Build Your Own Burger

Let guests play iwth their food with a flavor your own burger station. Place portions of beef in disposable zip-top bags. Have bowls of cheese, bacon, fresh herbs, onions, pickles, bbq sauce, and hot sauce out for seasoning the meat. Guests can add seasonings to the meat in the bags and mix and shape burgers without getting their hands messy.

Sweet POtato Salad

BHAB June 2011

4 sweet potatoes
1/4 cup mayo
2 Tb dijon style mustard
4 ribs celery, cut into 1/4 inch thick slices
1 small red pepper, seeded and diced
2 scallions, white and green parts, finely chopped
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans, toasted (2 oz)
chopped fresh chives

Preheat oven to 400. Wrap individual potatoes in foil. Bake for 1 hour or until tender. Cool until easy to handle. Peel, then cut into 3/4 inch chunks.

Mix mayo and mustard. Add sweet potatoes, celery, red pepper, pineapple, and scallions; toss gently and season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate about 1 hour til chilled. Just before serving fold in pecans and sprinkle with chives. 8 servings. 174 cal per serving

Watermelon Martinis

5 cups watermelon cubes (seed and rind removed)
3/4 cup lemon vodka
6 Tb lime juice
3 Tb cointreau or triple sec
3 Tb sugar

Blend watermelon until smooth. Pour puree into a pitcher and keep very cold, even a little frozen to make it icy.
For two martinis, add one cup of watermelon puree, 1/4 cup of lemon vodka, 2 Tb of lime juice, and 1 Tb each of cointreau and sugar to the blender with 3 - 6 ice cubes. Cover; blend until slushy.

Each serving 150 calories

Electric Lemonaid

BHAG June 2011

1 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1/4 - 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup mint leaves
1 cup sparkling mineral water
dash ginger ale
2 - 3 cups ice
1 cup vodka or sparkling mineral water

Combineeverything but vodka or sparkling mineral water in a blender and slowly blend until thick.

Pour 1/4 cup vodka each into 4 serving glasses. Top with frozen lemonade mixture.

Fresh Corn Salad

BHAG June 2011

8 ears corn shucked
6 fresh tomatoes, chopped
2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded and chopped
2 green onions chopped
1 green sweet pepper, seeded and chopped
1 jalapeno seeded and chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
4 Tb white balsamic vinegar
3 Tb extra virgin olive oil

Preheat grill to med-high. Brush corn with a little olive oil. Grill corn until lightly browned, turning often to cook evenly; cool.

When cool enough to handle, cut corn from cobs.

Toss corn with veggies, vinegar, and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

Toss and marinate for at least 2 hours b4 serving. Bring to room temp to serve. Makes 8 servings.

Spaghetti with garlic and olive oil

Got from people June 6, 2011

Kosher salt
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 lb spaghetti
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
2 Tb chopped frsh parsley

Boil spaghetti. Reserve 1 cup pasta water

Heat olive oil over med heat and add garlic. Saute for 1 minute. Add red pepper flakes and continue sauteing until the edges of the garlic just begin to brown (about 2 min more)

Add reserved cup of pasta water and a pinch of salt. Continue cooking for 5 minutes, stirring occassionally.

Turn heat down to med-low and then add drained pasta and parsley. Toss until pasta has absorbed most of the liquid, about 3 minutes. Serve.

Smoothies

Got from People, July 4th

Strawberry shortcake: 4 oz filtered water, 1 cup sliced strawberries, 1 cup fat free vanilla frozen yogurt, 2 Tb honey, 1 graham cracker square, dash of cinnamon and 1 cup ice

Body Fuel: 4 oz filtered water, 8 oz natural pineapple juice, 1/2 banana, 1 cup fat free vanilla frozen yogurt, 2 Tb honey, and 1 cup ice

Blueberry cobbler: 8 oz filtered water, 4 oz natural pomegranate juice, 1/4 cup blueberries, 1 cup fat free vanilla frozen yogurt, 2 Tb honey, 1 graham cracker square, dash of cinnamon and 1 cup ice