The only thing worse then having to cancel a family barbecue due to rain is not canceling the family barbecue and having a torrential downpour break through those perfect billowy clouds just as Uncle Irving is piling his plate high with coleslaw and hot dogs.
As if this isn't bad enough just what the heck are you supposed to do with a grill full of hot dogs, corn on the cob and barbecued chicken?
Well biscuits, I can't do much about the rain but I do have suggestions for some great ways to use leftover barbecue grub.
If you've got a sense of humor you might even turn this into a day-after-the-rained out-barbecue-soiree'. Could be twice as much fun and no lighter fluid needed.
Hot Dog Anti-pasto Salad
That's right. You heard me. I invented this recipe after a barbecue I hosted got hit with all twelve plagues set upon the Pharaoh about two minutes after I threw the hot dogs on the grill. I was stuck with a fridge filled with wrinkly ol hot dogs, buns and a whole lotta condiments.
So here's how it goes. Take your day old cooked and chilled dogs, slice them up and toss them with your fave anti-pasto fixings. I like diced red onion, sliced cucumber, plum tomatoes cut into wedges, diced celery, quartered artichoke hearts, pickled peppers and sliced olives. Whatever you like is just fine. Toss the whole thing up with olive oil and salt and pepper and then toss again with a little red wine or balsamic vinegar. You'll want half as much vinegar as you had oil. Pour over a bed of lettuce and garnish with shaved Parmesan or Romano or asiago and say, "Just like my Italian Jewish mama used to make!"
Hot Dog Bun Croutons
If you have a sense of humor, you can make croutons out of the hot dog buns too. Seriously. Slice em up or cube em up, toss in olive oil, salt and pepper and then toast in the oven at 350 degrees until nice and crunchy, then sprinkle over around your anti-pasto.
Next Day Corn Salsa
Yep grilled corn on the cob is a fabulous idea for any outdoor event, that is, of course, if the event happens. The good news is corn on the cob is great for salsa.
Shave the corn off the cob and mix 2 coffee cups of corn with 1/2 diced bell pepper, ½ diced red onion, 1 and 1/2 jalapeno peppers (de-stemmed) and minced fine, 4 good drizzles of fresh lime juice and a handful of chopped cilantro. Season with salt and cumin. If you don't like it hot, (wimp) use less jalapeno.
Barbecue Chicken Cobb Salad
Take all that gorgeous day old barbecue chicken and cut up into a nice dice.
Wash a head of Romaine lettuce and chop it up then lay it out on a round platter. Imagine your platter as a big pie. One slice of your pie cover with sliced avocado. One slice gets crumbled blue cheese or Roquefort. One slice gets sliced tomatoes any kind. One slice gets sliced hard-boiled eggs. One slice gets crumbled crunchy bacon, one slice gets diced avocado and one slice gets a heaping pile of barbecue chicken.
For the dressing -
Cobb-a-rama dressing
1 shot and a half of olive oil, 1 shot of sherry vinegar, 1 drizzle of fresh lemon juice, 1 plop of Dijon mustard, a drizzle of Worcestershire sauce and then salt, pepper and sugar to taste. Mix it all up and drizzle over your Cobb.