Father's Day Menu

We'll be heading off later this week for a well anticipated summer vacation so I won't be posting for quite awhile, but I wanted to leave you with a menu idea for Father's Day. These ribs are one of my Mom's most requested recipes. They are my absolute, all time favorite and quickly became a favorite of my husbands too. I have to admit, I've never even tried another recipe. The sweet of the chili sauce, with the tart from the lemon is a winning combination. I like to use the boneless, country style ribs. They cook up so tender with no annoying bones to worry about. Plus, I think they taste just as delicious baked as they do on the grill so you if you're like me and are clueless when it comes to the BBQ, no worries. Most of this meal can be made the day before so you can both relax!

The Menu:

BBQ Ribs

Potato Salad or Funeral Potatoes

Corn on the Cob

Rolls

Lemon Cake or Texas Sheet Cake

Mom's BBQ'd (or baked) Ribs

from Better Homes and Gardens

2 lbs. boneless, country style pork ribs

For the Sauce:

1/2 c. chili sauce

2 1/2 tsp. prepared mustard

1/4 c. butter1/4 c. finely minced onion (I like to do mine in a mini food processor and get them nice and small)

1 c. Ketchup

1/4 c. brown sugar

1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. Worcestershire

1/4 tsp. garlic salt

1 lemon sliced

Either- Simmer ribs covered in salt water in saucepan until tender about 45-60 minutes or (my preferred method )-- put ribs in crock pot until just barely covered with salted water. Cook on low for 7 hours. Drain and refrigerate until baking or grilling. (I do this the night before). Meanwhile, prepare sauce. In a saucepan, combine ketchup, chili sauce, brown sugar, butter and onion. Add mustard, Worcestershire sauce, garlic salt and lemon slices. Bring mixture to a boil. Remove from heat.

If Baking in oven: Place hot ribs in shallow roasting pan; pour generous amount of sauce over ribs. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, basting with sauce every 10 minutes.

If grilling: Grill ribs over medium to low coals about 10-15 minutes each side, brushing often with sauce.

Perfect Potato Salad

My Kitchen Cafe

This potato salad was great. I've never had a potato salad recipe I've liked well enough to stick with. I really liked the "dressing" on this one. This recipe also gives you the option of serving it warm or cold. I will definitely be making this again. I think next time I will add pickles too.

Dressing:
2 cups mayonnaise

2/3 cups buttermilk

1 1/2 tsp. dried parsley

1 tsp. salt

1 1/2 tsp. minced dried onions

1 1/2 tsp. garlic salt

1 tsp. seasoned salt

1 tsp. ground black pepper

2 tbsp. mustard

Shake vigorously in jar or blend in blender until well combined.

Salad:

5 lbs. potatoes (red is what I used)

1 cup sliced olives

10 hard boiled eggs, diced

Peel, dice and boil potatoes until tender but not mushy. Drain potatoes well and pour into large bowl. Add sliced olives and hard boiled eggs. If you want to serve it warm--- Pour dressing over warm potatoes until desired "dressing-level" is reached. If you would like it cold pour a thin coating over the potatoes and refrigerate until cold (or overnight). Right before serving add remaining dressing to your liking. The recipe says it serves 6-8 but I would say 10-15.

Lemon Cake w/ Lemon Glaze

This recipe was given to me by my Mother in Law and has been a favorite of both my husband and I for years. The cake is moist and full of lemon flavor and it starts with a cake mix so it's really easy. It's got a nice, simple glaze of powdered sugar and lemon juice which keeps it nice and light, perfect for spring and summer.

Cake

1 box yellow cake mix

1 3 oz. pkg. Lemon Jello

3/4 c. oil

3/4 c. water

4 eggs

1 tsp. lemon extract

Glaze

1 1/2-2 cups powdered sugar

3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat all ingredients together for 4 minutes. Bake in greased 9 x 13 pan for 30-40 minutes. When cake is done poke holes with fork all over the top of the cake. Pour glaze evenly over cake and put back in a 200 degree oven for 2-5 minutes just to "bake-in" the glaze.

Weeknight Meal- Prudy Style

I love grilling this time of year and this meal was excellent. Mexican food is at the top of my list and this is a meal I will be making again. The chicken was moist and juicy with fabulous citrus flavor and a little kick from the jalapeno. The Spanish rice was just how I like it and so much better than the store bought packets. Just about as easy too. The best part though was the corn and black bean salad. I have made a similar recipe from Ina Garten but I actually preferred this one because it tasted much lighter. I added in some avocado and made mine into a rice bowl. I sliced the grilled chicken and then mixed in the rice and salad. I am seriously hoarding the leftovers for lunch tomorrow. Added bonus- this meal is so healthy. Most of the fat comes from the olive oil and avocado which are the good kind of fats. A great, light Mexican meal that is going to be showing up again on my menu really soon.

All recipes are courtesy of Prudence Pennywise

Cilantro Honey-Lime Grilled Chicken

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast (I doubled this for a family of 6) 1/3 c. lime juice plus 1 tsp. lime zest 4 tbsp. olive oil 4 cloves garlic minced or 1 tsp. garlic powder 1 chopped jalapeno or Serrano pepper, optional 1 tsp. each salt and black pepper 2 tbsp honey 1/3 c. chopped cilantro Rinse chicken and pat dry. (I also pounded mine in between two sheets of wax paper. This makes for more even cooking). In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, zest, olive oil, garlic, jalapeno, salt, pepper and honey. Set aside two tablespoons of mixture. Pour remaining mixture into Ziploc bag. Add chicken and cilantro and squish to coat. Marinate for at least 1 hour and up to 12 hours. Grill or broil chicken over medium high heat, about 4 minutes per side. Let rest for 5 minutes. Drizzle with reserved marinade and serve.

*I doubled the meat and just used one recipe of the marinade. I left all the chicken in the marinade and skipped the drizzling.*


Corn and Black Bean Salad with Cumin Lime Vinaigrette

1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed well
2 cups corn kernels, (frozen and thawed, or canned, or cut off the cob)
2 tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup red onion, minced
1 cup chopped cilantro
1 jalapeno pepper, minced-or less if you like it wimpy
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
juice and zest of one lime
1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper
1 avocado, optional

Combine beans, corn, tomatoes, onion, cilantro, jalapeno and avocado, if desired in a medium bowl. Sprinkle cumin and salt and pepper over the top. Drizzle with oil, lime juice and zest; taste for salt and pepper and adjust seasonings if necessary. Toss and serve.


Classic Mexican Red Rice

1 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 white onion, minced
1 cup long grain white rice
1 and 3/4 c. chicken broth, stock or bouillon
6 tbsp. salsa divided

Heat oil in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and rice and saute until rice is toasted, about 5 minutes, stirring often. Add broth and 3 tbsp. of the salsa. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in remaining 3 tbsp. salsa. Let rest for 5 minutes. Fluff with fork and serve.

*I used Costco medium Salsa and the rice was very mild.*

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Menu Idea - Dressed up Weekend BBQ

Sometimes the hardest part of dinner is deciding what to serve together. This is a menu for a Dressed up Weekend BBQ. Start off with some juicy,cheesy burgers. Add a fresh orzo salad, fruit, chips and a tall glass of lemonade (with fresh lemons and limes) to wash it all down. Finish the meal with some fabulous Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches that are sure to be a favorite with adults and children.

Jack Cheese Burgers with Tomato-Avocado Salsa on Ciabatta Rolls

Tri Color Orzo

Fresh Fruit Tray

Chips

Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches

Soda or Lemonade or Water garnished with lemons and limes