Delicious Experiments!

In preparation of our cookout tonight, I experimented with a few recipes in hopes of something unique and delicious. What resulted was some awesome offerings to our cookout table. Croutons are surprisingly packed with flavor and are a great ingredient to incorporate into dishes aside from topping salads. In fact, croutons are the “secret ingredient” to my deviled eggs! Here is my recipe for Ceasar Deviled Eggs: 2 dozen eggs – hard boiled
1 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup yellow mustard
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 package ceasar croutons – processed into crumbs.

Prepare your hard boiled eggs and cut in half.
Carefully remove the yolk and place in a large bowl.
Break up the yorks well.
Add all the remaining ingredients to the bowl and combine.
Allow the filling to chill for flavors to meld.
Place filling into a ziploc bag and pipe into eggs.
Top with a sprinkle of paprika and parsley leaf.

Another dish I prepared for the cookout was fajitas, using my own mixture of spices. It was spicy sweet and a tad smoky. Everyone loved it as it was a twist to just grilled meat. Here is my recipe for the fajita seasoning I used: 3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon chicken ramen packet
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon cumin

Combine and sprinkle over meats as a rub. For a nice summertime cocktail, I threw together a quick drink. I was a little embarassed at first with the ingredients but it was a hit at the cookout! Here is my recipe for Watermelon Berry Punch (alcoholic): 2 cups watermelon martini mix
1 bottle Strawberry Hill Boones Farm
1 liter club soda
ice

Combine in a pitcher and serve chilled over ice.