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It is the last major holiday of summer and you want to end it with a bang of a party. Labor Day is a sad time in our family because we love summer! So what do we do? We try to make the most of it and stuff our faces in the meantime.
I thought I would pass on some of the great recipes we use to commemorate the last day of summer. Don’t worry, you don’t have to eat it all in one day-you have the whole weekend. Besides, you now have a whole nine months before swimsuit season is back. So live it up and enjoy the end of summer food!
Grill! Grill! Grill!
Texans love to grill whether it is steak, brisket, chicken or seafood, but every man will tell you that it is all about the process. My husband included. He loves to slow cook on the grill allowing items to just soak in all their seasoning and juices. Labor Day is a day about laying around and relaxing-why not let your grill do all the work.
One favorite I do have of his and I think is perfect for Labor Day is his Cajun Grilled Catfish. Fish is one of those foods that are priced nicely at this time of the year. Any seafood can be substituted for the catfish. He takes the fish and coats it in Cajun seasoning. He then wraps it in foil and cooks it on the top rack of the grill until the fish flakes at the touch of the fork.
Shrimp Kabobs
These look great off the grill in a decorative platter. Get creative with this! You can do shrimp, red bell peppers for color, onions for flavor. Add any kind of marinade such as barbecue, coconut or teriyaki.
Barbecue
My husband’s ribs could make your mouth melt. The key to his success: it takes him most of the day to cook them. He smokes them on a charcoal grill with mesquite wood chips. He wets the chips to make them smoke more. He marinates the ribs in worcestershire sauce, pepper, season salt and garlic. He then places them on the top rack of the grill just to smoke for around four hours or until the meat pulls away from the bone. Right before taking them off the grill, he brushes them with a favorite barbecue sauce. They melt. This process can also be done with Brisket-just lengthen the time of smoking.
Chicken Poppers
For those who like chicken and a little spice, my father-in-law’s recipe is sure to hit the spot. Take a boneless chicken breast and slice it open to make a pocket. Mix whipped cream cheese and a little bit of chopped green onions, stuff cream cheese mix and slice of jalapeno into chicken. Wrap it in thick bacon and hold it together with toothpicks. Cook in on the grill until chicken is done. You can also add small shrimp to the cream cheese to make it even better.
Side Dishes
Texans will say that side dishes are not as important as the meat, but just take a look at their plates. I recently had dinner with our good friends and tasted the best rice dressing ever. We plan on having the dish as a meal at dinnertime. It is without a doubt the best rice dressing I ever tasted. So I thought I would include it in this article.
Madeline Segura’s Rice Dressing
Ingredients are 1 lb ground meat, 1 onion, chopped, 1 bell pepper, chopped, 1 can French Onion Soup, 1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup, 1 cup raw rice. Brown ground meat. Drain fat. Saute onion and bell pepper in same pot as used to brown ground meat. Will not need any additional oil. If begins to stick, add a touch of water. The water will also help to soften the vegetables. Add ground meat back to pot. Add soups and raw rice. Mix together and cover. Bake @ 375 degrees for 1 hour. Yields 8 people. May need to stir a few times during cooking. Add Tony’s seasoning when stirring. If the rice is still hard after the hour bake time, bake for an additional 15 minutes or until tender. (If you double the batch, definitely cook the extra 15 minutes. A double batch will feed a large group.)
Acorn Squash
I wanted, however, to share one of my most favorite vegetables grilled. It is acorn squash. Follow this simple recipe and you will have family lined up at the grill waiting. Cut in half the acorn squash, scrape out seeds and gunk (like in a pumpkin). Put butter, salt, pepper & garlic in both halves. Roast on the grill until it is soft.
Potatoes
Potatoes are also a great cook-out side dish. You can make potato salad, grill the potatoes on the grill or if you are feeling rather adventurous you can always do a baked potato bar.
Desserts
Well, desserts should celebrate summer. After all, it is the last day. So I propose some cool, refreshing treats.
Root beer floats
What is more American? Just take two scoops of vanilla ice cream and drop in a cup. Then add your favorite soda. It can be diet-there are no rules.
Ice Cream Bar
Since you already have ice cream, why not put out an array of toppings and let your guest create their own sinful delight.
Watermelon
My dad used to make this cute fruit basket out of the watermelon. Then inside would be watermelon in little melon balls. They were great treats and a wonderful centerpiece.
I hope I have gotten your mouth watering and your creative juices flowing. Happy Labor Day! Enjoy the food!
Laura Trahan works as a stay-at-home mom. When not cleaning applesauce out of her one-year-old daughter’s hair or listening to her five-year-old son’s philosophical opinions of the latest superhero, Laura writes freelance out of her home in Houston. Laura has worked as a local community reporter and holds a degree in Journalism. Her interests include being a soccer and T-ball mom, writing, family, religiously watching the Astros, photography and church.
I love how you made Labor Day about food. I love food, I eat it every day and in between. But most of all I love to cook it is my passion and i certainly enjoyed your recipes and good ideas. thank you
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