JUNE'S RECIPES

Our recipes this month are to help us celebrate Dad

Start off your Father's Day by treating dad to his favorite drink. In the good old days, dad would come home and either mix himself a drink or get one handed to him by the misses, and usually it was a martini. Well, the martini has come a long way and gone through a hundred transformations and been given new flavor!! Here are just a few of the concoctions to delight dad with on his special day!

Martinis

Apple Martini

2 trays ice
1/4 liter vodka
1/2 liter sour apple mix
Splash sweet vermouth
1 Granny Smith apple, cored and sliced

In a medium pitcher, combine ice, vodka, sour apple mix, and vermouth.
Stir thoroughly. Strain into a martini glass and garnish with apple slice.
Serve immediately.

The Crantini

2 ounces vodka
3 ounces cranberry juice

Combine ingredients in a shaker with ice and mix vigorously.
Stop when the shaker is too cold to hold. Strain into a chilled
martini glass and garnish with a lemon twist.

Tequila Martinis

2 ounces Tequila
4 ice cubes
1/2 teaspoon TripleSec
Twist of lime zest
1 strip (1/4 x 3/4inch) of serrano chile (stem and seeds removed)
A cocktail skewer

In a pitcher or a cocktail shaker, combine the tequila and the ice cubes
and stir or shake 20 times. Place the Triple Sec in a chilled cocktail glass,
swirl it around to coat the inside of the glass, and discard it.
Strain the tequila into the glass. Thread the twist of lime and the strip of
chile onto the cocktail skewer, perch it on the rim of the glass, and serve at once.

The Cosmopolitan

1 1/2 ounces vodka
1/2 ounce Triple Sec
2 ounces fresh lime juice
1 ounce cranberry juice
Combine ingredients in a shaker with ice and mix vigorously.
Stop when the shaker is too cold to hold. Strain into a chilled
martini glass and garnish with a lemon twist.

Barbecued Shrimp and Bacon
Ingredients 30 (31 to 35)shrimp, peeled and deveined 15 strips bacon, partially cooked and cut in half Vegetable oil, as needed 1 cup barbecue sauce toothpicks
Directions Preheat the broiler. Wrap each shrimp with a bacon slice. Thread each shrimp on a toothpick and brush lightly with oil before broiling. Place shrimp on a wire rack set into a foil-lined metal tray. Broil the shrimp until the bacon gets crispy on all sides. Baste with barbecue sauce and broil for 2 minutes. Turn once and finish, another 3 to 6 minutes, or until shrimp are just cooked through. Serve warm. Cook's Note: Soak the toothpicks in water before using to prevent them from catching fire when the shrimp are cooking.

Spicy Chopped Salad
Ingredients 2 romaine lettuce hearts, shredded 1 cup drained giardiniera salad (hot pickled vegetables) 1 lemon, juiced Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions For salad, place shredded greens in a serving dish and combine with coarsely chopped hot pepper salad (giardiniera). Dress salad with a little lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper, to your taste

Sweet-Sour Barbecued Ribs
Ingredients 6 lb Back Ribs; Cut in small serving pieces 1 1/4 c Ketchup 3/4 c Water 1/4 c Honey 2 tb Worcestershire Sauce 4 ts Lemon Juice 1 sm Onion 1/2 ts Salt 1/2 ts Pepper
Directions Mix together the ketchup, water, honey, worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, onion, salt, and pepper. Cook sauce for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cook ribs for one hour over medium-hot grill or grill pan, turning occasionally. Brush ribs with sauce. Turn and cook for 20 to 30 minutes longer.

Parsley-Dill Potatoes
Ingredients 2 1/2 pounds medium to large red potatoes 3 tablespoons butter 1/4 cup chopped parsley leaves 1/4 cup chopped dill Salt and pepper
Directions Using a peeler or a paring knife, peel a 1/2-inch strip around the circumference of each potato. Fill a large saucepan with cold water. Add the potatoes and place them over high heat. Boil potatoes until fork tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and place the potatoes back into the pan on the burner for 30 seconds to dry them out. Add the butter and toss in the herbs. Season the potatoes with salt and pepper.

Country Biscuits
Ingredients 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 tablespoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 3 ounces cold unsalted butter 1 cup low-fat yogurt 1/4 cup heavy cream
Directions Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In large bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. Gently cut in butter then add yogurt. Mix with hands without overworking dough. Dough should be slightly sticky. Pour onto lightly floured counter and roll to 1-inch thickness. Cut out 2-inch rounds and place on unlined non-stick baking tray. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Brush tops with heavy cream and bake 10 to 12 minutes.

Chocolate Marble Cake
Ingredients 1/3 c butter 1 c sugar 2 eggs, well beaten 1 1/2 c flour 2 ts baking powder 1/2 c milk 1 tb butter 1 chocolate square, unsweetened 1 ts vanilla
Directions Cream together the butter and sugar; add the eggs and mix well. Sift together the flour and baking powder and add alternately with the milk to the creamed mixture. Put 1/3 of the combined mixture into a bowl. Melt together the butter and chocolate and add to the combined mixture. Add the vanilla to the white batter. Drop the white batter, then the chocolate batter, by spoonfuls into a well-greased, deep cake pan and bake at 350-F for about 40 minutes. Let cool, frost with dad's favorite flavor or decorate for a special treat!