Nothing says “summer” quite like eating outside. These fast and fresh recipes will get you there in a hurry.!
Ham-Chicken Pinwheels
This is more of a method than a recipe, which is why no specific ingredient amounts are called for.
Large soft flour tortillas
Garden vegetable cream cheese
Thin-sliced deli chicken
Thin-sliced deli ham
Thin-sliced provolone, havarti, or muenster cheese
Spread tortilla with a thin layer of cream cheese, covering the entire surface. Top with one layer each of chicken, ham, and cheese. Roll up tightly. Set seam-side down on a cutting board and use a serrated knife to cut 1/2-inch slices. Refrigerate in an airtight container, being sure to pack near an ice pack for your picnic. One roll-up makes approximately 10-12 pinwheels.
Strawberry Fruit Salsa
1 ripe kiwi, peeled
1 apple, peeled and cored
2 cups fresh strawberries, rinsed and hulled
¼ cup strawberry spreadable fruit
1 tablespoon brown sugar
Cinnamon pita chips, to serve
Cut the fruit into chunks of about the same size and place in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse about 8 times, until coarsely chopped. Add the spreadable fruit and brown sugar. Pulse another 8 times or until desired consistency. If you don’t have a food processor, chop all the fruit as finely as you like it, then gently combine with the spreadable fruit and brown sugar.
Serve chilled with cinnamon pita chips. Makes approximately 1½ cups salsa.
Lemon Dream Cookies
1 box lemon cake mix (such as Duncan Hines Lemon Supreme)
1 teaspoon baking powder
Grated zest of one lemon
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
Approximately 1/2 cup powdered sugar
Combine cake mix, baking powder, and lemon zest in a bowl. In a small bowl, combine oil and eggs. Dump the egg-oil mixture on top of the cake mix mixture and combine with a wooden spoon. Cover the bowl and chill for at least 30 minutes to firm up. While the dough is chilling, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and coat a cookie sheet with nonstick cooking spray or line it with parchment paper.
Roll the chilled dough into balls, about a tablespoon at a time, and place one inch apart on prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 7-9 minutes, or until puffed in the center.
Remove the cookie sheet from the oven and immediately dust cookies with powdered sugar while still on the sheet. Cool 2 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool. Repeat with remaining dough. Store airtight. Makes about 2 dozen.
