Ginger lime Grilled potato salad

"We be Grillin"

Ever made a grilled potato salad? No? Then here is your chance. I can’t lie, this recipe was a reach. I wanted to make potato salad, but I had to make the dish fit in with this month of grilling. I had no idea if it would work, but I took a leap of faith, and it paid off.

Rum cream coffee cooler

"Icy Cool"

This is probably the most delicious way to enjoy a cold iced coffee, spiked with creamy rum. I have made several versions of this recipe each time having a hit or miss and using the past miss to make the next better. Once night I finally got it right. And since this month is all about cool refreshing icy cold things for summer I decided to share the wealth.

100% Mango Fruit punch (no sugar or water)

Mango is in season!

Hurry and make this before mango season is over. Our farm is on the last leg of mangoes and I barely got three mangoes to use in this recipe. This is a drink made from no added sugar or water, bringing new meaning to the term 100 % fruit juices. This post is basically a list of notes and tips, here is how I made this one.

BBQ Blue Beef burger

 Burger Showdown!

If there was ever a more perfect way to have a beef burger, this would be it. The beef is juicy with the delicious blue cheese sauce, caramelized onions, BBQ lays and spinach all working in perfect harmony between two perfectly toted buns. Smash burger’s ‘New Yorker’ burger was at the top of my favorite burgers in the world list but this one right here has taken the top rank for the best beef burger ever!

Pork Feta burger with Asian slaw

Burger Showdown! 

And now for the protein my sister eats no longer. No way we could have a burger month and not include the other white meat. Juicy pork patty spiced with feta cheese, served with a crunchy Asian slaw and even more pork in the form of crispy bacon strips.

Redpepper cornbread

Summa Summa Summa time!

Another summer staple; Welcome the cornbread. It doesn’t get any more summer than that. Cornbread is just an every occasion bread, it’s not even about summer; Christmas, thanksgiving, every BBQ, every cookout cornbread is there and it’s not going anywhere any time soon. Best thing to do is get rid of the Jiffy and Betty Crocker, save those for the lazy days home and pull out the big guns for BBQ’s this summer, try this recipe.

Kale and apple salad with pomegranate vinaigrette

Summa Summa Summa time!

Its about that time when we mix veggies and fruits. The lovely and highly anticipated summer months are here. I too have joined the club but instead of bringing you the typical Cesar salad which is clearly the official salad of summer BBQ’s or worse the ready-made flavorless salad in a bag, you get this;  A fresh, crunchy, tangy, sweet, oniony and yummaaaay Kale salad. Yes you can eat kale raw, taste just like lettuce I promise.

Curry Butter Foil Roasted Corn

Summa Summa Summa time!

It’s time for some BBQ’s. This month it’s all about the best home-made side dishes for your picnics and BBQ’s. Chicken, ribs, hamburgers and hot dogs all need side dishes to make that summer plate complete.  I’m sure you’re going to get invited somewhere and you may need a “Wow” recipe. Or you’re the host and you want some epic food to go with the fun. In either case I’ve got you covered as usual. First up is a corn on the cob, but with a super delicious and interesting twist; Curry!

Strawberry lazy-pie

Easy Bake!

The later part of this month, in the midst of blog prepping I was on a mini vacation in NY with my family. So this last recipe really exemplifies the easy bake theme for the past month. On the day I made these I was actually on a time crunch because we were trying to catch the mall before the stores closed. I decided that I needed the fastest method in life to toss the strawberry pie together and set it to bake so we could leave. I wasn’t even sure if it would come out right since I have never made it before. I just let the oven work its magic

Stolen Mango Moscato

Cool it down

My sister and her boyfriend went to 689 in Kingston and returned raving about two things. A drink they had and oxtail lasagna. She knew I was in the middle of drink month and demanded I recreate the drink they had and loved. She made sure to ask the bartender what the drink consisted of, and the rest was left to me to figure out. So I have never tasted the original and I blindly attempted a copycat recipe of a drink I didn’t know the name of…turned out pretty good.

Apple Kiwi Kooler

Cool it down

I was glancing at the drinks this month on my Instagram account. It got me thinking I’m missing blue and green drinks. Since I had no intention of wasting money on a bottle of blue curacao that I would never finish blue was immediately ruled out.  I figured I could definitely make a drink that was green. The first two fruits that came to mind were apples and kiwis. Now you can tell from the image above that this drink is not green, why? Because I could not find Kiwi juice, I searched all four grocery stores in my area to no avail. And I was far to lazy to make some from fresh kiwis. Thankfully I found a kiwi juice blend. This drink is green in spirit

Strawberry Mint Daiquiri

Cool it down

The moment you drink a strawberry daiquiri it’s officially summer. I don’t think any other drink reminds me of summer and the beach more than a strawberry daiquiri, not even a Pina Colada. My sister and her best friend love this drink so much. I find it to be a lovely drink but ultimately most versions I’ve had are way too sweet and the flavor is a bit one note. So I decided to add some mint to see if I could give this drink a refreshing makeover.

My Milestones frozen peach bellini

Cool it down

About four years ago, which feels like a really long time ago , I went on a trip to visit some friends in Toronto. They took me to dinner at a restaurant called Milestones, really good food, but what got my attention was the most delicious drink in life. A frozen peach bellini, I can’t even describe the deliciousness, I have always wanted to replicate the drink but never had a reason, until now!

Jamaican Lemonade

Cool it down

 I remember as a child I figured out how to make lemonade by accident. I was thirsty and mixed a little sugar in a glass of water, I thought it tasted a little boring and squeezed the juice of a lime in it. I remember exclaiming, wow this taste like lemonade! And my mother replying; how do you think they make lemonade? This is the way lemonade is made in Jamaica, with limes and brown sugar, one of the most refreshing drinks.

Cherry Ginger spritz

Cool it down


The best thing about summer (next to the good weather) is the abundance of fruits. Not everyone drinks alcohol, so it’s only fair that a few of the drinks this month are virgins.  I will say that when I opened the refrigerator and saw a box of cherries I was quite happy.  This drink is easier than ever, and very tasty. It’s the perfect complement to a hotdog and potato salad.

JJ’s Grilled bun n cheese

Independence Month!

In Jamaica, all year round but especially in Easter time, a delicious snack consumed is bun and cheese.  Now that I think about it, we Jamaicans like to slap cheese on everything, bun, bulla, bread, crackers, even in patties. And the cheese I’m referring to is the thick, salty, cheddar ‘tastee’ Jamaican cheese. When you think of Jamaica and you think of cheese, this comes to mind.

Pineapple Schweppes Grapefruit Granita

Cookout and BBQ Season!

So a few posts ago I attempted to recreate my childhood sky juice to no avail but I refused to accept the defeat. After all no summer is complete without an icy beverage to cool you down. While the watermelonade is refreshing, an icy slush of sugar and fruit is even more so.

Cherry mustard BBQ kebabs

Cookout and BBQ Season!

Say hello to the last protein for this month of BBQ backyard cookout foods, I bring you the kebab. But not any kebab, pure meat filled, juicy yummy goodness, using a cherry mustard bbq sauce.

Ranch Fried Chicken Sliders

 

Cookout and BBQ Season!

Where do you get your best ideas? For some it is in the shower, for me it’s while driving to and from work every day.  It’s on one of those drives that I decided to do Greedy Girl Cooks; it’s also where I decided to make Ranch fried chicken.

Salt and not so Vinegar chips

Cookout and BBQ Season!

The Potato chip is one of the classic summer BBQ side dishes. Second only to fries, it goes with every summer sandwich. Hot dogs and burgers would not be the same without a hand full of potato chips to munch on.