Summer's Here Recipes
I just read an article about summers as an adult. It suggested as adults we take back the child-like adventures, if even for an hour. Things do not need to make sense, they just have to bring a smile to your face. Reclaim some youthful summer magic this year!
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Grilled Chicken Burgers
Prep Time: 35 min
Cook Time: 25 min
Additional Time: 20 min
Total Time: 1 hr, 20 min
cooking spray
1 med onion, chopped
2 tsp. minced garlic
2 med carrots, chopped
1 med red bell pepper, chopped
1 med tomato, seeded and chopped
1 c. fresh sliced mushrooms
2 lb ground chicken
1/2 c. fresh breadcrumbs
1 lg egg
1 T. seafood seasoning (such as Old Bay®)
salt and black pepper to taste
Lightly spray a skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add carrots, bell pepper, tomato, and mushrooms; cook and stir until tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool completely, about 20 minutes.
Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat and lightly oil the grate.
Mix ground chicken and cooled vegetables together in a large bowl. Add breadcrumbs, egg, seafood seasoning, salt, and pepper; mix until well combined. Form mixture into eight patties.
Cook on the preheated grill until no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, 5 to 6 minutes per side. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165°F.
Note: Serve on lightly toasted brioche bun with tomato slice, spinach, favorite cheese, red onion, ranch dressing, etc.
Rhubarb Wild Rice Pilaf
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 20 min
Total Time: 35 min
Yield: 6 servings
1/4 c. almonds
2 T. olive oil
1 c. chopped sweet onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 c. chopped rhubarb
1/2 c. white wine
1/2 c. golden raisins
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 T. honey
1 T. low-sodium soy sauce
1 c. cooked wild rice
1 c. cooked long-grain white rice
Preheat oven to 400°F. Spread almonds onto a baking sheet.
Toast almonds in preheated oven until golden and fragrant, 7 to 10 minutes.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute onion in hot oil until just translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Mix rhubarb into onion and garlic and saute until slightly softened, about 2 minutes more.
Stir wine wine, raisins, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper into rhubarb mixture; cover the skillet with a lid, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until rhubarb is tender to the bite but still firm, 5 to 8 minutes. Add honey and soy sauce; stir.
Mix wild rice and white rice into the rhubarb mixture; cook and stir until rice is heated through. Top with toasted almonds.
Note: You can substitute apple juice for the white wine.
Tuna Macaroni Salad
Prep Time: 20 min
Cook Time: 10 min
Total Time: 30 min
Servings 8
Salad:
1 16 oz box elbow pasta
4 12 oz cans tuna, in water, drained
1/4 c. sliced bread and butter pickles, rough chopped
2 hard-boiled eggs, rough chopped
1 c. celery, diced
1/2 c. red onion, diced
1 red bell pepper chopped
3/4 c. frozen petite peas, thawed
1 c. fresh parsley, chopped
Dressing:
1-1/2 c. mayonnaise
1/4 c. sour cream
1/4 c. whole milk, more as needed
juice and zest of 2 lemons
1 T. Dijon mustard
1-1/2 tsp.salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp. dried dill
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
Garnish (optional):
3/4 c. red chopped onions, diced
1/2 c. celery, diced
1/4 c. bread and butter pickles, sliced
1/2 c. parsley, chopped
3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
1 zest of lemon
1/4 c. peas
1/2 c. red pepper
Cook the elbow pasta according to box directions, in well-salted water. Drain and rinse with cold water. Cool to room temperature.
To a large mixing bowl add all the salad ingredients.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together all the dressing ingredients. Pour over salad and toss together until everything is well coated.
Chill for 6 hours or overnight. If the dressing is too thick, add milk, a tablespoon at a time, until you reach desired consistency.
Spread out salad onto a serving platter. Top with garnish and serve!
Hummingbird Cake
Prep: 40 min.
