  |
|
|
|
It's just too hot to cook very much this time of year. I rarely bake in the summer, but when I do, I don't keep the oven on long.
Dinner may involve sandwiches or salads, which are simple to prepare, require minimum clean up and set right on the stomach when it's hot and humid. If you're grilling meat out, it's a good idea to do a little extra if you can plan a use for it the next night. For instance, a few extra chicken breasts cooked ahead can get you ready to make a grilled chicken salad by adding the cooked chicken to some pre-packaged greens or your own concoction of veggies. Extra shrimp is good to thrown onto a green salad, too. If you're making baked potatoes on the grill, do a few extras so you can have the makings of hash browns or potato salad for the next day. My favorite green salad is mixed baby lettuces with strips of grilled chicken dressed with a vinaigrette or Italian. But for sturdy old iceberg lettuce, I like flavorful bleu cheese dressing. Here's my favorite recipe. Bleu Cheese Dressing 1 cup mayonnaise ½ cup sour cream ¼ cup fresh parsley 1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 teaspoon garlic, minced 6 dashes Worchestershire sauce salt and pepper, to taste pinch red pepper 4 ounces bleu cheese Combine all ingredients in a blender except about half of the cheese. Blend until smooth. Pour mixture into bowl and stir in remaining bleu cheese. Chill and serve with salad or alongside a tray of raw vegetables. Dilled Chicken Salad makes a wonderful lunch or dinner and is cool to eat. The recipes comes from an old issue of Taste of Home magazine. Dilled Chicken Salad 1 16-ounce package spiral pasta, cooked and drained 2 cups cubed cooked chicken 1 cup chopped celery 1/3 cup chopped onion 1 or 2 cups steamed broccoli DRESSING: 1 envelope ranch salad dressing mix 2 cups sour cream 1 cup mayonnaise 2 cup milk 3 tablespoons minced fresh dill or 1 tablespoon dill weed ½ teaspoon garlic salt In large bowl, combine all ingredients except the dressing ingredients, which you should mix together in a separate bowl until smooth. Pour dressing over salad and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for two hours before serving. You can have a hearty dinner of hot sandwiches by using the microwave or stovetop. We often make ham and cheese sandwiches with a little mayo and grill them in a pan, slipping juicy slices of summertime tomatoes into them just before serving. Go To Page: 1 2
The copyright of the article Summer cooking: The easy way out in Appalachian Cooking is owned by . Permission to republish Summer cooking: The easy way out in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
|
|
|
|
