Several months ago, my husband and I invited
my friend and her husband for dinner, along with another friend. During the course
of the evening, we decided to get together once a month, alternating each time between her
house and mine, on the second Sunday evening of each month. One month I cook, the
next month, she cooks. It's been great fun and
it gives us time to just be together, laugh and talk, catch up on what's going on, and
share a great meal. This week, it was her turn, and dinner was so scrumptious that I
just had to share it with you. She and her husband made this meal together--- she
prepared most of it, and he did the grilling, and both of them truly outdid
themselves!!! We dined by candlelight outside on the deck
(we thought we were going to get rained out, but the rain stopped just before
dinner---whew!) with a lovely bottle of white wine, enjoyed the evening air with music
playing in the background, and it was most definitely a memorable time.
Thank you, Linda & Don, for giving me this great meal to share with
everyone!
Entree
Grilled Fillet of Salmon
1 2-lb. fillet of salmon (not
salmon steaks, but a large fillet, nice and thick)
olive oil
Paprika
McCormick's Season-All
Rosemary
Thyme
Try and approximate portions per
person with each fillet of salmon used. (We used two large fillets for 5 people.)
Spray a large piece of aluminum foil with butter flavored cooking spray and
place fillet on foil, skin-side down.
Brush fillet lightly with olive oil.
Season with Season-All, rosemary, thyme and paprika--to taste. (I estimate
about 1/2 tsp. of the rosemary and thyme).
Spray another large piece of foil with the cooking spray, and place on top of
fillet, then fold corners completely around fillet to form an envelope.
Place envelope on rack, and
grill on a low to medium flame for 10-12 minutes on each side (or until done), skin side
down first, then other side.
When done, peel skin off and
serve spice-side up.
Side Dishes
Grilled Yellow Squash
1 yellow squash per person
(about 6-7 inches in length)
Olive oil
Butter
McCormick's Season-All
Pepper
Slice squash into 1/4 inch
slices and place each pile of slices on separate large pieces of aluminum foil -- each
person will have their own envelope.
Brush with olive oil and place a glob of butter on top.
Season (to taste) with the Season-All and the pepper.
Fold aluminum over and form an envelope with each one.
Place on top rack and grill packets for 15-20 minutes while the salmon is
getting done.
Serve one packet or envelope per person.
Linda also served side dishes of steamed broccoli & cauliflower with
butter, salt and pepper, and a dynamite Caesar salad. In order to cut back on
preparation time, she bought the Caesar salad already prepared at the grocery store in
bags, and it came with the dressing. She simply emptied the salad into a bowl,
tossed with the dressing, and it was great!!
Besides all of that, she had
bowls of fruit at each end of the table -- chunks of honeydew melon, cantaloupe and
watermelon mixed together.
Dessert
Strawberry (and blueberry)
Shortcake!
I realize this may sound a
little different, but it was out of this world! With the fourth of July coming up,
it makes the perfect red, white and blue decorative dessert. You could use the
sponge-type of shortcakes, but my friend used the shortcake recipe from the Bisquick box.
Many grocery stores make it and sell it already made up.....
Strawberries (enough to serve
each person)
Approximately 1 cup fresh blueberries, rinsed
Shortcake
Cool Whip
Slice strawberries in half and
put into a serving bowl.
Put 1 cup fresh blueberries into bowl and mix thoroughly.
Prepare Bisquick shortcake according to package directions.
Serve fruit over shortcake with
a little milk, and a dollop of Cool Whip on top, if desired.
Beverage Suggestion
Mai-Tai
1 oz. light rum
1 oz. dark rum
1/2 oz. triple sec
1 oz. pineapple juice
2 oz. orange juice
Splash of grenadine
Mix all ingredients together and
pour over ice.
Perfect for a summer evening on the deck with friends.
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