Easy Summer Cookout

Jul 24, 2021

What should we eat?

The sun is shining, you’re spending the day or night with your family, you’re all starting to get hungry, but the hardest question of them all sets in: What should we eat?

Deciding what to eat always seems to be like the biggest challenge in any relationship whether it be a romantic one or a family unit…picking out a menu that will fit everyone taste palette seems to be quite the task nowadays.

Fret no longer

Fret no longer, we are here to put all those worries to rest, though these specific recipes may not be your top choice, what would life be if you didn’t try everything once? Plus, we’ll be back regularly with all of our favorite recipes. So get your cooking utensil out, put your apron on and be sure to keep checking our RecipeBoard for the latest and greatest, okay yummiest too, recipes.

Here is a link to “The 7 Best Aprons in 2021” from the spruce eats

On the RecipeBoard

First up on the RecipeBoard is a summer meal that is perfect for a family or grill date night.

GIVE US ALL THE VEGGIES!

It’s easy. It’s quick. It’s Greek. And it’s Delicious.  This salad will be done in ten minutes or less. STOP BACK UP, if you have some cooking background, it’ll be ten minutes or less. If you don’t, by the time we’re done with you, you’ll be whippin’ up recipes left and right and on your way to opening your own five star restaurant!

 

So what do you need to make this delicious Mediterranean Greek Salad? Listed below are the ingredients:

Salad

  • 1 green bell pepper, cut 1″ pieces
  • 3/4 English cucumber quartered, seeded, then cut into 1″ slices
  • 4 – 5 roma tomatoes, cut into 1″ pieces. (4 large or 5 smaller tomatoes)
  • 1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup kalamata olives, whole and pitted
  • 8 oz feta cheese cut into 1/2″ chunks

Homemade Greek Dressing

  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 3-1/2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1-1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp dried dill
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper

Or feel free to buy pre-made Greek dressing at your local grocery store. We have linked a few of our favorites here.

Step by Step Instructions:

Mix the Dressing:

Step One: Toss olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, oregano, dill, salt and pepper into a small bowl

Step Two: Mix all ingredients

**This step can be done ahead of time or can be made the same day and used immediately**

 

Assemble the Salad:

Step One: Add the bell peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, onion, olives and feta cheese to a large bowl

Step Two: Pour your homemade salad dressing over the top of all veggies and cheese

Step Three: Mix all the ingredients. All salt and pepper to taste

Step Four: ENJOY!

Okay so we have the veggies, but what about a main course? If you’re reading this and you’re from buffalo, it’s too late. Okay in all seriousness, if you didn’t get that joke, you are probably not a fan of Drake’s music. Lets try again, if you’re reading this and you’re from Buffalo, you know the craze in Buffalonian’s eyes when they see that parking lot grill fired up with none other than the world famous, Chiavetta’s chicken. That’s right, only this time, you are the grillmaster.

 Ingredients:

  • Chicken (whichever cut you prefer, you can even do chicken wings if you’d like!)
  • Chiavetta’s Chicken Marinade

Step by Step Instructions:

Step One: Place chicken in large Ziploc bag or large bowl

Step Two: Marinate chicken in sauce for 30 minutes or more

Step Three: Put chicken on grill and begin cooking. Be sure to baste the chicken with sauce each time it is turned.

Step Four: Remove barbequed chicken from grill and place in a pan, baste with more sauce and cover tightly for 10 – 15 minutes

Step Five: Remove cover and ENJOY!

If you are like me, you are thinking about dessert, well before you have even begun eating dinner. So let’s finish this meal off with a healthy, yet delicious treat. Introducing one of my FAVORITE and most refreshing summer dessert recipes:

HONEY. ROASTED. PEACHES.

(with vanilla ice cream – duh.)

Ingredients:

  • 4 Peaches (or one per person! Splitting a peach just does not suffice)
  • Jar of Honey
  • 1 Gallon of Vanilla Ice Cream (dairy-free is my go-to option, but you do you boo boo. And yes, the gallon is necessary because who doesn’t want leftover ice cream in their freezer?)
  • Flaked Almonds (optional)

 

Step by Step Instructions

Step One: Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees

Step Two: Slice your peaches into halves, making sure to remove the pits as you go ( I usually try to remove all the extra harden parts of the core as well, optional)

Step Three: Line a baking tray with baking paper and place the peach halves onto the tray

Step Four:  Slice half inch squares of butter and place one on top of each halved peach

Step Five: Drizzle the peaches with honey (again, you do you boo boo the more honey, the sweeter it’ll be)

Step Six: Place the peaches in the oven for about 20 minutes, but be sure to keep an eye on them so they don’t burn!

Step Seven: After the about 20 minutes and when the peaches are soft enough to poke a fork into, remove them from the oven

Step Eight: Place each peach on to individual plates, serve with ice cream and top with flaked almonds

Step Nine: ENJOY

 

Hey, I didn’t say dessert would be the quickest, I said it would be the yummiest….

Happy cookout! 

Stay tuned for more recipes being added to the RecipeBoard monthly!