Category Archives: BBQ & PICNIC RECIPES

SUN DRIED TOMATO AND FRESH BASIL SPREAD

Ok, so here’s the deal, I’m cheap frugal. Every morning I used to stop at a wonderful bagel shop (remember those) in the bowels of the many story building where I worked before heading up to my cubicle in the sky. (I still hate wind storms because of the way that building would sway in the wind.) But I digress.  Anyway, I would buy my bagel, but without any flavored cream cheese my plain bagel was just not acceptable to my highly sophisticated (and spoiled I might add) taste buds. So, here comes the part about my being “frugal”. I fell in love with this lovely creamy sun dried tomato spread. Those shop owners thought I should pay, every morning mind you, $1.50 more for just a wee smear of this blessed concoction on my already over-priced bagel. Since I don’t take lightly to paying more for something than I should, I went home and duplicated the flavor of their heavenly spread. From that day forward, I still bought their wonderful bagels, but cleverly disguised in a Tupperware container, I brought and smeared my bagel with this homemade version of their lovely spread. By the way, it’s not just good on bagels. It is equally happy being spread on crackers or toasted baguette slices.

  • 1 (8-oz.) pkg. reduced fat cream cheese, room temperature
  • 2 T. sun dried tomato bits (not oil packed is the best, but if all you have are sun dried tomatoes packed in oil, just drain slightly and chop finely)
  • 5-6 large basil leaves, finely chopped
  • 1 T. chopped fresh parsley**
  • 2 small cloves of garlic, finely minced**
  • ½ c. finely grated Parmesan cheese
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 heaping tablespoons light mayonnaise or low fat sour cream

Combine all ingredients; refrigerate at least 24 hours before serving at room temperature with crackers, toasted baguette slices, or even bagels.

**Hint: When you have both parsley and garlic to mince, and they are going into a recipe at the same time, mince them together. The parsley helps keep the garlic from “skipping” around your cutting board. In the case of this recipe, I add the basil to the garlic and parsley too. I’m lazy – what can I say?

 

 

ONION DIP

 

Call me old fashioned, but I love onion dip. I used to make myself sick before parties by tasting the onion dip every few minutes to make sure the flavor had not changed. (What can change in 20 minutes?) But along with advancing age came my body’s inability to tolerate too much salt. (Come now Patti, be truthful, and mention your little issue with high blood pressure!) Anyway, I can’t eat the old dry onion soup mix added to a pint of sour cream version. Truth be told (again with the truth thing), because the dry soup mix is so salty, I don’t even enjoy the original version. Serve this dip with thick, lower sodium (sigh) potato chips and the lowly onion will prove once again that it is a super star in the vegetable realm.

  • 3 T. extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 large white or yellow onions, finely diced
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt
  • ¼ tsp. white pepper
  • 2-3 tsp. beef base*
  • 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • ¼ tsp. granulated garlic
  • 16-oz. container (2 cups) sour cream
  • thick plain potato chips (like Tim’s lightly salted potato chips)

Pour olive oil into a large sauté pan. Add onions, salt, and pepper and cook until onions are caramelized (golden brown), but not to the point where they are becoming a mushy mess. It usually takes at least 20-30 minutes to caramelize white onions. (I use white or yellow onions because they are not too sweet. You do not want a sweet onion for this recipe.) Meanwhile combine the beef base, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, and sour cream in a small bowl. When the onions are caramelized, remove from heat and stir in the sour cream mixture. Refrigerate at least 24 hours before serving.

ROSEMARY ROASTED CASHEWS

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I first made these cashews several years ago for a vocal jazz in-home concert. They were an immediate hit. (The recipe is a slight modification of an Ina Garten classic.) Happily, the monthly home concerts have flourished and many of our guest artists have made return visits to perform as part of our ongoing series. I’m sure it’s because of these fabulous nuts! Just sayin…….

  • 4 c. salted whole cashew nuts
  • 1 T. melted butter
  • 2 tsp. kosher salt
  • ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
  • 2 T. coarsely chopped fresh rosemary (I know this seems like a lot, but trust me on this one!)
  • 2 tsp. brown sugar

Place the nuts on an ungreased baking pan and warm in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for 6-10 minutes. (Don’t let nuts get brown, so watch carefully.) Meanwhile, combine the melted butter, salt, cayenne, rosemary, and brown sugar in a bowl large enough to also hold the nuts when they come out of the oven. Toss the warm nuts with the rosemary mixture until they are well coated. Serve warm or cool thoroughly and store in an airtight container.