This menu feeds a dozen but costs under $100.
RICHARD SWEARINGER / Better Homes and Gardens | Posted: Wednesday, July 1, 2009 12:00 am
Smart choices in the kitchen mean you can afford a big spread for a group. Make-ahead prep means time savings are big, too. So dig in!
Three kinds of ribs, three lemonades, two salads, two appetizers, and a creative dessert add up to a memorable meal. Who'd guess on a budget?
One basic recipe lets you serve three kinds of ribs. Here's how: Bake ribs until tender in the oven, then move them to the grill with a choice of glazes and sauces. Update the standard three-bean salad with a fourth bean - edamame - and a bold new dressing that includes mustard, garlic and red wine. Potato salad is super creamy thanks to the combo of ranch dressing and mayo. It's also super flavorful: The potatoes are roasted with onions and garlic.
Saucy Country Ribs
Start with these basic ribs. Add the trio of sauces (or triple one of the sauces) and grill.
Prep: 25 minutes
Bake: 1¾ hours
Oven: 350 degrees F
Grill: 10 minutes
12 to 15 pounds pork country-style ribs
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Trim fat from ribs. Place 1 cup of water in each of two large roasting pans. (If you don't have two large roasting pans, use two extra-large disposable roasting pans (placed on baking sheets for support), or a roasting pan and two 13x9x2-inch pans.) Place ribs in a single layer, meaty side up. Generously sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Cover with foil.
Bake ribs 1¾ to 2 hours or until tender. Carefully remove foil.
For charcoal grill, place ribs, in batches, on the grill rack directly over medium coals. Grill 10 to 15 minutes, brushing with sauces as directed in sauce recipes. (For gas grill, preheat grill. Reduce heat to medium. Place ribs on grill rack. Cover and grill as above.)
Serve or transfer to a slow cooker set on low to keep warm. Makes 4 servings
A Trio of Sauces
Rosemary & Citrus
Prep: 10 minutes
¼ cup coarsely chopped fresh rosemary
¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons finely shredded lemon peel
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons finely shredded orange peel
2 tablespoons finely shredded grapefruit peel
½ teaspoon sea salt or salt
1/3 recipe saucy Country ribs
Lemon wedges (optional)
In bowl combine rosemary, oil, lemon peel and juice, orange peel, grapefruit peel and salt. Brush half the mixture on ribs at beginning of grilling. Brush remaining mixture on ribs the last minute of grilling. Serve with lemon wedges. Makes 4 servings.
Rhubarb-Chipotle Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
2 cups chopped fresh or frozen rhubarb (about 8 ounces)
1 small onion, chopped
¼ cup water
½ of a 12-ounce jar strawberry jam (½ cup)
¼ cup ketchup
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
1 chopped canned chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 recipe saucy Country ribs
Fresh parsley or cilantro (optional)
In saucepan combine rhubarb, onion and water; bring to boiling. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, 5 minutes. Add jam, ketchup, vinegar, mustard, chipotle pepper, garlic, Worcestershire, pepper and salt. Bring to boiling; simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes.
Generously brush on ribs at beginning of grilling. Occasionally brush with additional sauce during grilling. Sprinkle with parsley. Pass remaining sauce. Makes 4 servings.
Sweet Mustard
Prep: 10 minutes
½ cup packed brown sugar
¼ cup yellow mustard
¼ cup ketchup
¼ cup dill relish
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1/3 recipe saucy Country ribs
In bowl combine brown sugar, mustard, ketchup, dill relish, vinegar and pepper. Generously brush ribs with sauce the last 5 minutes of grilling. Pass remaining sauce. Makes 4 servings.
Sweet and Tangy Four-Bean Salad
The longer the beans are in the dressing the more flavorful they'll be. The green beans will lose some of their color as they chill; for bright green color, toss them in just before serving.
Prep: 30 minutes
Chill: 4 to 48 hours
8 ounces fresh green beans, trimmed
¾ cup cider vinegar
2/3 cup tomato juice
¼ cup vegetable oil
3 tablespoons dry red wine or apple juice
½ cup sugar
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons dijon-style mustard
1 clove garlic, minced (½ teaspoon)
1 12-ounce package frozen shelled sweet soybeans (edamame), thawed
1 14.5-ounce can cut wax beans, rinsed and drained
1 15-ounce can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 bunch green onions, finely chopped
4 large carrots, coarsely shredded
In large saucepan cook green beans in boiling lightly salted water for 10 minutes or just until tender; drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
In extra-large bowl combine vinegar, tomato juice, oil, wine, sugar, Worcestershire, mustard and garlic. Stir in beans, green onion and carrot. Refrigerate, covered, 4 to 48 hours. Serve with a slotted spoon. Makes 12 (about 1-cup) servings.
