Barbecue, vegetables,easy, | Good Dinner Mrs Mellen

Category: Barbecue, vegetables,easy,
- Hummus Dip with Tobbouleh, Feta, Cucumbers, Tomatoes and Tzatziki
  
  Posted at 12:00 pm by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Jul 6th
  Easy summertime entertaining is my philosophy for summer parties. I love to put together easy to make ahead dishes so I can relax and enjoy my guests. During the summertime with abundant produce at Framer’s markets, I just love creating delicious healthy food. Keep all the intendants my hummus dip ready for an impromptu get together or to bring to friends home for a barbecue.
  
  Hummus Dip with Tobbouleh, Feta, Cucumbers, Tomatoes, and Tzatziki
  
  1 container prepared Hummus*, I like garlic
  
  1/2 cup prepared Tabbouleh Salad*
  
  1/4 cup chopped cherry tomatoes
  
  1/4 cup chopped English cucumber
  
  1/4 cup chopped feta
  
  1/4 cup prepared Tzatziki*
  
  sliced tomatoes and cucumbers for garnish
  
  Mound hummus on serving plate. Top with tabbouleh, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, feta, then drizzle with tzatziki. Garnish with sliced tomatoes and cucumbers. Refrigerate. Serve with pita bread or crackers.
  
  Enjoy!
  
  * I use Cedar’s Mediterranean Foods brand for the hummus, Tabbouleh, and Tzatziki.
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  Posted in Appetizer, Barbecue, vegetables,easy,, Easy recipes, entertaining, Farm Fresh Produce, Food, Good Dinner Mrs Mellen, Healthy, Vegetarian | Tagged Cedar's Mediterranean Foods, cucumbers, feta, hummus, Tobbouleh, tomatoes, Tzatziki
- Bourbon Baked Beans
  
  Posted at 9:15 am by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Jun 22nd
  For summertime entertaining, barbecues, pool parties, picnics with family and friends I prepare easy to make ahead meals so I can relax with my guest. We hostess just want to have fun too!
  
  Baked beans are great for celebrating July 4th, an all American side dish. Why buy already prepared baked beans from a can when you can easily make homemade. I like to use a variety of different beans, black, kidney, pinto, navy beans, you choose your favorite. I lean to more vegetarian and vegan food so I make these beans vegan and flavored with bourbon.
  
  You can put the baked beans together a day ahead, refrigerate and bake the day you want to serve.
  
  BOURBON BAKED BEANS
  
  6 15- to 16-ounce cans assorted beans, black, red kidney, pinto, northern beans, drained
  
  1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  
  1 large onion. chopped
  
  2 cloves garlic, minced
  
  1 1/4 cups purchased barbecue sauce
  
  1/2 cup bourbon whiskey
  
  1/3 cup tomato paste
  
  2 tablespoon cup dark molasses
  
  3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  
  2 tablespoons (packed) dark brown sugar
  
  2 tablespoons vegan Worcestershire sauce
  
  1 tablespoon soy sauce
  
  2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  
  1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  
  1 teaspoon liquid smoke, optional
  
  2 tablespoon dark brown sugar
  
  Preheat oven to 350°F. Place beans in a large bowl. Cook onions in oil until translucent about five minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic cooking for an additional five minutes. Cool then add to beans. In a medium bowl whisk together the remaining ingredients except for parsley. Pour over beans and stir until combined. Transfer to a 113 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish. Bake uncovered until liquid bubbles and thickens slightly about 1 hour. Cool 10 minutes.
  
  Enjoy!
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  Posted in Barbecue, vegetables,easy,, Food, Good Dinner Mrs Mellen, vegan, vegetable bake, Vegetarian | Tagged baked beans, easy, Side dish, vegan
- Memorial Day Weekend on Martha’s Vineyard
  
  Posted at 8:43 am by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  May 28th
  Memorial Day Weekend the official beginning of summer season on Martha’s Vineyard includes patriotic remembrances of the brave soldiers who responding to our nation’s call of duty gave their lives for our country. On Friday before the Memorial Day weekend, it’s a tradition for some of the school children on the island to honor the men and women who have served with an annual Walk to the Sea. And all over the island ceremonies to remember not to forget our heroes are taking place.
  
