Most people are going to barbeque for Father's Day but sometimes we need a little something different. Here are some recipes and ideas to change up your regular barbeque.
Sliders: Change up your regular hamburgers by making sliders this year. It is a nice change because it allows those that eat a little less to have more than one thing without eating too much. I find 3oz of 85% lean ground beef make the best sliders. You can form all the burgers the day before and layer them with plastic wrap so they are ready to go on Father's Day. Pepperidge Farm makes slider rolls in white and whole wheat and I have seen them at Target.
California Coleslaw: Try this recipe for a nice change from traditional coleslaw. It contains no mayonnaise so its a great option for a barbeque.
Ingredients:
1 bag Dole Coleslaw
4-6 green onions
1 cup almonds (sliced or slivered)
2 packages chicken Ramen noodles
4 tablespoons sesame seeds
Dressing:
1 cup oil (vegetable or canola)
8 tablespoons sugar
12 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 packet chicken flavoring from the Ramen
1) Break up the Ramen noodles. Mix together the almonds, noodles, and sesame seeds. Roast them for 10 minutes at 300 degrees.
2) Whisk together the dressing ingredients.
3) Mix together the coleslaw, green onions, roasted ingredients and dressing just before serving.
To prepare ahead you can do step one and put in a baggy after its cooled. Make the dressing and put it in a container. On the day of the barbeque just combine all the ingredients with the dressing. I usually find I only need about half of the dressing.
Grill Some Seafood: Fish can be a great thing to grill and something healthy to add to a barbeque. Some great options for grilling are salmon, tuna, swordfish, shrimp, and scallops. To keep the seafood from sticking you can spray the grill with Pam for grilling before lighting the grill. You can get the fish in fillets or "steaks"; either option is fine. If you are serving smaller portions then a fillet may be better. If you are doing one per person then choose the steaks. You can also marinate the seafood if you want to add extra flavor. I think these types of fish go best with a teriyaki flavor. There are some great marinades on the market. My favorites are from KC Masterpiece and Kens. My mom mixes barbeque sauce with orange marmalade and puts that on her salmon as a glaze. For scallops and shrimp it is a good idea to put them on skewers. I usually put them on two skewers about an 1/2 inch apart (see the picture below). This makes it easy to turn them on the grill. Always soak the bamboo or wooden skewers for an hour ahead of time to prevent them from burning.
Here is a good recipe for shrimp.
1 lb. fresh or frozen raw shrimp
1/4 cup Italian salad dressing
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves minced garlic
1 chopped scallion
Peel and de vein shrimp. Combine all the ingredients in a gallon Ziplock bag. Add shrimp and toss to coat. Seal and refrigerate for 2 hours. Place on skewers and grill for about 5 minutes or until they are fully cooked.
Here is my delicious grilled scallops and salmon.
Cold Coffee Punch: Sometimes a hot cup of coffee isn't exactly what you are looking for on a warm summer evening. Try serving this coffee punch instead of hot coffee with dessert (or for dessert...it is quite delicious).
1 gallon coffee, sweetened and chilled (about 1 1/2 pots)
1 quart chocolate milk
1 container of ice cream (half chocolate, half vanilla)
1 can of whipped cream
Make the coffee a day ahead and sweeten while its hot. Refrigerate it overnight. When you are ready to serve combine the coffee and chocolate milk in the punch bowl. Scoop the entire container of ice cream into the bowl so that the ice cream floats around on the top. Then use the whole can of whipped cream by putting little squirts all around the bowl. Serve right away.
