The warm weather is finally here! Check out these no-fuss summer entertaining tips
MILWAUKEE -- The warm weather is finally here! Mark Hagen from Taste of Home joins FOX6 WakeUp with some no-fuss summer entertaining tips.
Cool & Crunchy Chicken Salad
When the weather sizzles, get your chill on with a cool chicken salad. Mine uses grapes, pecans and celery for that signature crunch. —Sarah Smiley, Bangor, Maine
Prep/Total Time: 25 min.
1/2 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 teaspoon spicy brown mustard
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 cups cubed cooked chicken
1 cup seedless red grapes, halved
1 cup thinly sliced celery
1 cup pecan halves, toasted
Lettuce leaves
In a large bowl, mix the first eight ingredients until blended. Add chicken, grapes, celery and pecans; toss to coat. Serve on lettuce. Yield: 6 servings. Editor's Note: To toast nuts, bake in a shallow pan in a 350° oven for 5-10 minutes or cook in a skillet over low heat until lightly browned, stirring occasionally.
Nutrition Facts: 1 cup equals 340 calories, 24 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 69 mg cholesterol, 311 mg sodium, 10 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 22 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 3 lean meat, 3 fat, 1/2 starch.
Spicy Crab Salad
My creamy crab salad gets a boost of heat from Sriracha and a tangy touch from lime. It's ready fast, leaving me more time with guests. —Patti Lavell, Islamorada, Florida
Prep/Total Time: 10 min.
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley or cilantro
3 to 4 teaspoons Sriracha Asian hot chili sauce
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 cups lump crabmeat (about 10 ounces)
Sliced multigrain bread, optional
Lime wedges, optional
In a small bowl, mix the first six ingredients; gently stir in crab. If desired, spread over bread. Serve with lime wedges if desired. Yield: 4 servings.
Nutrition Facts: 1/2 cup (calculated without bread) equals 196 calories, 15 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 72 mg cholesterol, 748 mg sodium, 2 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 12 g protein.
Wedge Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing
A wedge salad gets the creamy treatment when topped with blue cheese dressing. Keep it as a topper, or make it a dip for Buffalo wings. —Jenn Smith, East Providence, Rhode Island
Prep/Total Time: 20 min.
2/3 cup crumbled blue cheese
2/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream
2 teaspoons water
1-1/2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1/8 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Dash cayenne pepper
1 large head iceberg lettuce
2 cups chopped assorted tomatoes
6 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
In a small bowl, mix the first seven ingredients. Cut lettuce into six wedges. To serve, top wedges with dressing, tomatoes and bacon. Yield: 6 servings.
Nutrition Facts: 1 serving equals 313 calories, 28 g fat (7 g saturated fat), 33 mg cholesterol, 473 mg sodium, 6 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 8 g protein.
Red, White and Blue Frozen Lemonade
This patriotic drink is as pretty as it is delicious. With raspberries, blueberries and lemon juice, we created a striped lemonade that screams Fourth of July. —Shawn Carleton, San Diego, California
Prep: 10 min.
1 cup lemon juice
1 cup sugar
4 cups ice cubes
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
Maraschino cherries
Place lemon juice, sugar and ice in a blender; cover and process until slushy. Divide blueberries among four chilled glasses; muddle slightly. Add frozen lemonade; top with cherries. Yield: 4 servings.
Nutrition Facts: 3/4 cup (calculated without cherries) equals 229 calories, trace fat (trace saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 1 mg sodium, 60 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, trace protein.