Summer Recipes

Here are some great summer recipes from your staff at Essex!

Garden Pasta Salad with Chicken

Here's a new take on pasta salad that combines slow-roasted chicken, corkscrew noodles, kid-friendly veggies, such as edamame, and a light dressing flavored with a hint of Dijon mustard. Take a shortcut on a busy night by using a store-bought bird instead of roasting the chicken yourself.

Ingredients

4 (8-ounce) bone-in chicken breast halves, with skin

Coarse salt and pepper

Juice of half a lemon

2 tablespoons canola oil

4 cups whole wheat rotini

2 cups broccoli florets

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 cup frozen edamame, thawed

1 cup matchstick carrots

1 cup baby spinach, chopped

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and transfer it to the baking sheet. Drizzle on the lemon juice and oil, then bake the chicken until the juices run clear when pierced with a knife, about 1 hour. Transfer the meat to a plate to cool, reserving the cooking juices.

2.Cook the rotini according to the package instructions, adding the broccoli to the pot for the last 2 minutes. Drain, reserving ¼ cup of the water, plus 2 tablespoons if you're using a rotisserie chicken that has no cooking juices. Transfer the rotini and broccoli to a large bowl. Add the reserved cooking juices and pasta water and toss to coat the ingredients.

3.When the chicken has cooled, remove the skin. Pull the meat from the bone, tear it into bite-size pieces, and add it to the pasta.

4.In a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise and mustard until well blended. Add the mixture, along with the remaining ingredients, to the bowl and toss well. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, if desired. Serves 8.

Chicken Fingers on a Stick

Breaded chicken is a good bet for finicky eaters, and this variation, grilled and served on a skewer, makes it even more appealing to kids. Add your child's favorite dipping sauce, and there might not be any left for the adults!

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, pounded 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick

Salt and pepper

24 (10-inch) bamboo skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes

3 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil

2 tablespoons barbecue sauce

1 1/4 cups plain dried bread crumbs

Instructions

1.Cut each chicken breast lengthwise into 1/2-inch-wide strips and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Fold the chicken strips slightly and weave them onto the skewers.

2.Prepare a charcoal fire or set a gas grill to medium-high, close the lid, and heat until hot -- about 10 to 15 minutes.

3.In a small bowl, stir together the oil and the barbecue sauce. Spread the bread crumbs on a sheet of waxed paper. Lightly brush the sauce mixture over the chicken strips and then roll them in the bread crumbs.

4.Grill the chicken fingers uncovered until they're no longer pink inside, about 2 to 4 minutes per side on a gas grill.

5.Serve with the dipping sauce of your choice. Serves 6 to 8.





Sweet Sandals

These cute cookie kicks are sure to make a splash at your next pool party.

Ingredients

Oval-shaped cookies

Frosting

Sour gummy worms

Rope licorice

Gummy candy

Instructions

1.To make a pair, frost two oval-shaped cookies or use a toothpick to dab frosting on each cookie where the straps will be attached.

2.For wide straps, snip the rounded ends from a sour gummy worm, cut it in half, and slice each half lengthwise, leaving one end intact. For thin straps, cut rope licorice into four 1-3/4 pieces, cut one end of each piece on an angle, and pinch together the pointed ends to form two pairs.

3.Press the straps, connected ends first, into the frosting. Use more frosting to add gummy candy jewels. Let the cookies set for 20 minutes. Serve them on a dish towel spread on a beach of graham cracker crumbs.



Yogurt Parfait
This desert is to be layered in a parfait dish and to be enjoyed out in the summer sun.

 

Ingredients
Vanilla Yogurt

Granola

Sliced Strawberries

Blueberries

Instructions

1. The first layer you put down is a thick layer of vanilla yogurt.

2. Then you put a thin layer of granola on top.

3. After that you can put a layer of fruit such as sliced bananas, sliced strawberries and blueberries.

4. You will repeat those steps until your parfait dish is filled.