Potato Salad with Country Ranch Dressing
The avocado in this salad adds a fresh, buttery flavor. Stir it in just before serving.
Prep: 25 minutes
Roast: 35 minutes
Oven: 425 degrees F.
3 pounds round red potatoes, cut in 1-inch pieces
1 small red onion, cut in wedges (½ cup)
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup frozen whole kernel corn
¾ cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 1-ounce envelope dry ranch salad dressing mix
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
1 stalk celery, bias-sliced
3 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and chopped
1 avocado, halved, seeded, peeled and chopped (optional)
Salt and ground black pepper
Fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley, coarsely snipped (optional)
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place potatoes, onion and garlic in 15x10x1-inch baking pan. Drizzle olive oil; toss to coat. Roast, uncovered, 20 minutes. Stir vegetables; add corn. Roast 15 to 20 minutes more or until vegetables are tender and browned.
For dressing, in large bowl whisk together mayonnaise, vinegar, salad dressing mix and cayenne pepper. Add roasted vegetables; toss to coat. Stir in celery, eggs and avocado. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to serving dish. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve warm or chilled. Makes 12 servings.
Garden Sliders
For a no-cook starter, serve the squash in these sandwiches fresh rather than grilled.
Start to finish: 30 minutes
1 (15- to 16-ounce) can great northern or cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced (1 teaspoon)
½ teaspoon Italian seasoning, crushed
1 medium yellow summer squash cut in ¼-inch-thick slices
24 ¼-inch-thick slices baguette
2 medium roma tomatoes, cut in ¼-inch-thick slices
1 small cucumber, cut in ¼-inch-thick slices
Small celery top sprigs, small tomato wedges, and/or pickle slices (optional)
For bean spread, in blender or food processor combine beans, 1 tablespoon of the oil, the garlic, and Italian seasoning. Cover; blend or process until smooth. Season with salt and ground black pepper.
To grill squash, toss squash slices with remaining tablespoon olive oil. Place in a grill basket. Place basket directly over medium coals for about 5 minutes or just until squash is tender, turning once.
Spread one side of each bread slice with bean spread. Top half of the bread with tomato, squash and cucumber slices. Top with remaining bread slices, spread side down. Secure sandwiches with wooden picks. Top with celery sprigs, tomato wedges, and/or pickle slices. Makes 12 appetizer-size sandwiches.
Basil Lemonade
Prep: 15 minutes
Chill: 8 hours
12 cups cold water
2 12-ounce cans frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
1/3 cup sugar
¼ cup fresh lime juice
½ cup firmly packed fresh basil leaves, torn (one .75-ounce package)
Lemon slices and fresh basil (optional)
In extra-large bowl or pitcher combine water, lemonade concentrate, sugar and lime juice. Stir well to combine. Stir in torn basil leaves. Cover; refrigerate 8 hours.
Strain through a fine mesh strainer into serving container; discard basil leaves. Chill up to 3 days.
Serve over ice with lemon slices and fresh basil. Makes 12 servings.
Cool-as-a-Cuke Lemonade
Prep: 10 minutes
1 English cucumber, coarsely chopped
2 12-ounce cans frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
10 cups water
Cucumber slices (optional)
In blender, combine cucumber and 1 can lemonade concentrate; blend until almost smooth. Transfer to serving container. Stir in remaining lemonade concentrate and water. Cover; chill up to 24 hours.
Stir before serving. Serve over ice with cucumber slices. Makes 12 servings.
Watermelon-Berry Lemonade Prep: 25 minutes
Chill: up to 24 hours
8 cups cubed seeded watermelon
3 cups hulled and quartered strawberries
2 12-ounce cans frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
8 cups water
Wedges of fresh watermelon (optional)
Whole hulled strawberries (optional)
In blender, combine half of the watermelon, strawberries and lemonade concentrate. Cover; blend until smooth. Transfer to serving container. Repeat with remaining. Add water; chill up to 2 days.
