Farewell to Summer BBQ

Hello Girls! I just wanted to remind everyone about our Gourmet Dinner Group tomorrow night at 7:30. I thought I would also post the menu and the recipes. Hopefully everyone will still want to come after viewing what will be served. Those of you who can't make it, can share in the recipes early. I can't wait to see everyone!


MENU

Bacon & Cream Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms
Spinach Dip with Vegetables

Garlic & Ginger Marinated Tri Tip
Toasted Corn & Potato Salad
Grilled Summer Vegetables
Greek Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing
Raspberry & Pretzel Salad

Fresh Peach Pie with Whipped Cream

Recipes:

Bacon & Cream Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms

¾ lb bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 (8 oz pkg) cream cheese, softened
1 bunch green onions, minced
2 T bread crumbs
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp seasoned salt
¼ tsp pepper
30 mushrooms
3 T butter
Parmesan cheese
Olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a bowl, mix bacon, cream cheese, bread crumbs, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Clean mushrooms and remove stems. Chop stems and sauté with onions over medium heat until soft. Add to cream cheese mixture. Lightly coat mushroom caps in olive oil and cook, cap side down in oven for 10-12 minutes. Remove mushrooms from oven and fill with cream cheese mixture. Top each mushroom with parmesan cheese. Finish cooking mushrooms under the broiler until lightly brown.

Succulent Spinach Dip

1 cup mayo
1 cup sour cream
1 pkg spinach (10 oz frozen pkg, thawed, drained, chopped)
1 pkg Knorr vegetable soup
1 small can water chestnuts, chopped
3 green onions, chopped

Mix ingredients together. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Serve with vegetables, crackers, or sour dough bread.

Garlic & Ginger Marinated Tri Tip

1 cup lemon juice
1 cup oil
½ cup sugar
½ cup soy sauce
½ cup black pepper
½ cup garlic salt
½ cup chopped garlic
¼ cup chopped ginger
½ cup chopped dried onion
2 (4 pound) tri tip steaks, trimmed

Mix all marinade ingredients in large plastic container. Then pour over meat. Let stand in refrigerator for at least 6 hours. Heat grill to medium heat. Place tri tips on the grill at 45 degree angle to establish grill marks and cook to desired doneness. Let meat rest for a few minutes before slicing. Always slice against the grain. Serve warm.

Toasted Corn and Potato Salad

1 ½ cups corn (about three ears)
12 small red potatoes
½ cup mayo
¼ cup buttermilk
2 T fresh dill, chopped
I bunch green onions, chopped
½ cup bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 T white wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil

Sauté corn in olive oil over medium heat until lightly toasted. Set aside. Cut potatoes into wedges, cook in salted water until soft but not mushy. Add all ingredients to taste. You may need more or less buttermilk depending on the consistency you like your salad. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Raspberry Pretzel Jell-O Salad

2 cups crushed pretzels
¾ cup melted butter
4 T sugar

2 cups boiling water
2 (6 oz) pkgs. Raspberry Jell-O
2 (10 oz) pkgs. Frozen raspberries

8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 small container Cool Whip

Mix pretzels, butter, and sugar together and press into a 9x13 pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 8 minutes. Let cool. Dissolve Jell-O in boiling water and let cool for 10 minutes. Add frozen berries and set aside. Mix cream cheese, sugar, and cool whip together and spread over cooled pretzel crust. Pour raspberry mixture over top and refrigerate until set.

Greek Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

1 head iceberg lettuce
1 bunch romaine lettuce
1 cup grated swiss cheese
1 cup feta cheese
1 small can slice olives
½ cup bacon, cooked and crumbled

Dressing:
¼ cup white vinegar
¾ cup olive oil
1 ½ T poppy seeds
3 T sugar
1 ½ T dried onion
1 ½ tsp salt
¾ tsp dried mustard

Make dressing several hours before serving. Toss the rest of ingredients with dressing just before serving.

Grilled Summer Vegetables

3-4 small zucchini
3-4 small yellow squash
1 red pepper
1 small Walla Walla onion
1 pint grape tomatoes
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Slice zucchini, squash, and pepper in long, 1 inch slices. Slice onion in ½ inch rounds. Toss in olive oil, salt and pepper. Place on preheated grill and turn once or twice until soft. Cut cooked vegetables into bite sized pieces and toss with grape tomatoes. Drizzle with more olive oil and serve warm.
Fresh Squeezed Raspberry Lemonade

6 cups water
¾ cup superfine sugar
4 medium lemons, juiced
1 T lemon zest
1 cup raspberries

Blend raspberries in blender or food processor and strain juice. Place water and sugar in pitcher. Mix well until sugar is dissolved. Zest lemons for 1 tablespoon of zest. Juice lemons for ¾ cup of juice. Add juices and zest to pitcher. Mix well. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve over ice and garnish with a slice of lemon.

Fresh Peach Pie

Filling:
2 ½ cups water
2 ½ cups sugar
1 small pkg orange Jell-O
½ cup corn starch (packed)
¼ cup lemon juice
dash of salt

4-5 large ripe peaches
pie crust

In a sauce pan, combine sugar, Jell-O, corn starch, and salt. Then add water. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Once mixture has boiled remove from heat and stir in lemon juice. Chill in refrigerator until set or overnight. Peel and slice peaches. Add chilled sauce. There will be enough sauce for at least three pies. Pour peaches and sauce in your favorite cooled pie crust. Chill at least 1 hour before serving. Top with whipped cream and enjoy!