More Summertime Recipes

Hope you enjoy these summer-time recipes.

If you have a favorite recipe, send it in! Recipes, with photo (and a short story/history), if available, can be submitted to ads@thedrummer.com.

Barbecue Chicken Pan Pizza  

Level: Easy

Total: 30 min

Active: 30 min

Yield: 2 to 4 servings

1 rotisserie chicken

Olive oil or vegetable oil

1 red onion

3 to 4 cloves garlic

Salt and pepper

1/2 c. chicken stock

1 c. ketchup

1/4 c. light brown sugar

1/4 c. molasses

1/4 c. cider vinegar

1/4 c. Worcestershire sauce

1 T. smoked sweet paprika

1 T. ground mustard

1 lb. ball dough from market, favorite recipe, or EZ Pizza Dough, recipe follows

All-purpose flour, for dusting

About 1 T. cornmeal

Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

1 c. ea. shredded mozzarella cheese & shredded yellow cheddar cheese

About 2 T. acacia honey

2 T. hot sauce of your choice

Cilantro leaves

Scallions, sliced

Sliced fresh jalapeno peppers

Garlic Bread Fries, for serving, recipe follows

EZ Pizza Dough:

1 c. warm water

1 pkg. active dry yeast (look for pouches marked “For Pizza”)

2 T. olive oil, plus some for bowl to rest dough

1 T. acacia honey

2 tsp. kosher salt

3 c. all-purpose flour

Garlic Bread Fries:

1 bag frozen steak fries

3 T. butter, melted

1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese

1 tsp. granulated garlic

1 tsp. dried parsley

1 tsp.oregano

1/2 tsp. ground pepperoncini or crushed red pepper flakes

Preheat the oven to 525 to 550 degrees F, as high as it goes, with rack at center. Preheat a cast-iron skillet, 12 inches, over medium to medium-high heat (to aid in a crispy bottom crust while pizza is in oven).

Gather your ingredients.

Remove skin from chicken, remove meat from bones and pull meat into bite-size pieces. Dice onion, grate or mince garlic.

Preheat a second cast-iron or other skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil, 2 turns of the pan, then add onions and garlic, season with salt and pepper and soften a few minutes. Add stock and let it finish cooking the onions by absorbing into them. Add ketchup, sugar, molasses, vinegar, Worcestershire, paprika and mustard. Add chicken to sauce, turn in sauce and remove from heat.

Roll and stretch dough on lightly floured surface into 12 to 14-inch even round that will cover pan. Turn off heat under skillet, sprinkle a little cornmeal in skillet and press dough into hot skillet and up sides as much as possible. The pan is hot -- reminder. Brush the dough with oil and season with a little salt and pepper or red pepper flakes. Top the dough with chicken and sauce and top with the cheeses. Place in oven. Bake the pizza 10 to 12 minutes to deep golden brown and bubbly.

Combine honey, splash of water and hot sauce in small pot or skillet and heat over low heat.

Drizzle or brush the pizza with the honey mixture and top and scallions, cilantro and jalapeno.

EZ Pizza Dough: To a mixer with dough hook attached, add warm water and yeast and let the yeast bloom and foam, 5 minutes.

Add olive oil, honey and salt and turn on mixer. Add the flour gradually to form dough. Transfer to a bowl drizzled with a little EVOO and cover; let stand 1 hour.

Cut dough in half, wrap half the dough and freeze for later use.

Garlic Bread Fries: Preheat the oven to 525 to 550 degrees F.

Line a baking sheet with fries and bake 15 to 20 minutes to very crispy.

Add fries to large bowl. Pour butter and remaining ingredients over the fries. Toss to coat. Serve hot.

Cook’s Note: You cannot make your own dough in 30 minutes, of course, but here’s a simple recipe that makes 2 pizzas so you can keep it on hand in the freezer.

Gingered Coleslaw with Golden Raisins

Level: Easy

Total: 20 min

Prep: 15 min

Cook: 5 min

Yield: 6 servings

1 small head savoy cabbage, cored

1 large carrot

3 T. mayonnaise

1 T. finely minced ginger (from one 1-inch piece)

1-1/2 tsp. finely minced garlic (from 1 small clove)

1 T. unsalted butter

1/4 c. golden raisins

1 T. sherry vinegar

Fine sea salt

Sugar

Freshly ground black pepper

Shred the cabbage and julienne the carrot (cut into thin slivers). Combine in a bowl with the mayonnaise, ginger and garlic and mix well.

