Baby Basil Shrimpies
If you're thrillin' to start grillin' then throw another shrimp on the barbee!
INGREDIENTS
2-1/2 Tbsp extra virgin or virgin olive oil
1/4 cup melted butter
1-1/2 fresh lemons, juiced
3 Tbps brown mustard
1/2 cup well crushed fresh basil
3 cloves crushed garlic
Pinch of salt and white pepper to taste
3 lbs peeled, de-veined fresh shrimp
Grill skewers
DIRECTIONS
Use a shallow glass dish or bowl to mix together olive oil and melted butter. Add in lemon juice, mustard, basil and garlic. Stir well. Season mix with salt and white pepper. Then add shrimp. Toss shrimp well so that all are coated with the marinade mixture.
After grill is preheated to high heat, take shrimp from marinade and thread onto skewers. Toss out remaining marinade.
Lightly brush grill grate with cooking oil. Arrange skewers on grill and cook for 4-5 minutes. Turn shrimp once. Make sure both sides are well-cooked.
Makes 8 servings. Be sure to calculate enough shrimp and marinade mix to accommodate all your guests!
Girl-Grilled Pineapple-Honey Grilled Shrimp
Are you going co-ed on your shower? Don your chef's hat and challenge the dudes to a grillin' smackdown!
INGREDIENTS
1-1/2 lbs peeled, de-veined shrimp
1 cup pineapple chunks
1 Tbsp lime juice
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp crushed garlic
2 tsp soy sauce
Grill skewers
DIRECTIONS
Arrange shrimp and pineapple chunks on wooden skewers and place in a flat bottom glass casserole dish. In a small bowl, combine lime juice, oil, honey, garlic and soy sauce, reserving one ounce for basting during cooking. Pour the remaining marinade over shrimp skewers. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
To cook, place skewers on grill about 6 inches above coals or gas flame. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side until shrimp and pineapple are nicely browned. Be sure to baste shrimp with the marinade you set aside before turning. Delicious served with grilled vegetables and hot, buttered sourdough rolls!
Italian Stallion Lasagna Wraps
Inexpensive yet elegant - Wraps are healthy, flavorful and popular at showers!
INGREDIENTS
10 wide lasagna noodles
20 oz chopped, cooked and drained broccoli, or (2) 10 oz packages of the chopped frozen variety, thawed and drained
1 15 oz container of ricotta cheese (use low fat if you want to save calories)
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (low fat or part skim milk saves calories and tastes great!)
4 finely chopped green onion stalks
2 tsps dried basil
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 32 oz. jar spaghetti sauce (Newman's Sockarooni Pasta Sauce adds pizzazz!)
1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease an 8 x 13 inch baking dish.
Add noodles to a lightly salted large pot of boiling water. Let cook for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and rinse.
In a large mixing bowl combine broccoli, ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, green onions and nutmeg. Mix ingredients well.
Spread approximately 1/2 cup broccoli mixture along the length of each noodle. Roll noodles in spirals as you would any other wrap-style snack. Top each wrap with Parmesan cheese.
Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes.
Makes 10 appetizers. Be sure to calculate enough ingredients to make enough for all your guests!
Louisa May Apricot Ginger Chicken Nuggets
Be sure to calculate enough ingredients so that you have plenty of nuggets for each guest. Make extra because these snacks go fast!
INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup apricot preserves
2 tsps finely minced fresh ginger
1 tsp Dijon mustard
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cubed
Skewers
DIRECTIONS
Coat grill with nonstick cooking spray. Preheat to medium high.
Combine apricot preserves, ginger and mustard in a small glass bowl.
Thread skewers with chicken cubes.
Brush mixture onto chicken cubes then grill for 6 to 8 minutes on each side. Baste frequently to seal in flavors.
VARIATION - Mama Marmalade Curry Chicken
Follow instructions above but coat chicken nuggets with a mixture of extra spicy curry powder (the Spice Islands company makes a good one) and orange marmalade.
Make up both versions and serve mango-ginger chutney on the side as a flavorful dip!
Cousin Candy's Chocolate-Covered Cherry Cake
Cousin Candy wowed us with her Sugar Cookie Supreme recipe last winter. Now she's springing ahead with her to-die-for sassy summer chocolate-cherry cake. Get it right here, Diva Darlings, its daringly delish!
INGREDIENTS
Cake
1 devil's food cake mix or devil's food cake mix with pudding
1 can (21 oz) cherry pie filling
2 large eggs
1 tsp almond extract
Chocolate Glaze
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup whole milk
1 cup (6 oz) semisweet chocolate chips
DIRECTIONS
Heat oven to 350 degrees and lightly spray a 9 X 13 pan with veggie spray.
Mix cake mix, cherry pie filling, eggs and almond extract together for 3 minutes. Pour into pan and place in oven. Bake for approximately 30-45 minutes or until it springs back when lightly pressed with fingers and just starts to pull away from the sides of pan. Cake sinks as it cools.
Glaze: In a small sauce pan, combine sugar, butter, and milk. Heat, stirring constantly, until it boils. Continue stirring and boiling for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate chips. When chips have melted and glaze is smooth, pour it over the warm cake so that it covers the entire surface. Cool cake for 20 minutes more before cutting it into squares and serving.
Note from Cousin Candy - "The lady who gave me this recipe said she put in a box of pudding with a plain devil's food cake mix. Not the mix with pudding already in it."
No summer fete is complete without whipped delights. Here's your Clabber Girl link to easy recipes for rich biscuit shortcakes. Visit their site for savory fruit inspired shortcake innovations!
For more ideas for party foods and treats, view all our recipes!
