The Perfect End to Summer Meal

Happy Labor Day!

A delicious close to the summer season.

Its always sad to see summer cook outs go, but why not go out with a bang?  This to me is pretty much one of the best summer meals.  I do make a mean cucumber dill potato salad, but we'll save that for another post.  

Above you will see a nice glass of white sangria served in my favorite vintage Marilyn Monroe By Andy Warhol glasses, a balsamic sautéed potato with grated romano cheese and cherry tomatoes, a marinated skirt steak paired with grilled pineapple, and lastly a romaine salad with avocado, fresh corn, cheddar, bacon and tomato. The Perfect Summer Grilled Dinner.



Its been a crazy few weeks and I'm so sad to see the summer go, but I'm happy to lay low.  I've been to the moon and back lately, lots of fun lifestyle posts coming soon.  The best thing after a crazy weekend that ended the summer is a fantastic homestyle summer dinner.

White Sangria
         (ingredients:)
-1 Liter light White Wine (Albarino, Savignon Blac, or a Crisp Chardonnay)
-1 1/2 oz.Spiced Rum (I used Kracken Rum)
-1 oz. Brandy
-1 1/2 oz. Triple Sec
-1 cup Apple Cider
-1/4 cup Sugar
-1 Whole Sliced Granny Smith Apple
-1 Halved Lemon
-1 Halved Lime
-1 Handful of Raspberries
-1/2 Liter of Ginger Ale

(prepare:)
Pour wine into pitcher or whatever you will be serving it in.
Add the rum, brandy, triple sec, apple cider and sugar- then stir.
Squeeze in half the lemon and half the lime, then cut a few slices of each
to add to the pitcher (preferably without seeds).
Then add the apple slices and then cover with saran-wrap and let it chill over night.
Save the raspberries until right before you serve and then toss them right into the pitcher.
Server with a splash of ginger-ale in each glass over ice. & ENJOY!
 

Balsamic Potatoes
     (ingredients:)
-Baby Red Skin Potatoes
-Balsamic Vinegar
-Olive Oil
-Minced Garlic
-Diced White Onion
-Butter
-Onion Powder
-Garlic Powder
-Salt & Pepper
-Dried Parsley
-Sliced Cherry Tomatos
-Fresh Grated Romano Cheese
-Sliced Baby Portobello Mushrooms

(prepare:)
Wash and chop the potatoes and put into a pot of cold water.  Then bring to a boil and cook until they are just slightly softened.   Don't overcook them to the point where they would be perfect for mashed potatoes, but a touch more firm because they will be getting pan cooked.  I like to boil them first, otherwise it would take forever for the potatoes to cook in the pan.

In a large heated sauté pan or skillet add butter and sauté the baby portobellos with a splash of balsamic and then remove them from the pan place them aside. Then throw the onions in with some and let them begin to cook and then add the potatoes.  Add a few splashes of balsamic with the olive oil, minced garlic, onion powder, salt and pepper.  Continue to cook on a medium heat intermittently adding balsamic, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper until they are perfect to taste.

Add the cherry tomatoes and the precooked portobellos.  Then finish with the dried parsley, fresh grated Romano cheese and a touch more salt, pepper and onion powder.


Marinated Steak with Pineapple
          (ingredients:)
-Minced Garlic
-3 Splashes Worcestershire Sauce
-1 Splash of Low Sodium Soy sauce
-2 Splashes of Teriyaki
-1/2 Cup of Beef Broth
-Sesame Oil
-Sliced Pineapple

(prepare:)
Whisk the broth, garlic, worcestershire, soy sauce, teriyaki, and sesame oil.  Tenderize the steak with a fork and them place it into the marinade, let it sit for 10 minutes then flip it and place aside for at least 35/40 minutes.  The longer the better, I prefer at least an hour or two.

Fire up the grill and throw it on.  Just a few minutes on each side for the perfect medium-rare cook. The cook time will vary dependent on how big the steak it.

Begin to grill the pineapple simultaneously.  About 4 minutes on each side, again varying on how big you want you slices to be.  My only suggestion is not to thin, it ruins the amazing texture of the grilled pineapple.  You just want nice golden brown grill marks and then you are done!  Eat the Steak and pineapple together in one bite and get ready for a flavor combination that will leave you wondering where it has been all your life.  

Chopped Salad
     (ingredients:)
-Chopped Romaine
-Avocado
-Crisp Bacon Bits
-Cut Fresh Corn off the cob
-Sliced Red and Yellow Tomatoes
-Minced Red onion.
-Shredded Cheddar
-A Dollop of Salsa

(prepare:)

Take all ingredients except the salsa, half the portion of tomatoes, half the portion of cheese and toss them all together.  So clean, chop and toss the romaine, bacon bits, corn, half the tomatoes, half the cheese and just make sure it is evenly mixed.

Add the dollop of salsa and mix up till everything is equally distributed and evenly coated. Then nicely layer some of the remaining tomatoes, the sliced avocado and some of the cheese.  Finally top it off with the rest of the tomatoes and the rest of the cheddar.