Honey-glazed Apple Barbecue Chicken

Our family loves the combination of sweet and smoky when we make barbecue. Here is an easy recipe to make in the oven or on the grill.

Ingredients:

6 chicken legs or thighs, bone-in
2 tbs. honey
2 tbs. prepared barbecue sauce, we use KC Masterpiece Original
1 tsp. hot brown mustard
1 tsp. dried thyme
ground black pepper to taste
(use a pinch of red pepper flakes if you like more heat)
1 granny smith apple

Rinse chicken pieces and pat dry. In a medium bowl, combine honey, barbecue sauce, mustard, thyme and pepper. Coat chicken pieces with mixture and lay on a large piece of aluminum foil. Rinse, core, and slice apple. Place slices on top of chicken. Pour on the remaining sauce. Make a foil packet by covering with a second piece of foil and folding all four sides up about 1 inch. Fold each side again twice to seal packet. Carry foil packet on a large cookie sheet. Transfer from sheet to preheated oven and bake at 375 degrees for 60-75 minutes or grill for 60-90 minutes. (Note: for the last 30 minutes of grilling, it may be helpful to slide cookie sheet back under foil packet to prevent scorching.)

Enjoy!

Julia's Greek Tomato Salad

It is August, and fresh, ripe tomatoes are coming out of the garden by the armful. This is one of my favorite ways to enjoy them.

















Ingredients:

3 cups raw baby spinach leaves
5 Roma tomatoes
1 tbs. scallion
20 Kalamata olives
2 tbs. Pesto Presto

Wash and drain spinach. Chop roughly and place in a medium sized mixing bowl. Dice tomatoes and add, with seeds and pulp. Finely slice 1 tbs. of scallion green and roughly chop olives. Toss with spinach and tomatoes. Add pesto and mix thoroughly to distribute throughout salad.

Enjoy!

Homemade Hummus Spread

This is one of the most versatile, fantastic condiments around. It provides nutrition in a wonderfully flavorful way. We use it as a dip, a dressing, and a sandwich spread. It is great as an after-school snack with vegetables or in a pita with fresh tomatoes and lettuce. Hummus holds up great in hot weather, so it's a great alternative to mayonnaise-based dips for summer parties and picnics, too.

Ingredients:

1 can Ceci (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
1 clove garlic
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbs. tahini (sesame paste, available in the ethnic section or in the peanut butter aisle)
Water, as needed

In a blender or food processor, puree beans, garlic, lemon juice and salt, adding a tablespoon of water at a time to keep the blender from binding. Stop and stir frequently and keep blending until mixture is entirely smooth. Mix tahini if it has separated and drizzle in while blending. Finished hummus will have a nuttier flavor the more tahini you put in. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Hummus will keep for up to two weeks.

Erin's Mediterranean Pasta Salad

I have never tasted pasta salad as good as Erin makes it. Her recipe has a spicy, fresh taste that doesn't get pasty or watered down, even in hot weather. It is full of vegetables, definitely earning the title "salad".

Ingredients:

One pound small shaped pasta (rotini, fusilli, macaroni, tagliatelle, etc.)
1 head broccoli
1 pint ripe cherry tomatoes
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 scallion, chopped finely
2 ribs celery, diced
1 handful Kalamata olives, sliced (You may use Manzanilla olives, if you prefer.)
1 cup diced pepperoni
1 lb. low-moisture park-skim mozzarella, cut in 1/2 inch cubes
1 packet dry Good Seasons Italian dressing
1/3 cup white vinegar
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Cook pasta al dente. Rinse under cold water, drain, and immediately toss with a splash of olive oil to avoid sticking. Set aside to cool. Cut broccoli into flowerettes. Blanche lightly, about 1 minute in boiling water. Plunge flowerettes in a bowl of ice water to stop cooking process. Drain and cool completely. Wash tomatoes and cut in half. Combine cooled broccoli, tomato halves, pepper, scallion, celery, olives, pepperoni, and cheese. Toss carefully with cooled pasta in a large mixing bowl, being careful not to damage noodles. Mix salad dressing with vinegar, water, and oil. Stirring salad lightly, dress just enough to moisten mixture and add desired flavor. Taste as you go, adding a little at a time. Extra dressing may be served alongside. Cover and chill until ready to serve. Garnish with fresh oregano and basil, if desired.

Enjoy!

Ambrosia Fruit Salad

My family always called this dessert 'Ambrosia'. My husband's family calls it 5-Cup Salad. It is a simple recipe -- impossibly sweet and uniquely American. The kids and I like ours heavy on the fruit and light on the dressing. To add a little crunch, I have added toasted almonds too.

