Delicious Recipes For Your Summer Festivities!

Its that time of the year! Summer is the best time to have family and friends come together, enjoy the sun and cook some delicious foods. Abt is your headquarters for summer dining fun, offering all of the essential products for preparing everything from appealing appetizers to delicious desserts. Plus, we even posted some yummy recipes to try out for your next cook out!

Watermelon Ice Pops

Stay cool this summer with this refreshing treat! Not only are they delicious, but also very easy to make, thanks to just a few ingredients and the ingenious design of Zoku popsicle makers, which drastically cut down on time needed for your pops to freeze.

Ingredients:

*Serves 6

• 1 1/2 cup of seedless watermelon, cubed.
• 2 Tbsp of plain Greek yogurt
• 1 1/2 Tbsp of agave nectar
• 1 1/2 Tbsp of lemon juice

Using a blender, add watermelon and puree until smooth. This should take about 30 seconds. Then, grab a mesh sieve and strain the mixture into a bowl. Mix the greek yogurt, agave nectar and lemon juice into the watermelon mixture. Insert the popsicle sticks into your mold, and then fill your chilled Zoku mold with the mixture to the fill line. Wait about ten minutes, and enjoy your pops! (Of course, these tasty pops can also be made in a traditional popsicle mold. You’ll just need to wait a few hours for them to freeze.)

Ay! Ay! Guacamole! 

You can’t go wrong with chips and dip for your next summer cook out. This recipe is a classic, and always a favorite appetizer. To make the ultimate creamy guacamole, come visit our gourmet shop and take a look at our Vitamix selection. Vitamix is a great product to make soups, dips, sauces, and more.

Ingredients:

*Serves 8

• 4 Avocados- peeled, pitted, and chopped.
• 1 tomato- diced
• Half of a red onion- diced
• 2 Tbs of lime juice
• Half of a jalapeno pepper- seeded and chopped (optional)
• 1 Tsp of salt
• 1/2 cup of cilantro- roughly chopped.

Add all of the ingredients to your Vitamix, turn to the variable 2 setting or lower, blend until your mix is chunky. Then grab your favorite brand of tortilla chips, and dig in!

Creamsicle Smoothie

Enjoy this yummy, healthy smoothie without feeling the guilt! With our wide selection of Ninja Kitchen Products, the ideas for smoothies are endless. On the run? Look for a Ninja blender that includes single serving cups with lids, great for drinks on-the-go!

Ingredients:

* Makes 1 large smoothie

• 2 Frozen bananas
• 1 Cup of Orange juice
• 1 Cup of vanilla almond milk
• 1/2 Tsp of vanilla extract

Put all ingredients in your Ninja Blender, blend your smoothie on the 1st setting. Blend until your beverage is smooth and creamy. Pour into a glass, sit back and relax. Ahhhhh.

Grilled Steak with Garlic Herb Butter

Who doesn’t love a great grilled steak in the summer? Maximizing flavor is no mystery, with this super easy recipe. As the garlic herb butter melts on top your steak, the flavors will spread all over and enhance the natural flavors of the steak.  At Abt, we have a large selection of Weber products to kick off your next dinner party. Gas grills to smokers, tongs to drip pans, we have it!

Garlic Herb Butter

Ingredients:

• Half-stick of sweet cream butter
• 3 garlic cloves- peeled, minced.
• 1/2 Tbsp of your favorite herbs (I chose rosemary, thyme and basil)
• Pinch of salt
• Pinch of Pepper
• A sheet of plastic wrap

Set a half-stick of butter out for a couple minutes, until it softens. This will make it easier to mix in the garlic and herbs in the butter. In a bowl, add all of your ingredients: butter, garlic, herbs, salt and pepper, and mix them all together. Give it a good mix for about 2 minutes.  Then, scoop your mixed butter onto a sheet of plastic wrap. Cover the butter with the plastic wrap, rolling it into a sausage-like shape. Place in the fridge to cool it down so it can solidify.

Grilled Steak

Ingredients:

• Your choice of steak- I chose T-bone
• Salt
• Pepper
• 2 Cloves of garlic- peed, minced.

Leave your piece of steak out at room temperature for about 20 minutes. Letting the meat warm to room temperature will ensure even cooking of the steak. After the 20 minutes, coat your steak with a generous amount of salt and pepper and rub  your minced garlic into the meat. Turn up the grill on high, preheating it to about 450°F, in order to cook your steak quickly. Brush a bit of olive or canola oil onto the grates to keep the steak from sticking to the them.  Place your steak on the grill, searing both sides of the steak for about 1 1/2 minute. Depending on the thickness of your steak, you might have to sear a little longer.  Don’t worry if there aren’t any hatch marks, they don’t have much purpose when it comes to grilling! Then, flip your steak on to another burner and close the lid so the steak can cook through for about 3-5 minutes, depending of how you like your steak cooked. Using a meat thermometer can help you see how cooked your steak is. When done, take your steak off the grill and let it rest for about 5 minutes. Its best to let it rest so the  juices stay within the meat. After the steak has rested, cut a piece of the garlic herb butter and place it on top of the steak. The taste of the butter on top of the steak is unbelievable! Enjoy!

Banana Cream Pie In a Jar

Don’t have time to make a pie for your guest? Good thing there’s no baking needed for this banana cream pie in a jar, which is the fastest way to make dessert that still tastes as good as a homemade pie. Abt’s Gourmet shop has a selection of Kitchenaid  hand mixers that are perfect for whipping up this sweet dessert!

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup of graham cracker crumbs
• 1 Package of vanilla or banana pudding
• 3 Cups of milk
• 3 Bananas- sliced
• 1/4 Cup of melted butter
• 1 Container of cool whip or a can of whipped cream

Put the pudding mix and milk in a bowl and use your hand mixer on the 2nd setting. Mix your pudding until its thickens, then put it in the fridge for 5 minutes to let it cool and set. In the meantime, start working on your crust. Melt the butter and pour it into a bowl of graham cracker crumbs. Mix the crumbs until they are completely coated with butter.  Grab your mason jars and fill the bottom with the graham cracker crusts. Then, add your vanilla pudding layer. After that, add your sliced bananas, top it off with whipped cream or Cool Whip. Sprinkle the top with any left over graham cracker crumbs and a banana slice for garnish.