Lobster with corn-on-the-cob and potatoes

This is a pretty easy dinner to create. The lobsters were boiled in water to which we added 3T of Old Bay seasoning for 15 min. The corn was also boiled. We like to add the juice of a lemon and 2T sugar to the boiling water. Potatoes go well with this combination; baked, grilled or, in this case, fried. Beer fits this meal perfectly.
As you can see, we used newspaper for the table clothe. Shells, cobs....everything went onto the paper and was quickly disposed at the end of the meal. Very easy.

Spanakopita

Our daughter Karen prepared this classic Greek dish as an appitizer for our lobster dinner. She mixed 3 beaten eggs with 1/4C finely diced green onion, 8oz. feta cheese, 1/4C parmesan cheese, a dash of nutmeg and 2T fresh chopped dill. Into this mixture is folded 2 packages of WELL drained chopped spinach. Set the mixture aside. Spread one sheet of phylo dough with butter, top with another layer dough, butter, etc. to make 6 layers. Spread the filling on the dough and roll into a jelly roll. Brush with more butter and bake at 375 F for 30 min. This recipe made three logs like the one pictured; an appetizer portion for 8. We served it with beer but Retsina would be a nice touch. http://www.wineloverspage.com/wines/wt030398.shtml

Fish Cakes with Melon Salsa, Old Bay Remoulade, Risotto and Edemame

We don't generally post repeats here but there were a couple additions that we thought were worth mention. The fish cakes were made with poached salmon, in this case. We made a mayo sauce (remoulade) by mixing 2T capers and 2T Old Bay seasoning mix with 1C mayo. In addition, we had some melon salsa left over from the wedding made from finely diced cantalope, red onion and mint. We don't know the proportions but would guess perhaps 1C diced melon to 2T onion to 1/4C chopped fresh mint. A very nice salsa for fish. The risoto recipe is an easy one; much easier than the classic risotto which requires constant stirring. Mix 1C dry arborio rice with 1/4C chopped onion in a 3qt sauce pan with 2T olive oil and heat gently until the onion is tender. In the meantime, heat 4C stock (chicken or vegetable) to a simmer. Add the stock to the rice, cover and simmer until all the liquid is absorbed. When it is ready to serve, stir in 1/2C grated asiago cheese. This recipe can be modified to add mushrooms, asparagus, squash, etc. in addition to the onion. The variations are endless.
We served our favorite dry white wine but a nice Rose would be good as well.

Oriental Beef and Noodles with Roasted Summer Vegetables

This dinner was the creation of our son Greg. We had some leftover beef tenderloin from our wedding party and thought this was a nice way to use some of it. We boiled Japanese Somen noodles according to the package directions (3 minutes) and let them rest in a bowl of ice water. In the meantime, we sliced carrots and cucumbers and prepared some edamame for fiber. The dressing was thai fish sauce, soy sauce, lime and orange juices, sugar, grated ginger, diced red onion, red pepper flakes, sesame oil, and chopped mint and cilantro. The cold beef and vegetables were tossed with the noodles and the dressing poured over. Garnish with a couple of fresh mint sprigs.

Pork Tenderloin Sandwitch with Greek Pasta Salad and Chrispy Potatoes

Our eldest son was recently married in our backyard and this dinner was created from the leftovers of the buffet reception. The pork tenderloin was topped with a peach salsa made from diced peaches, diced red onion and fresh mint. The salad was made from fresh pasta and mixed with feta cheese, kalamata olives and capers. It was served on a bed of greens.

Pork Chops with Potatoes and Carrots

This is another meal prepared entirely on the grill. The pork chops were seasoned with ground sage, salt and pepper. The potatoes were mixed with some olive oil, salt pepper and thyme. The carrots were blanched in boiling water for 5 min and then put on the grill to finish them.

Summer Pasta Salad

This is another of those recipes with practically endless poss-i-bilities. Prepare the pasta according to the package directions. We like to put the hot pasta into the dressing so it better soaks up some of the flavors, so don't make the pasta too far in advance. For the dressing use, reserved liquid from a jar of marinaded artichoke hearts, 1/4C olive oil, 3T balsamic vinager, 2T chopped fresh basil, 2T chopped fresh oregano, salt and pepper to taste. This dresses about 1/2 pound of pasta to our liking. To the pasta was added diced carrots, the artichokes, summer squash, salami, olives and tomatoes. Use your imagination. Add whatever veggies you like, and if you want a meatless dish, leave out the salami; tuna or diced cooked chicken would be good as well. Top with some shredded cheese. Chill before serving. A nice crisp white wine goes well with the salad and bread.

July 4th Hot Dogs, Coney Sauce, Slaw and Baked Beans

What could be a more typical 4th meal. The dogs were grilled. The slaw, mentioned before is made with fresh cilantro, olive oil and lime juice rather than mayo....it's a lighter version of the classic. The beans start with Campbell's canned baked beans and doctored with ketchup, mustard and maple syrup. They are baked for about an hour at 350 degrees. The coney sauce is made by browing 1/4 lb ground beef (or leave it out for a meat free sauce). Add 1/2C chopped onion, 2 cloves minced garlic, 3T chopped fresh oregano, 2T ground cumin, 1 can kidney beans. For heat we like Embasa Chipotle Peppers in Adobo sauce. They are very hot but also have a nice smokey flavor. Add about 2T to the above for a medium hot final product. Simmer over low heat for an hour. This makes enough sauce to top about 10 hog dogs.