. It’s cooked in a cooler – yep, a cooler.  This allows you to make a few dozen ears at once, and the cooler will keep the corn warm for hours. Just be sure to have a medium-size cooler well cleaned and have a big stock pot for heating the water.

Plan to make the berry trifle in the morning. Then just keep it in the refrigerator until serving time. It will be cold and refreshing.

As for the hot dogs, you’ll have room on the grill because the ribs are “smoked” over an indirect fire, then “steamed” in the oven for about twenty minutes to get them super moist and tender. While the ribs are steaming, spread out the coals and cook up the dogs.

Before we get down to all the yummy recipes, one last comment from the voice of experience – make as many dishes as you can handle without making yourself crazy. Recruit the assistance of family. Give yourself plenty of time, it’s not a race to the finish line. Pace yourself and remember to take deep breaths.

Mema’s Macaroni Salad
6 Eggs, hard-boiled
1 lb Salad Macaroni
¼ Cup Green Onions, finely chopped
¼ Cup Red onion, finely chopped
2 Celery Stocks, finely chopped
1 Tablespoon Dill Pickle Relish
1 ½ Cups Best Food Mayonnaise
½ Tablespoon Red Wine Vinegar
Salt and Pepper to taste
¼ Cup Chopped Black Olives (Optional)

Peel hard-boiled eggs and set in refrigerator to cool completely

Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package directions. Drain and rinse well under cold running water. Set aside to continue draining.

In bowl, combine onions, celery, pickle relish, mayonnaise and red wine vinegar. Whisk to combine. Taste dressing and season with salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste. Adjust seasoning according to personal tastes.

Chop 4 eggs. Add to dressing. Cut V marks in remaining 2 eggs to create tulip flowers. Reserve 3 “flowers” for garnish, chop remaining “flower” and add to dressing mix. Taste dressing a second time, adjust seasonings as necessary.

Place macaroni in a large bowl. Pour egg dressing over macaroni and toss to coat. Smooth out top.
Using the back of a spoon, create 3 indentations in the top of the salad. Place Egg flowers into indentations. If desired, sprinkle lightly with paprika. Cover with plastic and refrigerate until well chilled.

Mema’s Potato Salad
3 lbs Yukon Gold Potatoes
4 Eggs, hard-boiled
1 Red Onion, minced
2 Celery Stocks, minced
1 Tablespoon Bacon Drippings, warm (Optional)
¼ Cup Parsley
1 Cup Mayonnaise
1 Tablespoons Mustard
2 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar plus a sprinkling for potatoes
Kosher Salt & Fresh Black Pepper to taste

Peel and slice potatoes into large chunks. Place potatoes in a stockpot and cover with 1-inch of salted water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until potatoes are just tender but not soft, about 10-15 minutes. Drain well. Sprinkle LIGHTLY with red wine vinegar and set aside in refrigerator to cool.

Using a thin needle, carefully poke a tiny hole into the smaller end of the egg-shell. Place eggs in a saucepan, add cold water to cover eggs. Bring to a boil, remove from heat and cover. Let sit for 12-14 minutes, then plunge eggs into cold water to stop cooking process. Set in refrigerator to cool.

In bowl, combine onions, celery, bacon drippings, parsley, mayonnaise, mustard and red wine vinegar. Whisk to combine. Taste dressing and season with kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste.

Peel and chop 3 eggs. Add to dressing. Cut V marks in 4th egg to create two tulip flowers. Reserve 1 flower, chop other and add to dressing. Taste dressing a second time, adjust seasonings as necessary.

Place potatoes in a large bowl. Pour egg dressing over potatoes and toss to coat. Smooth out top. In the center, using the back of a spoon, create a small indentation. Place Egg flower into indentation. If desired, sprinkle lightly with paprika. Cover with plastic and refrigerate until well chilled.

