Simple Summer Entertaining
By Sylvia Rieman
With Memorial Day just around the corner and summer not far behind, most of us are probably starting to think about vacations and the wonderful warm weather when we can get by with scant clothing and lightweight summer meals. Along with the warm weather, come visions of picnics at the beach, backyard barbecues, and family outings and evenings listening to music under the stars at an outdoor amphitheater. To turn these visions into actuality requires a little bit of thought, and also some physical effort, to produce the food that traditionally accompanies summer activities.
The most successful events are usually those that have been well-planned and organized, but this does not mean that an impromptu affair cannot be pulled off successfully. At the same time, a well-planned event does not necessarily mean that it has to be complicated. Quite the opposite is most often true and simplicity can be the key to successful entertaining in most cases. Simple does not mean boring or plain. Simplicity in itself can often be quite elegant and some of the tastiest meals that are often prepared with the least amount of fuss. Simplicity means that your party will be enjoyable for all those participating, including the host and hostess. Simplicity means that the food and entertainment are accomplished with a minimum number of steps. Hopefully when you finish reading this article you will end up with some suggestions and ideas on how to keep the food preparation for your party to minimum, yet have it be tasty, elegant and enjoyable.
The Fourth of July is the biggest holiday of the summer season and when some of us think of Independence Day, we think of the All-American picnic of fried chicken, potato salad and apple pie. While fried chicken, potato salad and apple pie are foods usually enjoyed by most people, to think of standing over a hot stove on the morning of the Fourth of July can often be unbearable and to go buy your chicken at a fast food take-out place can be less than enjoyable. What follows is a variation on the traditional fried chicken.
The recipe included here for Hawaiian Chicken starts out in a similar manner to fried chicken, but a minimum amount of time is spent frying it as it only needs to be browned on top of the stove. The rest of the cooking is accomplished in the oven and this can be done the day or night before and the chicken can be reheated in a matter of minutes, either in the microwave or conventional oven. Good accompaniments to this dish are corn on the cob which should just be coming into season and/or red, white and blue potato salad, home-style biscuits and of course, apple pie or homemade ice cream. One of the nice things about the following recipe is that it is easy to make in large quantities and can be stored in the refrigerator for a day or two until ready to be used.
HAWAIIAN CHICKEN
(4 - 6 Servings)
1 whole frying chicken
1 cup flour
1/3 cup salad oil
1 tsp. salt
tsp. pepper
c. sugar
2 Tbsps. cornstarch
c.cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
tsp. Ground ginger
1 chicken bouillon cube
1 large green pepper, cut into circles
1 (1 lb., 4 oz.) can sliced pineapple
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Wash, dry and coat the chicken with flour. Heat the oil in a large skillet until sizzling. Brown the chicken on all sides and remove as browned to a shallow roasting pan, arranging the pieces skin side up. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, if desired.
To make the sauce, drain pineapple, pouring the syrup or juice into a 2 cup measure. Add enough water to make 1 cups. In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch pineapple liquid, vinegar, soy sauce, ginger and bouillon cube. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly; boil for 2 minutes and then pour over the chicken. Bake uncovered, 30 minutes. Add the pineapple slices and green pepper circles. Bake for an additional 30 minutes or until the chicken is tender.
Individual chicken parts may be substituted. If using breasts, shorten the baking time to about 30 minutes total. Legs and thighs will take the amount of time designated in the recipe above.
If barbecuing is more your style, it can be kept simple. Try livening up your hamburger by mixing the meat with a package of onion soup mix, or marinate your chicken parts or spareribs in Balsamic Salad Dressing which has been fortified with garlic. You can use up your small amounts of leftover salad dressing by enhancing with wine, molasses, soy sauce or lemon juice. The flavors will almost always blend in and enhance the flavor of your food.
The easiest way to barbecue is to use the indirect method. This way, you can put the food on to cook and do other things while the meat is cooking. You don't have to stand over the coals and this lessens the chance of the food burning. To use the indirect method, you need a barbecue with a cover. If you are using a double sided gas grill, light one side, let it burn on high and then put the food on the unlit side. If there is too much food for one layer, just pile the food up in two layers. If course, if there is more than one layer of food, it will take more time to cook, and it would be a good idea to switch the top layer to the bottom, halfway through the cooking time.
The indirect method works well for foods such as chicken, ribs or roasts. To cook steaks, hamburgers or hotdogs, the old-fashioned method of cooking them directly over the heat source is still the best and quickest way. You don't want your steaks to be well done and therefore the need to be watched.
If your get-together is an impromptu one, the simplest thing would be to purchase your food ready-made from a nearby market or deli. Fortunately today, there are several chains of markets that specialize in excellent ready-made food that is great for parties. Whatever your method of food preparation for you summer activities, remember to try to keep them as simple as possible so that you too can enjoy the occasion.
I have been a children's cooking teacher and educator for over 35 years. I teach monthly classes in Westlake Village, California for children, teens and their parents. I love to share my ideas to help kids be safe, learn and have fun in the kitchen. I hold a MS in Nutrition Education and Food Sciences from California State University.
Please check out my website at http://www.sylveeeskitchen.com
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Image source: Google. Image doesn't reflect actual recipe.
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