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| SUMMER COOKING TIPS FROM OUR GRILL PICNIC RECIPES |
Savory Grilled Portobello Mushrooms & Minted Rice
This a very light dish! It is perfect if you are a vegetarian or if you just want a change from Steak or Burgers. I thought at first that I would have to make a sauce for the rice but it bursting with flavor, so there is no need for sauce of any kind.
3 Portobello Mushrooms
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup red cooking wine
1 tsp. sesame oil
1 tsp. lime juice
Wash the mushrooms. Combine the liquid ingredients and pour it over the mushrooms. Let this marinate for 30 minutes. Instead of discarding the liquid, put it in a container and refrigerate it. Use it as a cooking liquid for chicken or vegetables.
1/4 cup bulgur (uncooked)
1/2 cup brown rice (uncooked)
1 1/2 tbs. fresh mint. chopped
2 tsp. fresh ginger (chopped)
1 tsp. minced garlic
3 green onions, chopped
2 tsp. lime juice
1/4 tsp. curry powder
Place the bulgur in a saucepan with 1/2 cup of water. Let it simmer until all the water is absorbed.
Place the rice in a saucepan with 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover and let it stand for 45 minutes or until all the water is absorbed.
When the rice and bulgur are cooked, combine them and place in a bowl.
In a bowl place the the remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Pour it over the rice/bulgur mixture. Stir. Spoon the now seasoned rice/bulgur onto a large piece of heavy duty aluminum foil. Gather the end up and fold over a few times. Do the same with the end. You are creating a little pouch. This is ready for the grill!
Set your BBQ heat to medium. Grill the mushrooms for 15 minutes. The rice/bulgur can grill for a good 20-25 minutes.
When they are both done, spoon the rice/bulgur over the mushrooms and enjoy!!
Prep. time: 1 hr. 45 minutes (including cooking time for rice)
Rotini Parmesan Salad
This is a nice change from those creamy salads. It is light and is full of flavor. A good friend of mine said that he really didn't like pasta salads, until he ate this one.
4 cups Tri Colored Rotini
12 sun dried tomatoes, softened, chopped
1 cup fresh Parmesan
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 lg. clove garlic, minced
1 lg. green onion, chopped entirely
1/4 cup fresh chives, chopped
1/2 cup Italian Salad dressing
1 tbs. balsamic vinegar
2 tbs. Raspberry wine vinegar
2 tbs. flaxseed oil, or olive oil
Cook the Rotini in boiling water until they are cooked but not falling apart soft. Drain the noodles. Run cold water over them to cool, drain the excess water off and place the noodles in a bowl. Pour the flaxseed oil over the noodles and refrigerate. (If you are going to be rushed for time, do this step the night before.)
Soften the sun dried tomatoes by pouring boiling water over them and just let them sit for about 5 minutes. If you can bend them, they are soft enough.
To the cooled Pasta add the Parmesan cheese, basil, chives, garlic, and green onion.
In another bowl combine the vinegars, and the Italian salad dressing. Stir this up with a whisk until it is combined. Pour this over the noodles and stir it up to make sure it is all mixed up.
Refrigerate unless you plan on serving it right away.
Preparation time 30 minutes
| Dilly Potato Salad |
It is relatively low in fat due to the use of cottage cheese in place of much of the mayo.
I hope you enjoy it!
3/4 cup low fat cottage cheese
1/3 cup light mayonnaise (miracle whip will do)
11/2 tsp. mustard (I use dijjon or stone ground but use whatever you have on hand)
1/2 tsp. dill weed
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. honey
2 hard boiled eggs (optional)
1 tbs. olive oil
2 large potatoes, cooked and cooled (tip * when making potato salad. Cut the raw potato into the sized pieces you want for your salad, then cook)
Cook the potatoes. Drain them and let them cool for I hour. In a blender or food processor, place all the ingredients instead of the eggs. Blend this up until it is smooth. Spoon the mixture onto the cooled potatoes.
Quarter the eggs and add them at this time as well. Stir the potatoes to make sure they are coated.
Enjoy!
Prep time: 1 hr. 15 minutes
Have you ever planned to BBQ but realized with horror that you don't have any BBQ sauce or maybe you are
just scraping the bottom of the jar. Instead of running out to the supermarket, spending your valuable time and money, try some of these tips.
To that little bit of sauce you have add some ketchup and worcetshire sauce, maybe a little bit of mustard, herbs and spices if you like. This is just a start. Have a look at what you have in your kitchen and BBQ away!
A GOOD WATERMELON EVERY TIME!
Have you ever purchased a whole watermelon, only to discover it was not what you imagined a red juicy watermelon to look like or taste like? A near expert in produce told me the secret of choosing a great watermelon every time is to knock on it. You should hear a hollow sound.
DEVILED EGGS WITH A BITE
My Stepfather's deviled eggs are phenomenal! His trick is adding horseradish to the mix !