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Summers are for picnics

Cooking with Cathie

Cathie Campbell

(Updated: Thursday, July 15, 2010, 12:00 AM)

Ah, summertime. So many things to do and so many places to go it can make you hungry.

Why not enjoy picnic fare the next time you have plans for outdoor fun?

If you're in the mood for something lighter and healthier than the traditional fried chicken and potato salad -- although you might want to have those, too -- here are a few recipes that step up to the challenge:

Veggie Spread

To lighten this up, use nonfat or lowfat cream cheese or neufchatel cheese and light mayo.

• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon dried dill
• 1 red bell pepper, diced small
• 1 carrot, diced small
• 2 green onions, diced
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Use a hand-held mixer to whip together cream cheese and mayonnaise until smooth.
2. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cover and allow to refrigerate for one hour. Serve with crackers or fresh vegetables.

Garden Sammies

Healthy veggie picnic fare.

• 1 15-ounce or 16-ounce can Great Northern or cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves (1 teaspoon) garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning, crushed
• 1 medium yellow summer squash, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
• 24 1/4-inch-thick slices of baguette-style bread
• 2 medium Roma tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices (or however many tomatoes you may need to have 12 slices)
• 1 cucumber, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
• Small celery-top sprigs, small tomato wedges and pickle slices (optional)

1. For bean spread, in blender or food processor combine beans, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, the garlic and Italian seasoning; cover. Blend or process until smooth. Season with salt and ground black pepper.
2. To grill squash, toss squash slices with remaining tablespoon olive oil. Place in a grill basket. Place basket directly over medium coals for about 5 minutes or just until squash is tender, turning once.
3. Spread one side of each bread slice with bean spread. Top half of the bread with tomato, squash, and cucumber slices. Top with remaining bread slices, spread side down. Secure sandwiches with wooden picks. Top with celery sprigs, tomato wedges, and/or pickle slices. Makes 12 appetizer-size sandwiches.

Mango and Ham Rolls

• 2/3 cup coarse-grain Dijon-style mustard
• 1/4 cup sliced, pitted Kalamata olives or other olives
• 1/4 cup snipped fresh parsley
• 12 sourdough or whole-wheat mini rolls, split and toasted, if desired
• 11/2 pounds cooked, smoked ham, thinly sliced
• 2 cups refrigerated, sliced mango (9 ounces)

1. In a bowl, combine mustard, olives, and parsley. Spread the cut sides of 12 roll tops with olive-mustard mixture. Place ham on the roll bottoms.
2. Top ham with mango slices (cut slices to fit, if necessary), add olive-mustard spread to bun tops. Makes 12 sandwiches.

Jicama Slaw

• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3/4 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 medium red onion, chopped
• 2 pounds jicama, peeled and cut into thin, matchstick-size strips (about 9 or 10 cups)
• 1/3 cup fresh, chopped cilantro

1. Whisk together lime juice, oil, sugar, pepper and salt in a large mixing bowl.
2. Add onion, jicama, cilantro and toss well. Add additional salt and pepper to taste if needed.

Sage and Apricot Cookies

Only 5 grams of fat per serving and lighter than most cookies.

• 13/4 cups flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 tablespoons snipped, fresh sage or 2 teaspoons dried sage
• 3 tablespoons milk
• Apricot spreadable fruit

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a bowl, stir together flour, sugar, and cornmeal. Using pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Stir in sage. Add milk. Stir with fork to combine; form into ball. Knead until smooth; divide in half.
2. On lightly floured surface, roll half the dough at a time to 14-inch thickness. Using 2-inch round cookie cutter, cut out dough.
3. Place cutouts an inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake about 10 minutes or until edges are firm and bottoms are very lightly browned. Transfer cookies to wire rack. Cool.
4. Spread bottoms of half the cookies with spreadable fruit. Top with remaining cookies. Makes 20 sandwich cookies.

Note: To store, place in layers separated by waxed paper in an airtight container; cover. Store at room temperature up to three days or freeze unfilled cookies up to three months. Thaw cookies; fill with spreadable fruit.