APR
01

Freedom & Food

We had a wonderful sunny afternoon for the beach. High winds & waves equated to sunning while watching sailing and (attempted) surfing! Then it was back to our place for some napping, relaxing before making a delicious, celebratory meal for 4th of July. Recipes & photos posted below. This meal feeds 6 very hungry people or 8 people with normal appetites!

Red-White-N-Blue Smoothies (Breakfast)

We didn’t make this one yesterday, but the servings and tips are as follows. One cup of frozen fruit to one cup of liquids is the basic ratio I use for a one person serving. Red = strawberries, White = bananas, Blue = blueberries. If you use frozen fruits you don’t have to add ice, which makes your smoothie even more filling, in my humble opinion.

Strawberry, Spinach and Goat Cheese Salad w/ Balsamic Vinaigrette

Salad:

• 12 oz bag of baby spinach
• 1 pound of strawberries, sliced
• 1/2 pint of crimini or baby bella mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 4-6 oz. of crumbled goat cheese (use an amount you like)
• 1/2 cup toasted, sliced almonds

Layer all of the ingredients in order – wrap tightly and leave in the fridge for a few hours, if you like.

Dressing:

• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 T dijon mustard
• 2 t shallots
• 2 t basil
• 1 t olive oil
• black pepper to taste

Add the dressing just before serving. Drizzle over the salad, toss and serve!

Grilled Seasonal Veggies

• 2 red peppers
• 1 large eggplant
• 2-4 tomatoes, quartered

Marinade for Veggies:

• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
• + Parmesan cheese to sprinkle on the veggies

Slice the peppers into thick (about 1″) strips. Cut the eggplant vertically after cutting off the bottom and top.

Place groups of eggplant, pepper and tomatoes into foil packets, brushing with 1 Tbsp of the mixture and then topping with 1/2-1 teaspoon of Parmesan cheese. Wrap, place on low heat and cook for 20-25 minutes. You can remove and place directly on the grill at the end of their time, if desired.I did not add tomatoes in our veggie packets last night, but placed them in a bowl and added the extra marinade and some Parm cheese as our hors d’oeuvres! Yum!

Corn on the Cob with Basil Butter

In case you weren’t aware, corn on the cob comes with it’s own wrapper! Buy it whole with the husk in tact, place on the grill for 20-25 minutes (lower heat) until you have nice charring and grill marks on the husk.

Add BUTTER!! Make this ahead of time, at least a few hours before your meal.

• 1 1/2 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 pound butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon seasoned pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

Orange-Teriyaki Chicken Drumsticks

When I did this yesterday I doubled our batch and added 6 oz. of beer to the marinade (time for marinading was roughly 8 hours). After doing a little research this morning I found that I shouldn’t be adding alcohol, so I’m going to skip that for now – but I do love a little beer flavor, so I may rework the “secret sauce” to include some beer.

Make a double batch of the following (use 10-12 drumsticks). One half is used to marinade; the other half is boiled and simmered until it is reduced to a thick liquid used as sauce on the meat while grilling.

• 2/3 cup Orange Juice (we like full pulp for this)
• 1 T Teriyaki Sauce
• 2 T Brandy
• 1 T Sweet Soy (this is a thick, sweet sauce – find it at Asian food stores)
• 1 T Garlic Powder
• 1 T Onion Powder
• 1 T Mustard
• 1 T brown sugar
• 1 t cayenne
• 1 t salt

Grill chicken over low-medium heat. Chicken cooks low and slow; chicken should be on grill 45 minutes to an hour and the temperature should be 230-250 degrees. Add the reduced marinade – now a sauce – in the last 15-20 minutes of cooking, brushing over the chicken.

Grilled Peaches with Berry Compote

4 large peaches, halved – grill at medium heat until they are soft and have grill marks. Then add berry compote and 1/4-1/2 cup of frozen yogurt (my FAVE pictured – love love love Trader Joes!).

Berry Compote

• 1  tablespoon  butter
• 3  tablespoons  honey
• 1  tablespoon  fresh lemon juice
• Dash of ground cinnamon
• 1  (12-ounce) bag assorted frozen berries

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add honey, juice, cinnamon, and berries; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Keep warm. Dish the compote over the peaches halves and top with a little frozen yogurt or vanilla ice cream.