Monday Night Recipes - End of Summer Fun Foods

As we prepare for our kids to head back to school and fall arrives... we seem to miss out on the end of the Summer... and mourn it later! I wanted to find some fun recipes to share to get a last hurrah from Summer... and some fun funky things your kids might like as after school snacks as well!

Rocket Dogs

 Ingredients

• hot dogs
• prepared breadstick dough (like Pillsbury brand)
• skewers
• cubed cheese
• mustard

Instructions

1. Simply wrap hot dogs in prepared breadstick dough (we used Pillsbury brand) and insert a skewer, letting it protrude at the top.
   
   
2. Bake the dogs according to the dough package's instructions. Add a triangle of cheese for a topper, tie on a tail made from ribbon or aluminum foil, and squirt on stripes of ketchup and mustard.
   
   

Fancy Fruit


Ingredients

• Any kind of fruit of relatively the same size
• OPTIONS
• Apples
• Pears
• Oranges

Instructions

1. Slice two pieces of fruit that are relatively the same size and alternately stack the pieces, as shown

Sandy Shells and Pearls

Ingredients

• pasta shells
• frozen peas
• butter
• grated Parmesan
• canape shells
• panko bread crumbs

Instructions

1. To make this simple dish, toss cooked pasta shells with cooked frozen peas, butter, and grated Parmesan.
   
   
2. Spoon the mixture into canape shells (we found ours at kitchencollection.com) and top with panko bread crumbs that have been toasted under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes.
   
   

Crabby Crabwich

Ingredients

• 1 croissant
• Sandwich filling*
• 6 baby carrots
• 2 toothpicks
• 1 black olive
• 2 cream cheese balls (1/2-inch)
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 radish

Instructions

1. Slit open the outside edge of a croissant, as shown, and stuff it with sandwich filling.*
   
   
2. Tuck six baby carrots into the sides to form legs.
   
   
3. Slide two 1/2-inch balls of cream cheese onto toothpicks, top each with a black olive slice, and stick them in place as shown.
   
   
4. Snip off the tips of the croissant and slide a red bell pepper claw into each end.
   
   
5. Finish the crab by attaching a radish slice smile with a dab of cream cheese.
   
   

Tips: I used crab salad in our sandwich, but chicken or tuna salad, ham and cheese, and PB&J also make delicious fillers.

And last but not least, a special treat for the Mommies and Daddies out there!

Guacamole Potato Salad

Ingredients

• 3 pounds red potatoes
• 2 tablespoons plus 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 ripe avocado, peeled
• 2 teaspoons grated lime zest
• Juice of 2 limes (about 1/2 cup)
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 2 celery stalks, sliced

Instructions

1. In a large pot, cover the potatoes with cold water. Add the 2 tablespoons of salt and bring the potatoes to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes or until you can pierce them easily with a paring knife. Drain them in a colander and allow to cool.
   
   
2. Meanwhile, puree the avocado, lime zest and juice, garlic, cilantro, mayonnaise, and remaining salt in a food processor until smooth. If the dressing seems too thick, add a tablespoon or so of hot water.
   
   
3. Cut the potatoes into bite-size chunks (leave the skins on) and place them in a large bowl with the celery. Scrape in the dressing with a rubber spatula and gently stir it all together. Serve immediately, or cover and chill. Serves 8 to 10.

XOXO
~~~~ Kristina
Lots of love from us here at the Village!