What an twist – garlic and parsley – your very own breath freshener included. HA!
- 1 cup butter
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 large lemon
- 12 medium fresh oysters
- 7 flat leaf parsley sprigs, coarsely chopped
Preheat barbecue grill.
Melt butter in a saucepan and add the garlic. Squeeze lemon into the pot and drop in the lemon rind. Add a pinch of salt and pepper.
Place oysters on the grill (flat shell up) for around 10 minutes until they begin to open up. Poke off the top shell and spoon on the butter sauce. Garnish with more parsley and serve immediately.
Now, as this is for a celebration with adult friends and/or family, serve with the Mohito Punch (recipe below).
Mohito Punch
- 2 bottles x 750 ml sparkling pink lemonade
- 6 lemons (3 juiced, 3 sliced)
- 1 cup sugar
- 12 fresh mint sprigs
- 1/2 cup white rum
- 8 cups ice
Mix all these ingredients in a large pitcher and served totally chilled.
Who says we don’t know how to partaaay!
Remoulade Sauce
Another word for Tartar Sauce. Trust me, if you make this you will NEVER again buy the stuff in the store.
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 2 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp. pure freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp. tarragon
- 1/4 tsp. dillweed
- 1/2 tsp. dried parsley
- 2 tbsp. green relish
Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate over night. If anything is left over, store in an airtight container.
Serve with your fish fillets of choice, making sure not to overcook.
This is a food-marriage for sure.
Zucchini Salad
With Canada Day around the corner, many communities get together to celebrate (block parties, family gatherings, picnics, neighborhood patio parties, etc) . This salad is the perfect to make and take.
- 1 small Romaine lettuce head
- 1 small Boston lettuce head
- 3 medium zucchini, washed, slice thinly
- 1 cup sliced radishes
- 1/2 cup seedless grapes, sliced in half
Wash, dry and chill greens. In a large bowl, toss the zucchini, radishes and grapes. Refrigerate, covered for at least an hour.
When ready to take, tear the romaine and lettuce into bite sized pieces and add to the vegetable bowl.
Add the garlic dressing (follows) and toss the salad until everything is well coated. (Don’t over drench with the dressing).
Cover, and away you go. With all the other foods that will grace the table, there won’t be anything left over.
Dressing
- 1/4 cup salad oil
- 3 tbsp. balsamic fig vinegar
- pinch of salt
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- pinch of freshly ground pepper
Whisk until well combined. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Chocolate and Peanut Butter Drink
This is one recipe you can take to the lake and leave it in a cupboard for when the rainy, chilly days happen. Anyone who loves chocolate and peanut butter will think this drink is totally divine.
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup whipping cream
- 1 cup milk chocolate, chopped
- 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
Warm milk and cream in a saucepan, over medium heat. Add the chocolate pieces and whisk until melted.
Continue to warm the mixture until it thickens up at little. Add the peanut butter and whisk until smooth.
This will serve 2
Sunflower/Pumpkin Seeds and Fruit Granola
This is a great snack for walking, travelling or at work.
- 3/4 cup raw sunflower seeds,
- 1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds
- 1/2 cup whole almonds
- 1/4 cup flaxseed
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 tbsp. canola oil
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- pinch of coarse salt
- 1 cup mixture made of dried cherries, cranberries, golden raisins and snipped dried apricots.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, combine the sunflower and pumpkin seeds, almonds and flaxseed and microwave on high for 20 seconds. Stir in the oil, honey and salt and toss to coat.
Spread this out on a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes. During this time, stir the mixture twice to move it around. Stir in the dried fruit and cool for 15 minutes. Spread this out on the parchment paper and let cool completely. Break up into pieces and store in an airtight container.
Store for a couple of weeks (if you don’t eat it all up) in the refrigerator.
Yummy.
Tomato Florets
Company is coming and you want to offer up a different but tasty hors d’oeuvres. This will make about 18 so judge accordingly as to amounts required.
- 1/3 cup pepper Boursin cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup finely chopped basil
- 18 very thin slices of Genoa salami
- 18 grape tomatoes
- 18 long, fresh chives
Stir the cheese and basil together until well blended.
