Labor Day Barbecue Recipe Roundup

With the holiday weekend around the corner, I thought I would share some recipes you might like to bring with you to your friends and families barbeques this weekend if you're still just not sure what to make. 

Starters:


Ceviche

This simple ceviche recipe comes from my friend Kim.  I used halibut, seabass and scallops here, but you could use shrimp, tilapia (most white fish would work) or tuna.  The hints of sweet mango pair nicely with the citrusy fish, bright cilantro and creamy avocado.  This recipe is a real crowd pleaser.  We never have leftovers.  Serve with tortilla chips and lettuce for lettuce wraps. 

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

When I was creating this recipe I was trying to make it taste as much like the Trader Joe's version as possible.  I will admit, I kicked up the garlic dial just a bit.  Ok, maybe a lot.  If you're not a huge fan of garlic, simply leave it out.  If you're not sure, start with half a teaspoon of garlic powder and go from there, adding a half teaspoon at a time.  Serve with raw vegetables or pita chips.

White Bean Hummus with Rosemary

For a different spin on more traditional hummus, make this white bean hummus.  I used northern beans here, but you could also use cannellini beans or navy beans.  Serve with raw vegetables or pita chips.  To make your own pita chips, slice your pita bread into six even wedges.  Spray with olive or canola oil and bake in the oven at 400* until all the moisture is gone and your pita bread is crisp like a chip.  This should take about 7-10 minutes.

Salads:

...with veggies
Edamame Salad with Strawberries & Basil

If you're looking for a side to bring that's a little something different, this salad with edamame will be perfect.  It's filled with sweet summer strawberries, crunchy red pepper and red onion and pungent basil all topped with a spicy, citrus dressing.  Eat it by itself or over grilled fish or chicken. 







Simple Tomato Salad

If you're thinking you want to make something that takes very little time to throw together, I'd make this tomato salad.  Although it's super simple, the heirloom tomatoes I use here really take this salad to the next level.  Dressed with a simple balsamic, this salad should be ready to roll in under ten and can be made a day a head.





...with pasta or grains
Mediterranean Orzo Salad

I think this recipe speaks for itself.  If you want to add a little mediterranean flare to your barbeque, bring this salad.  If you don't like olives, I would use roasted red pepper.









Orzo Salad with Asparagus & Creamy Dill Dressing

This salad pairs beautifully with a peice of grilled salmon, but would be a great addition to any menu.  If you can't find good asparagus, I would use green beans in their place. 









Pesto Pasta Salad

My brother's pesto pasta salad is my most popular pasta salad recipe by far.  It's easy to put together (6 ingredients), can be made a day ahead (just add the cheese and nuts before serving) and is a total crowd pleaser.  I've never met a person who didn't gobble this one up. 








Quinoa Salad with Jalapeno Balsamic

My quinoa salad incorporates both vegetables and fruit with a spicy jalapeno balsamic dressing.  If you can't find a ripe pineapple, i would substutute mango or even strawberries.  If you're not to wild about quinoa, use orzo or any small pasta you like.












Soba Noodle Pasta Toss with Edamame & Tomato

See those ingredients ?  Well, if you combine them with my super tasty Asian dressing you get a colorful, deliscious Asian-style pasta salad that everyone will love.  I list this salad under sides, but it would be a great main dish recipe for vegetarians (or vegans if you use agave in place of honey) as it's packed with fiber, protein and whole grains.






Spicy Greek Grilled Vegetable Orzo

This boldly flavored Greek-style pasta salad is great to bring to a barbecue or a great way to use up vegetables that you have leftover from the festivities.  Using quinoa in place of the pasta would be another great option here.






Make a day ahead in your Crockpot:

Mary's Slow Cooker Chili

My slower cooker chili is a bit healthier than most.  I like to use ground turkey here instead of beef.  Make sure you use a beer you would like to drink, as the flavor will intensify as it cooks.  Also, be sure your beer is room tempurature as a cold beer will increase your cook time greatly.  Remember, the slowcooker has to heat up that cold beer before the cooking can begin and in a slow cooker it'll be just that... slow.




White Chicken Chili in your Crockpot

I left the toppings off this chili so you could see how thick and tasty this chili is.  I call this a chop and dump recipe because you can literally chop and then dump all the ingredients in and your work is done.  Well, almost done.  When the chicken has cooked through, you shred it, but if you wanted to skip that step, you could dice the raw chicken before cooking.  I prefer the texture of shredded chicken to cubed as it soaks up more of the chili juices. 



Marinade:

Lemon Herb Marinade

This marinade works well on chicken, fish, shrimp or even tofu.  It took me about 5 minutes to whip it up.  Make it a day ahead to let the flavors develop more, but you could use it immidiately if you didn't have the time.













I hope you all have a safe and fun Labor Day weekend filled with good food, good friends and lots of laughs!
-Mary