White Wine Sangria

1 bottle white wine
STAR FRUIT OR 1 Granny Smith apple, cored and thinly sliced using a star cutter cut out star shapes
blueberries, strawberries and raspberries
1 cup apple juice
1/2 bunch fresh mint leaves
1 (12-ounce) can seltzer water

Mix ingredients together, add fruit and garnish with mint leaves.
Ice cubes
Makes 8.

Clam Dip

31/2 Tbls. of packaged French onion soup mix; combined with sour cream

½ cup sour cream

4 oz. cream cheese

3-4 dashes Worcestershire

About 1 Tbls. fresh lemon juice, or to taste (I like lots)

1 small can (6.5 oz.) minced clams; drained

Serve with potato chips (preferably a heavy chip like a ruffled or waffled chip)

 

Cobb Salad

1-pint grape or cherry tomatoes; halved                                           

3 heads of romaine, chopped  

2-3 corn on the cob, cooked and kernels removed

½ small red onion; sliced                                                                                      

1 large ripe avocado; diced 

4 eggs cooked; sliced (come to boil, turn off heat, sit 6 minutes)                                                               

½ cup crushed tortilla chips (authentic quality)

6 slices cooked bacon; crumbled 

½ cup crumbled blue cheese                                                       

Toss salad ingredients together in a large bowl with dressing.  Serves 4-6. 

Ranch Dressing: or purchase your favorite premade ranch dressing

2 Tbls. dried buttermilk

2 tsps. dried parsley

½ tsp. dried dill

¾ Tbls. garlic powder

¾ Tbls. onion powder

¼ tsp. salt

Dash of fresh ground pepper

Mix above with:

½ cup mayonnaise

½ cup sour cream

½ cup buttermilk (tip make your own butter milk ½ cup cream or milk add 3/4 Tbls. white vinegar, let sit about 10 minutes.)

 

Grilled Shrimp Skewers

1-pound large shrimp peeled and deveined (you can either leave tails on or remove them)

1/2 cup olive oil

2 Tbls. lemon juice

1 tsp. oregano

½ tsp. garlic powder

½ tsp. onion powder

¼ tsp. paprika

1 Tbls. Italian flat leaf parsley; minced

In a large measuring cup whisk above ingredients. In a large bowl add shrimp and about ¾ of the marinade, reserve remaining marinade for after grilling. Toss to coat evenly with the marinade.

Marinate for at least 15 minutes. You don’t want to marinate for longer than that, as the acid in the lemon juice will start to cook the shrimp.

Heat a grill or grill pan over medium high heat.

Place the shrimp on the grill. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side or until shrimp are pink and opaque. You can slightly undercook if you want to finish cooking them in the oven to serve later, about 5 minutes at 400 degrees.  I prefer to serve this cold or room temperature. Once cooked toss with reserved marinade and skewer shrimp to serve cold or room temperature or heat in the oven for later. Serve with Sriracha Sauce. Serves 4.

Sriracha Sauce

1 cup of your favorite humus

2 Tbls. sriracha (1 Tbls. if you don’t like it too spicy)

1 Tbls. lemon juice

Pinch of garlic powder

¼ tsp. paprika

1 tsp. maple syrup

Mix together above ingredients. 

 

Blueberry Buckle

¾ cup sugar

¼ cup vegetable oil

1 egg slightly beaten

½ cup milk

2 cups flour

2 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

1 cup blueberries

Crumb Mixture:

½ cup sugar

1/3 cup flour

½ tsp. cinnamon

¼ cup butter, softened

Grease 9×9 pan, flour lightly.  

Mix together sugar, oil, egg; stir in milk. 

Mix together flour, baking powder and salt; stir into sugar mixture carefully fold in blueberries.  Pour into pan.

Mix together crumb mixture and sprinkle over batter.

Bake 45-50 minutes at 350.

Serve with Old Fashioned Lemon Sauce

 

Old Fashioned Lemon Sauce:

½ cup butter

½ cup sugar

¼ cup water

1 egg, well beaten

3 tbls. fresh lemon juice

1 tsp. lemon zest

 

Melt butter and sugar, add water, lemon juice and zest. Add egg and whisk over low temperature stirring constantly, just until mixture thickens. Serve warm over buckle.