Bake: 25 min. + cooling
Makes: 14 servings
Cake
2 c. mashed ripe bananas
1-1/2 c. canola oil
3 lg eggs, room temperature
1 can (8 oz) unsweetened crushed pineapple, undrained
1-1/2 tsp.vanilla extract
3 c. all-purpose flour
2 c. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 c. chopped walnuts
Pineapple frosting:
1/4 c. shortening
2 T. butter, softened
1 tsp. grated lemon zest
1/4 tsp. salt
6 c. confectioners’ sugar
1/2 c. unsweetened pineapple juice
2 tsp. half-and-half cream
Chopped walnuts, optional
In a large bowl, beat the bananas, oil, eggs, pineapple and vanilla until well blended. In another bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and cinnamon; gradually beat into banana mixture until blended. Stir in walnuts.
Pour into 3 greased and floured 9-in. round baking pans. Bake at 350° until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 25-30 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.
For frosting, in a large bowl, beat the shortening, butter, lemon zest and salt until fluffy. Add confectioners’ sugar alternately with pineapple juice. Beat in cream. Spread between layers and over top and sides of cake. If desired, sprinkle with walnuts.
Deep frying on the stove top 101
Watermelon Cupcakes
Prep: 30 min.
Bake: 20 min. + cooling
Makes: 2 dozen
1 pkg white cake mix (regular size)
1 c. lemon-lime soda
3 lg egg whites, room temperature
1/4 c. canola oil
1 pkg (3 oz) watermelon gelatin
2 drops watermelon oil, optional
Frosting:
2 c. butter, softened
6 c. confectioners’ sugar
1 pkg (3 oz) watermelon gelatin
5 to 6 T. lemon-lime soda
15 drops red food coloring
3 T. miniature semisweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350°. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners. In a large bowl, combine cake mix, soda, egg whites, canola oil, gelatin and, if desired, watermelon oil; beat on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes. Transfer to prepared pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 18-21 minutes. Cool in pans 10 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.
For frosting, in a large bowl, combine butter, confectioners’ sugar, gelatin, soda and food coloring; beat until smooth. Frost cupcakes. Sprinkle with chocolate chips. Store in the refrigerator.
Vintage Lemonade
Prep Time: 45 min
Cook Time: 20 min
Total Time: 1 hr 5 min
Yield: 4 servings
5 lemons
1-1/4 c. white sugar
5 c. water
Peel the rinds from the 5 lemons and cut them into 1/2 inch slices. Set the lemons aside.
Place the rinds in a bowl and sprinkle the sugar over them. Let this stand for about one hour, so that the sugar begins to soak up the oils from the lemons.
Bring water to a boil in a covered saucepan and then pour the hot water over the sugared lemon rinds. Allow this mixture to cool for 20 minutes and then remove the rinds.
Squeeze the lemons into another bowl. Pour the juice through a strainer into the sugar mixture. Stir well, pour into pitcher and pop it in the fridge! Serve with ice cubes.
Creole Shrimp Caesar Salad with Cheesy Croutons
Yield: 4 servings
Prep time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
For the salad:
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 lb. extra-jumbo shrimp, peeled, deveined
1-1/2 tsp.creole seasoning
3/4 c. mayonnaise
3 anchovy fillets or 1 1/2 tsp. anchovy paste
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 T. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 oz. Parmesan, grated (about 1/2 c.), plus more, shaved, for serving
salt and black pepper
1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
For cheesy croutons:
8 oz. sourdough bread, torn
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
1 oz. Parmesan, grated
Make Cheesy Croutons: Preheat oven to 375°F. Toss together bread, olive oil, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake, tossing a few times, until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.
Cool 2 minutes then toss with 1 oz. grated Parmesan. Cool completely. (Makes 4 1/2 cups.)
Make shrimp and salad: Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Season shrimp with creole seasoning. Cook, turning once, until just cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes; transfer to a plate.
Combine mayonnaise, anchovies, garlic, lemon juice, mustard, Worcestershire, and grated Parmesan in a food processor. Process until smooth and well combined, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper.
Toss together dressing and romaine in a bowl. Top with Cheesy Croutons, shrimp, and shaved Parmesan.
Party Animal Snack Mix
Prep/Total Time: 5 min.
Air-popped popcorn
Pastel mini marshmallows
Chocolate-covered raisins
Salted peanuts
Frosted and plain animal crackers
Pretzel squares
Combine all ingredients. Store in an airtight container.
Quote of the Week:
“Some old-fashioned things, like fresh air and sunshine, are hard to beat.”
~ Laura Ingalls Wilder