Summer nights ........ BBQ nights!

It's been a little over 3 weeks since we've moved into our new apartment and not once have all four of us been able to sit down and have dinner together.  I think it has been a combination of work schedules and other various things that have come up, but finally I have a weekday off soooo time to do some cooking!

Thinking about what to make took some time as I rolled around ideas last night and this morning.  I wanted to grill for sure because the day was nice and because we have an awesome gas grill in the courtyard of this complex.  A couple of days ago I was able to get a nice piece of pork shoulder, so my first dish was BBQ pulled pork made in the slow cooker.  Second dish was chicken shish kabobs marinated in ramano sauce.  Third dish, a light shrimp Cajun rice dish, fourth, grilled corn on the cob, fifth apple pie (not made by me but by Fred Meyers), and last and best of all, homemade mango sorbet!

It was a packed menu and took me most of the day to prepare.

Slow cooker BBQ Pulled Pork
 - about 2 lb of pork shoulder
- 1 12 ounce can of rootbeer
- 1 bottle of BBQ sauce ( I like Sweet Baby Ray's Honey Chipotle flavor)

• Wash pork and place in slow cooker with one can of rootbeer.  Cook on high for 5-6 hours or until pork falls apart when touched.
• Drain liquid and shred pork.  Pour BBQ sauce over pork and place back in slow cooker for another hour.

  Sweet Baby Rays!

BBQ pulled pork, YUM!

 Cajun Shrimp and Rice
- half to 1 lb of shrimp
- 1 Tbp butter
- 2 Tbp olive oil
- half lime 
- 3 cloves or more of minced garlic
- 2 tsp Cajun seasoning
- 2 plum tomatoes chopped
- 2 bunches of green onion chopped
- 2 cups of cooked white rice
- 3 Tbp chopped fresh parsley
- 1 chopped bell pepper
- half  a cup of mushrooms

• Marinate shrimp in lime juice, olive oil, some Cajun seasoning, and fresh salt and pepper for a couple of hours.
• Heat butter, olive oil, and garlic in skillet.  Add Cajun seasoning and shrimp and cook about a minute. 
• Add tomatoes and green onions then rice along with 1/4 cup of water.
• Stir in parsley towards the end.

 Cajun Shrimp Rice

Ramano Chicken Kabobs

- Chicken breasts in bite sized pieces

- Red bell pepper

- Mushrooms

- Caesar Ramano dressing

- salt and pepper

- skewers

• Marinade chicken in Ramano dressing for 3-4 hours
• Toss bell pepper and mushrooms in olive oil, pepper, and garlic salt
• Thread chicken and vegetables in alternating manner
• Grill on medium heat for about 20 minutes

Kabobs!

Grilling food!

Finally, time to enjoy!

Mango Sorbet
- 3 ripe mangos peeled and cubed
- 3/4 cup of simple syrup (sugar and water in equal parts heated up)
- 2 Tbp fresh lime juice

• Blend cubed mango with lime juice and simple syrup in a blender or food processor until it is a smooth puree.
• Place in ice cream maker.

Hello beautiful mangos!

Make sure you have ripe mangos!

Success!
  

Simple recipes, but just takes some time chopping, shredding, blending, and cooking, but all so worth it. We had a lovely dinner outside in the courtyard under an umbrella.  The weather was nice and cool and tasted even better outside! Can't wait for more summer days!