Grilled Pineapple Shrimp

It's been so hot that the thought of turning on my oven makes me want to cry! So I've been on the lookout for more grill ideas. This one is super easy, fast, and delish! The shrimp get almost caramelized on the grill and are so sweet. I served this with potatoes and onions (on the grill also) and a salad. This serves about 2 people so double or triple it, if necessary!

Grilled Pineapple Shrimp

1 lb. jumbo shrimp, cleaned, peeled, and deveined (just buy them that way and rinse them!)

1/2 c. teriyaki sauce

1 green onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 small can pineapple chunks, reserve juice

salt & pepper

Combine teriyaki, green onion, garlic, and pineapple juice in a bowl. Peel (I leave the tails on) and rinse shrimp and sprinkle with salt & pepper. Pour shrimp in marinade and refrigerate for a couple hours (or 20 minutes like me). Skewer shrimp with one pineapple chunk in between and place on a hot grill for about 2-3 minutes per side.

Banana Split Ice Cream Dessert

This is a total fake-out dessert! It's super easy, but looks like you spent a lot of time. Enjoy this one while the weather is still hot.

Banana Split Ice Cream Dessert

20 Oreos, crushed

4 T. butter, melted

2-3 bananas

1 pint strawberry ice cream

1 pint vanilla ice cream

1 16oz. jar hot fudge sauce

1 pkg. strawberries, OR a 16oz. container frozen sliced sweetened strawberries (thawed & drained)
2 T. sugar

1 8oz. Cool Whip

1 small can crushed pineapple, drained

Place Oreos in a ziplock bag and crush with a rolling pin. Pour the melted butter in, mix it up, and press into a springform pan. Slice the bananas in a single layer on top of cookies. Scoop strawberry ice cream on top of bananas and spread out as evenly as possible. Freeze for 1 hour.

Warm the hot fudge slightly - just enough to spread it over the strawberry layer. Place back in the freezer about 30 min. Scoop vanilla ice cream on top of hot fudge layer and spread out as evenly as possible. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze 4-6 hours until firm.

In the meantime, slice strawberries up and add 2 T. sugar. Let set until they start to get juicy. Mash them up a little and set aside or refrigerate until you are ready to serve.

Spread the crushed strawberries (drain if too juicy) on top and sprinkle with the crushed pineapple. Spread the cool whip over everything!

Spaghetti with Chicken, Artichokes, Spinach, and Tomatoes

This is another PW recipe, but I changed it up...the picture doesn't do this recipe justice. I added spinach and grilled chicken (Italian sausage would be good too). It was super fast, easy and delicious! This will serve at least 4 people, so cut it in half if you need to.

2 T. olive oil

2 T. butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 onion, finely diced

1 can quartered artichoke hearts, drained

1 large can diced tomatoes with juice

1/2 c. heavy cream

1/2 c. chicken broth

1/2 pkg. baby spinach leaves

1/2 t. nutmeg

4 chicken breasts

Italian or Balsamic vinigarette dressing

1 lb. thin spaghetti

1 c. parmesan, freshly grated

Marinade chicken breasts in enough dressing to coat in a ziplock bag and grill until done. Cover and set aside.

Cook spaghetti in boiling salted water, drain and set aside.

Melt butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and saute 2-3 minutes. Add artichoke hearts and tomatoes. Cook for 8-10 more minutes. Add chicken broth, cream, and salt & pepper to taste. Turn down to low and cook until heated through. Add a couple handfuls of fresh baby spinach and nutmeg and stir until wilted down in sauce.

Place pasta in a large bowl. Sprinkle with 1 c. parmesan. Pour sauce over top and toss to coat. Top with slices of grilled chicken and sprinkle with additional parmesan. Serve with warm crusty bread to soak up all the sauce.

Peach Crisp

A summer favorite! Get your Michigan Red Haven peaches now - they won't be around for long! I've also added a handful of raspberries or blueberries to this recipe...both equally delicious. Make the whole recipe for a 9x13 or cut it in half for a smaller 8x8 pan.

Peach Crisp

12 large peaches, peeled and sliced

1 1/4 c. sugar

1 c. light brown sugar

1 1/2 c. + 2-3 T. flour

1 c. oatmeal

2 sticks butter, cold and diced

Preheat oven to 350 and butter pan. Place peeled and sliced peaches in a large bowl and add 1/4 c. sugar, 1/2 c. brown sugar, and 2-3 T. flour. Toss gently to coat and set aside.

Combine 1 1/2 c. flour, 1 c. sugar, 1/2 c. brown sugar, oatmeal, and butter. Mix on low or with pastry cutter until crumbly. Pour fruit into buttered pan and crumble topping over everything. Bake 45 min. - 1 hour until light brown and bubbly. Serve warm with ice cream or cold right out of the fridge.

Mushroom & Swiss Sliders with Spicy Fry Sauce

I realize I've taken the summer off...but I've been cooking, baking, and testing recipes all summer! Time to get back at it and share what I've been making.

This recipe is courtesy of PW (love her!). I'm not a huge fan of swiss and my husband isn't a huge fan of mushrooms, but you MUST make this recipe. The flavors all together are awesome. I made a couple adjustments to the quantities (below), but followed it exactly and they were amazing. And easy! Here's the link to PW's website for a step-by-step: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/08/mushroom-and-swiss-sliders-with-spicy-fry-sauce/

Mushroom & Swiss Sliders with Spicy Fry Sauce

Servings: 3

1/3 c. mayo

2 T. ketchup

1/2 t. ceyenne pepper (or less)

2 T. butter

1/4 large onion, diced fine

4 oz. mushrooms, chopped small

1/4 c. white or red wine

3 dashes Worcestershire sauce

1 lb. lean ground beef

2 T. heavy cream

salt & pepper

Swiss cheese

Slider rolls or dinner rolls

In small bowl mix mayo, ketchup, and cayenne. Stir until combined and set aside.

Melt butter in large skillet. Add onions and mushrooms and cook until soft and turning brown. Add wine, worcestershire, salt & pepper. Cook for several more minutes until all the liquid has evaporated. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

Mix ground beef, heavy cream, a few more dashes of worcestershire, and salt & pepper in a bowl. (your hands work best for this) Form 6 little patties making an indentation with your thumb in the middle to keep them from plumping up too much in the middle.

In the same skillet you cooked the mushrooms and onions, melt 1 T. olive oil or butter. Add the patties and cook about 4-5 minutes per side. Spoon mushroom & onion mixture on top of each patty and a small slice of swiss over top. Cover with a lid or piece of aluminum foil to melt the cheese. Toast rolls under broiler and place sliders on top with a generous smear of the spicy fry sauce. Serve with onion rings or oven fries, fresh tomatoes, and sweet summer corn on the cob!