  As restaurants and hotels have gradually opened throughout May after a long winter’s sleep, by Memorial Day Weekend the island is wide awake, open for another beautiful summer on this magical island. If you are not familiar with this jewel of an island off the coast of mainland Massachusetts you would be surprised to find out that starting after Labor Day weekend restaurants, hotels, and shops commence shuttering their door for the season with staggered closing until Edgartown’s Holiday Stroll. After the stroll and though January, February and March, the island hibernate, only the heartiest New Englanders remaining on the Island to face fierce Nor’easters battering the shores with gale-force winds along with a light snow coating the island like an insulating blanket that you never want to pull back until spring. Driving down the streets of the three major towns, Edgartown, Vineyard Haven and Oak Bluffs store windows are covered with brown paper and closed signs greet visitors giving thanks for your business and see you next Spring. Summer residents close up their homes, pack their island memories away wrapped in dreams of next summer, looking back for one last fleeting glance before shutting the door until next year when the island beacons, the call too strong to resist they return.
  
  My husband Chris and I do visit the island during the winter to check on our home and to enjoy, abet frozen, winter’s beauty on display. I find the quite cold hovering over the island a peaceful reminder of nature’s power that we cannot control or contain signifying for me that life is transient, always changing, inviting acceptance, not resistance. And in April with spring starting to peek fearless like the early snow crocuses we begin readying our home for, pulling back the thermal covers, for the summer. All over the island, the song of renewal can be heard, as workers with hammers, saws, paintbrushes, repair the ravages of winter returning the island to the pre-winter condition as if the island was untouched by the harsh winter’s rest. At our home, we spend much of the weekend readying our outside – shedding the last resulting vestige of winter as summer’s promise like morning awakening light floods our home with renewal. Our work finished – we claim our reward – a visit to Menemsha Fish Market home of the freshest fish on the Island. Our bag filled with Lobsters and mussels we return home, fire up the grill, relaxing by the pool eating our simple meal alongside a cold bottle of Rose. The long cold winter’s wait, a distant fading memory, erased by the wave of a sorcerers’ wand as the island once again cast a magical spell over all who set foot on her shores.
  
  Enjoy!
  
  Summer tablescape
  
  Rose kissed by summer sun
  
  Mussels on the Grill
  
  Lob’ster and potatoes
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  Posted in Barbecue, vegetables,easy,, Good Dinner Mrs Mellen, Main Meal, Martha's Vineyard
- Grilled Moroccan Swordfish Kebabs
  
  Posted at 8:46 am by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Nov 5th
  Grilled Moroccan Swordfish Kebabs
  
  Many shy away from making fish at home thinking that fish is difficult requiring a higher degree of cooking to master or just unaware of how easy fish is to prepare. Fish is a healthy alternative to meat along with being an integral element of the Mediterranean diet which I follow so we eat fish regularly. Fish is so versatile lending to using many different seasoning especially with white body fish such as swordfish, cod, halibut, just to name a few. With this recipe I flavored swordfish with traditional Moroccan spices, skewed then grilled to perfection. If you are intimidated by making fish grilling is a great to start to gain confidence and enjoy a healthy fish meal.
  
  Ingredients
  
  3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  2 garlic cloves, minced
  2 teaspoons ground cumin
  1 teaspoons turmeric
  1 tablespoon minced thyme
  1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  2 pounds swordfish steaks sliced 1 1/2 inches thick, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
  Salt
  
  Instructions
  
  In a large, shallow dish, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, turmeric, thyme and crushed red pepper. Add the swordfish and stir to coat with the marinade. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
  
  Light the grill preheating to 450F. Thread the swordfish onto 6-inch skewers. Season with salt. Grill the kebabs over a hot fire, turning once, until lightly charred and cooked through, about 8 minutes.
  
  Enjoy!
  
  gooddinnermrsmellen.com
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  Posted in Barbecue, vegetables,easy,, Fish, Good Dinner Mrs Mellen | Tagged easy, Grillng, swordfish
- Grilled Red, White and Blue Potatoes for July 4th
  
  Posted at 1:51 pm by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Jul 2nd
  What could be more appropriate for a 4th of July party than red, white and blue potatoes on the grill. Oh, did I mention delicious and easy. You can make these potatoes ahead and serve them at room temperature or hot off the grill. Either way they taste wonderfully delicious.
  Ingredients
  3 packages(8-oz) gourmet tricolor potatoes
  
  1/4 cup olive oil
  
  4 cloves garlic, minced
  
  2 tablespoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
  
  2 teaspoon sea salt
  
  1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
  Scrub potatoes, dry thoroughly. Place in large bowl. In a small bowl combine oil, garlic and thyme. Toss over potatoes. Set aside for 30 minutes. Preheat grill. Place potatoes on a grill pan, top with salt and pepper. Close lid grilling for 30-45 minutes until potatoes are soft. Test potatoes by piercing with a knife. Make ahead and serve at room temperature or serve immediately. Serves 20-25.
  Enjoy!
  
  Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
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  Posted in Barbecue, vegetables,easy,, cooking, Healthy, Side dish, vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian
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