Cella's Recipe Corner: Include these delicious recipes for a successful summer party

Below are some recipes I have received from my coworkers that will help make your party a success.

I like the light-tasting barbecue sauce on the grilled vegetables. The Israeli couscous is a small, round, pasta-like granule made from wheat and semolina flour that is twice as big as regular couscous and is often used as a substitute for rice.

I ordered the tri-color Israeli couscous off Amazon.com. Matt’s muffins with a kick will go well with baked beans and barbecued meats. Follow Anna’s advice below and you will always have tender, beef sandwiches to serve your guests.

Top round beef for sandwiches
(Anna Stranz)
Place 20 – 24 pounds of top round beef in a shallow roasting pan. Season it with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Do not put any water in the pan. Bake at 475 degrees for 25 minutes.

Lower the temperature to 325 degrees and bake for 3 – 3 1/2 more hours. Test the beef with a meat thermometer. If the reading shows that the meat is rare, remove it from the oven, since it will continue cooking once out of the oven.

Remove the meat from the hot pan, saving the pan juices for making au jus, and place the meat in another pan to cool. When the meat is cool, place it in the refrigerator overnight or until thoroughly cooled, before slicing.

De-glaze the roasting pan by placing the pan with the juices on the stovetop on low to medium heat and scraping the browned bits from the bottom and sides of the pan, while adding approximately 3 cups of water. Add 1 teaspoon of beef base to 1 cup of water and pour into the pan to continue de-glazing. Add additional water, if needed.

Thinly slice the cold beef and place it on a large platter. At serving time, heat the au jus so it is very hot and then turn off the heat, or leave it on very low without letting the mixture come to a boil. Add the sliced beef only as long as it takes to get hot. Remove the slices of beef and immediately place them on rolls. Do not boil the au jus when the meat is in it, or the meat will become tough.

On-the-grill barbecued veggies
(David Klenk)
chunks of onion or green onions, or both
Jalapeno pepper slices or red, yellow and green bell pepper chunks
chunks of tomato
chunks of yellow summer squash
seasoning salt, to taste
barbecue sauce
1/4 stick butter

Place all of the vegetables in a saucepan, sprinkle them with salt and drizzle with barbecue sauce. Place dabs of butter on top. Cover the pan with foil. Steam them on the grill. The vegetables will be ready in about 30 minutes. This recipe can also be adapted for the stovetop or microwave.

Israeli couscous with veggies
(Moira Maloney)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium-sized onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, large chunks
1 large carrot, julienne sliced
2 cloves minced garlic
15-ounce canned white beans, drained
1 – 2 stalks broccoli florets
1 cup dry Israeli couscous (tri-color, if you can find it)

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat, add onion and red pepper and stir fry until crisp tender. Mix in the julienne-sliced carrot and minced garlic and heat for 1 minute. Stir in the beans and heat just until hot. Turn off the heat and cover. In a separate pan, steam the broccoli until crisp tender, drain and add it to the vegetable mixture.

Meanwhile, in a separate pan, heat 2 cups of water to boiling, stir in the couscous and simmer about 8 – 10 minutes or until all the water is absorbed. To serve, place the couscous on a plate, then pile the veggie mixture on top.

Muffins with a kick
(Matt Brady)
8 1/2-ounce box corn muffin mix
1 large egg
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup butter, melted
4-ounce can chopped, un-drained green chiles
few drops habanero sauce

In a large mixing bowl, combine the muffin mix, egg, milk, butter, green chiles and habanero sauce. Place 1/4-cup of batter in muffin liners, filling them half full. This recipe makes eight muffins.

Bake in an oven set to 350 degrees for 15 – 20 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Send your favorite recipes to Marcella Stockin, 5200 Riceville Road, West Valley, N.Y. 14171 or email me at marcellastockin@yahoo.com. Providing you with recipes to help make you the best cook in the neighborhood. Visit my website at cellascookbook.com for more recipes and archived newsletters.