Ingredients:

1 large can of pineapple chunks, drained
2 small cans mandarin oranges, drained
1 small jar maraschino cherries, drained
1/2 cup coconut
1/2 cup whipped topping
1/2 cup plain yogurt (healthy) or sour cream (decadent)
1/2 cup slivered almonds

Heat a small non-stick fry pan over medium heat. Toast almonds by placing them in the pan for 1-2 minutes then gently stirring until they are fragrant and golden. Remove from pan and cool completely.

In large mixing bowl, combine halved cherries, oranges, pineapple, and coconut. Gently fold in whipped topping and yogurt (or sour cream). Cover and chill until ready to serve. Spoon into dessert dishes and sprinkle with toasted almonds.

Enjoy!

Fresh Tomato Salsa

This is such a fantastic condiment. I use it on fajitas (recipe below), but also as a delicious addition to summer salads. Of course, my children and husband can't get enough of it with chips. This recipe will stay fresh 2-3 days in the refrigerator -- but mine never makes it that long!

Ingredients:
3 medium-sized round tomatoes (I like Early Girl, but use what you have)
or
6 Roma tomatoes
1 clove garlic, chopped and mashed
1/4 tsp. salt
Juice of 1/2 lime
1/4 cup Bermuda onion, diced
1 jalapeno, minced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

Wash tomatoes and remove stems. Slice in half and gently squeeze over a bowl to remove seeds. Cut into 1/4 to 1/2 inch dice. In a medium-sized bowl, combine tomatoes, garlic, salt, lime juice, onion, jalapeno and cilantro. Toss gently to evenly distribute ingredients. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours to blend the flavors.

Enjoy!

Grandma's German-Style Baked Beans

Grandma brings these baked beans to just about every summer party or potluck. They are sweet, tangy, and tasty! I hope your family likes it as much as ours. I even let my kids help with this recipe -- it's so easy.

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground hamburger
3 large cans Bush's Original baked beans
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white onion, diced
1/2 cup apple sauce
2 granny smith apples
1 cup ketchup
1 tsp. yellow mustard
salt and pepper to taste

Brown and drain the ground beef. Peel and core apples and dice into 1/4 to 1/2-inch pieces.
In large bowl, mix together beef, diced apples, and all remaining ingredients with a wooden spoon or spatula. Stir until thoroughly combined. Pour mixture into 9x13 glass casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. (Alternate: pour into cool slow cooker and cook on low 6-8 hours or high 3-5 hours.) Serve warm.

Enjoy!

Joe and Julia's Homemade Coleslaw

My husband and I developed this recipe the first summer we were married. We were so dissatisfied with store-bought coleslaw and just wanted to make a homemade version. We looked at so many recipes and combined and changed them until we came to this one we really like. It uses a whole head of cabbage, so it makes a nice, big batch. What a great addition to your picnic menu!

Ingredients:

2 big, rounded spoonfuls of horseradish sauce (we use store brand)
2 big, rounded spoonfuls of mayonnaise
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. vinegar
3/4 tsp. salt
1 head of cabbage
1-2 large carrots
2 scallions, finely chopped
2 tbs. fresh parsley, chopped

In a small bowl, whisk together the horseradish sauce (not straight horseradish -- horseradish sauce), mayonnaise, sugar, vinegar, and salt. This will be the dressing for your slaw. Refrigerate. Finely shred the cabbage -- we do this by hand, but you can also use a food processor. Shred the carrots and add them to the cabbage in a large bowl. Toss in scallions and parsley. Pour dressing over all and toss until ingredients are uniformly distributed. Chill until ready to serve.

Hint: The flavor of this slaw improves with time. You might want to make this the night before you plan to serve it or early in the morning for an afternoon barbecue.

Enjoy!

Perfect Corn on the Cob

This is the time of year when the farmer's market is starting to sell corn. And what goes better with any summer meal than fresh corn on the cob? The trick to good corn, though, is not to overcook. Here's a method that works every time.

Ingredients:

4 quarts water (or more, if you need it)
1 tbs. salt
6-8 ears of corn

Fill the largest pot you can find with water (be sure to leave room for the corn) and heat it over high heat on the stove. Shuck corn and remove all floss. When the water is warm, but not boiling, add salt and stir for 1 minute. Gently add corn, being careful not to splash. Bring water to a full boil for 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and cover. Let the corn steep for 10 minutes longer. Serve hot with butter and salt.

Enjoy!

Julia's July 4th Trifle

This is an easy, festive dessert -- a perfect end to any holiday picnic. It's a great dessert to make with the kids and is best when freshly prepared with the freshest ingredients.

