Jared's Ribs

 Kristen's husband, Jared makes delicious ribs.  This is more of a method than a recipe. Ken has followed Jared's method several times and has perfected it himself.  

 

Buy a rack of pork ribs (they come in packs of three at Costco for a reasonable price.)  Season them with a rub.  There are many commercial ones available.  Coat the ribs generously and rub it in. Grill the ribs on the grill on low, seven minutes on each side.  Wrap the ribs in heavy duty foil and put them in the oven on 300.  Roast for about 3-4 hours or until the ribs literally fall off the bones they are so tender.  Delicious!

Homemade Hamburger or Hot Dog Buns

Want to make your own buns for your 4th of July barbecue?  These are easy and delicious.  And you can make them any size you want.  I made them little for tiny hot dogs.  You could do the same for hamburger sliders.  This recipe makes 8 regular- sized hamburger buns.  It made about 60 baby hot dog buns.  The rule of thumb is to form the dough into about the size of the hot dog or hamburger you are putting on it.  It will rise and be just the right size.

Homemade Hamburger or Hot Dog Buns

1/4 cup warm tap water
1 Tablespoon yeast

3/4 cup milk
2 Tablespoons butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons salt

1 large egg plus another egg separated
3 1/2 cups (or so) flour

Mix the water and yeast together in a cup and let work while you prepare the milk mixture.  In a microwave-proof measuring cup, mix the milk, butter, sugar and salt.  Microwave until warm and the butter is mostly melted.  Put the flour in a large bowl and add the milk mixture.  Put in 1 egg.  Separate another egg, saving the egg white in cup for later.  Put the yolk in the mixture.  Add the yeast mixture and mix well.  Knead for a few minutes until you have a smooth, elastic, soft dough.  Cover and let rise until double in bulk.  Punch down and knead for a minute.  Form the buns into desired size and place on a sprayed baking sheet (or use a silicone baking sheet or oven paper)  Brush the buns with the egg white mixed with a little bit of water.  Sprinkle with sesame seeds.  If you prefer, you can brush them with melted butter. 
Let rise until puffy and about double.  Bake at 375 until golden brown.  The big hamburger buns will take about 15 minutes, the baby ones, only about 7 or 8 minutes. 

These little hot dogs were the hit of the party. 

Corn Dip

 Need a good dip recipe for a July 4th barbecue?  This one is delicious!
Corn Dip
2 cans corn, drained
1 can diced green chilis (7 oz.)
1 small green pepper, diced fine
1 (or more) jalapeno peppers, diced fine, seeds removed (this is so much to taste.  Start with a little and add more if you want more kick)
small bunch green onions, chopped fine
1 cup sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon garlic salt (more or less to taste) You can also use garlic powder and then add salt to taste
Ground pepper, to taste
16 oz. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Lots of tortilla chips or Fritos Scoops

Barbecued Sea Scallops

When we were on vacation in Vail, Colorado, we got in the elevator with a lady who was headed down to the grill.  She had a plate of sea scallops ready to grill.  I couldn't resist asking her the recipe.  It's very simple.  We came home and tried it the next week.  I think my favorite protein is sea scallops.  I just love their texture and slightly sweet taste.  They are expensive, though.  I bought a bag at Costco and we used about half of the bag for this recipe.
Barbecued Sea Scallops
1 bag sea scallops
Old Bay Seasoning
1 stick Drawn Butter (see how to below)
Fresh lemon or lime juice

Mostly thaw 1/2 bag of scallops.  Rub with Old bay seasoning.  Old bay seasoning is very salty and strong in taste, so don't use too much.  Let scallops finish thawing.  Barbecue on grill.  The scallops are done when the flesh has just begun to turn from translucent to opaque and it flakes easily.  Don't overcook and dry them out.  Put them on a serving platter and cover them with drawn butter* and squeeze fresh lemon or lime on them.  Serve with more of the drawn butter and lemon wedges.

*Drawn Butter
Cut one stick butter into cubes.  Slowly heat in a saucepan until the butter melts and the solids have separated and are coming to the top.  Remove from the heat.  Skim the foam and solids off the top.  You should be left with a clear, golden liquid.  Pour the liquid into a serving cup.  Let cool, then skim any foam that appears.

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Meat Grilling Marinade

This yummy marinade works great on chicken, beef, or pork for grilling. It adds delicious flavor to meat you're grilling.
I first tasted it when some friends had us for dinner. They grilled chicken, and I had to ask for the recipe it was so moist, tender, and delicious.  I've only tried it on chicken, but she said it worked great on beef and pork as well.

Chicken (or beef or pork) Marinade for grilling
1 1/2 cups olive oil
3/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup worcestershire sauce
2 Tablespoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon ground pepper
1/2 cup wine vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/3 cup lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced

Put all ingredients in a blender and blend well.  Put chicken breasts or other meat in a ziplock bag.  Pour the marinade over all and seal the bag.  Knead the bag a bit to make sure all the meat is covered.  Put in the fridge overnight.  Grill.