Heat the butter in a medium skillet over a medium flame. Add the raisins and cook until soft and golden brown, about 2 minutes. Mix the warm raisins into the slaw and add the vinegar and salt, sugar and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Classic Southern Macaroni and Cheese  

Level: Easy

Total: 1 hr 10 min

Prep: 5 min

Inactive: 20 min

Cook: 45 min

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

1 T. unsalted butter

Coarse salt & freshly ground black pepper

2 c. elbow macaroni

8 oz. grated extra-sharp Cheddar (about 2 c.)

2 c. milk

2 lg. eggs, lightly beaten

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-by-13-inch ovenproof casserole dish.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook until tender (a little more than al dente), about 12 minutes. Drain well in a colander.

In a large bowl, combine the macaroni, cheese, milk and eggs. Add some salt and pepper. Transfer to the prepared dish.

Bake until golden brown and bubbly, about 30 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool slightly before serving.

Shrimp and Avocado Salad

Level: Easy

Total: 30 min

Prep: 25 min

Cook: 5 min

Yield: 4 servings

1/4 c. mayonnaise

2 stalks celery, thinly sliced, plus 3 T. chopped celery leaves

3 T. finely chopped fresh cilantro

Kosher salt & freshly ground pepper

1-1/2 limes

1-1/2 lbs. lg. shrimp, peeled & deveined

1 T. vegetable oil

2 hass avocados, diced

1 (5 oz.) pkg. baby kale salad mix (about 8 c.)

1 sm. bunch radishes, thinly sliced

Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium high.

Make the dressing. Combine the mayonnaise, celery leaves, 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, 1 tablespoon water, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper in a large bowl. Grate in the zest of 1 lime and squeeze in the juice.

Toss the shrimp with the vegetable oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper in a bowl. Arrange the shrimp on the grill and cook until pink and just firm, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to the bowl with the dressing; squeeze in the juice of the remaining 1/2 lime.

Add the sliced celery, avocados, salad mix and radishes to the bowl with the shrimp; toss to coat. Top with the remaining 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro.

Roasted Veggie Grain Bowl

Level: Easy

Total: 30 min

Active: 30 min

Yield: 2 servings

1 (14 oz.) can chickpeas, drained & rinsed

3/4 tsp. spicy curry powder

4 tsp. olive oil

Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

1 sm. red onion (about 4 oz.), cut into 1” pcs.

1 sm. sweet potato (about 7 oz.), peeled & chopped into 1/2” pcs.

4 oz. medium cremini mushrooms, halved

1/3 c. fat-free Greek yogurt

1 T. tahini

1 lemon

1 c. cooked quinoa

1/2 avocado, thinly sliced

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Toss the chickpeas with the curry powder, 1 teaspoon of the oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper in a medium bowl. Place on one side of a baking sheet. Arrange the onions next to the chickpeas, then the sweet potatoes and lastly the mushrooms. Toss the onions, sweet potatoes and mushrooms with the remaining 3 teaspoons oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a generous amount of black pepper. Bake until the chickpeas are a bit crunchy and the sweet potatoes are softened and starting to turn brown in a few spots, 25 to 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk the yogurt, tahini and juice of half the lemon in a small bowl. Slice the remaining lemon into wedges.

Divide the quinoa between two bowls. Arrange half the vegetables and avocado slices on top of the quinoa, leaving a space for the yogurt in the middle. Dollop the yogurt in the empty space and serve with the lemon wedges.

Chocolate Caramel Hazelnut Pie

Total Time: 25 min. + chilling

Yields: 8 servings

1-1/2 c. salted caramel pretzel pieces

12 shortbread cookies

1/4 c. sugar

6 T. butter, melted

5 T. caramel topping, divided

FILLING:

1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened

1/2 c. Nutella®

1 jar (7 oz.) marshmallow creme

1 carton (8 oz.) frozen whipped topping, thawed

1 c. miniature marshmallows

1 Snickers® candy bar (1.86 oz.), chopped

Place pretzel pieces and cookies in a food processor; pulse until fine crumbs form. Add sugar and melted butter; pulse just until blended. Press onto bottom and sides of a 9-in. pie plate. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons caramel topping. Freeze while preparing filling.

For filling, beat cream cheese and Nutella until smooth. Gradually beat in marshmallow creme. Gently fold in whipped topping and marshmallows. Spoon into crust.

Refrigerate until set, 3-4 hours. Top with chopped candy and remaining caramel topping before serving.

Test Kitchen tips: If you’re short on time, you can quick-chill this pie in the freezer—it will take about 1 hour. The crust is crunchy, sweet and slightly crumbly.

Quote of the Week:

“Some people come into your life as blessings. Other people come into your life as lessons.” 

~ Mother Teresa