Chicken:
3 (6-ounce) chicken breasts
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon grill seasoning
Salad:
1/2 seedless cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced on an angle
2 cups fresh bean sprouts
1 cup shredded carrots, available in pouches in produce department
3 scallions, sliced on an angle
12 leaves basil, chopped or torn
3 tablespoons chopped mint leaves (4 sprigs)
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar or white vinegar
Salt
Spicy peanut sauce:
1/4 cup room temperature chunky peanut butter, soften in microwave if it has been refrigerated
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar or white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 (12-inch) flour tortilla wraps
Directions
Heat a grill pan over high heat. Toss chicken with soy and oil and grill 6 minutes on each side.
Combine cucumber, sprouts, carrots, scallions, basil, mint and sesame with a generous sprinkle of sugar and vinegar. Season salad with salt, to taste.
Whisk peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar and cayenne together. Stream in vegetable oil.
Slice cooked chicken on an angle. Toss with veggies and herbs.
In a very hot nonstick skillet or over a gas burner heat tortillas 15 seconds on each side.
Pile chicken and veggies in wraps and drizzle liberally with spicy peanut sauce before wrapping and rolling.
Ingredients
1 (12-ounce) bag or 1 1/2 cups frozen raspberries, defrosted
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
3 or 4 tablespoons simple syrup, recipe follows
14 wooden ice pop sticks
Directions
In a blender, combine the raspberries and the mint. Puree until combined. Add the lemon juice and 3 tablespoons of the simple syrup. Blend to combine. Taste the mixture and add the remaining 1 tablespoon simple syrup if you like. Spoon the mixture into an ice cube tray and freeze for approximately 30 minutes, or until partially frozen. Insert the wooden sticks and return trays to the freezer for another 3 to 5 hours.
Simple Syrup:
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
In a saucepan, combine water and sugar over medium heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes, until the sugar has dissolved. Take pan off heat and cool the syrup. Any extra cooled syrup can be saved in an airtight container.
2 cups sour cream
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons dark rum
1 tablespoon Grand Marnier
Combine ingredients, blending thoroughly. Serve chilled with cut-up fresh fruit and toothpicks.
1 8 oz pkg cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon lemon or lime juice
3 to 4 tablespoons honey, or to taste
Beat cream cheese with juice. Sweeten to taste with honey. Chill.
Ingredients
3 cucumbers, seeded and sliced
1 1/2 cups crumbled feta cheese
1 cup black olives, pitted and sliced
3 cups diced roma tomatoes
1/3 cup diced oil packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained, oil reserved
1/2 red onion, sliced
Directions
1.In a large salad bowl, toss together the cucumbers, feta cheese, olives, roma tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, 2 tablespoons reserved sun-dried tomato oil, and red onion. Chill until serving.
1/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
2 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 lb large shrimp in shell (16 to 20 per lb), peeled and deveined
1 (1-lb) firm-ripe mango, peeled and cut into 1/3-inch cubes
4 (10-inch) flour tortillas
1 (6-oz) bunch watercress, tough stems discarded
Pulse sour cream, mayonnaise, basil, chives, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper in a blender until herbs are finely chopped and mixture is pale green.
Bring 2 quarts water, lemon juice, and remaining 2 teaspoons salt to a boil in a 3-quart saucepan, then poach shrimp, uncovered, at a bare simmer until just cooked through, about 3 minutes. Transfer shrimp with a slotted spoon to a bowl of ice and cold water to stop cooking. Let shrimp chill in water 2 minutes, then drain and pat dry. Coarsely chop shrimp, then add to dressing along with mango and stir to combine.
Toast tortillas 1 at a time directly on burner (gas or electric) at moderately high heat, turning over and rotating with tongs, until puffed slightly and browned in spots but still flexible, 30 to 40 seconds. Transfer to a clean kitchen towel as toasted and stack, loosely wrapped in towel.
Divide watercress among tortillas, arranging it across middle, then top with 1 1/4 cups shrimp salad. Tuck in ends of wraps, then roll up tightly to enclose filling. Cut wraps in half diagonally.
Here’s a buffet that will keep your guests feeling cool and refreshed while keeping you out of the kitchen during your party!
Serve a selection of refreshing drinks including iced tea, bottled water and classic frozen drinks such as Pina Coladas, Margaritas or Daiquiris.
Tortilla chips with your favorite salsa.
Mango and Shrimp Wraps - These cool, tropical wraps will have your guests asking for the recipe.
Thai Chicken Wraps with Spicy Peanut Sauce - This spicy recipe comes from the queen of quick cooking, Rachael Ray.
Greek Salad - The ingredients in this recipe will hold up well since there’s no lettuce in this salad.
Fresh Fruit Kebabs with Dip - Diana Rattray, About’s Guide to Southern Food gives you a selection of fruit dips from which to choose.
Pina Colada Ice Pops - These make ahead bars are non-alcoholic.
Serve Octopus hot dogs - cut hotdogs into 8 pieces long ways leaving about an inch at the end that is connected.
Cook and serve in BBQ sauce or just plain. The 8 legs will curl up and they will look like an octopus.
Goldfish crackers served in large conch shells.
Shell pasta with alfredo sauce.
Blue Jell-O with Swedish fish inside. Serve in clear containers.
Sandwiches cut with a fish shaped cookie cutter.
Jell-O jiggles cut into fish, starfish and shell designs with cookie cutters.
Set out a sundae bar where kids can make their own sundaes. Sprinkles, syrups, toppings and fruit.
Taco or Nacho bar.
Let the kids decorate their own BIG cookie or cupcake.