Beet The Heat Salsa

By Katie Barreira

I usually prepare this deliciously unusual salsa with roasted beets, but when temps are topping out at 100 degrees, I’m going nowhere near the oven. And thanks to Melissa’s peeled and steamed beets (found in the produce section of your grocery store) there’s no need; the sweet little vacuum packed, ready-to-eat beets are perfect for a no-cook version. Scoop up this colorful condiment with yellow corn chips, toss it into a green salad with crumbled goat cheese or, spoon over grilled fish.

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Grilled Potato Salad: An Easy and Versatile Summer Side

By Katie Barreira

Potato salad is an iconic summer side dish that rounds out any picnic plate. Whether you crave buttery Yukon Golds coated with creamy mayo or delicate baby reds tossed in a light and tangy vinaigrette, there’s a potato salad for you.

But why boil water for spuds if you’re going to fire up the grill for your main dish? Keep it cool in the kitchen. Just slice potatoes into grill-friendly planks, brush with oil and set directly onto the hot grates next to your burgers, dogs or tofu pups.

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How to Peel and Devein Shrimp

By David Hu

Shrimp is one of the fastest cooking proteins – and while it often comes shelled and deveined, sometimes you have to do it yourself. If you’ve never done it before, don’t fret, it’s very simple. And besides, you’ll have a tastier dish because shrimp that has been pre-peeled and deveined loses some of its flavor by the time you get it home and cook it.

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Dulce de Leche Sundaes

By Marilyn Hunter

I’ll never forget my first taste of dulce de leche. I was about eight years old on a family vacation in San Antonio. As we walked through a mercado near the River Walk, my dad popped a cajeta candy into my mouth and said, “Here. Try this.” It tasted a lot like my favorite candy at the time, a caramel lollipop called Sugar Daddy, but with an even deeper flavor. Nevertheless, I immediately knew I loved all things caramel.

Dulce de leche is a sweet caramel that can be made with sweetened condensed milk that’s been boiled into a custard. It’s is the easiest dessert in the world to make and one of the most decadent.

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Arroz con Pollo on the Grill

By Andrew Hunter

This past Sunday, we enjoyed a simple Father’s Day at home…Marilyn, Ben, Nick and I. My only responsibility for the day was manning the grill. But instead of my usual steaks, burgers or fish fillets, I grill-smoked chicken thighs, then put my paella pan directly on the hot charcoal and made rice for an outdoor Arroz con Pollo.

Almost every culture has a version of chicken and rice, which is simple comfort food. I usually think of it as a Caribbean and Latin American dish, but Spain’s signature paella can be chicken and rice and I recently had congee at a Chinese dim sum joint. Besides some ingredients I couldn’t identify, the chicken feet and glutinous rice made this savory porridge another version of chicken and rice. The common thread is that the chicken is at least partially cooked in the rice, and the rice is usually wet, like porridge.

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