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screen to the far left and right to view entire page.)
Under normal circumstances, I always
try to publish my latest web page by Friday of each week. Since this week is the
Fourth of July, I'm posting my page a little early in hopes that if you see something
here that you'd like to try, it'll give you time to go out and buy any groceries
that you may need to prepare for your holiday bash.
Do have a safe and happy holiday, and please remember our POW's and military
folks!!
I do hope that these recipes give
you some ideas if you're having that holiday picnic with friends and relatives, or even if
it's just your immediate family....
Appetizer
Spinach Dip
(This may sound a little yucky
if you don't care for spinach, but believe me, it'll be a favorite among your
guests....even if you don't particularly care for spinach, this is a super
appetizer!! It's the perfect beginning to a perfect day among friends and
relatives.)
2 10-oz. packages frozen chopped
spinach, thawed
1 can water chestnuts, drained and finely chopped (optional)
1 cup sour cream
1 cup plain yogurt
1 cup finely chopped green onions)
1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dry ground mustard
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Rye crackers, Wheatsworth crackers, raw vegetables for dipping, if desired
Squeeze excess moisture from
spinach until it is dry. Mix spinach with remaining ingredients except crackers in a
glass or plastic bowl.
Cover and refrigerate 1 hour to
blend flavors. Serve with crackers.
(For a very attractive serving
idea: serve dip in the hollowed out shell of a one-pound round bread loaf. Cut or
tear the soft inside bread pieces and use for dipping. When the dip is
gone, you can enjoy cutting and dipping the outer shell!! If you can't find the
bread, simply serve in a bowl with crackers and vegetables arranged around it.)
Entree
Maple-Barbecued Chicken
1/2 cup white-wine vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup vegetable oil
5 whole chicken breasts, halved
10 chicken thighs
10 chicken drumsticks
10 chicken wings
(or all your favorite cuts....)
maple barbecue sauce for basting and as a side accompaniment (recipe
follows)
In a bowl, whisk together the
vinegar and the salt, add the oil and whisk the marinade until it is completely mixed.
Divide the chicken pieces between 2 large bowls, pour the marinade over them and
let the chicken marinate, covered and chilled, overnight.
Grill the chicken on a
foil-covered rack sprayed with cooking spray, set about 4 inches over glowing coals for 10
minutes on each side, or until it's cooked through. Baste it with some of the
barbecue sauce and grill it, turning it for two minutes longer. Serve the chicken
with the remaining sauce. Serves 8 with leftovers.
Maple Barbecue Sauce
2 large onions, finely chopped
2-1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2-1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
1-1/4 cups ketchup
2-1/4 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
In a large heavy saucepan,
combine the onions, oil, Worcestershire sauce, the mustard, ketchup, broth, vinegar and
the syrup. Bring the mixture to a boil, simmer it, stirring occasionally, for 50
minutes, or until it is boiled down to about 3-1/2 cups. (You can make the sauce up
to one week in advance and keep covered and chilled.)
Side Dishes
(Try this instead of the traditional potato salad.....)
Saut�ed Potatoes in Red
Pepper Oil
The potatoes can be cut into
bite-size chunks or you can buy them very small and serve them whole. The recipe can
be doubled for a larger crowd.
1-1/2 lbs. small red potatoes,
scrubbed
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, or 1 clove of garlic, crushed
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon crushed dried red peppers (the kind that you shake onto pizza or
spaghetti)
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and sliced thin
1 tablespoon chopped scallion (optional)
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
In a medium saucepan, cover
potatoes with water, bring to a boil and cook for 20 minutes or until tender.
Saute garlic in olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet for 2 minutes.
Add dried red peppers and red bell pepper slices. Saute 3 to 5 minutes until
bell pepper is tender.
Add potatoes to skillet and stir gently to heat and to coat completely with oil.
Add Italian seasoning and toss.
Serve sprinkled with scallions.
Serve good and hot!
Makes approximately 6 servings.
Old-Fashioned Baked Beans
Recipe can be doubled or tripled as needed.
1 large size can white navy
beans
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 slices bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 - 3/4 cup ketchup (to your taste)
1 tablespoon mustard
Mix all ingredients together in a large casserole.
Bake at 350 degrees, uncovered, for approximately
one hour and fifteen minutes.
Serves approximately 6-8 people.
Potato, Corn and Cherry Tomato
Salad with Basil Dressing
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons dried basil OR 1 cup packed fresh basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2-1/2 lbs. small red potatoes
1 small bag frozen corn
1/2 pound cherry tomatoes, halved
In a blender or food processor, blend together the vinegar, oil, basil, garlic
powder, and salt and pepper to taste until the dressing is completely emulsified.
In a large saucepan, combine the potatoes with
enough cold water to cover them by 2 inches, bring the water to a boil, and simmer the
potatoes for 15 minutes, or until they're tender. Drain the potatoes, let them cool,
and cut them into quartered chunks.
In a large bowl, combine the corn, potatoes,
tomatoes, the dressing and salt and pepper to taste and toss the salad gently.
Serves approximately 8 people.
Dessert
Red, White & Blue Cheesecake with Chocolate
Cookie Crust!!!
Crust:
28 chocolate wafers, finely
ground in a blender or food processor (about 1-1/2 cups crumbs)
1 stick butter, melted
Filling:
Four 8-oz. packages cream cheese, softened
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons flour
5 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest (the outside of the rind)
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
Approximately 1-1/2 cups
raspberries
Approximately 1-1/2 cups blueberries
Make the crust first:
In a bowl, stir together the cookie crumbs and butter until mixture is well
combined and then press the mixture onto the bottom and 1/2 inch up the side of a 9-1/2
inch springform pan. Chill crust for 30 minutes.
Filling:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
In a bowl, beat cream cheese with electric mixer until light and fluffy.
Gradually add the sugar, beating the mixture until well combined.
Next, beat in the flour, and add
eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Add the sour cream, and beat in the orange zest and lemon zest, salt, and the
vanilla, beating the filling until well mixed.
Pour the filling into the crust
and bake the cheesecake in a foil-lined shallow baking pan in the middle of the oven for
one hour and 10 minutes.
(Cheesecake will NOT be completely set... it will set as it cools.)
Turn the oven off and let the cheesecake stand in the oven with the oven door
propped open about 6 inches until it is cooled completely.
Chill the cheesecake, covered, overnight, and remove the side of the springform
pan.
Arrange the raspberries on top
of the cheesecake in a star shape and arrange the blueberries around the star to cover the
top of the cheesecake.
Beverage Suggestion:
Raspberry Limeade
2 cups raspberries
3-1/2 cups water
3/4 cup sugar, or to taste
1 cup fresh lime juice (or bottled)
Mint sprigs for garnish (optional)
In a blender or food processor, puree 1 cup of the raspberries with 1 cup of the
water and force the puree through a fine sieve set over a pitcher, pressing hard on the
solids. Add the remaining 1 cup raspberries, the remaining 2-1/2 cups water, the
sugar, and the lime juice and stir the mixture until the sugar is dissolved. Fill
pitcher with the liquid and serve in tall glasses garnished with the mint sprigs, if you
wish.
Makes about 5 cups.
Hint: If you don't
have a sieve, try using a large strainer.
 
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