Tired of the usual summertime dining fare? Potato salad, tossed greens, cold luncheon meats. How about this Creamy Coleslaw Recipe to dress up the next meal you serve your guests which will makes six to eight servings.
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 small green cabbage, (about 1 3/4 pounds), finely shredded
- 2 medium carrots, cut into 1/8-inch-thick matchsticks or coarsely grated
- 1 small onion, coarsely grated (optional)
Stir or whisk together mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, sugar, salt, mayonnaise, and sour cream and refrigerate. Put cabbage, carrots, and onion in a large bowl. Pour in dressing, and toss thoroughly. Refrigerate, covered, until slaw begins to soften, 1 to 2 hours. If not using immediately, refrigerate, covered, up to 2 days. Just before serving, toss coleslaw again.
Here’s an updated version of everyone’s favourite Southern Fried Chicken, only it’s prepared in the oven.
- Six or eight chicken breasts, skin removed
- Shake and Bake, or your favourite coating
Cook in 350 degree oven until the pieces are juicy and tender with a crispy crust.
A nice alternative could be these quick-to-assemble Italian Meat Balls. 48 frozen prepared meatballs, thawed
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 28 oz diced tomatoes
- 1 cup beef stock
- 1 zucchini
- ½ tsp dried basil
- ½ tsp dried oregano
Saute the onion and garlic over medium heat, then add tomatoes, beef stock, zucchini, basil and oregano. Assemble everything in a slow cooker and heat thoroughly. For a splash of colour and to provide vegetables, add a plate of cucumber and tomato slices, radish quarters, and green onions. Serve with chilled pitchers of cranberry juice or iced tea.
To finish off your delightful meal, try these Raspberry Bars which cut up nicely into 16 servings. First make a crust.
- ¾ cup of whole-wheat flour
- ½ cup chopped pecans
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons cold butter
- 2 tablespoons ice water
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat an 8-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Place flour, pecans, 2 tablespoons sugar and salt in a food processor; process until the nuts are finely ground. Add butter one piece at a time, pulsing once or twice after each addition. Add ice water and vanilla and pulse just until the dough starts to come together. Transfer to the prepared pan and press evenly and firmly to form a bottom crust. Bake the crust until it looks set, but not browned, about 15 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.
While it’s baking, mix together for the Filling:
- 2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
- 2 tablespoons water
- 3 cups fresh raspberries, divided
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons nonfat cream cheese, softened
- 2 tablespoons low-fat milk
- 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar
Sprinkle gelatin over 2 tablespoons water in a small bowl; let stand, stirring once or twice, while you prepare the rest of the filling. Reserve 16 raspberries, then puree the remaining raspberries in a food processor until smooth. Transfer to a medium saucepan and stir in ½ cup sugar. Cook over medium heat until bubbling. Stir in the gelatin mixture and cook, stirring, until the gelatin is melted, about 1 minute. Pour the raspberry mixture into a medium bowl and set it in a large bowl of ice water. Refrigerate, stirring occasionally with a rubber spatula, until the mixture thickens and is beginning to set around the edges, about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, beat cream cheese, milk and confectioners’ sugar in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Spread the thickened raspberry filling evenly over the crust. Dollop the cream cheese mixture over the filling. Draw the tip of a sharp knife or skewer through the two fillings to create a swirled effect. Nestle the reserved berries into the filling, evenly spacing them so each bar will be topped with a berry when cut. Refrigerate until the bars are completely set, about 3 hours. Cut into 16 bars, one raspberry per bar.
An hour in the kitchen will provide an excellent meal that your family and guests will remember for a long time to come!
