Father’s Day Delights
How did you spend your Father’s Day? This year we went the quiet route. Stayed home putzed around the house and tried to stay cool. It seems we are never satisfied. When it’s cold we want it hot and when it’s hot we want it cool. But the sun was shining and that’s all you can ask for.
My dad God rest his soul has been in heaven since 2012 and this year I started to wonder when Father’s Day actually started and why. Thank God for Google. I found out that it all began in 1910. Sonaro Smart Dodd while at church listening to a sermon on mother’s day felt there should be a day celebrating fathers. Her father William Smart was a veteran of the Civil war and a widower with 6 kids. He raised them as a single parent and Sonaro wanted to show her appreciation and love, so she petitioned for an event to commemorate her father on June 5th his birthday. Due to unforeseen issues the mayor moved the event to June 19th. I found a few great articles in the Live Science and Art of Manliness about Sonaro and the origins of Father’s Day
Below is an excerpt from Live Science article
“While Congress was quick to officially declare the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day in 1914, after it was first celebrated on May 10, 1908, it took much longer for Father’s Day to be legally recognized. But thanks to Dodd’s celebration, Father’s Day steadily gained popularity.
In 1924, President Calvin Coolidge said that he supported it, in order to establish closer relationships between fathers and their children and to impress upon fathers the full measure of their obligations, according to the Library of Congress.”
And the holiday gained more traction in 1938 when a trade organization, the National Council for the Promotion of Father’s Day, which was formed by men’s clothing retailers in New York City, decided to take up the cause, according to Consumer Rites: The Buying and Selling of American Holidays (Princeton University Press, 1995).
President Lyndon Johnson issued the first presidential proclamation honoring fathers in 1966, but it wasn’t until 1972 that President Richard Nixon signed the public law that made it a permanent holiday. Since then, Father’s Day has become a time to recognize the many different father figures in our lives.
So on this special day dedicated to all dads out there. We celebrated by enjoying the company of family and eating well!!!
On the menu:
Rib Eye Kabobs, Chicken Kabobs, Turkey Sausagew/peppers and Onions, Grilled Eggplant, Potato Salad, and a tasty Green salad, and to finish off the meal in style Angel Food Cake with Strawberries and whipped cream!!!!
Although to some this meal sounds complicated it really was very easy to prepare and most of it was done early in the day.
Kabob’s on the grill look amazing but when you are cooking them there is a real art to getting the meat and the veggies to cook at the same rate, there must be some magic formula but I haven’t come across it yet. So for me I take the easy route, I make my Kabob’s pure, I put 4 or 5 pieces of meat on each of the skewers and I make separate kabob’s with my veggies. this way the meat can reach it correct internal temperature while the veggies can cook to perfection.
For this particular meal I didn’t make Vegetable Kabob’s, I grilled Egglant and made a raw vegetable tray along with a light Green salad.
I haven’t added a recipe for the eggplant, but here is how I made it. It is simple, just cut the eggplant into 1/2 inch slices, use a pastry or barbecue brush to coat with olive oil and season with salt, pepper and garlic on both sides. Place on the grill at a medium heat and watch closely, when they are golden brown on both sides removed, if they are cut to thin they will burn easily.
To add a little variety to the meal I included an Italian Sausage made from Ground Turkey with Peppers and Onions.
I paired the meat entree’s it with a plain but delicious version of American style Potato salad, along with Grilled Eggplant and a light Garden salad.
To complete the meal, a light as feather Angel food Cake with Strawberries and Whipped Cream.
I would love to say that I made this Angel Food cake from scratch, (I have many times) but honestly the boxed version is so simple and tastes almost the same. So for the sake of ease and speed I opted for the boxed version. But I will say there is nothing like home made whipped cream and that I did do. It takes a few more minutes but the results are worth it. This is a great summer time meal and as I said before it can be made ahead of time giving you plenty of time to enjoy your friends and family. I have added the recipes for all the above entree’s on this blog. I hope you will share with us your favorite summertime meals.
Enjoy!!!
Chicken Kabob
There are a variety of marinades that can be used. I have chosen a very simple Italian dressing to marinade the chicken
. You will have to purchase skewers. I use the wooden type and the medium length, this way it is a serving size for your party goers and they won't feel like they have to take a 1/2 skewer.