For other yummy marinades click here or here or here.  I have one I love for salmon which I'll publish soon.

Patty's Baked Beans

 Here's an easy baked beans recipe that you can do in the crockpot- perfect for your summer barbecues.  Everyone loves these baked beans.  I got the recipe from my sister, Patty.

Patty's Baked Beans
 3 cans pork and beans, drain some of the liquid

1 can dark kidney beans, drained

1 can butter beans, drained

1 large onion, chopped

1 large green pepper, chopped

1 kilbasa sausage (can use light), cut in chunks Or 6-8 slices thick cut bacon, cut in chunks OR a small package of little smokies, cut up

1/2 cup molasses

1/2- 3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup ketchup

2-3 T. chili sauce (opt.)

Few splashes rice vinegar

Mix in crock pot and cook all day on low.  

Lemon (or Lime) Italian Marinade for Grilling

Here's one of those recipes you won't even have to print because it's so simple.  It's a delicious marinade for grilling chicken.
4-6 chicken breasts
1 bottle Zesty Italian Salad Dressing
1/4- 1/3 cup fresh lemon or lime juice

Mix together the dressing and lemon juice and pour over the chicken in a zipper plastic bag.  Marinade in the fridge for several hours. Grill, brushing the marinade on the chicken.

Marinated Grilled Summer Squash and Zucchini

We have an abundance of zucchini and summer squash in our garden most years, so we're always on the lookout for new ways to prepare it.  My husband read about this marinade for grilling in a travel magazine and gave it a try.  It was really delicious . . . and easy!

Mix together equal parts of lemon juice OR balsamic vinegar and olive oil.  Add crushed or minced garlic, garlic salt and pepper in a large ziplock bag. Cut squash the long way.   Put vegetables in bag (you can see we added mushrooms, too).  Marinade for a few hours.  Grill.

Kay's Potato Salad

If there's a recipe I'm known for, it's my potato salad.  I've made it the same way for years and years.   But it's really not my recipe.  I learned how to make it from Lilly Blacker.  The Blackers were our next-door neighbors while I was growing up.  I spent my summers in their swimming pool.  We always celebrated the 4th of July with the Blackers and Lilly always made the potato salad.  We barbecued, swam and then all sat out on the front curb to watch the fireworks.  Saying, "OOOOHHHH!" and "AAAAAHHHHH!" frequently during the fireworks was required.  "Oohs" and "Aaahs" were also frequently emitted while eating Lilly's potato salad.  

One year, when I was a teenager, I decided I wanted to learn how to make her salad.  So I went over to her house on the morning of the 4th and watched Lilly and helped her make it, writing down everything she did.  The only change I've made is I use dill rather than sweet pickles(it's a matter of taste. My husband prefers the dill.)  The amounts are not measured, so it's a little difficult to write it down as a recipe, but I'll explain the technique.

• Scrub potatoes and boil them in their jackets in a large pan. (6 large potatoes makes about 2 quarts of salad)  Boil until potatoes are firm/tender (Overcooking results in mushy salad, but they can't be too firm, either.Just keep checking them with a fork.) 
•  Remove potatoes from the water and let cool until just cool enough to handle.  Peel skins.  This is the first secret to delicious potato salad.  Peel and dice while the potatoes are still warm.
• Put the diced potatoes in a  large bowl and salt.  This is the  2nd secret.  Salt the potatoes while they are warm.  The potatoes form kind of a starchy skin if you do this while they're warm.  This is what makes yummy salad.
• The third secret is use as many hard-boiled eggs as potatoes.  If you're using 6 potatoes, then boil 6 eggs.  
• Boil the eggs while you're boiling the potatoes. Peel and dice them and put them in with the potatoes.
• Pickles. (I like to use Nally's dill pickles because there's little chunks of garlic that are good.)  Dice several pickles and throw in.
• Onion.   Finely dice about 1/2 onion (more or less to taste).  If you prefer, you can use dried onion and put it in the sauce mixture.  I think that's what Lilly did.
•  Mix the potatoes, eggs, pickles and onion together.
• Sauce: Mayonaise, yellow mustard, pickle juice, salt, pepper, and a little bit of sugar.  This is the part that's hard to tell.  I do it by how it looks.  I put a lot of mayonaise in a bowl (For 6 potatoes, probably about 1 1/2 cups.) Then I add mustard and pickle juice until it's very thin and soupy. Then add salt, sugar and pepper.  Mix.  The mixture should be pale yellow and thin.  DO NOT skimp.  The secret to good salad is LOTS of moisture.  The potatoes absorb it in the fridge.  
• Pour the sauce over the potatoes and mix well.  Again, it should be VERY moist.  If it's not, make more of the mixture.  You almost can't get too much.  
• Blend well and put in the fridge for several hours.  Taste and adjust seasonings after it's been  in fridge for awhile. 

This is my husband's favorite thing that I make.  If I want a happy husband, all I need to do is make this salad.  Add his favorite hot dogs with sauerkraut and relish and he's over the moon.