Put 1/2 tsp. of the cheese in the center of the salami. Press a tomato, with the stem down, into the cheese and wrap the salami around it. Put the bundle on its side while you wrap the long chive, CAREFULLY, around and tie it off. Make sure you leave the tomato exposed.
If you are making this ahead of time, simply cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator. To get ready to serve, on the counter and leave until it reaches room temperature -should be about 15 – 20 minutes.
No one will believe their eyes when you pass the plate and see the pretty flowers you prepared.
Yummy!
Don’s “More Please” Chicken Kabobs
This is a really terrific kabob and as advertised, you will want more. The recipe here is for 4 people, making about 16 pieces (4 per kabob).
- 2 large chicken breasts
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1 tsp. grated lime rind
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 2 tbsp. sugar
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- wooden skewers (soaked in water for an hour)
Cut the chicken into 1 inch pieces. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl; add the chicken pieces, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 3 hours.
Just before grilling, thread 4 pieces on each skewer. Grill until lightly browned and tender. Serve hot with the following sauce.
Aoli Sauce
- 1/2 cup whipping cream
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- 2 minced garlic cloves
Combine these ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a rolling boil, lower the temperature and simmer for 5 minutes, whisking constantly. When slightly thickened, remove from the heat and cool down.
You can adjust the amounts used, depending on how often people keep saying “more please”. This is sooooooo good.
Hazelnut Cream Cake
This is a superb “show off” dessert for company. You must make it the day before for the cake and flavours to set and reach their peak.
It is made with a cake mix so it cuts the time in half.
- 1- 2 layer lemon cake mix
- 1 tsp. grated lemon zest
- 1/3 cup Nutella spread
- 1/3 cup fresh, whole ricotta cheese
- 1/3 cup raspberry jam (seedless)
- 1 1/2 cups whipping cream
- 2 tbsp. icing sugar
- toasted hazelnuts, crushed
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour three (3) round cake pans and set aside while you put the ingredients together.
Prepare the cake mix using water, oil and eggs as directed on the package. Stir in the lemon peel.
Divide the batter into three pans. If you only have two pans, cover the remaining batter with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator. Bake about 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. (Honest)!
Remove the cakes from the pans and cool completely on racks.
For the filling, stir together the Nutella and the drained ricotta cheese. Place one layer of the cake on a platter and spread one half of the jam on the top. Then on the bottom of the second cake, spread one half of the Nutella spread. and put together. On the top of the second layer, spread with the remaining jam and on the bottom of the third layer, spread the remaining utella spread and put together.
Whip the cream and icing sugar together until stiff peaks form. Cover the sides and top of the cake. Sprinkle the crushed hazelnuts over the top. Cover and set in the refrigerator to chill for 24 hours.
Need I say “Yummy?” You can say “damn I can do this”.
West Texas Baked Beans
Don says to tell you this is “our” style. They are good…just not as good as mine. Now, how’s that for competition? No, truly, they are really tasty. I am only teasing him.
- 3 cups navy beans
- 1/2 lb. bacon
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 tsp. chile powder
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 can beer (your choice)
- 1/8 cup molasses
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1/4 tsp dry mustard
- 1 tbsp. worchestershire sauce
- pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper
Soak beans overnight. Bring to a boil for 30 minutes, let stand and then drain.
Cook bacon until crisp and set aside, reserving 3 tbsp. of fat. Add the onion, chile powder and garlic and saute for about 5 minutes until the onions are soft and set aside. Deglaze the pan with 1/4 cup of beer.
Return the beans to the stockpot, adding water at least 2 inches higher than the beans. Add the sauteed onions and deglazing liquid. Add the remainder of the beer (I hope you didn’t drink it already) and the remaining ingredients.
Simmer on the stove for about 3 hours, stirring occasionally. Finish in a 250 degree oven for a further 1 1/2 – 2 hours until the beans are nice and thick).
Now, add your own steak, pulled pork sandwich, hot dog….you get the picture.