Creamy Lemony Potato Salad

Serves 8 | Prep. time 30 minutes | Chilling time 1 hour

Ingredients

• 3 pounds baby red potatoes, quartered
• 1 cup celery, diced
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• ¼ cup chives, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon white pepper
• ½ teaspoon ground celery seed

Directions

1. To a stock pot filled with boiling salted water, add the potatoes and boil for 10-15 minutes, or until the potatoes are firm and tender. Drain and set aside to cool completely.
2. In a bowl, combine the mayonnaise, lemon juice, chives, garlic, salt, white pepper, and celery seed. Mix well.
3. Once the potatoes have cooled, gently toss in the celery.
4. Add the dressing mixture to the potatoes and toss, making sure the dressing is evenly distributed.
5. Transfer to an airtight container, cover it with a lid, and chill for at least one hour before bringing it along to the picnic in a cooler.

Nutrition facts (per serving)

Calories 198, fat 10 g, carbs 25 g, Protein 2 g, sodium 610 mg

 

 

Italian Sausage Submarines

Serves 4 | Prep. time 5 minutes | Cooking time 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 pound hot or mild Italian sausage
• 2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
• 1 cup water
• 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
• 1 cup marinara sauce
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 4 submarine rolls
• Chopped flat-leaf parsley, for garnish (optional)

Directions

1. On medium heat, heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet.
2. Add the sausage when the oil is hot. Cook the sausages for 4 to 6 minutes, turning them every now and then so they brown on all sides.
3. Carefully pour the water into the pan and cover.
4. Cook the sausages for 15 to 20 minutes, or until most of the liquid has cooked out and the interior temperature of the sausage is at least 165°F (74°C).
5. Remove from heat and transfer the sausages to a plate. Loosely cover them with foil to keep them warm.
6. If there is still liquid in the pan, pour it out, but don’t rinse the pan. If there isn’t a layer of oil, add 1 teaspoon of oil and heat the same skillet on medium heat.
7. Add the onion when the pan is hot. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring often, until golden. Remove pan from heat.
8. While the onions are cooking, move the oven rack to the bottom third of the oven and set it to broil on low.
9. Cut each sub or submarine roll to be about the same size as the cooked sausage. Then, cut the bread in half lengthwise, but don’t cut all the way through.
10. Add about 2 tablespoons of the mozzarella cheese and 2 tablespoons of the marinara sauce to the bottom piece of the roll.
11. Add 1 sausage to each roll and top with another 2 tablespoons of marinara sauce, 2 tablespoons of shredded mozzarella cheese, and 2 tablespoons of cooked onions.
12. Put the sandwiches on a baking sheet and broil for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the bread is lightly toasted. Keep an eye on the sandwiches to ensure they don’t burn.
13. If desired, sprinkle chopped parsley on top of the sandwiches.
14. Wrap the sandwiches in foil to bring along to the picnic.

Nutrition facts (per serving)

Calories 706, fat 48 g, carbs 40 g, Protein 29 g, sodium 1622 mg

 

 

Grilled Rosemary-Garlic Shrimp Skewers

Serves 4 | Prep. time 15 minutes | Marinating time 30 minutes | Cooking time 6 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• 1 dash black pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 rosemary sprigs
• 16-20 large shrimps, uncooked but peeled and deveined

Directions

1. Strip rosemary leaves off sprigs and chop them. To prepare the marinade, put rosemary, lemon juice, oil, salt, pepper, and garlic in a sealable bag. Add shrimp and coat well. Let marinate for an hour in the refrigerator.
2. Remove shrimp from the marinade. Push the skewer through the shrimp in two places so the shrimp form a “c.” This keeps them from turning on the grill.
3. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to bring along to the picnic. In transit, place in the cooler.
4. At the picnic site, light charcoal briquettes in a chimney starter for about 10 minutes or until gray and ashy.
5. Add charcoal to the barbecue pit and place the grill in the medium position.
6. Place the skewers on the grill.
7. Grill for 3 minutes and turn over. Continue grilling for additional 2–3 minutes just until done, and the shrimp has turned pink.
8. Remove from heat, and place on serving plates.
9. Sprinkle additional salt and pepper to taste if needed.

Nutrition facts (per serving)

Calories 35, fat 1 g, carbs 1 g, Protein 4 g, sodium 170 mg

 

 

Chicken Bacon Tootsies

Serves 4 | Prep. time 10 minutes | Cooking time 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 medium boneless and skinless chicken breasts
• 12 bacon slices
• Vegetable oil
• 4 metal skewers
• Prepared salad for serving

Directions

1. Season the chicken with salt, pepper, and thyme.
2. Slice chicken breasts into 1.5-inch pieces and thread among 4 skewers.
3. Wraps three bacon slices around each skewer.
4. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to bring along to the picnic. Place in a cooler while in transit.
5. At the picnic site, light charcoal briquettes in a chimney starter for about 10 minutes or until gray and ashy. Add charcoal to the barbecue pit and place the grill in the medium position.
6. Grill for approximately 7-8 minutes, turning over each 2-3 minutes or until cooked through, and bacon is crispy, and the internal temperature of the chicken is at least 165ºC (60ºC) on an instant-read thermometer.
7. Serve with salad.

Nutrition facts (per serving)

Calories 571, fat 34 g, carbs 0 g, Protein 61 g, sodium 1172 mg

 

 

Cowboy Cookies

Makes 24 | Prep time 15 minutes | Baking time 15 minutes

Ingredients

• ½ cup butter, softened
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup light brown sugar
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1½ teaspoons baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup oats
• ¾ cup coconut flakes
• ½ cup pecans, chopped
• ½ cup cornflakes
• ½ cup chocolate chips
• ¼ cup white chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
2. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and light brown sugar.
3. Stir in the egg and vanilla, and cream until combined.
4. In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, oats, and coconut flakes.
5. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients to form a dough.
6. Fold in the pecans, cornflakes, and chocolate chips.
7. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and add dollops of the dough.
8. Bake in the oven for about 10-12 minutes.
9. Let cool completely before storing in an airtight container. Refrigerate until ready to bring along to a picnic.

Nutrition facts (per serving)

Calories 164, fat 9 g, carbs 18 g, Protein 2 g, sodium 48 mg

 

 

***These recipes and more are found in Louise Davidson’s Picnic Cookbook: Quick and Easy Portable Recipes to Enjoy in the Great Outdoors. To get your own copy, click the cover below or click here.

To download a copy of the featured recipes, click here.