Recipes

Casual entertaining with summer foods

Welcome to summer — the time of year when the temperatures go up, days stretch on and schedules may calm down.

In summer many of us love to entertain in a more casual way. The barbecue beckons as a relaxing way to cook, iced drinks sound wonderfully refreshing, and we take time to catch up with family and friends.

Take a little time to try some new recipes. It can be as simple as freezing pineapple or orange juice in ice cube containers and combining them as part of a cold beverage with a little soda, rum or tequila.

Try marinating some thinly sliced beef sirloin in ginger salad dressing, skewering and barbecuing or broiling until medium rare and serving with a soy and honey dipping sauce.

Here are a few other ideas to make your summertime entertaining a fun adventure for all.

Jamaica Agua Fresca (pareve)

Jamaica flowers (dried hibiscus) can be found in Mexican, Latin American, or Asian grocery stores or in the ethnic section of supermarkets. The flowers make a very refreshing, bright red drink. Jamaica is often used as a tea as well.

1 quart water
2/3 cup (1 ounce) dried hibiscus flowers
1 vanilla bean, sliced lengthwise
3/4 to 1 cup sugar (to taste)
1 quart cold water

In a large saucepan, bring the quart of water to a boil. Add flowers and vanilla bean to the boiling water, remove from stove and allow to steep for at least 20 minutes.
Strain the mixture into a 2 quart pitcher, saving the vanilla bean for another use. Add the sugar and stir to dissolve. Add cold water and adjust sweetening. Chill and serve over ice.

Variation: Cut cold water to one pint and add one quart cold ginger ale.

Rice with Coconut, Vanilla, Dates and Lemon (pareve)

1 3/4 cups basmati rice
2 2/3 cups coconut milk (or mixture of coconut milk and soup stock or water)
1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise
1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
3/4 cup pitted dates, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

In a heavy 2-quart saucepan, combine rice with liquid and vanilla bean and bring to full boil. Add salt. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered for 10 minutes. Remove the vanilla bean. Fluff the rice into a hot serving dish. Toss with dates, coconut, lemon zest, and lemon juice to taste. Serves 6-8

Summertime Chicken

1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2-3 tablespoon lemon juice
1/3 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
(about 1 teaspoon)
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
2-4 tablespoons chopped fresh (or 2 teaspoons dried) basil, oregano or mint
4 pounds chicken pieces

Preheat broiler and place rack 6 inches beneath it.

Combine all ingredients except chicken in a heavy plastic bag or glass dish. Wash chicken, dry, and combine with all the other ingredients. Let chicken marinate at least 20 minutes and up to 12 hours.

Preheat broiler or barbecue grill, allowing coals to “ash.” Drain and discard marinade.
Place chicken on broiler pan and cook under broiler for about 15 minutes on each side.
If cooking on barbecue grill, cook chicken for 10 minutes per side on cooler part of grill so chicken doesn’t brown too quickly. Continue to cook and turn chicken.

When chicken is brown and tender and juices run clear when pierced with a fork, chicken is done. Serve with pan juices poured over chicken. Serves 4-6.

Black Bean and Corn Salad (pareve)

Dressing:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
3 to 4 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Salad:
2 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels, uncooked
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro or basil or parsley leaves
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1 avocado, pitted, peeled and diced
2 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced (or more to taste)

Combine dressing ingredients in a small bowl and whisk to combine.
Combine salad ingredients in a large bowl. Pour dressing over salad and toss gently to combine. Serves 8-10.

Apricot Peach Cobbler with Honey Cream (dairy)

(Note: Feel free to use fresh or frozen 3-4 peaches or apricots in place of the canned fruit when they’re available. Plunge the fresh ripe fruit in boiling water for 60 seconds and transfer to cold water. The skins should slide off easily.)

1 29-ounce can sliced peaches
1 15-ounce can apricot halves
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon butter
Topping:
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
2 tablespoons butter, softened
Honey Cream:
1 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drain peaches, reserving 1/2 cup syrup. Drain apricots, reserving 1/2 cup syrup. Cut apricots in half; set fruit aside.

In a saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, and reserved syrups. Stir until smooth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes, or until thickened.

Remove from heat; stir in butter until melted. Stir in peaches and apricots. Transfer to a buttered 9-inch square baking dish.

For topping, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Add egg and butter and mix well. Spoon over fruit.

Bake cobbler in preheated oven for 40-45 minutes, or until golden brown. Bake for at least 40 minutes, because topping will brown long before it is cooked all the way through. Test topping by sticking a toothpick or cake tester into thickest part of cake; if batter sticks to skewer, bake cobbler for a few minutes longer.

For cream: In a mixing bowl, beat cream, honey and cinnamon until firm peaks form. Serve with warm cobbler. Serves 6-8.

If using fresh fruit in place of canned fruit, substitute 3/4 cup water plus 1/4 cup sugar for the fruit syrup.

Donna Glassman is owner and chef of Herbs and Spice LLC catering in Milwaukee. She also teaches cooking classes for adults through Milwaukee Area Technical College.