Ingredients:

1 homemade or store-bought angel food cake
2 boxes instant pudding
2 cups milk
2 cups whipping cream
1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
1 cup water
1 pint fresh blueberries
1 pint fresh strawberries
fresh mint leaves, for garnish

Begin by cutting the cake into 1 inch cubes. Set aside. In small saucepan, combine one cup sugar and one cup water for simple syrup. Boil, stirring until all sugar has dissolved. Boil 2 minutes longer. Turn off heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Pour over fresh, washed blueberries and allow to steep while you prepare the other layers. In large mixing bowl, mix instant pudding, cold milk, and whipping cream. Whisk until soft set and chill. Wash strawberries and remove stems. Drain thoroughly and slice, tossing with remaining 1/2 cup sugar. Chill.

When you are ready to serve, layer ingredients in a glass trifle bowl. Layer in this order: 1/3 cake cubes, 1/2 blueberry mixture (I use a slotted spoon with this. Add as much liquid as you like.), 1/3 pudding, 1/3 cake cubes, 1/2 strawberry slices, 1/3 pudding, 1/3 cake cubes, 1/3 pudding. Arrange remaining blueberries and strawberries in a sunflower pattern on top of the final pudding layer. Blueberries in the middle and strawberry slices in a fan around the edge. Garnish with fresh mint, if desired. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Cucumber Dill Salad

My friend Trish and I made this salad all the time when we lived overseas in Moscow. I used to buy fresh cucumbers, tomatoes, and dill from a wonderful toothless old woman at a kiosk around the corner from my apartment. I make this every summer as the dill is ripening in my herb garden -- it brings back good memories.

Ingredients:

1 large, fresh cucumber
2 roma tomatoes
2 tbs. fresh dill, chopped
3 tbs. white vinegar
1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup sour cream

Peel the cucumber and slice into 1/4 inch slices. Seed and dice the tomatoes. Toss lightly with chopped dill. In separate bowl, mix together vinegar, salt, and sour cream. Whisk until smooth. Pour over vegetables and dill. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour, to blend the flavors. Serve cold.

Enjoy!

Joe's Black Bean Salad

In the summer, we like to have vegetarian dishes with lots of flavor. This one certainly fits the bill, with a combination of tart and sweet that really works. I like the crunch of the celery, onion, and peppers, too!

Ingredients:

4 cups cooked black beans, rinsed
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/2 cup corn
1 medium vidalia onion, diced
1/2 cup celery, diced
1/2 medium bell pepper, diced

For the Dressing,
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 cup fresh oregano, chopped
2 tbs. salad oil (I use olive oil or canola)
1 tbs. white wine vinegar
1 tbs. sugar
salt to taste

Place soft, rinsed beans in large mixing bowl. Add chopped vegetable ingredients. Toss. In separate mixing bowl, combine herbs, oil, vinegar, sugar and salt. Mix well until sugar has dissolved completely. Pour over bean/vegetable mixture. Toss again. Store in airtight container in the refrigerator up to 1 week.

Enjoy!

Grandma's Deviled Eggs

I had such a hard time getting deviled eggs to turn out right until this recipe was shared with me. It's got a good kick and just a hint of dill. Be sure to refigerate the eggs right up until serving. If they are to be placed on a buffet, nest the egg plate in a shallow bowl filled with ice to keep them nice and cold.

Ingredients:

12 eggs
3 tbs. mayonnaise (light is fine, for fewer calories)

1 1/2 tbs. white vinegar

1 tsp. dry mustard

1/2 tsp. salt

up to 1/4 tsp. Lawry's seasoned salt, to taste

pepper to taste
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. fresh dill, finely chopped

Boil eggs in a saucepan of salted water. After 10 min. boiling, move pan to empty sink and run cold water into the pan to stop cooking and cool eggs. Once eggs are cool, peel them. Slice carefully in half, placing clean whites on a platter and yolks in a mixing bowl. Mash the yolks with a fork. Mix in vinegar, mustard, salt, seasoned salt, pepper, and a pinch of dill. Blend until smooth. Fill eggs with one tablespoon of yolk mixture per white (for a special look, pipe yolk mixture into eggs with a large star tip). Chill until ready to serve. Just before serving, sprinkle egg tops with remaining fresh dill for color and added flavor. You can even garnish the plate with a sprig of dill, if you like.

Enjoy!

Grandma's Strawberry Pretzel Jello

This dessert is such a treat. You would never imagine that these ingredients would combine to make something so wonderful. One of us always makes this dish for our family get-togethers in summertime. It's a great alternative to cake or pie for a picnic or potluck.

Ingredients:

For the crust,
2 cups crushed pretzels
3/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
4 tbs. sugar

For the cheese filling,
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 pint whipping cream, whipped

For the strawberry layer,
16 oz. strawberry jello
1 3/4 cups boiling water
10 oz. frozen strawberries
6 fresh strawberries, for garnish

Mix crushed pretzels, butter, and 4 tbs. sugar. Pat into 9x13 pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 8 minutes. Cool completely.

Cream together cream cheese and remaining cup of sugar. Fold in whipped cream. Spread over pretzel crust. Chill.

