Opening Day Dip

Baseball is back.

Who doesn't love to snack when they're watching the home opener for the Tigers.

This is great when you're watching the Tigers or anytime.

GO TIGERS!

2 c. low fat greek yogurt
1 - 2 T. dried onions 
1 - 2  cloves fresh garlic crushed chopped
1/4 tsp each: salt, pepper
1/2 - 1 tsp. each: dried parsley, dried chives, dried shallots

1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes

Peel, crush, chop garlic.

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. 

Mix with a clean fork, put in fridge until ready to serve.

Serves 8.

Summer Shandy Spritz

This is great for watching opening week of baseball season, relaxing in the yard, game day or anytime.

I've used club soda & 1 orange for this, but you can also use sparkling water or your favorite citrus fruit too.

6 c. (4 bottles or cans) light beer 

4 c. approx. (1 liter) club soda

Ice

1 orange

Rinse, cut 4 slices from orange, quarter rest of orange & set aside.

Place orange quarters in bottom of clean pitcher.

Muddle orange with the back of a clean wooden spoon, add ice.

Open beers & pour beer over ice into the pitcher.

Poor club soda over beer, stir to mix.

Place pitcher in refrigerator until ready to serve.

When ready to serve, pour shandy into 4 clean glasses.

Garnish glasses with orange slices. 

Serves 4.

Hollandaise Sauce

Hollandaise Sauce is one of the most important sauces in French cooking.

This is perfect over eggs, vegetables, chicken or fish.

4 eggs yolks

1/8 - 1/4 tsp. each salt, pepper 

1/3 - 1/2 stick butter (cut up)
1 - 2  tsp. fresh lemon juice (adjust amount)

Crack eggs and carefully separate yolks into a large heat proof bowl or a double boiler.

 Add lemon juice, salt and pepper. 

Whisk until blended. 

Bring water to boil in a medium pot or bottom of the double boiler. 

Lower heat to simmer. 

Place bowl with eggs over pot, add butter, keep whisking and cook for 5 - 8 minutes or until sauce is thickened. 

Serves 4.

Cherry Limeade

This is perfect for a hot summer day or anytime.

2 - 3 c. prepared limeade

4 - 6 c. lemon lime soda

1 jar Marschino cherries

Ice

Place ice in bottom of pitcher.

Over ice combine lemon lime soda, prepared limeade, jar of cherries. 

Stir to mix.

Place pitcher in refrigerator to chill until ready to serve.

Serves 4 - 8.

Red, White and Blue Berry Shortcake

This is a great dessert for the 4th of July or anytime.

If you don't have Shortcake pastry shells, you could even do this with canned biscuits.

If you don't have blueberries or strawberries, you can even do this with raspberries or blackberries.

1  1  1/2 c. each: sliced fresh strawberries, fresh blueberries, prepared whipped cream 

4 shortcake pastry shells

1/8 tsp. balsamic vinegar (optional)

1/2 - 3/4 tsp. sugar (regular or diatetic)

Rinse blueberries and strawberries.

Remove stem from strawberries, cut strawberries into slices.

In a bowl combine strawberries blueberries. 

Drizzle vinegar and sprinkle sugar over berries. Toss to coat.

Place in refrigerator to marinate for a few hours to serve.

To serve: 

 Place pastry shell on a plate, spoon berries over the shell.

Top shortcake with whip cream.

Serves 4.

Chef Salad

Summer is the perfect season for fresh produce and satisfying salads 

This is great for a summer lunch, dinner or anytime.

2 hard boiled eggs, peeled, chopped

1 c. each: chopped cooked chicken, chopped cooked ham

1 c. each: romaine lettuce, baby spinach, spring mix

1 c. each: chopped onions, cucumber, tomatoes

1/2 c. chopped cheese

Chop cooked chicken and ham, set aside.

Peel, chop eggs, set aside.

Peel, rinse, chop onion, set aside.

Rinse, chop cucumbers and tomatoes, set aside.

Cut cheese into chunks, set aside.

When you're ready to assemble salad, rinse and pat dry lettuce, spring mix.

Rinse, snip ends from spinach leaves, set aside.

Place lettuce, spinach leaves and spring mix in a salad bowl.

Arrange chicken, ham, eggs, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions cheese on top of lettuce in the bowl.

Serves 4.

Montreaux Seasoning

This is great for the grill, in marinades or anytime you need a zing.

You can adjust amount and kind of spices desired.

1/2 T. each: granulated garlic, onion powder

1/4 tsp. black pepper,

1/8 tsp. salt

Pinch each: turmeric, crushed red pepper flakes, ground coriander, dried drill, ground mustard, paprika

Combine spices in small bowl, mix well.

 Pour mixture in a clean salt shaker.

Makes 4 servings