Light Menu for a Hot Summer Sunday

It's been a super hot and humid week down here in the south!  Georgia has definitely been a muggy, hot mess!  With the summer heat, I always plan lighter dinners with meat from the  grill and fresh tasting sides.  We enjoyed this lighter August Sunday dinner menu that was grilled to perfection!  And I'm discovering that dinner served on my golden yellow plates doesn't look very appetizing!  Excuse the picture....I promise it was a delicious, perfect Sunday dinner creation that everyone loved.

I'm enjoying coming up with yummy Sunday dinner ideas but I am struggling with the recipes...a lot of the recipes that I create are just recipes that I have made up over the years, not recipes found in my recipe box.  While I am cooking dinner now I am having to write down the approximate measurements that I use in hopes of creating the perfect recipe.  If a recipe doesn't work for your tastes remember that you can always tweak it a bit.  Take out a little sugar, add a little more salt, or even omit an ingredient that sounds yucky to you.  Make those recipes your own!

Maple Glazed Salmon (Recipe below)

 with Homemade Tarter Sauce

Creamy Spinach Fettuccine (Recipe below)

Sauteed Zucchini and Squash (Recipe below)

Warm Crescents (Purchased at Kroger)

Watermelon

Dessert:  Strawberry Shortcake (Recipe below)

Maple Glazed Salmon

This is a basic recipe I learned how to make from my sister in law, Kristin quite a few years ago and then I tweaked it to make it my own.  

You will need:

1 stick of butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup maple syrup (The real stuff, not that maple-flavored high fructose corn syrup)

1 TBSP lemon juice

Place all ingredients in a heavy saucepan and heat on medium heat.  Stir to prevent burning and to dissolve sugar.  Bring to slow boil.  Stir and cook for about 2 more minutes until glaze thickens slightly.  Do not overcook or it will turn into candy!  Remove from heat.

Create a double layer foil rectangle for the salmon with the sides folded up.

Place foil on preheated grill.  Place the salmon slab skin-side down on foil and then drizzle the maple glaze over the top.  Spread evenly over fish, reserving a small amount of glaze to baste with half way through cooking.  Cover grill.  Cook on low until salmon flakes when pulled with a fork, about 20-25 minutes depending on thickness.  You can add more glaze to the salmon about ten minutes into the grilling.

When salmon is grilled to perfection use a large spatula to remove from the foil.  The skin will remain stuck to the foil and the salmon will pull away from the skin perfectly.

Homemade Tarter Sauce

As a child, it was always my job to create the tarter sauce for our fish stick dinners.  I would just kind of create a conglomeration of spices, herbs, and Miracle Whip, tasting as I created until I thought it was perfect.   Even to this day, I kind of go through the same process each time I make tarter sauce.  So here is the basic recipe that I wrote down today while making it.  It'll probably be different the next time I make it....but it's always good.

You will need:

1/2 Cup Miracle Whip

1/4 Cup sour cream

Not quite a 1/4 Cup chopped dill pickles (There's probably a measurement for that in TBSP but you get the idea!)

2 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1/4 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp dill weed (I used fresh)

dash of pepper

Combine and chill until ready to serve.  Adjust seasonings if necessary.

Creamy Spinach Fettuccine

This is just kind of a throw together recipe based on how much you need.  Cook spinach egg noodles (or plain egg noodles) according to package directions.  Drain.  

In the hot pan melt a half a stick of butter.  

Add:

 1/2 cup of sour cream

 a couple dashes of garlic powder

 two dashes of nutmeg

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

After sauce is blended gently add approximately 1/3 cup cream.  Add cooked noodles to sauce and serve immediately.

Sauteed Zucchini and Squash

My children love this medley of vegetables from the garden!  My son told me to make a lot today because he was going to eat half of it.

Saute in a heavy dose of butter sliced zucchini and squash til tender crisp.  Sprinkle with lemon pepper and some celery salt.  Add a large mound of grated carrots.  Lower heat and sprinkle Parmesan cheese on vegetables.  Put lid on.  When cheese is nicely melted serve.

Strawberry Shortcake

This classic dessert is a family favorite.  Who can resist juicy strawberries smothered in cream atop a smooth, velvety cake?  This Bisquick cake recipe always makes me think of my brother, Craig when I make it.  Growing up he was the one in charge of making this cake for our Sunday dinner desserts.  He had mastered the fine art of making it so that it always turned out perfect!  This cake can be used for Strawberry shortcake like we did today or you can alter it a bit and use it for a Peach Shortcake!  In the winter I will top it with a warm, homemade lemon sauce....but you'll have to wait until it gets a little cooler for that recipe!

Velvet Crumb Cake

1 1/2 Cup Bisquick

1/2 Cup sugar

1 egg

1/2 Cup milk

2 TBSP butter, softened

1 tsp vanilla

Combine ingredients in mixing bowl.  Beat on low speed until mixed, then on medium speed for 4 minutes.  Pour into 8x8 greased and floured square pan.  Bake 350 for 30-35 until toothpick comes out clean.

 While cake is cooling wash, remove stems and slice a container strawberries.  Place in container with a lid and add 1/3 Cup powdered sugar.  Place in refrigerator to chill until ready to use.  The sugar that you added will turn into a nice glaze.

 When cake is cooled cut in square slices and place on dessert plate.  Top with sliced strawberries and sweetened whipped cream.  I add a dash of vanilla to my whipping cream as well.  Serve.