I’ve got you covered! Well-tested recipes always with a healthy profile that are satisfying for all who join in to celebrate.
I’m including my best Creative Sauces, Salads, Side Dishes, Chicken, Fish, Shrimp, Vegan options and tempting desserts.
Remember these recipes through the summer months!
There are many pleasures of cooking for yourself ~ try something new, a technique or new ingredient.
Fresh Cherry BBQ Sauce ~ Over Chicken & Veggie Kebobs
This Cherry BBQ sauce is vibrant, velvety, flavorful and full-bodied. I love spooning it on top of these morsels of perfectly cooked chicken. It’s also a fabulous topping for nachos.. who doesn’t love those?
I’m such a Rhubarb Fan! Seasonal Fresh Rhubarb is blended in a tangy & zesty, savory Barbecue Sauce! Lather it over chicken breasts on the grill at the end of cooking. A creative use of Rhubarb all will enjoy.
Spoon over skewers ~ Chicken, Shrimp or All-Veggie!
Asian-Style Satay Sauce made with Sunflower Seed Butter for a nutty-sweet flavor, yet NUT FREE. An easy blended sauce made in a food processor in minutes Great over for Noodles too!
Another great recipe with dual purposes!
Beet Tzatziki Sauce is great served as a sauce for skewers ~ yet all a fabulous dip for your crudités. Healthy and Oh-So Colorful!
Better than store-bought bottled – yes you can make your own BBQ sauce at home! This is the best down-home All American Barbecue Sauce!
Here are some Nutritional Guidelines & Thoughts about Nasty Food Additives:
I would never eat this! There are so many benefits to making your own!
Kraft Hickory Smoke Barbecue Sauce Ingredients: High Fructose Corn Syrup, Water, Vinegar, Tomato Paste, Molasses, Modified Cornstarch, Salt, Contains Less Than 2% of Natural Hickory Smoke Flavor, Dried Garlic, Potassium Sorbate (To Preserve Freshness), Spice, Dried Onions, Mustard Flour, Caramel Color, Paprika.
I’m going to bang in a few observations about food additives – here it goes…
Do not consume High Fructose Corn Syrup – read labels! The sweetener is made from processed corn starch (GMO), manufacturers then add enzymes to the substance to convert some of the glucose into fructose, which tastes much sweeter. And – acts as a preservative to boot!
Modified Cornstarch is an “invisible” GMO ingredient. I buy non GMO cornstarch (easy to find at health food shops & Whole Foods.) I use this product.
Modified Corn Starch is different – it is a greatly processed carbohydrate and is added to enhancing shelf life, acts as a stabilizer, thickening agent, and an emulsifier. It is most likely to have been treated with things like sulfuric acid, chlorine or other chemicals.
Natural Hickory Smoke Flavor – “Natural Flavorings” ~ I have written about this a lot – I do not consume any!! They are fake chemical additives made by flavorists to mimic a true flavor. The FDA doesn’t NOT regulate “natural” on anything! So beware of anything labeled “natural.”
Caramel Coloring – this additive is in so many products! Sounds lovely… who doesn’t like caramel! I never buy products with this ingredient – that means Balsamic Vinegar – CHECK YOURS!! (And – its added to ALL Colas!) Caramel Coloring adds a dark hue – manufacturers like that.
Facts: Caramel coloring is made by heating a sugar compound (usually high-dextrose corn syrup), often together with ammonium compounds, acids, or alkalis. Contains with two cancer-causing chemicals and should be banned – the Center for Science in the Public Interest has filed a regulatory petition to regulate and inform.
It’s made under high pressure and temperatures – I call it “liquid tar.”
Potassium Sorbate is a potassium salt version of sorbic acid, a polyunsaturated fat used to inhibit mold growth. Oh – that’s why it’s there – it is a mold inhibitor! Though found naturally in some berries, potassium sorbate used by the food industry is synthetically mass produced.
I have found 5 very questionable ingredients in this commercial bottle of barbecue sauce – I do not consume any of these ingredients.
If there’s a party ~ this is what I’m grilling!
This Jerk Marinade EXPLODES with Flavor! A spicy Jamaican mixture including hot chili peppers, allspice, cinnamon, and thyme.
Marinate the day before so the flavors concentrate.
A fabulous Basting and Dipping BBQ Sauce to make During Cherry Season! Not too sweet bursting with Fresh Cherry Flavor… and a gorgeous color.
Liven up Simple Grilled Fish with a snappy, slightly spicy, a touch sweet Blueberry Salsa. Low fat with many essential antioxidants. All these lovely colors are a feast for the eyes, and offer a lot of crunch!
An Easy Summer-Time Dish with a lush, smokey essence ~ the Flavorful Gremolata takes only minutes to prepare! Cedar plank grilling is an easy way to infuse salmon with a lush, smoky, aromatic flavor.
Fire up the grill, and discover the flavors of Mexican cuisine, updated with fresh ingredients. Skewered Shrimp and subtly spicy Spanish Padrón Peppers are simply grilled, inside or out with a spiked Compound Butter and topped with a Roasted Pepper Salsa. Can use Shishito peppers too!
The ultimate Veggie Burger with Falafel Seasonings and Lemon-Tahini Sauce. Want a Veggie Burger thats loaded with flavor, and holds together for the grill? Here it is!
A stunner! Gently smoked colorful and healthy beets team perfectly with this zesty vinaigrette – top with petite edible greens and edible flowers.
I love Composed Salads – simple enough to make on a weeknight but elegant enough for entertaining.
Baste corn with bursting flavor – cover with husk and grill outdoors.
Grilling corn in its husk keeps the corn kernels pump and juicy, while imparting a gentle smokey essence.
To softened butter add grated tomato ~ add sliced basil just before serving.
Baste over warm corn and let it slowly melt in.
The ultimate Grilled Potato Side Dish. Perfectly seasoned with caramelized shallots and garlic… and the kale comes out crispy!
Steam, Toss, Fold, Grill!
Tender crisp with a smokey essence ~ these peas are finished with a zesty and spicy nutty sauce… time to heat up the grill! The sauce is also marvelous on grilled chicken.
Hint: Trader Joe’s sell awesome Organic sugar snap peas ~ and look for them at your local Farmers’ Market!
A Must Try Summer Salad! So simple, fresh & delicious! Summer peaches are sweet and juicy and their flavor intensifies on the grill. Grilled Yellow & White Peach adds natural sweetness.
A Comeback for a Classic Dish! This fresh, seafood-rich trendsetter recipe of the early 20th century takes on a modern flair with Fresh (not frozen) Pink Shrimp and a zippy Louis Sauce.
A great appetizer too!
The best coleslaw ever!! Raw summer market vegetables chopped with a light, creamy dressing (non dairy) ~ perfect addition to any BBQ menu.
Who doesn’t love pizza fresh off the grill?
The crispy crust lies underneath a garden-fresh tomato “raw sauce.” Top with cooked sliced garlic, cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and basil leaves … the possibilities are endless!
Sweet ending ideas:
I’m in love with Rhubarb!
As summer fruits are still ripening, taste the marvelous, special flavor of Rhubarb in this easy to make (promise!) fruit tart. The shortbread crust is buttery-delicious and crumbles like a cookie!
Creamy, Delicious and Refreshing!! A natural “Ice Cream” that’s irresistible!
This Vegan Ice Cream is also naturally gluten free.
Who wouldn’t want to end a meal with a scoop of this?
Enjoy the 4th of July holiday – in honor of the Declaration of Independence,
Karen
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”