Patio Season - Outdoor Cooking
It is officially patio season and time to enjoy everything the outdoors has to offer!
Grilled “everything”, fun salads, easy side-dishes and fruity desserts, all dressed up in summertime flavors!Patio Seson - Outdoor Cooking
Cream Cheese Danish Toaster Strudels
Prep Time: 15 min.
Cook Time: 15 min.
Freeze Time: 15 min.
Total Time: 45 min.
Servings: 6
6 oz. cream cheese
4 T. butter
6 T. brown sugar
1 sheet puff pastry
1 lg. egg, beaten
1 C. confectioners sugar
1 T. milk, plus more as needed
Place cream cheese in the freezer for 15 min. before preparation.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Slice butter into 12 slices. Place 2 slices vertically in 6 sections on the prepared baking sheet. Top each set of butter slices with 1 T. brown sugar.
Slice partially frozen cream cheese into 12 slices. Set 2 slices side by side on top of brown sugar sections.
Lightly roll puff pastry on a lightly floured surface. Cut pastry sheet into 6 rectangles. Press pastry around each mound of cream cheese mixture, pressing slightly down on the cream cheese. Use a fork to crimp the edges of each pastry. Brush pastries with beaten egg.
Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown and flaky, 15 to 18 min. Let stand on the baking sheet for 10 min. before carefully turning over.
Meanwhile, whisk together confectioner’s sugar and milk until smooth. Drizzle desired amount of icing over pastries.
Grilled Jalapeño Poppers
Prep Time: 30 min.
Cook Time: 30 min.
Total Time: 1 hr.
Servings: 16
8 oz. cream cheese
1-1/2 C. shredded cheddar cheese
2 T. grated Parmesan cheese
1-1/2 tsp. garlic powder
16 whole jalapeño peppers with stems
8 slices bacon, cut in half crosswise
Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat and lightly oil the grate.
Mix cream cheese, cheddar, Parmesan, and garlic powder together in a bowl until the mixture is thoroughly blended.
Lay jalapeño pepper on a work surface and cut a lengthwise sliver from the side of the pepper, exposing seeds and white membrane. With the handle of a teaspoon, scrape out seeds and membrane, leaving the hollow pepper. Repeat for the rest of the peppers.
Chop up pepper slivers and mix into cheese stuffing. Stuff each pepper with cheese mixture and wrap each stuffed pepper in a half bacon slice. Secure with toothpicks.
Grill stuffed jalapeños on a less-hot part of the grill, turning as needed, until peppers are tender and juicy and bacon is browned and crisp, 30 to 40 min.
Best Turkey Burgers
Prep Time: 15 min.
Cook Time: 15 min.
Total Time: 30 min.
Servings: 12
3 lbs. ground turkey
1/4 C. seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 C. finely diced onion
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
1/4 C. chopped fresh parsley
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
Mix ground turkey, seasoned bread crumbs, onion, egg whites, parsley, garlic, salt, and pepper together in a large bowl.
Form into 12 patties.
Cook the patties in a medium skillet over medium heat, turning once, to an internal temperature of 180°F
Boston Baked Beans
Prep Time: 10 min.
Cook Time: 4 hr. 10 min.
Total Time: 4 hr. 20 min.
Servings: 6
2 C. dry navy beans, soaked overnight
1/2 lb. uncooked bacon strips
1 med. onion, diced
1/2 C. ketchup
3 T. molasses
1/4 C. brown sugar
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. dry mustard
Transfer soaked navy beans and soaking water to a saucepan.
Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until nearly tender, approximately 1 to 2 hours. Drain and reserve the cooking liquid.
Preheat the oven to 325°F.
Arrange 1/2 of the beans in the bottom of a 2-quart casserole dish. Place 1/2 of the bacon strips over the beans and sprinkle 1/2 of the onions over top. Repeat layers once more.
Combine ketchup, molasses, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and dry mustard in a large saucepan over medium heat; bring to a boil.
Pour sauce over the beans. Pour in just enough reserved cooking liquid to cover the beans. Cover the casserole dish with a lid or aluminum foil.
Bake in the preheated oven for 1-1/2 hours. Remove the lid and continue to cook, checking every 1/2 hour or so and adding more cooking liquid if necessary to prevent the beans from getting too dry, until beans are soft and tender, 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 more hours.
Red, White, and Blueberry Fruit Salad
Prep Time: 10 min.
Additional Time: 30 min.
