Recipes from the Luau!

Thank you all to those who came and celebrated with us Hawaiian style!  Also, a big thanks goes to Dawn, Kat and Rhonda for all the prep you putting into making a fun evening special!  And let's not forget Kathy for allowing us to use her beautiful home and making the amazing virgin Pina Coladas! Here are some of the delicious recipes we were able to sample that night!

Tomato and Mozarella Salad by Dawn Walterscheid
Cherry tomatoes (hers were fresh from her garden)
Mozarella pearls (they sell these at Costco)
Pesto sauce (you can make your own, but Costco's is just as good.)

Mix together and enjoy!

Carmelized Pineapple Spears by Dawn Walterscheid
Roll fresh pineapple spears in a mixture of brown sugar and cinnamon.  Place on tinfoil on the grill.  Cook until sugar carmelizes.

Last Minute Fruit Salad by Kat Clough
6 cups fruit of your choice
3 ounces strawberry cream cheese
1 small tub of Cool Whip.

Combine cream cheese and cool whip.  Cut up and clean fruit. Fold cream cheese mixture together with fruit.

Mango Guacamole by Jennifer Ferniza
3 avocados, diced in 1/4 inch squares
2 mangos, diced in 1/4 inch squares
1-2 jalapeno peppers, finely chopped
salt to taste

Mix all ingredients in bowl.  Spice level can be adjusted based on number of peppers added.  Cilantro optional.

Sweet n' Fruity Salsa by Erin Yurkovic
1 large apple, cored and cut into wedges
2 kiwi, peeled and cut into pieces
8 strawberries, without stems
2 Tablespoons apple or strawberry jelly

Place apples into blender or food processor to coarsley chop.  Add kiwi and strawberries.  Process again.  Add jelly and blend to desired consistency.  Serve with cinnamon tortilla chips.

Snicker Salad by Lynn Greene
4 Gala apples, cored and diced
2 Granny apples, cored and diced
4 snicker bars chopped
1 tub Cool Whip.

Mix all ingredients together and chill.

Salsa by Michelle Philpot
6-8 Roma tomatoes, diced
1-2 avocados, diced
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 yellow onion, chopped
3-4 garlic, minced
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can corn, drained
salt to taste
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1-2 limes fresh squeezed
pepper to taste
1 can Ro*tel with green chiles

Mix all items together and serve with tortilla chips.

Pineapple Upside Down Cupcakes by Cindy Rudolph
1/2 stick butter
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 can tidbit pineapple, drained
1 Duncan Hines butter recipe yellow cake mix.

Make cake as directed on package. Melt butter and add brown sugar.  Line cupcake pan with cupcake papers.  In bottom of cup place 1 Tablespoon brown sugar mixture.  After draining pineapple, place 6 tidbits in cup.  Add cake batter until cupcake papers are 2/3 full.  Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.  Remove papers soon after cupcakes are out of oven.

Agua Fresca by Christin Pike
8 cups fruit (she used watermelon)
1 1/2 cups water
1-2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 Tablespoon sugar (optional, less sugar needed for sweeter fruit)
Garnish: lime wedges or melon slices.

Puree fruit in batches with water in blender.  Transfer to a colander lined with a kitchen towel (not terry cloth) or fine cheesecloth set over a deep bowl and let drain about one hour.  Gather ends of towel and very gently squeeze any remaining juice from fruit, then discard solids.  Stir in lime juice, sugar and chill for another hour.  Divide among 8 glasses.  Drinks can be made 4 days ahead and chilled.

Sweet and Sour Cucumbers by Elizabeth Nicolaysen
(Make the day before, best if at least 6 hours in fridge.)
2-4 cucumbers.

Peel cucumbers, split length wise and de-seed. (use a cereal spoon, drag it in a v-shape down the middle and then scrape residue seeds out.)
Chop cucumber halves in approx. 3/4 inch slices.
Place in plastic container, for which you have a tight sealing lid.

2 Tablespoons sugar, sprinkle over cucumbers
2 teaspoons salt, sprinkle over cucumbers
sprinkle with anything from Japanese pepper seeds, diced red pepper, dill weed or even a little parsley; whatever is handy for color contrast.

Mix 2/3 cup cider vinegar and 1 1/3 cups water

Pour over cucumbers. Put lid on and store in fridge.  During the period of time cucumbers are soaking in fridge, stir a couple of times so all cucumbers get to soak in brine for awhile.

Use a slotted spoon for serving.

Jello Salad by Carla Wandelt
1 20 ounce can crushed pineapple, drained
1 6 ounce box jello (she used raspberry)
1 pound 2% cottage cheese
1 16 ounce container Cool Whip, thawed

Mix dry jello with cottage cheese.  Add in crushed pineapple and then fold in Cool Whip.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Cheese-Pineapple Salad by Dana Foster
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup syrup from pineapple
1 Tablespoon unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup cold water
1 cup crushed pineapple, drained
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
2 cups Cool Whip

Dissolve sugar in pineapple syrup over low heat.  Remove from heat.  Add gelatin which has been softened in the cold water.  Chill until partially set.  Add pineapple and cheese.  Fold in Cool Whip. Chill until firm.

Mixed Grill Kabobs by Kathy Ganem
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
1/3 cup light Vidalia onion salad dressing
1 medium zucchini, trimmed, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch rounds or pieces
1 each sweet orange and red pepper, cored and cut into pieces.
1/2 yellow pepper, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces.


Soak a dozen 12-inch bamboo skewers in warm water.  Combine chicken and dressing in a resealable bag.  Refrigerate to marinate, about 30 minutes.  Add zucchini and peppers to dish with peppers and onion.  Cover with plastic, venting one corner.  Microwave 2 minutes to soften vegetables.

Heat gas grill to medium-high.  Thread chicken, pepper piece, zucchini and a different color pepper piece onto a skewer. 

Grill chicken kabobs 4 minutes per side, until cooked through.