End of Summer Dinner Ideas

I know summer is almost over, so I think it's a great idea to get those last summer menu items on the table.  I absolutely LOVE the new Pampered Chef Great Grilling Recipes book.  I picked out my favorite pork recipe and my favorite chicken recipe.  I hope you enjoy them as much as my family did.

Recipe: Carolina Pulled Pork (Courtesy of Pampered Chef)

Ingredients (Sandwiches): 
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 bone-in pork shoulder roast
1 bottle Carolina Mustard Barbecue Sauce

12 large hamburger buns, warmed

Ingredients (Slaw):
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 tbsp cider vinegar
1/4 tsp salt
2 large red apples such as Gala, cored
1 seedless cucumber

Directions:
1. Prepare grill for indirect cooking over medium low heat.  For pork, combine brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder, mustard, salt and black pepper.  Stir.  Rub seasoning mixture onto all sides of pork.  Place pork fat-side up on grid of grill.  Grill covered 4-6 hours or until pork is falling off the bones.

2. Meanwhile, for slaw, combine mayonnaise, vinegar, and salt in a bowl (we like the classic batter bowl).  Thinly slice apples.  Cut apples into thin strips.  Cut cucumber into julienne strips.  Cut strips crosswise into 1 1/2 inc pieces.  Pat dry with a paper towel.  Add apples and cucumber to dressing into bowl.  Mix gently.  Cover and refrigerate slaw until ready to use.

3. Transfer pork from grill to a carving board.  Trim and discard skin and fat.  Pull out and discard bones.  Shred pork.  Transfer shredded pork to a foil pan.

4. Add barbecue sauce; mix well.  Serve pork on warmed buns and top with slaw.

Recipe: Jamaican Jerk Chicken Drumsticks (Courtesy of Pampered Chef)

Ingredients:
3-4 limes
1 small onion, quartered
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1 Serrano pepper, stemmed
3 tbsp Jamaican Jerk Rub

3 tbsp olive oil

3 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce

1 tbsp brown sugar

1/2 cup light mayonnaise

8 chicken drumsticks

Directions:

1. For marinade, juice limes to measure 1/4 cup.  Combine lime juice, onion, garlic, Serrano pepper, rub, oil, soy sauce, and brown sugar in a food processor.  Cover and pump the handle until all ingredients are finely chopped. 

2. For dipping sauce, combine 3 tbsp of the marinade and mayonnaise in  a prep bowl.  Mix well.  Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.  Place chicken in large resealable plastic bag.  Pour remaining marinade into bag.  Seal bag and turn to coat.  Marinate in the refrigerator for 8hrs.

3. Prepare grill for direct cooking over medium high heat.  Remove chicken from marinade.  Discard marinade.  Place chicken on grid of grill, grill, covered 15-20 minutes or until internal temperature of chicken reaches 165 degrees'F in thickest part and chicken is golden brown on all sides.  Remove chicken from grill; serve with dipping sauce.  

**If you do not want to use drumsticks, you can use this same recipe with chicken breasts or chicken thighs.

Again, I hope you enjoy these recipes during your last few days of summer!  

Fourth of July goodies

I know it has been awhile since I have last posted.  I have been one busy lady.  I still enjoy cooking and posting great recipes I make or I find online for you all to enjoy.  I promise to try to get back to posting at least once a week.

This week, I have been searching through pinterest and my recipe book for some great Fourth of July goodies.  Listed below is a great punch recipe, a creative fruit appetizer, a main dish, a savory side dish, and a simple, but delicious dessert.  I hope you can use at least one of the recipes.  Until next time, happy cooking and eating everyone!

Recipe: Fourth of July Punch (Courtesy of Pinterest):

Ingredients:

Cranberry Juice

Blue Gatorade Frost

Diet 7-Up

Ice Cubes

Directions:

1. (Either in a Glass or a drink dispenser)

2. Fill the glass or drink dispenser with Ice.

3. Pour In the Cranberry Juice.

4. Next Pour in the Blue Gatorade Frost, BUT make sure that when you're pouring the Blue Gatorade Frost that you pour straight onto some of the ice to gently add the layer. If you pour it directly into the juice it will mix!

5. Next, pour in the Diet 7up, also pour onto an ice cube to prevent them from mixing.

Recipe: Red, White, and Blueberry Skewers (Pinterest)

Ingredients:

Skewers (10 inch)

Strawberries (cut up in 4ths)

mini marshmallows

blueberries

Directions:

Wash and dry your fruit, cut your strawberries in fourths, now you’re ready to go. You can make them in fun patterns or just random. A helpful tip: add your fruit first, as it will help the sticky marshmallows slide right on down. If you try to add a marshmallow to a dry stick, it will get all gummy and sticky.

