Memorial Day is just around the corner—and if you’re like us, you might be looking for something different to grace your table. So we found some scrumptious dishes that will definitely light up your backyard.
SMOKEY ROASTED SALSA
This is Texas—we love our salsa. Why not try making your own?
What You’ll Need:
12 dried chipotle peppers (stems and seeds removed)
12 dried guajillo peppers (stems and seeds removed)
2 cups water, boiling
2 small to medium onions
1 head of garlic, separated, unpeeled cloves
2 lbs. plum or Roma tomatoes
2 lbs. tomatillos (husks removed)
1 cup lime juice, bottled
1 Tbsp. honey (can also use agave or raw sugar)
1 ½ tsp. kosher salt
Pro Tip: This makes six pints (yes, six) of salsa. So cut the recipe in half if you don’t need that much.
What You’ll Do:
In a heavy, dry skillet, toast the chiles in batches until workable. Place in a glass bowl. Pour boiling water over the chiles and weigh down with a plate or weight. Allow to soak for 20 minutes.
Place the tomatillos, tomatoes, onions and garlic on a half sheet pan under the broiler. Turn them occasionally until blistered all over and blackened in spots. Transfer the tomatillos to a blender or food processor and pulse until smooth. Add to a large stockpot.
Transfer the onion and garlic to a cutting board. Leave the tomatoes on the sheet pan and cover with a second sheet pan or plastic wrap to cool. While the tomatoes are cooling, peel and chop the onions and garlic. Add them to the blender and pulse until finely chopped or smooth. Add them to the stockpot.
Add the soaked chile peppers to the blender, strain the liquid through a sieve, and add the liquid to the blender. Blend on high until smooth and add to the stockpot.
Now your tomatoes skin should peel easily. Discard the skins and add the tomatoes and juice to the blender. Pulse to your desired texture and add to the stockpot with the lime juice, honey (or agave or sugar) and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Lower heat to medium and let simmer for 15 minutes. Ladle in to prepared pint or half pint jars.
Transfer the jars to boiling water that covers the jars by 2 inches. Boil for 15 minutes then transfer to a wire rack or counter to cool (at least 12 hours).
This might seem a little complex, but it’s worth it and will last up to a year. Bon appétit!
GRILLED CORN AND AVOCADO PASTA SALAD
Take a break from Suddenly Salad with this tasty side.
What You’ll Need:
8 oz. rotini (or other short-cut pasta; can be gluten-free)
2 ears sweet corn, shucked
½ pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1 avocado, chopped
¼ small red onion, minced
3 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil
For the chili-lime dressing:
6 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
1 Tbsp. honey
½ tsp. chili powder
Salt and pepper
What You’ll Do:
Cook pasta according to directions on the box. Set aside.
Grill corn over medium-high heat for 6–8 minutes, rotating occasionally to char evenly. Slice the kernels from the cob once cool.
Add ingredients for the dressing to a jar or bowl and shake or whisk to combine.
Combine the pasta, corn, avocado, tomatoes, red onion and basin in a large bowl and drizzle the desired amount of dressing. Season with additional salt and pepper then toss or stir to combine.
Serve immediately or cool in the refrigerator. Yum!
Pro Tip: If using gluten-free pasta, don’t refrigerate for more than an hour as it can become hard and mealy.
Sweet and Smoky Rub
Need a good rub for that BBQ? This rub is sure to please on pork, chicken, even zucchini or cauliflower steaks!
What You’ll Need:
¼ cup kosher salt
¼ cup dark brown sugar (firmly packed)
3 Tbsp. smoked paprika
2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. ground dry mustard
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. ginger
Pro Tip: Adjust the ingredients accordingly based on the amount of meat or vegetables you intend to cook.
What You’ll Do:
Stir ingredients together. Store in airtight container for up to 1 month. Done!
Red, White & Blue Fruit Popsicles
Cool off with these sweet treats!
What You’ll Need:
For the red layer:
1 ½ cups fresh strawberries, chopped
1 tsp. maple syrup
For the white layer:
1 cup full fat coconut milk, room temperature
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 tsp. maple syrup
For the blue layer:
1 ½ cups fresh blueberries
1 tsp. maple syrup
What You’ll Do:
In a blender or food processor, combine the strawberries and maple syrup. Puree until smooth.
Carefully pour about 2 Tbsp. into each popsicle mold (about 1/3 of the way full). Place the molds in the freezer for about 40 minutes to allow the strawberries to set.
Combine the coconut milk, vanilla extract and maple syrup in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Pour about 2 Tbsp. into each mold over the strawberry portion. The molds should be filled 2/3 of the way.
Freeze this layer for about 10 minutes until it’s stolid enough to insert the popsicle sticks. Carefully add a stick to each mold and return to the freezer for another 30 minutes.
Add the blueberries and maple syrup to your blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Pour 2 Tbsp. into each mold over the white layer. Fill the mold mostly to the top, but don’t fill completely as the mixture will expand when it freezes.
Pro Tip: If you don’t allow each layer to sit for the specified time, you’ll end up with tie-dye popsicles instead of defined layers of red, white and blue. Either way, talk about beautiful, festive and scrumptious!
Freeze the popsicles until solid (about 2–3 hours) before removing the mold. Enjoy!
Happy Memorial Day, y’all!
Image courtesy of iStock.
