Category Archives: 4th of July
Mmm…pasta salad
TaMara’s macaroni salad had me jonesing for my own this fine day.
I didn’t follow a recipe, exactly. I knew there needed to be pasta of some sort and a half bag of these bowties seemed to fit the bill. I knew I wanted to use some of the cherry tomatoes our patio plantings are bearing for us. Half the battle, right there. Mayo seemed obvious, and that took me to the sour cream right there by it in the fridge. So far, so good. OK, celery, diced a few stalks, and that suggested celery seed, in went those things. Onion, check-red bell pepper, check-dill weed, check-a little minced dill pickle? Why not, check. Hmm..hard boiled eggs! Yes, absolutely! A little touch of sour? Aah, some rice vinegar is pretty mellow, some sweet to balance the sour? Splenda-splendid! Some kosher salt and some black pepper and Ta Da!
Happy 4th of July
We hold these truths to be self-evident…..
Yeah, I’m still a sucker for July 4th. I’ll be watching 1776 sometime over the holiday. There will be fireworks. And a picnic. I love that we are a country of rebels and continue to be a country of rebels. It’s not always pretty, but really, would we have it any other way?
This year I’ve made Macaroni Salad with Sharp Cheddar Cheese and Chipotle Mayonnaise. Have a safe and happy 4th of July.
For a full-size readable copy of the above photo, click here.
Buttermilk Pie and Drunk Chicken Updates
I didn’t change much to the buttermilk pie recipe. I used a graham cracker crust because I prefer those with a custard pie and I added some lemon extract along with the lemon zest. It was good, though I thought the texture wasn’t as light as I would have expected. This might be because I beat the eggs longer than necessary.
I changed the Drunken Chicken appetizers quite a bit.
First, the recipe called for soaking the wooden skewers in bourbon – since we were grilling this sounded like a recipe for disaster. I soaked them in water. What to do with all that bourbon? The only thing (well besides drinking it myself) was to soak the chicken in it. I did a marinade of bourbon and Cajun spices overnight. Then because after 2 different stores I was unable to find the small appetizer skewers, I had to use regular size ones. Worked okay, but made it difficult to wrap the bacon around the chicken and pineapple. I settled for bumping the bacon up against each end of the chicken pieces and putting 4 appetizers per skewer. Then because I had Chipolte peppers in adobo sauce instead of adobo chili powder, I ended up making a paste of that, brown sugar, cajun spice, a splash of pineapple juice and a bit more bourbon. I brushed it on the skewers and slopped a bit more on while they were grilling. They came out pretty good. I think next time I would add a bit of pineapple juice to the bourbon marinade (or some brown sugar).
Happy Independence Day!
We hold these truths to be self-evident…..
Yeah, I’m a sucker for July 4th. So sue me! I love that we are a country of rebels and continue to be a country of rebels. It’s not always pretty, but really, would we have it any other way?
I’ve made the Buttermilk Pie and the chicken is soaking in bourbon. I’ll post pictures and the changes I made to the recipes later today. Have a safe and happy 4th of July.
Nita’s Baked Beans a Picnic Favorite
Going to a potluck this weekend and want to wow everyone? This is the recipe. It’s from friends and a standard a their barbecues. Amazingly simple, but it takes ordinary canned baked beans up a notch. Go for good quality beans and sausage and real maple syrup and it’s a can’t miss. Sit back and accept all the compliments that will come your way.
Nita’s Baked Beans
- ½ lb spicy Italian sausage
- 28 oz can favorite baked beans
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
saucepan
In saucepan, brown Italian sausage, drain well and crumble. Add beans and syrup, let simmer for 15 minutes to heat through and let flavors blend together.
Probably should think about doubling this recipe, because the leftovers are even better.
Buttermilk Pie
This came across my desk yesterday and I was intrigued. Enough to make note and I think I may make it soon. I’ll update as soon as I try it, but for now I wanted to post it in time for anyone who may want to try it for July 4th.
Fourth of July Buttermilk Pie Recipe
(from SimpleRecipes.com)
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 Tbsp flour
- 1/4 cup butter, melted (half a stick)
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 unbaked 9-inch pie crust
- 1 cup cold, heavy whipping cream
- 20-30 raspberries (or half as many strawberries, halved)
- A handful of blueberries
Preheat oven to 325°F.
- In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs, then beat in the sugar and lemon zest until well combined. Beat in the flour and melted butter. Beat in the vanilla and buttermilk.
- Pour filling batter into an uncooked pie shell (frozen is fine). Bake at 325°F for approximately 50 minutes, or until the center of the custard has just set (can still be a little wiggly). Remove from oven and let cool. The custard may puff up a bit in the oven; it will deflate as it cools.
- Whip the chilled cream until it holds stiff peaks. Once the pie has cooled to room temperature, spread the whipping cream over the top of the pie. Arrange the raspberries and blueberries in a decorative pattern on top of the whipping cream.
Serve immediately or chill until ready to serve.
Makes 8 serving pieces.
Champagne-Cranberry Cocktail
Every year I attend a neighborhood garden party, we all bring a dish to share and there is plenty of alcohol flowing. Mimosas are the standard drink, but a few years back Poinsettias were added. These are simple to make and a nice change-up from the standard mimosa:
Poinsettia*
- Champagne or sparkling wine (chilled)
- Cranberry Juice Cocktail (chilled)
- orange slices (very thin or you can just use peel)
- frozen cranberries
Drop a few cranberries and 2 orange slices in champagne glass, pour in equal amounts of wine and juice.
*Now here’s the thing, I really don’t like the name of this drink and personally I’ve taken to calling them Pink Hyacinths.
Variations on Cucumber Salad
More in our Prepping for July 4th series. A family favorite is cucumber salads. I like to find new flavors to try and shake things up. Sometimes they’re successful – the Chipolte Lime Cucumber Salad from last fall’s bridal shower was a complete fluke, based on unexpected ingredients in my frig, that everyone loved.
This cucumber salad is based on one from a Greek restaurant:
Minted Cucumbers
- 2 English cucumbers, sliced
- 2 mild red chilies, sliced
- 1 tsp dried mint, crushed (or 2 oz fresh)
- 4 oz dates or figs, chopped
- 1/2 cup white wine vinegar
- 2 to 4 tsp sugar
- salt & pepper to taste
bowl
English cucumbers come wrapped and don’t need to be peeled (no wax on the skins). Mix vinegar with sugar and toss with remaining ingredients, salt & pepper to taste.
TaMara
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