Labor Day is right around the corner, and it's time to start thinking about
what great meals you will prepare. Picnic and barbecue fare top the list, but
you must also be prepared for a rainy outing. If you can't barbecue chicken
on the grill due to a monsoon outside, try an alternative like Southern fried
chicken. You may also precook your ribs, brats or what have you indoors in
a slow cooker or oven. Then you can run outside to the grill, get a nice
sear on your meat, and swim back inside before you become a human
lightning rod.
I'm sure you have many recipe ideas for a delicious Labor Day lunch or
dinner. Here are some of my easy recipes for Labor Day that you might
want to try, inclement weather or not.
Easy Steak Supper
What you need:
- 1.5 lbs chuck steak, 1 inch or more thick
- 3 carrots, cut in bite size pieces
- 2 celery stalks, cut in bite size pieces
- 3 potatoes, quartered
- 1/2 c chopped onion
- 3 T butter, melted
- 1/2 t salt
- 1/8 t pepper
- 1 T chopped parsley
- 1 envelope onion soup mix
What you do:
- Place beef on large piece of heavy duty foil (3' x 18"). Rub on onion
soup mix; sprinkle excess on beef. Cover steak with vegetables. Mix
butter, salt, pepper and parsley. Pour mixture over vegetables.
Wrap up in foil. Place on grill and cook over warm coals or on low
heat for about 1 hour. Check after 1 hour to see if meat and
vegetables are tender. If not quite done, place back on grill and
check again every 15 minutes.
Camp Potatoes
What you need:
- 4 large potatoes, sliced thin with peels on
- 2/3 c half and half
- 3/4 c shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 medium onion, sliced
- 1/3 c butter
- 2 T parsley, chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
What you do:
- Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix thoroughly. Pour
mixture onto a large sheet of heavy duty aluminum foil. Bring up
edges of foil together to tightly seal potatoes. Place on a gas or
charcoal grill and cook over medium heat for 40 - 50 minutes, or until
potatoes are tender. Turn foil packet over a few times during grilling
to make sure all potatoes are evenly cooked.
Flank Steak on the Grill
What you need:
- 2 lbs flank steak
- 1/3 c lemon juice
- 1/4 c red wine or red wine vinegar
- 1 t liquid smoke
- 11/2 T Worcestershire sauce
- 2 T soy sauce
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/4 c onion, diced
- 1/4 t pepper
- 1/2 c olive oil
What you do:
- In a bowl, combine all ingredients except for steak and mix well. In a
gallon size plastic bag, add steak. Pour mixture into bag, close and
shake to coat. Refrigerate for 24 hours. Grill steak over medium
heat; 6 - 7 minutes per side.
Grill Roasted Chicken
What you need:
- 3-4 lb whole roasting chicken
- 1 medium onion, quartered
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 c olive oil
- 1/4 t thyme
- 1/4 t rosemary
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
What you do:
- Wash and dry chicken inside and out with paper towels. In a small
bowl, mix olive oil, thyme, rosemary and garlic. Rub oil on inside and
outside surface of chicken. Salt and pepper chicken per taste, inside
and out. Add onion to inside cavity of chicken.
- Place chicken breast side up on center of grill. Cook, covered, over
low-medium coals or heat for 2 hours.
- Place in a shallow pan if having flare up problems.
Spaghetti Olive Salad
What you need:
- 1 lb uncooked spaghetti
- 1 large tomato or 1/2 lb cherry tomatoes, chopped
- 1/4 c chopped green olives
- 1/2 c chopped black olives
- 3/4 c fresh chopped basil
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/4 c olive oil
- 1/2 c Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 T balsamic vinegar
What you do:
- Cook spaghetti per box directions, making sure you don't overcook;
drain and rinse with cold water. Place pasta in large bowl. In another
bowl, mix tomato, olives, vinegar, oil, garlic and basil. Marinate for 15
minutes. Add mixture and Parmesan to noodles and toss; serve.
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