Serve over ice with watermelon wedges and strawberries. Makes 12 servings
Blue Cheese and Bacon Mini Corn dogs
Bring the state fair to your backyard. Blue cheese and bacon in the batter make these little treats blue ribbon-worthy.
1 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup yellow cornmeal
2 tablespoons sugar
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon dry mustard
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon shortening
¾ cup milk
¼ cup blue cheese
1 egg
3 slices bacon, crisp-cooked and finely crumbled or chopped
Oil for deep frying
6 jumbo beef franks, cut in half crosswise
12 6-inch wooden skewers
Honey mustard or mustard
Blue Cheese dip (optional)
Fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley (optional)
In large bowl combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, dry mustard, and salt. Cut in the shortening until mixture resembles fine crumbs. In a blender combine milk, blue cheese and egg; cover and blend until almost smooth. Add egg mixture to flour mixture along with bacon; mix well. (Batter will be thick.)
Meanwhile, heat 1 inch of oil in a heavy 10-inch skillet over medium heat to 365 degrees F. (Should take about 15 minutes).
Insert skewers into ends of franks. Holding onto skewers, hold franks over bowl of cornmeal mixture. Spoon cornmeal mixture on franks and slightly spread to completely cover. Place coated franks, 3 or 4 at a time, on their sides in hot oil. Turn franks with tongs after about 10 seconds of cooking to prevent batter from sliding off. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes more or until golden brown, turning to brown evenly. Remove and drain on a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Keep warm in a 2000F oven while frying remaining franks. Serve warm with honey mustard and/or Blue Cheese Dip. Sprinkle parsley.
Makes 12 appetizer corn dogs.
Blue Cheese Dip
In medium bowl combine 2/3 cup mayonnaise, ¼ cup dairy sour cream, 2 ounces crumbled blue cheese, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, and 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper. Cover and chill until ready to serve.
Summer Peach Pie Twisters Prep: 40 minutes
Bake: 15 minutes
Oven: 400 degrees F
1 15-ounce package rolled refrigerated unbaked piecrust (2 crusts)
3 medium peaches, pitted and chopped, or one 16-ounce package frozen unsweetened peach slices, thawed and chopped
2/3 cup tiny marshmallows
½ teaspoon cinnamon sugar or chili powder
1 tablespoon cinnamon sugar or 1 tablespoon sugar mixed with ½ teaspoon chili powder
Vanilla ice cream (optional)
Let piecrusts stand at room temperature according to package directions. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or foil; lightly grease the foil if using. Set aside.
In medium bowl combine peaches, marshmallows and the ½ teaspoon cinnamon sugar or chili powder.
Unroll one piecrust. Cut crust into 6 wedges. Spoon a scant ¼ cup of the peach mixture along one long side of each wedge, ½ inch from edge of crust. Brush edge of long sides of crust with a little water. Fold crust over filling. Using the tines of a fork, press long sides together to seal. Fold the top edge of the crust back to expose some of the filling. Repeat with remaining wedges and filling.
Place pies on prepared baking sheets. Prick top crusts of pies two or three times with a fork. Sprinkle with the 1 tablespoon cinnamon sugar or chili powder-sugar mixture. Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until filling is bubbly and pastry is golden brown. Cool pies on pans slightly to serve warm, or cool completely.
Serve standing upright in paper cups or in glasses with a scoop of ice cream. Makes 12 twisters.
All this food for under $100?
Offer the crowd a generous spread while keeping your budget intact. The total is based on serving the entire menu. Spend less by serving plain lemonade or by making your favorite from-the-pantry barbecue sauce. Or spend more by serving grilled chicken or spareribs instead of country ribs. Here's what we spent:
Rosemary & Citrus ribs $12.99
Rhubarb-Chipotle ribs $15.12
Sweet mustard ribs $12.14
Four-bean salad $8.26
Potato salad $6.90
Garden sliders $5.99
Basil Lemonade $7.41
Cool-as-a-Cuke Lemonade $4.53
Watermelon-Berry Lemonade $8.94
Mini Corn Dogs $9.59
Peach Pie Twisters $7.54
Total $99.41
Costs are based on national brand prices in Des Moines, Iowa, supermarkets during February 2009 and do not include optional ingredients. Costs may vary by region or season.