Hello to all of Tatertots & Jello’s Friends! I’m Ruthie from What’s Cooking with Ruthie.com where I LOVE to talk about cooking, gardening, and a little dose of everyday life! I’m so happy to be guest posting here today…

Welcome to What’s Cooking with Ruthie’s Summer Soirée…

Throwing the perfect Summer Soiree can be a lot of fun and it’s even better if it’s NOT a ton of work too! So, I tried to come up with a menu that is delicious and not too tasking on the chef…

AND what better way to accomplish that than by heading to the grill! It keeps the chef outside where the party is… most of these courses are prepped before hand so they require only minimal work once the Soiree begins!!

Our Summer Soiree begins with a refreshing Beverage! This beautiful Limeade…

This is the one exception… it probably has to be whipped up in the kitchen but it’s so quick and easy you’ll be totally impressed!!

Limeade

1 whole lime, washed and quartered

2 Tbsp sweetened condensed milk

3/4 C sugar

2 C cold water

3 C crushed ice

Combine all ingredients in blender, blend until smooth. Serve! Yields approx 5 Cups

Next, is our Appetizer and it’s just amazing! Grilled Watermelon with Feta and Mint…

Grilled Watermelon with Feta and Mint

1 thick slice of watermelon

2 Tbsp olive oil

Sea Salt

2 tsp Feta Cheese per slice, crumbled

1 tsp fresh mint per slice, thinly sliced

Preheat grill on high. Cut watermelon slice into 5-6 equal sized triangle pieces, brush with olive oil. Place watermelon on heated grill, cook 3 minutes per side or until grill marks show and slightly caramelized. Remove from heat. Place watermelon slices on serving plate, top with Feta Cheese and Mint. This can be served warm or cold and can be made up to 2 hours in advance if covered and refrigerated.

The next course is Salad and it’s absolutely mouth watering!! Grilled Pear and Gorgonzola Salad…

Grilled Pear and Gorgonzola Salad

6 C mixed lettuce leaves, divided

2 pears, stem and seed removed

2 C purple grapes, halved

1 C candied almonds, coarsely chopped

4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

4 Tbsp Gorgonzola Cheese

Balsamic Vinegar and Olive Oil, drizzle

Olive Oil cooking spray

Preheat grill on high. Thinly slice pears, spray each side of the pear with cooking spray, place on hot grill. Cook each side 2-3 minutes or until grill marks show and starting to appear translucent. Remove from heat and let cool. Prepare 4 individual salad plates; place 1 1/2 C mixed greens, top with 1/2 C halved grapes, 1/4 C chopped almonds, 1 slice of bacon crumbled, 1 Tbsp Gorgonzola, fan 5 grilled pear slices on side of the plate! Serve!

*I place bottles of Balsamic Vinegar and Olive Oil on the table and let each person dress to their liking. This recipe can be made up to an hour ahead; reserving the bacon to add as serving, then covered and refrigerated.

For our Main Dish we’re having a delicious trio of Grilled Lime Chicken, Vegetable Skewers, and Sour Dough Bread…

*I snagged this amazing Lime Marinade from my good friend, Natalie!! You’ll be SO impressed

Grilled Lime Chicken

1 Tbsp lime zest (approx 1 lime)

1/3 C fresh lime juice (approx 2 limes)

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 Tbsp Sesame Oil

3/4 tsp sea salt

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 gallon ziploc bag

Combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl, whisk to incorporate. Place chicken in gallon Ziploc bag, pour marinade over chicken, seal bag, toss to coat, marinate 2-4 hours, refrigerated. Preheat grill to medium high, place chicken on grill, cook 7-8 minutes per side or until juices run clear.

Vegetable Skewers

2 small zucchini, 1/2 inch thick slices

2 small yellow squash, 1/2 inch thick slices

16 oz baby mushrooms

1 red onion, quartered

8 wooden skewers, soaked in water for 10 minutes

Olive Oil Cooking spray

Sea Salt

Pepper

Onion Powder

Alternate threading the flat side of each vegetable on wooden skewer until full, repeat for each skewer. Spray each side of skewer with cooking spray, sprinkle sea salt, pepper, and onion powder on each side. (Place on grill with chicken about 5 minutes into the chicken’s cooking time.) Cook each side 3-4 minutes until tender firm and grill marked.

Sour Dough Bread

1 loaf of store bought bread (or any artisan loaf)

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

Slice bread into 1 inch slices, brush with olive oil, place on hot grill 2 minutes per side or until lightly toasted and grill marked.

AND last but not least ~ Dessert!! The perfect ending to a fabulous evening… Grilled Banana Splits!!

Grilled Banana Splits

4 bananas with peel

1 C milk chocolate chips

1 C mini marshmallows

vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt

caramel ice cream topping

4 – 12 inch sheets foil

Preheat grill to high. Cut off stem and end of banana, cut both peel and banana length wise on the inside curve and making sure not to cut completely through the back. Open and lay on a sheet of foil. Sprinkle chocolate down the center of banana, followed by marshmallows. Wrap in foil and roll edges to secure. Place on grill, cook 3 minutes per side or until chocolate is melted, marshmallows are soft, and banana is warmed through. Open foil, remove banana peel, transfer to serving dish. Top with ice cream and caramel sauce. Serve!!

* This can be a build your own dessert with each guest making their own or it can easily be made a little ahead and then it’s right ready to go on the grill!

I tried to keep our Summer Soiree simple and inexpensive… it doesn’t have to cost a lot to enjoy a relaxing evening! I bought all of my tableware and decor (minus the silverware and table cloth, which I had) at the local Dollar Store… costing approximately $15.00!! SO, get creative and have fun even on a small budget!!

A Summer Soiree is a wonderful way to connect with friends or family and enjoy a summers evening in the yard!

So many Thanks to Jen for having me guest post at Tatertots & Jello! I’m so glad I was able to meet Jen at Snap! 2012 blogger convention !! Jen is one of the sweetest bloggers I’ve met so far… she’s just awesome

You may also enjoy some of these other Summer recipes from What’s Cooking with Ruthie…

BBQ Chicken

Gram’s Famous Barbeques

Tarragon Chicken Dish

Happy Cooking!

Love,

What a wonderful Soiree Ruthie!!

I can’t wait to try out those recipes!!

I met Ruthie at SNAP this year and I was so impressed with her and how she started her blog based on her grandmother’s recipes – I think that is so awesome!

Here are a few great ideas from Cookie with Ruthie:

Father’s Day Crunchy French Toast

Ruthie’s garden is amazing — find out how she made those vertical boxes

Momma’s Bench Redo

If you have a chance, head over to Cooking With Ruthie and give Ruthie a BIG TT&J hello!!!

xoxo

PS — Its Friday!!

My favorite day of the week.

I hope you can stop by the Weekend Wrap Up Party tonight.

I love to feature people and I am excited to see YOUR ideas!!

The party starts at 6 pm MST

The post Throw a Summer Soirée — Grilled Appetizers, Main Course and Dessert Recipes!! appeared first on Tatertots and Jello.