Labor Day Recipes

Happy Labor Day, everyone! Hope everyone has a safe holiday. As for today's post, I'm reposting last year's Labor Day blog post. Hope no one minds. Tomorrow, I'll be back with a new post. In the meantime, if you have the day off, enjoy.

Today is Labor Day, the unofficial end of summer in the United States. Here are six recipes to add to your Labor Day meal. Enjoy!

GRILLED SWEET POTATO SKEWERS WITH HONEY MUSTARD

This yummy recipe, which would be perfect for a Labor Day cookout, is from Jolinda Hackett, About.com's Vegetarian Food expert. She writes, “Need an easy crowd-pleasing vegetarian dish to throw on the grill? Everyone loves sweet potatoes, especially kids, so try these simple grilled sweet potato skewers with savory-sweet honey mustard. The recipe calls for sweet potatoes, green and red bell peppers, red onions, a little bit of salt and pepper, and of course, some honey mustard.

“This grilled sweet potato skewers with honey mustard recipe is the perfect vegetarian barbecue recipe for sweet potato lovers. Be careful if you're planning on serving this dish to vegans, however, as many vegans avoid eating honey. This recipe is gluten-free.” Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 20 minutes; Yield: 3 – 4 servings.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

2 pounds medium-sized sweet potatoes (5 potatoes, 6 to 7 ounces each)

1 large sweet red and/or green peppers, cut in 1-inch squares

1 medium red onion, cut in 1-inch pieces, layers separated

1-2 tablespoons vegetable oil

salt and pepper, to taste

about 1/4 cup honey mustard

2 tbsp water

Preparation

First, prepare your sweet potatoes by giving them head a head start in the microwave. Prick them a bit with a fork, then place them in the microwave on high for three minutes. Turn them over (carefully!), then microwave for another 1-2 minutes, until almost tender and soft, but not quite.

Allow your sweet potatoes to cool, then peel them if you'd like, and chop coarsely into about 1-inch chunks.

Next, combine the sweet potatoes, chopped red and green bell peppers and red onion in a large bowl.

In a separate small bowl, whisk together the honey mustard and the two tablespoons of water, then add to the sweet potatoes, peppers and onions in the bowl, tossing very gently to lightly coat.

Next, prepare your skewers, by threading a mixture of sweet potatoes, onions and peppers.

Make sure your pre-heated grill (or indoor grill pan) is lightly greased. Grill your sweet potato skewers for about 4 minutes on each side, brushing with any remaining honey mustard.

Note: If you don't have an outdoor grill or an indoor grill pan, you can still make this recipe using your oven's broiler.

FARROW BLACK BEANS MEXICAN BOWL [VEGAN]

This recipe comes from One Green Planet, and begins, “My idea was to make a one pan, flavorful, Mexican meal – so I flavored the warm oil with garlic and oregano first and then mixed in the rest of the ingredients except lettuce and avocados. I love the fresh and crunchy texture of lettuce, and fresh sliced avocados give this Farro Black Beans Mexican Bowl a light creamy texture. Serve this healthy, nutritious and vegan Mexican bowl to yourself and feel the happiness and energy flowing in your body.” Cook Time: 10 minutes; Serves: 4; Calories: 435

To view this online, go to http://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-recipe/farro-black-beans-mexican-bowl/.

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp chopped garlic

2 tsp oregan

1 cup red onions (chopped)

1 cup green bell pepper (chopped)

1 tbsp jalapeno pepper (seeds removed and chopped)

1 tbsp chopped cilantro

3 roma tomatoes (blanched, peeled and mashed)

1/2 tsp sugar

1/2 cup sweet corn kernels

1 15 oz. can black beans (rinsed and drained)

1 1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp lime juice

2 cups farrow (cooked)

1 cup shredded lettuce

1 whole avocado (seed removed and sliced/chopped

Preparation

Heat oil in a nonstick pan and add garlic, oregano and onions. Saute well.

Add green bell pepper, jalapeno, cilantro, tomatoes. Mix, cover and cook for 2 minutes.

Add sugar, corn, black beans, salt, lime juice.

Mix very well and cover and cook for 3 – 4 minutes.

Lastly add farro and mix well so that farro is properly coated and turn off the flame.

In a serving bowl/plate empty the pan. Top it with lettuce and avocado and serve.

CORN SALSA

This yummy salsa comes from country singer Trisha Yearwood on The Food Network's website. Total Time: 1 hr. 15 minutes; Prep Time: 15 minutes; Inactive: 1 hour; Yield: Servings: about 5 cups; Level: easy

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/trisha-yearwood/corn-salsa0.print.html?oc=linkback

Ingredients

1 15 -ounce can yellow corn, drained

1 15-ounce can white corn, drained

1 4-ounce can chopped green chiles, drained

1 2 .5-ounce can sliced black olives, drained

4 scallions, finely chopped

2 tomatoes, finely chopped

2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped

3 tablespoons white vinegar

1/3 cup olive oil

Kosher salt

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

Mix the yellow and white corn, chiles, olives, scallions, tomatoes, jalapenos, vinegar, olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Chill at least 1 hour.

Just before serving, add the cilantro to the salsa.

BLACK BEAN AND CORN SALAD

This comes from Rachel Ray, star of The Food Network's 30 Minute Meals. Total Time: 25 minutes; Prep Time: 10 minutes; Inactive Time: 15 minutes; Yield: 4 servings; Level: Easy

Read more at:http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/black-bean-and-corn-salad-recipe.print.html?oc=linkback

Ingredients

1 can, 14 ounces, black beans, rinsed and drained

2 cups frozen corn kernels

1 small red bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1/2 red onion, chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin, half a palm full

2 teaspoons hot sauce, just eyeball the amount (recommended: Tabasco)

1 lime, juiced

2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil, eyeball it

Salt and pepper

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Let stand at least 15 minutes for corn to fully defrost and flavors to combine, then toss and serve. The corn will also place a quick-chill on this easy side-salad as it defrosts -- no need to refrigerate!

PEACH PIE

This comes from my e-cookbook, Off The Wall Cooking, available from Amazon.com.

Ingredients

4 C peaches, cut up

dash salt

1 – 1 1/4 C sugar

2 T butter

3 T unbleached flour

1 unbaked pie shell & lattice top

Directions

Arrange peaches in unbaked pie shell. Mix sugar, flour & salt. Sprinkle over peaches. Dot with butter. Cover with lattice top. Bake at 425 degrees for 30-40 minutes.

BUSH’S® BEST BLACK BEAN SALAD

This comes from Bush's® Best's emailed newsletter. Check it out for more recipes! This one starts off, “This colorful Black Bean salad is dressed with a light, lime vinaigrette and only takes a few minutes to prepare. Serve with tortilla chips or as a side dish.” Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 0 minutes; Total Time: 15 minutes; Servings: 6 to 8

Note: This would be a great recipe for Labor Day – or any other summer/early fall cookout!

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 can (15 oz) BUSH'S® Black Beans, rinsed and drained

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 yellow bell pepper, diced

1/2 cup diced red onion

1 can (15.25 oz) corn, drained

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 tsp cilantro

1/4 cup olive oil

4 Tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tsp lime juice

Salt and pepper to taste

Tortilla chips

Directions

In a small bowl, combine peppers, onion, corn, garlic and cilantro.

Add olive oil, vinegar, lime juice and salt and pepper to taste. Add black beans and toss well.

Serve with tortilla chips.