Dry-Rubbed Smoked Ribs
3 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
2 tablespoons salt
1 Tablespoon Onion Powder
1 Tablespoon Sugar
1 Teaspoon Chili Powder
1 Teaspoon Ancho Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Chipotle Spice
1/2 Teaspoon Cayenne Powder
2 Teaspoons Mustard Powder
2 Teaspoons Garlic Powder
3-4 lbs Baby-Back Ribs

Mix ingredients for dry rub, set aside. Trim excess fat from ribs and remove thin layer of skin from the back of the ribs. Lightly brush meat with a little olive oil (this helps rub “cling” to meat.

Generously coat meat with rub, then rub into meat. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for several hours or overnight for best flavor.

Soak about 4-6 cups of wood chips for about an hour in water. This will create a nice slow smoke for the barbecue. While wood is soaking, remove ribs from the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature.

Fill chimney with charcoal, mixing a little dry wood chips into the coals. When chimney is ready, build an indirect fire to one side of the grill. Drain wood chips. Place about 2 cups of chips on a piece of foil large enough to make a well-sealed packet. Cut a few slits into the packet to allow smoke to escape. Make a second packet with remaining wood chips. Set aside until ready to use.

Place 1 packet on top of coals. Close lid, allow grill to get hot and smoke to begin to build. (Make sure vents are open).

Place ribs on rack over hot coals to sear outside, about 3-5 minutes per side. Transfer to opposite side of grill for indirect cooking. Close lid and let smoke for about an hour, check periodically to make sure grill continues to smoke. Remove ribs from rack, remove rack and wood chip packet. If necessary, add a little more coal to the fire. Place second packet on coals, return rack and ribs. Continue to smoke for an additional hour.

Heat oven to about 325-degrees. Remove ribs from grill. Place on a rack over a shallow pan of water. Seal well with foil and place into the oven to “steam” tender for about 20 more minutes.

Texas Ranch Beans
2 Cups Dried Pinto Beans
1 Teaspoon Olive Oil
1 Onion, Diced
6 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 Cup Water
¼ Cup Chili Powder
½ Teaspoon Cayenne Powder
2 Tomatoes, peeled and seeded
1 Teaspoon Brown Sugar
1 Teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Teaspoon Smoked Paprika
1 Teaspoon Cumin
½ Teaspoon Mexican Oregano
6 Cups Beef Broth
Salt & Pepper to Taste

Pick over beans, cover with water and soak overnight. Drain well.

In the pot the beans are to be cooked in, heat olive oil over medium heat. Sauté onions 3-4 minutes or until almost tender. Add garlic, sauté until aromatic about 30 seconds. Transfer onions and garlic to a blender or food processor. DO NOT clean pot; set pot aside.

To the onion mixture, add water, chili powder, cayenne powder, tomatoes, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, smoked paprika, cumin and Mexican oregano. Puree to a smooth mixture.

Add beans and beef broth to the pot. Bring to a boil, allow to boil 1-2 minutes, then reduce heat to simmer. Pour Chili puree into beans, stir to blend. Cover and simmer 2-4 hours (depending upon freshness of beans – may be tender in 2 hours, may take longer). When beans are tender and chili sauce has thickened, season with salt and pepper to taste. DO NOT add salt until the beans are completely cooked or they will become tough and undesirable.

Slow Cooker King Crab Legs
3-4 pounds King crab legs, thawed
1 tablespoon salt
4-6 Cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup unsalted butter

Thaw and rinse the crab. The best way to defrost crab is to let it sit, covered, inside the refrigerator overnight.

Crab legs can also be thawed by running them under cold water for a few minutes. Even if you do not need to run the crab legs under cold water to thaw them, doing so could also help remove any remaining ice crystals or slime. Pat dry with clean paper towels before using.

Transfer the crab legs to a slow cooker. Arrange the crab legs in even layers inside the slow cooker. You will need to create multiple layers of crab legs, but these layers should at least be even.

Due to the shape of the crab legs, an oval slow cooker usually works better than a round one. You only need enough water to cover the crabs. Too little or too much could be result in crab legs that are too dry or not sufficiently heated.

Mix the butter and garlic. Melt the butter in a small bowl.