Mix jello and hot water. Stir in frozen strawberries and continue stirring until gelatin is soft-set, about 8 minutes. Pour evenly over cream cheese layer and refrigerate until firm.

Just before serving, garnish with slices of fresh strawberries. Serves 12-15 people.

Enjoy!

Summer Squash Salad

In the summer, the best dishes are the fresh ones. This salad is beautiful to look at and even better to taste. It works just as well with a steak from the grill or poached salmon. This salad is also great for outdoor parties, because it can be served at room temperature. In our family, it is a summer favorite!

Ingredients:

2-3 medium yellow summer squash
2 medium zucchini
15 cherry tomatoes, halved
3 tbs. snipped scallions
10-12 fresh basil leaves
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
2 tbs. olive oil
1/4 tsp. salt
1 clove of garlic, minced
pepper to taste

Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Slice summer squash and zucchini in 1/8 to 1/4 inch slices. In groups of 10-15, drop in water, boil for 45 seconds, remove, and transfer to a bowl of ice water. Once all are blanched and cooled, drain well. (I use a salad spinner.) In a large bowl, combine squash/zucchini slices, tomatoes, scallions, and fresh basil. In separate bowl, prepare dressing by whisking vinegar, oil, salt, garlic, and pepper. Pour dressing over vegetables and toss.

Enjoy!

World's Best Dad Brats

When we have a get-together, my husband always wants brats. The trouble is, I don't want him to have to spend the entire party standing over a grill. So, this is my solution. At our last outdoor party, I had one of the grandmothers say, "I love these! I can't believe I ate two!" Another friend, famous for buying only 'specialty' sausage from New York, asked me for the recipe. I was supremely complimented.

Ingredients:

6-20 Uncooked brats from the meat section of the grocery (I use Johnsonville)
1 Sam Adams Boston Lager
1 White onion

The morning of the party (or the night before), preheat oven to 350 degrees. Unwrap the brats and lay on cookie sheets in a single layer, making sure they are not touching each other. Bake 20 minutes, turn over and return to oven for another 15 minutes. Heat your slow cooker or crockpot on the low setting. Slice the onion into 1/4 inch rings. Scatter them on the bottom of insert. Pour in beer. I use half a bottle (the rest is good drinkin' for Dad!) Lay pre-cooked brats in slow cooker on top of onion layer. (For lots of brats, place them standing up-and-down -- I have fit as many as 36 in a standard crock pot.) Cover and cook on Low setting until the party. They are easy to transport and keep warm.

Enjoy! And Happy Father's Day!

Michigan Cherry Pecan Salad

I first had a salad like this at Seva, a vegetarian restaurant in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It is such a simple treat, named after the state that is the largest producer of cherries in the U.S. The Traverse City Cherry Festival every June is fun for the whole family! Whether you get your cherries there or at your local market, be sure to try this tasty salad.

Ingredients:

1 cup Pecan halves
Red leaf lettuce
Spinach
Parsley
One scallion
Two Roma tomatoes
1 cup Dried cherries

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spread pecan halves on a cookie sheet and bake 10 minutes, or until fragrant. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. Wash and dry the lettuce and spinach. Tear into salad-size pieces. Snip the green portion of one scallion into the lettuce. Toss. Dice the tomatoes and give one handful of parsley a rough chop. Sprinkle tomato and parsley on top of the tossed lettuce. Top with cherries and pecans. Serve with your favorite viniagrette.

Fresh Avocado Guacamole

I've developed this recipe over a period of years. My husband and I love guacamole that lets you really taste that beautiful avocado flavor. This is one of our absolute favorites.

Ingredients:

3 ripe avocados
1/3 small red onion, minced
1 clove of garlic, minced and mashed with a bit of salt
Juice of 1 lime
1 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded (if desired) and minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Halve and pit avocados. Scoop avocado flesh into a bowl and mash coarsely. Stir in onion, garlic, jalapeno and cilantro. Mix in lime juice and cover with plastic wrap, allowing the wrap to go down into the bowl, in complete contact with the guacamole. Refrigerate for up to 2 hours before serving.

Fresh Tomato-Basil bites

Every time I serve this appetizer at a get-together of family and friends, I get so many compliments. It is simple to prepare and serve. And as always, it is best with fresh ingredients!

Ingredients:

Cherry or Grape Tomatoes
Mozzarella Cheese
Fresh Basil leaves

Thoroughly wash the tomatoes and dry completely. Cut the mozzarella into 1/2 to 1 inch cubes. Wash, dry, and trim basil leaves into squares slightly larger than your cheese cubes. Using toothpicks, skewer ingredients with tomato on top, basil in the middle, and cheese on the bottom. Using the cheese as a base keeps the appetizers from shifting on the platter. Refrigerate until ready to serve.