Ingredients
Meat
- 2 Skinless and Boneless Chicken Breast Cut up into 1 to 2 inch cubes
- 1 package wooden skewers soak in water for 1/2 hour
Marianade
- 1/4 cup Olive Oil
- 1/8 cup Red Wine Vinegar
- 1/4 bag Good Seasons Dressing
Instructions
Chicken Prep
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Start with 2 skinless and boneless Chicken Breasts, Cut the chicken breast up into 1 to 2 inch sized cubes. place in a plastic zip lock bag. You will need to have skewers on hand to finish the kabob's. If you are using wooden skewers you should soak them in water for at least 1/2 hour so that when you are grilling the sticks don't catch on fire.
Marianade
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Mix the oil, vinegar, and good seasons mix together and let it sit for about 10 minutes. Pour over chicken in the plastic zip-lock bag and close and remove any air. this allows the meat to be covered by the marinade and you wont have to handle it again til it is time to place on skewers. Let the chicken marinate at least 1 hour but you can do this the night before and skewer the chicken the day of the party.
Final Step
-
Once the chicken is fully marinaded take your skewers and place 4 to 5 pieces of the chicken on each skewer. this is about 1/2 a serving so each person will get approximately 2 skewers, if you cut the meat into large chunks you will get less skewers. Once they are on the sticks you are ready to go. The grill should be on medium heat, and it will take about 10 to 12 minutes to cook, Make sure you keep a close eye on them they cook pretty quick and you don't want them to dry out.
Beef Kabob
There are a variety of marinades that can be used. I have chosen a very simple Italian dressing to marinade the Beef . You will have to purchase skewers. I use the wooden type and the medium length, this way it is a serving size for your party goers and they won't feel like they have to take a 1/2 skewer.
Ingredients
Ingredients
Meat
- 2 Beef Cut up into 1 to 2 inch cubes your choice of meat I used Rib Eye
- 1 package wooden skewers soak in water for 1/2 hour
Marianade
- 1/4 cup Olive Oil
- 1/8 cup Red Wine Vinegar
- 1/4 bag Good Seasons Dressing
Instructions
-
Start with 2 pounds of Rib Eye, Cut the beef up into 1 to 2 inch sized cubes. place in a plastic zip lock bag. You will need to have skewers on hand to finish the kabob's. If you are using wooden skewers you should soak them in water for at least 1/2 hour so that when you are grilling the sticks don't catch on fire.
Marianade
-
Mix the oil, vinegar, and good seasons mix together and let it sit for about 10 minutes. Pour over Beef in the plastic zip-lock bag and close and remove any air. this allows the meat to be covered by the marinade and you wont have to handle it again til it is time to place on skewers. Let the Beef marinate at least 1 hour, you can do this the night before and skewer the beef the day of the party.
Final Step
-
Once the beef is fully marinaded take your skewers and place 4 to 5 pieces of the beef on each skewer. this is about 1/2 a serving so each person will get approximately 2 skewers, if you cut the meat into large chunks you will get less skewers. Once they are on the sticks you are ready to go. The grill should be on medium heat, and it will take about 5 to 15 minutes depending on if you want rare to well done, Make sure you keep a close eye on them they cook pretty quick and you don't want them to dry out.
Recipe Notes
When deciding on a cut of beef to use, it depends on how tender you want the meat to be. Most times people use London Broil, but it isn't the most tender. i used Rib Eye, but you can use your favorite cut of beef.
Potato Salad
Very simple and simply delicious
Ingredients
- 2 pound Golden Potatos
Dressing
- 1/4 cup mayonaise
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tsp mustard optional
Instructions
-
Wash potatoes and put in a pot. Cover with water and set to medium high heat, bring to a boil and cook for approximately 20 to 30 minutes. You should be able to stick a knife in the potato and it will smoothly enter the potato and come out easily, don't over cook then it becomes mashed potato's. let the potato's cool so you can handle, you will then need to peel and cut into small cubes 1/2 inch, and place in a bowl
Dressing
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mix the mayonnaise, mustard, salt and pepper into the chopped potato's. I do this when the potato's are still slightly warm, the dressing blends with the potato's much better than when it is cold.
Recipe Notes
Please note that I probably go a little light on the dressing, it is so much easier to add Mayonnaise, than to have to add more potato's if it is to wet with dressing. Sometimes I add a little garlic powder for an added flavor but this dish is delicious without.