Birthday Barbecue for Nancy

 

Nancy's Birthday Barbecue!

 

Nancy's Birthday is actually July 3, but she is a busy woman! We finally got to celebrate with her July 30.  This was the menu:

 

 

 

RECIPES:

 

If you want to try the potato salad, the recipe is here .

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The cucumber/tomato/feta salad was SO good.

 

 

Salad Ingredients:

- 2 large cucumbers

- 2-3 tomatoes

- 1 can (15 ounces) garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

- 1/2 red onion chopped

- Feta Cheese

(Optional: avocado)

 

For the Dressing:

- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar

- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

- 2 tablespoons honey

- 1/2 teaspoon salt

- 1/2 teaspoon pepper

'

 

Instructions:

 

Wash and peel cucumbers (I alternate strips of peeled skin and leaving skin on), trimming ends.  Cut cucumbers lengthwise and scoop out seeds then cut into cubes.  Dice tomatoes.  Chop red onion into fine slivers.  Prepare dressing by combining ingredients in a bowl with a whisk.

 

Combine cucumbers, tomatoes, garbanzo beans and onion.  Add dressing and toss thoroughly.  Add feta cheese.
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Butternut Squash

 

Did you know you could cook a whole butternut squash in your crockpot?  Yep, you can. 
Since this was in the middle of a hot summer I wanted to avoid using the oven.  I had 3 crockpots going, one with butternut squash.  All you gotta do is wash it and put it in the crockpot for a few hours.  Yum!

 

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Kabobs

 

Soak the sticks in water ahead of time.  Chop up your veggie selection and put on sticks. Place on grill and brush on your favorite marinade (I can't tell you what marinade my husband used because he wont tell me lol but I know he often uses an Italian dressing and Lawry's have good flavors click here to see flavor options) and let sit to soak in the marinade for a few hours.  To cook, put on the grill, turning every 5-10 minutes and continue dressing with extra marinade.   If you are serving vegetarian, make sure you do those before the meat (I used tofu for those).

 

 

The hubby takes his grilling very seriously!

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Ribs

 

Brine the ribs with
1 qt apple cider

2 tbsp minced garlic

1/4 cup table salt

10 turns ground black pepper

10 turns ground white pepper

Combine ingredients in a bag.  Put ribs in bag and make sure the are coated with brine.  Refrigerate overnight.

 

Dry rub:
                           

1 1/2 tablespoons paprika

1 1/2 tablespoons salt

1 1/2 tablespoons ground black pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

3 tablespoons brown sugar

 

Place ribs in a large pan. In a bowl, mix together the brown sugar, paprika, salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. Rub into pork ribs. For best results, allow ribs to sit in dry rub for an hour at room temperature.  Grill as desired (hubby adds some of his favorite bbq sauce at this point).

 

 

 

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Sweet and Sour Chicken in the Crockpot

 (sorry no picture yet)

• 1 can (15-20 ounces) of pineapple chunks in juice
• 1 cup cut carrots (I use baby carrots cut in half)
• 1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
• 3 cloves of garlic finely chopped
• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1/2 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 red bell pepper cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1/2 green bell pepper cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 cup water
• Rice or chow mein noodles

1. Put carrots, onion and garlic in bottom of slow cooker.  Top with chicken. 

2. Mix soy sauce, brown sugar and juice from pineapple can (reserving fruit for later) on top of chicken.

3.  Cover and cook on low for 7 to 9 hours or high for 4 to 5 hours.

4. During last 30 minutes, add pineapple and bell peppers.  During last 10 minutes, mix cornstarch and water and stir into slow cooker.  Serve over rice.

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If you want the cheesecake recipe, you can find it HERE