Easy Summertime Recipes

Spinach Salad

1 bag fresh spinach
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons grated onion1/2 teaspoon dry mustard1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup finely chopped apple
crumbled cooked bacon, for garnish, optional


Fiesta Salad Dressing over Salad greens

8 ounces plain yogurt
3 Tablespoons minced onion
1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 clove minced garlic
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Combine ingredients in small bowl; mix well


Apple Dumplings

These are great and they are very easy.

1 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored
2 (10 ounce) cans refrigerated crescent roll dough
1 cup butter
1/2 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 (12 fluid ounce) can Mountain Dew (tm)

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.

3. Cut each apple into 8 pieces.

4. Separate the crescent rolls into triangles.

5. Place each apple slice at the smallest end of the dough triangle and roll up.

6. Pinch the edges to seal the rolls and put into a baking dish.

7. Melt butter in a small saucepan and stir in the sugar and cinnamon. Pour over the dumplings.

8. Pour the can of Mountain Dew (tm.) Over the dumplings.

9. Bake for 35-45 minutes until golden brown.

Serve with either ice cream or shipped cream


Garlic and Cheddar Chicken

1/2 cup butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
11/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
8 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - pounded thin (place chicken between 2 sheets of wax paper or plastic wrap and pound thin with a meat tenderizer or any heavy object)

1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat, and cook the garlic until tender, about 5 minutes.

3 In a shallow bowl, mix the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, Cheddar cheese, parsley, oregano, pepper, and salt.

4. Dip each chicken breast in the garlic butter to coat, then press into thebread crumb mixture.

5. Arrange the coated chicken breasts in a 9x13 inchbaking dish.

6. Drizzle with any remaining butter and top with anyremaining bread crumb mixture.

7. Bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until chicken is no longerpink and juices run clear.



Salmon Filet (you need at least 2 hours to marinade)

1 1/2 pounds salmon fillets
1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup olive oil

1. Season salmon fillets with lemon pepper, garlic powder, and salt.

2. In a small bowl, stir together soy sauce, brown sugar, water, and vegetable oil
until sugar is dissolved.

3. Place fish in a large resealable plastic bag with the soy sauce mixture, seal,and turn to coat. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

4. Spray a broiler pan with non-stick cooking spray.

5. Cook salmon for 6-8 minutes. Or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.



STIR FRY SWEET AND SOUR CHICKEN

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
sesame seeds (optional)
1 green bell, diced into large pieces
1 clove of garlic - chopped
1 ½ Tablespoons of coconut oil
1 jar of sweet and sour sauce


1. Cube chicken into chunks, set aside

2. Heat oil over low heat

3. Add sesame seeds and chopped garlic, stir to mix together

4. Turn up heat to medium heat and add chicken

5. Stir fry until chicken is thoroughly cooked

6. Add green pepper and sweet and sour sauce

7. Stir and turn down heat to low

8. Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes until the green pepper is tender.



Creamy Asian-Style Salad Dressing served over salad greens

3 cups mayonnaise
½ cup soy sauce
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2Tablespoon sesame seeds
1 Tablespoon sesame seed oil

1. In a mixing bowl, whisk all ingredients together.

2. If too thick, add a few drops of water

3. Cover and refrigerate.


Chocolate-Peanut Butter Ice Cream Pie (very long prep time)

1-1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
4 Tablespoons finely chopped salted peanuts, divided
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 pint chocolate ice cream, softened slightly
2 pints vanilla ice cream, softened slightly
1/3 cup peanut butter
Chocolate syrup

1. In a small bowl, prepare pie crust by mixing together cracker crumbs, sugar, 2 tablespoons of the chopped peanuts and melted butter.

2. Pour mixture on the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch or 10-inch pie (do not use an 8-inch pie pan).

3. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees for 6 to 8 minutes or until lightly browned.

4. Remove pie crust from oven and cool completely.

5. Spread softened chocolate ice cream over the cooled pie crust.

6 . Freeze until firm (approximately 30 minutes)

7. In a large mixer bowl, combine vanilla ice cream and peanut butter, mix at low speed, scraping the bowl often, until peanut butter is evenly distributed.

8. Freeze until ice cream and peanut butter mixture holds into mounds (30 to 45 minutes).

9. Spoon ice cream and peanut butter mixture over chocolate ice cream layer.

10. Spread to edges of crust, mounding slightly higher in the center.

11. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons of chopped peanuts.

12. Freeze for 4 to 5 hours or until pie is firm.

13. Let pie stand at room temperature for 5 minutes before serving

14. Drizzle with chocolate syrup.


Chicken Nuggets

3 boneless chicken breasts
½ cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 thyme
1 teaspoon basil
½ cup melted butter

1. Cut the chicken into 1 ½ inch squares.

2. Combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, thyme, basil and salt.

3. Dip chicken into the melted butter.

4. Then dip in the bread crumb mixture.

5. Place on a cookie sheet in a single layer.

6. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.


Seasoned Potato Fries

4 russet potatoes, sliced into 1/4 inch strips
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons Italian seasoning
2 Tablespoons garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste

1. Place the potato strips in a large resealable plastic bag.

2. Add the oil and shake

3. Add the seasonings and shake

4. Put the potato strips on a greased baking sheet in a single layer.

5. Bake at 425 degrees for 25 minutes, or until crispy.


Grilled cheese and bacon sandwiches

Bread - enough for 2 slices per sandwich
American or Swiss Cheese - 2 slices per sandwich
Bacon - 3 slices per sandwich
Butter

1. Butter all the bread on one side.

2. Microwave bacon until crisp

3. Assemble sandwiches - bread (butter side down, 1 slice of cheese. 3 slices of bacon, slice of cheese, bread ( butter side up)

4. Heat skillet on medium high.

5. Place a sandwich in skillet and cook until golden brown or darker depending on taste.

6. Flip over and cook on other side.


Pork Tenderloin

These are in your grocer’s meat case. They even come preseasoned. They usually take 20 minutes per pound to cook.


Baked Potato Wedges

6 medium Potatoes
4 tablespoons Melted Butter
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon parsley
Salt & pepper


1. Scrub potatoes. Do not peel.

2. Cut each potato lengthwise in quarters.

3. Stir together melted butter, garlic powder and parsley.

4. Arrange potatoes skin side down on a shallow baking pan.

5. Brush seasoned butter over cut surfaces of potatoes.

6. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

7. Bake, uncovered, at 400F degrees for about 1 hour or until golden brown and tender when pierced.



Green Beans and Almonds

2/3 cup slivered almonds
1 1/2 pounds green beans, ends trimmed
1/4 cup butter, room temperature
2 teaspoons unseasoned rice vinegar
Coarse kosher or sea salt
Coarsely ground black pepper


1. Place almonds in small nonstick skillet.

2. Stir over medium heat until lightly toasted, about 8 minutes.

3. Sprinkle with salt and set aside.

4. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, bring water to a boil.

5. Add the beans and partially cook for 4 to 5 minutes

6. Remove from heat.

7. Drain the beans in a colander and immediately immerse them in ice water to stop from cooking; drain and set aside.

8. Melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat.

9. Add beans and vinegar; toss to coat and heat through, about 2 minutes.

10. Season with salt and pepper.

11. Sprinkle with almonds and serve.
Makes 6 servings.