Menu One: Lunch in the Park with Family:

 

Fried Chicken

– click for Alton Brown’s recipe at foodnetwork.com

Potato-Egg Salad

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs waxy potatoes
• 1 rib of celery, diced
• 2 tbsp onion or green onion, minced
• (¼ parsley, minced)
• 3 hard boiled eggs, diced
• 1/3 cup light sour cream
• 1/3 cup light, real mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• (1 tbsp grainy mustard)
• (1 tbsp sweet pickle relish)
• Salt, to taste
• ½ tsp freshly ground pepper, or to taste
• 3 tbsp chives, chopped

Procedure:

1. Boil potatoes (with skins on) in salted water until just tender.
2. Drain, peel if you wish and cut into bite-size pieces.
3. With all other ingredients, prepare dressing in a large mixing bowl.
4. Add still warm potatoes to the mixing bowl and toss to combine.
5. Cover and refrigerate. Serve chilled.

            Cheesecake Brownies

Ingredients:

• 2 ¼ cups white sugar
• 2/3 cup cocoa
• 1 ¼ cups flour
• 1 tsp baking power
• ¾ cup butter, melted
• 4 eggs, beaten slightly

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• 1 (250g) package cream cheese, softened
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 tbsp butter, softened
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp milk
• 1 tbsp flour
• Handful of chocolate chips

Procedure:

1. Brownie base (first group of ingredients)
   1. Preheat oven to 350̊F
   2. Mix dry ingredients
   3. Add butter and eggs and blend well.
   4. Spread in 9 x 13 inch baking pan and bake for 30 minutes.
1. Cheesecake top (second group of ingredients)
   1. Beat cream cheese, sugar and butter until creamy.
   2. Beat in eggs, milk and flour.
   3. Sprinkle with chocolate chips.
   4. Pour over cooked brownie base and bake at 350̊F for 40 minutes.
   5. Cool completely then drizzle with melted chocolate .

    

Menu Two: Romantic Late Afternoon Picnic for Two:

 

Egg Salad Sandwiches

 Ingredients:

• 4 eggs
• 4 slices of multi-grain bread
• 2 tbsp real mayonnaise
• Pinch of salt
• ¼ tsp freshly ground pepper
• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• (1 tbsp Dijon mustard)

Procedure:

1. Hard boil the eggs.
2. When cooked and cooled, peel eggs and place in a small bowl.
3. Mash the eggs lightly with a fork.
4. Add mayonnaise, salt and spices to the bowl and mix well.
5. (For the mustard lover, spread ½ tbsp of Dijon mustard on one slice of bread for each sandwich)
6. Spread salad mixture onto bread and assemble the sandwiches. Cut as you like.

 Spicy Watermelon Salad

 From “Joy of Cooking”

Ingredients:

• ½ tsp chilli powder
• ½ tsp salt, or to taste
• 1/8 tsp ground red pepper, or to taste
• 6 cups of ½ inch pieces of seeded watermelon
• ½ small red onion, diced
• 1 small jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced
• 3 tbsp fresh lime juice, or to taste
• 2 tbsp chopped cilantro or parsley

Procedure:

1. Stir spices together in a small bowl.
2. Toss remaining ingredients together in a serving bowl (or container).
3. Sprinkle spice mixture on top and toss well. Serve at room temperature.

Dad’s Skor Squares

 Named so because my dad makes them best.

Ingredients:

• 1 (6 oz) package of Skor baking bits (like chocolate chips, but made with Skor bar)
• 1 box Ritz crackers
• 1 can of condensed milk
• (1 cup chopped pecans)

Procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 350˚F.
2. Crush the crackers into small pieces (stop just shy of crumbs) and place in a medium mixing bowl.
3. Add ¾ of the Skor bits, ¾ of the pecans and the whole can of condensed milk. Mix well.
4. Press into a buttered, 9 x 9 inch baking pan.
5. Sprinkle the remaining Skor bits and pecans on top.
6. Bake for 8 minutes (no more!)
7. Cool completely before cutting.

 

Menu Three: An Afternoon in the Garden for Four:

 

Tuna Salad Sandwiches

Ingredients:

• 1 can of tuna
• 8 slices of white or whole-wheat bread
• 3 – 4 tbsp real mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 – 2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and diced
• ½ cup cucumber, julienned or cubed
• (¼ cup carrots, julienned)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• (Sriracha sauce to taste)

Procedure:

1. Mix ingredients in a medium mixing bowl and spread on the bread.
2. Assemble sandwiches and cut as you like.

Pommes De Terre À L’Huile (French Potato Salad)

From “Mastering the Art of French Cooking”

Ingredients:

• 2lbs boiling potatoes (8 – 10 medium potatoes)
• 4 tbsp dry white wine or dry white vermouth
• 2 tbsp stock or broth
• 2 tbsp wine vinegar or 1 tbsp wine vinegar and 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp mustard
• ¼ tsp salt
• 6 tbsp olive oil (or other good salad oil)
• Pepper to taste
• (1 – 2 tbsp minced shallots or green onions)
• 2 – 3 tbsp chopped mixed green herbs or parsley

Procedure

1. Scrub potatoes and boil them in enough salted water to cover until just tender.
2. Drain and set aside until they are cool enough to handle.
3. Peel, cut into slices 1/8 inch thick and place in a large mixing bowl.
4. Pour the wine/vermouth and stock/broth over the potato slices while they are still warm and toss gently.
5. Set aside for a few minutes while the potatoes absorb the liquids.
6. Beat the vinegar/vinegar and lemon juice, mustard and salt in a small bowl until the salt has dissolved.
7. Then pour the oil in very slowly while beating vigorously to create an emulsion.
8. Pour the dressing over the potatoes (add the shallots/green onions) and toss gently to blend.
9. Garnish with the herbs and serve warm or chilled.

  Butterscotch-Walnut Cookies

 Ingredients:

• 1 cup shortening
• 1 cup brown sugar
• ½ cup white sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp hot water
• 2 ¼ cups flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 (8 oz) package of butterscotch baking chips/bits
• ¾ cup walnut pieces
• 1 tsp vanilla

Procedure:

1. Cream shortening and add sugar and beaten eggs.
2. Dissolve soda in hot water and add.
3. Add flour and salt and mix until dough comes together
4. Add butterscotch chips, walnuts and vanilla. Mix well.
5. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto a greased or lined baking sheet.
6. Bake 8 – 10 minutes. Makes approximately three dozen.