Recipe: Grilled Bacon Cheeseburgers (My recipe)

Ingredients: 

3lbs of the leanest ground beef you can find

1 large onion (chopped finely)

Seasoning: season all, black pepper, garlic powder

Hamburger buns (whole wheat, sesame, or honey wheat) toasted and split

1 cup of ranch dressing

enough bacon for each burger (crisply cooked and cut in half.  I cook mine in the oven).

Directions:

1. Heat your gas grill or your charcoal grill.  In a large bowl, mix the beef, onions, and seasonings.  Shape the meat into hamburger patties (not too thick though)

2. Cover and grill on medium heat for about 10-12 minutes (turn it once half way through).  If your burger is still pink in the center, let it cook a little longer (unless you like it that way). 

3. Place burger on the bun (bottom bun).  Then add some ranch dressing to each burger (you could also use blue cheese or just omit the dressing all together).  Then add two pieces of bacon to each burger.  Place the other bun on the burger. 

**I also add lettuce and tomato to my burger.  

Recipe: Side Order: Grilled Corn on the Cob (My Recipe)

Ingredients: 

Corn on the cob (remove the husks and silk)

Butter (about 1/4 cup and softened)

Grated Parmesan Cheese

Fresh chopped parsley

Directions:

1. Heat grill to medium heat

2. Rinse the corn and make sure all silk is removed (or as much as you can).  Wrap each corn on the cob  in aluminum foil.

3. Grill corn for about 20 minutes or until tender (make sure to turn it every now and then)

4. Mix the butter, Parmesan cheese, and parley in a bowl.  Once corn is done, spread mixture all over corn.  Serve!

**I like to add paprika and garlic powder to my corn

Recipe: Spangled Ice Cream Pops (Pinterest)

Ingredients:

Popsicle sticks

Mini ice cream sandwiches

Sprinkles or nonpareils

Colorful cupcake liners

Directions:

1. First, skewer mini ice cream sandwiches on Popsicle sticks.

2. Press the exposed filling into a plate of sprinkles or nonpareils

3. To keep mess to a minimum, serve the pops in a colorful cupcake liner (maybe Fourth of July inspired). 

**This is a great recipe for all occasions: Christmas, Easter, Valentine's Day, etc. Just change the sprinkle colors. 

 

Somewhat Healthy Homemade Chicken Nuggets

Last week, I knew I wanted to make something with the chicken tenderloins in my freezer, but I wasn't sure what.  Well that same day, I drove by McDonald's and saw they had a special on chicken nuggets.  I wondered if there was a healthy way I could eat some chicken nuggets, so I went online and searched for recipes.  I took a little from all the recipes and came up with my own interpretation of somewhat healthy chicken nuggets.  When I made these chicken nuggets, they were so good and will definitely be made again.  I took the leftover chicken nuggets and made my husband a chicken salad to take to work.  I know you and your family will enjoy this recipe.  

Recipe: Ranch Style Chicken Nuggets

Ingredients:

1 pack of chicken tenderloins (chopped into bite size pieces...not too small)

Seasoned wheat bread crumbs

2-3 Tbsp of olive oil

Seasoning: season all, black pepper, and garlic powder

2 tbsp of grated Parmesan and Romano cheese

About 1/2 cup of ranch dressing

Cooking spray

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.  Spray a baking dish with the cooking spray.  Wash your chicken.  Cut the chicken tenderloins into bite size pieces. pieces.

2. Place the olive oil in a bowl.  Season chicken with seasonings listed above. Mix chicken in the bowl with olive oil.  The place the half cup of ranch on top of the chicken.  Mix well.  

3. Place the bread crumbs in a separate bowl from the ranch chicken.  After you have mixed the ranch, chicken, and olive oil in a bowl, place in the bread crumbs (not all at once, a handful at a time).  Make sure all the chicken is nicely coated.  

4. Place all the breaded chicken on to the baking dish.  Then lightly spray the chicken with the cooking spray.  Let the chicken cook for about 12 minutes.  Take a spatula or a spoon and stir the chicken.  Let it cook for another 3-5 minutes.  

5. Serve.  I served mine with mac and cheese for the kids and sweet potato french fries for the hubby and me.