Total Time: 40 min.
Servings: 8
1 pint strawberries, hulled and quartered
1 pint blueberries
1/2 C. white sugar
2 T. lemon juice
4 bananas
Combine strawberries and blueberries in a large bowl. Sprinkle with sugar and lemon juice; toss lightly. Refrigerate until cold, at least 30 min.
About 30 min. before serving, cut bananas into 3/4-inch-thick slices; toss with berries until evenly distributed.
Red, White, and Blueberry Lemonade
Prep Time: 25 min.
Stand Time: 2 hr. 5 min.
Cool Time: 20 min.
Chill Time: 1 hr.
Total Time: 3 hr. 50 min.
Servings: 6
1 C. (packed) fresh strawberry halves
1/2 C. (packed) fresh blueberries
1-1/4 C. white sugar, divided
6 lemons, organic preferred, or more as needed (you may need as many as 10 lemons)
5 C. water
Combine strawberries, blueberries, and 1/2 of the sugar in a bowl. Use a potato masher to lightly crush berries until all blueberries have broken open.
Use a sharp vegetable peeler to peel off just the yellow zest from 6 lemons; add lemon zest to the berry-sugar mixture.
Pour remaining sugar into the bowl and mix thoroughly. Cover and let sit on the counter for 2 to 6 hours, stirring occasionally, or refrigerate overnight if you prefer.
Bring 5 cups water to boil in a saucepan, transfer in berry mixture. Immediately turn off heat, and let sit for 5 min., stirring a few times.
Set a fine mesh strainer over a heatproof bowl, and pour berry mixture through the strainer; press out liquid gently. Let cool to room temperature, about 20 min.
Cut the 6 zested lemons in half, and squeeze the juice (through a strainer to catch the seeds) into the bowl.
Taste, and juice in more lemons as desired. You will have another chance to adjust the final flavor after the lemonade is cold.
Transfer lemonade into a pitcher and refrigerate until fully chilled, about 1 hour. Give the lemonade a final taste, and adjust with more fresh lemon juice or sugar if necessary. Fill glasses with ice to serve.
Two Tier Strawberry Pie
Prep Time: 20 min.
Cook Time: 10 min.
Additional Time: 1 hr.
Total Time: 1 hr. 30 min.
Servings: 8
1/2 C. confectioners’ sugar
1 (3 oz.) package cream cheese
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1 C. heavy cream
1 (9 inch) baked pie crust shell
1/3 C. white sugar
2 T. cornstarch
1/3 C. water
1/3 C. grenadine syrup
1 T. lemon juice
2 C. fresh strawberries, hulled
Beat confectioners’ sugar and cream cheese together in a bowl with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy; stir in vanilla and almond extracts. Set aside.
Whip cream in a separate bowl with an electric mixer, until peaks form: fold into cream cheese mixture. Spread into baked pie crust. Chill, about 1 hour.
Meanwhile, combine white sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan; stir in water until smooth. Stir in grenadine and lemon juice; bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened, 5 min. Cool, then chill in the refrigerator.
Stir strawberries and cooled cornstarch mixture together until strawberries evenly coated: spread over cream cheese layer.
Strawberry Rhubarb Custard Pie
Prep Time: 20 min.
Cook Time: 1 hr.
Additional Time: 1 hr.
Total Time: 2 hr. 20 min.
Servings: 8
1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust
3 C. rhubarb, sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 C. fresh strawberries, quartered
3 lg. eggs
1-1/2 C. white sugar
3 T. milk
3 T. all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1 T. butter, diced
2 T. strawberry jam
1/4 tsp. water
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place rolled-out pie crust in a 9-inch pie plate and set on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Combine rhubarb and strawberries in a bowl; transfer to the pie crust, distributing evenly.
Whisk eggs, sugar, milk, flour, and nutmeg together in a medium bowl. Slowly pour filling over rhubarb mixture until it just reaches the top edge of the crust. Scatter diced butter evenly over the top of the filling. Lightly tap and shake the baking sheet to remove any air bubbles.
Transfer pie to the preheated oven and bake, turning halfway through, until rhubarb is tender and custard is set, about 1 hour.
Mix strawberry jam and water in a small bowl; heat in the microwave until warm, about 15 seconds. Glaze the top of the pie with the jam mixture and let cool. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Quote of the Week:
“I like to party. And by party, I mean stay at home and bake.”
~ Anonymous
