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June/July 2003
Picnic Paradise
Beautiful parks, temperate weather, late sunsets and no mosquito's - it all adds up to perfect picnic weather. So get out your baskets, and make some plans for an afternoon getaway. We've gathered some great recipes to make your outing a success. Italian Pasta Salad2 pounds cooked and cooled pasta Mix all ingredients together. Put in refrigerator to chill. Shredded pork 2 pork shoulder or butts, which ever is on sale Cut the meat off the bones (large pieces is fine) and fill up a crockpot. Cut the onions in half and add to the meat. Pour 1 cup of the gingerale (not diet) over it all. Cook on low 12 hours. Take out the meat, throw out the onions and juices. Shred the meat and return it to the pot. Mix in three of the bottles of BBQ sauce and Tabasco to taste. Cook on low for another 5 to 6 hours, adding more sauce as needed. CANTALOUPE SOUP 2 large cantaloupes, cut in chunks 1/2 cup orange juice juice of 1 lime, 2 tblsp fresh mint 1 tblsp honey 1 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt mint sprigs for garnish Place half of the cantaloupe in a blender and add orange juice, lime juice, mint and honey; process until smooth. Add remaining cantaloupe; process until smooth. In a large bowl, combine cantaloupe mixture with yogurt and mix well. Cover and chill until ready to serve. Garnish each serving with a mint sprig. Margarita Fruit Salad Fruit Salad: In a large bowl, mix together tequila, orange-flavored liqueur, orange marmalade and lime juice. Add strawberries, oranges, honeydew and cantaloupe. Stir to combine and refrigerate for several hours or overnight to allow the flavors to blend. Serves 6 Garden Gazpacho Cold Mexican Soup 4 oz. tomato juice Mix all ingredients together, serve cold. Mint Tea Punch 8 tea bags Combine tea bags, sugar and mint sprigs. Pour boiling water over tea mixture. Cover and let steep for at least a half hour. Remove and discard tea bags and mint springs. Transfer to a large pitcher or punch bowl and add pineapple juice, cold water and lemonade concentrate (undiluted). Stir well, serve over ice garnished with mint sprigs. Deviled Eggs 6 hard boiled eggs Cut each egg in half and carefully scoop out the yolk. Mash yolks and remaining ingredients together to make a paste. Whether to make it completely smooth, or leave small lumps is a matter of personal taste. For smooth consistency blend egg yolk mixture in a food processor. Carefully spoon the egg yolk mixture back into the egg white. For more decorative eggs you can put the egg yolk mixture in a pastry bag and pipe it back into the white. Sprinkle with a little paprika for color and flavor. Cool in refrigerator. All-American Cole Slaw 1 1/2 lb green cabbage; cored, and finely shredded In a large mixing bowl, toss the cabbage with the vinegar and salt. Grate the carrot directly into the bowl. Add the mayonnaise and toss well. Chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes before serving. Caprese Sandwich 2 crusty bagguettes or 4 large crusty rolls Cut bread in half. Layer sliced tomatoes and sliced cheese and (if desired) olives. Sprinkle basil over sandwiches. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Guilt-free fried chicken 1 fryer chicken ( 3 - 3/12 lbs.) cut into 8 pieces Pre-heat oven to 475. Remove the skin from all pieces of chicken except the wings and put chicken into a large, heavy-duty plastic storage bag. Add the buttermilk, garlic, mustard and 3/4 teaspoon of the salt. Squeeze the air from the bag, seal tightly and shake the bag to evenly coat the chicken. Marinate in the refrigerator for 24-48 hours, gently shaking the bag periodically. Spray a heavy-gauge, non-stick baking sheet with cooking spray. Mix bread crumbs, flour, cayenne, paprika and the remaining 1 tsp. salt on a plate. Drain the chicken. Turn each piece of chicken in the bread crumb mixture to coat all over, and place, bone side up, on the prepared baking sheet. Let sit for 5 minutes, then spray the chicken to coat lightly with cooking spray. Place the baking sheet on the bottom rack of the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Turn the pieces of chicken over with a spatula, taking care not to dislodge any coating, and reposition the sheet in the middle of the oven. Bake until the chicken is well browned, about 20 minutes. Chicken Salad with Green Fruit: 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange chicken in a single layer in a large baking pan. Spread evenly with the cream and bake until done to your taste, about 25 minutes. Cool completely in the cream then remove the chicken and shred it into bite size pieces. Combine with the rest of ingredients and toss to mix. Serve chilled. Lemon Mayonnaise: 2 eggs Place the eggs, vinegar, lemon juice, and mustard in a food processor and process for 15 seconds. With the machine running add the oils in a thin, steady stream. Remove to a bowl and stir in the tarragon, salt, pepper, and lemon zest. |