To add the flavored butter to the crab legs, simply pour the butter mixture over the legs in the slow cooker. Since the crab legs are being cooked slowly, the flavors of the seasonings have a greater opportunity to permeate the thick shell of the legs and flavor the meat beneath.

Try to spread the butter over as many of the crab legs as possible. You can toss them to coat the crab more thoroughly, but this is not necessary.

Add just enough water to barely cover the legs. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or until the meat is steaming hot and nearly melting inside their shells. Since the crab legs are being cooked slowly, the flavors of the seasonings have a greater opportunity to permeate the thick shell of the legs and flavor the meat beneath.

It you did not have time to thaw your crab legs and are cooking them straight from a frozen state, add another 30 minutes to the cooking time.

Once the legs are heated through, use tongs to remove the crab from the slow cooker. Transfer them to a serving platter and enjoy while hot.

If desired, you can serve the crab legs with additional melted butter or lemon wedges.

 

Bacon, Ham & Gruyère Sliders
Ingredients for Sandwiches
24 Hawaiian rolls
24 slices Deli honey ham
12 sliced Bacon, crisp and cut in fourths.
24 slices Gruyère cheese
Mayonnaise

Ingredients for the sauce
1½ tablespoons yellow mustard
1 Stick butter, melted
1 Tablespoon finely minced onion (or 2 teaspoons DRIED diced minced onions)
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Poppy seeds, for garnish

Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Split rolls

Fry bacon crisp. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Cut bacon into four pieces. Set aside.

Split Hawaiian rolls in half. Spread inside lightly with mayonnaise. Set aside

Place 2 pieces of bacon on 1 slice of ham. Fold ham over to encase bacon. Place on bottom of Hawaiian roll. Top with a slice of Gruyère cheese. Place on high-rimmed baking sheet.

Repeat with remaining rolls, bacon, ham and cheese until all the rolls have been filled.

The sliders can be made in advance up to this point.  Cover with foil and set aside until ready to continue.

Whip together ingredients for sauce. Drizzle sauce over tops of slider buns. Sprinkle with poppy seeds.

Cover sliders and bake 10 minutes or until cheese has melted.

Uncover and bake 2-3 minutes longer, to crisp tops.

Remove from oven, arrange on serving platter or serve directly from baking tray.

 

Cooler Corn on the Cob
12-24 Ears of Corn
Boiling Water

Husk, clean and trim ears of corn. Place corn in a clean camping cooler. Bring several kettles or pots of water to a boil, enough to cover corn.
Pour boiling water over corn, close lid and let steep for 30-45 minutes.

 

Grilled Hot Dogs
1 Package All Beef Hot Dogs
1 Package Hot Dog Buns
1/4 Onion, chopped
Ketchup
Yellow Mustard
Sweet Pickle Relish

Prepare the onions, relish and condiments and place into small ramekin cups. (If desired tie red and blue ribbons around ramekins for a festive “splash” of color.

Spread coals evenly in the grill.  Cook hot dogs on the grill, turning as necessary until plump and blistered. Place dogs into their buns, pile high on a platter and serve with condiments on the side.

 

Memorial Day Berry Trifle
1 package (3.4-ounce) instant vanilla pudding
2 cups fresh berries strawberries, washed and hulled, plus extra for garnish
2 cups blueberries, plus extra for garnish
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
24 to 36 ladyfingers

To make the fillings, prepare the pudding according to the package directions and chill it.

Slice the strawberries, then toss all of the berries with the lemon juice and the 1/4 cup of sugar. Set aside for 30 minutes to allow the berries to release their juices.

In a medium mixing bowl, whip the cream, vanilla extract, and remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar until soft peaks form. Set aside.

To make the layers, set a layer of ladyfingers (around 7 or 8) on the bottom of a large, clear serving bowl. Top with about a third of the berries, then with half of the pudding.

Add another layer of ladyfingers, another third of the berries and juice, and the rest of the pudding.

Add a final layer of ladyfingers and berries. Top with the whipped cream and a berry garnish.

Refrigerate until you’re ready to serve.