Chef Tanner Johnson has been on the road quite a bit lately, but he was so kind to send me some recipes and suggested foods for Labor Day barbecues or parties! If you read LA-Story regularly, you might remember Chef Tanner Johnson from a July post about food for a barbecue that tastes good and also is good for you.
Today’s piece features a couple of great cocktails, a couple of great juice-based beverages for those who want a healthier beverage.
There is an array of dips plus fresh veggies along with an assortment of meat and cheeses to partner with some bread and/or crackers. Guests love to contribute to the food being served. Tell them to bring something for the grill or something already cooked.
It offers guests the option to share their favorite dishes as well as simplify the menu for you.. so that you can enjoy the Labor Day event. Chef Tanner has come up with great ideas that you can use as suggested or you can get creative with the recipes!
The fun part about holiday parties like Labor Day is that most guests like to contribute to the event.
If you are planning on having a BBQ, ask your guests to bring the meat, fish, chicken, or plant-based substitute that they would like to put on the grill. Make sure they know that they should bring a grill-ready main course so that there isn’t a crowd of people in the kitchen.
–If it’s grill-ready, it will speed up the cooking time so that you can eat sooner rather than later.
–If you don’t want it on the grill, make sure your main course is already cooked and ready to go into the microwave for warming up.
Chef Tanner Johnson provided me with a list of great beverages.. some alcoholic, some not. The food is on the lighter side so that you can enjoy your BBQ or whatever you might be serving! (PS.. all photos are courtesy of Chef Tanner Johnson!!)
Cocktails:
In the July post featuring Chef Tanner Johnson, I featured a couple of Tanner’s terrific cocktail recipes.
Cocktail #1 — PINK MARTINI was the first cocktail that I featured in that post. The basics of that cocktail featured vodka.
Tanner tweaked that cocktail to turn it into a crazy-great margarita cocktail.
Pineapple Rosemary Jalapeño Margarita!
Ingredients:
1.5 oz either fresh-squeezed pineapple juice or get a refrigerated pineapple juice from your produce section that features fresh juices.
1/2 lime freshly squeezed.
1.5 oz tequila (Try Milagro, Cazadores, Casamigos, Tanteo, Patron, 1800 Tequilas.. because these are 100% Agave tequilas. )
Mash some fresh raspberries (or frozen raspberries that have thawed out) Start with a few raspberries then adjust for the color you want. (Do the muddle of the raspberries in a bowl and add them to the shaker a few at a time till you get the color you want.)
Also, add a bit of fresh rosemary to the shaker as well.
Method:
Pour the liquid ingredients into a shaker filled half full with ice.
Shake for at least 45 seconds (60 seconds would be better)
Fill your tumbler with ice and pour the cocktail into a couple or a tall glass with ice and add a couple of jalapeno slices for this cocktail.
Cocktail #2 Jalapeno Raspberry!
While this cocktail sounds like the one above, this one is a bit simpler. It’s your choice if you want to feature one cocktail or both.
Sliced jalapenos (whether freshly sliced or canned is your choice. Fresh jalapeno slices will have more bite to them,)
Fresh squeezed lime juice
(Squeeze a lot of fresh limes or you can buy bottled lime juice or do a mix of both.
100% Agave tequila. Check out the list above for recommendations.
Mix the juice and add in the raspberries, use the jalapenos both as a garnish as well as a couple stirred into the cocktail
Other Beverages: Orange and Green Juices.
Not everyone wants to have a cocktail. Or maybe they want just one cocktail and then they want to have something refreshing and tasty. Chef Tanner has covered it all. He has created two different juice mixes that are tasty and healthy that can easily be done as pitcher beverages. This makes it so easy for someone (the designated driver perhaps) to have something refreshing.
You get to assemble the fruits and vegetables and if you want to add a couple of other veggies or fruits to it, be creative.
Orange Beverage:
This juice is a blend of ginger, carrot, mango, and orange beets. Don’t forget the ginger. It makes a huge difference in how the juice tastes!
Food:
Make sure you have extra plain yogurt so that you can adjust the flavor according to your taste buds.
Start out by adding about 1/4 tsp of each spice to 1/2 cup of yogurt. You can go from there to make it your own.
You know how to mix up the basic guacamole.
When the avocado is all mashed up, you can add chopped red onion, fresh lime squeezed into the dip, garlic, cilantro and mix well.
Pour chickpeas into a blender and do a medium chop. Add in the lemon, olive oil, garlic, and a pinch of salt.
Be careful about how much olive oil you put in as well as the salt. It’s very easy to go overboard.
If you want super-smooth hummus, then keep blending. If you want a rough-chopped hummus, don’t blend it quite so much.
Choose your favorite types cheeses… both soft and hard cheeses so there are a variety of flavors and textures.
You might want to have various types of crackers and a couple of French bread baguettes that you can slice beforehand or maybe add in some pita pockets which would be fun to have.
Being raised in rural Washington State, like most, I went to school, tried to get good grades, joined sports, extracurricular activities, and did my absolute best to be authentic in a small town. Growing up, I found my retreat to be in the kitchen. I experimented with a variety of dishes, testing those by cooking for family and friends. At a young age, I realized food could be the way to make a ripple into the world.
From Seattle, New Orleans, New York, and Los Angeles, I fell in love with the hospitality industry and began working in restaurants which elevated my cooking skills as a home chef. Cooking has been a passion that has stuck with me no matter where I was.
Now, I have developed a reputation as a versatile celebrity home chef with a diverse group of “who’s who” clients from all over that seek me out for customized gourmet meal prep; traveling personal and private chef services; pre-packaged juices; and small dinner parties.
“Memorable food and great company has always been a major role in my life and I can’t wait to share them with you.”
You can learn more about Chef Tanner Johnson on his website: http://eatsbytanner.com/
Follow Chef Tanner Johnson on this social media channel:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Eatsbytanner/
LA-Story.com thanks Chef Tanner Johnson who provided all of the photos, recipes and food suggestionsfor you to test-drive on your own. Tanner’s got a great talent for creating great meals that have a unique flavor profile He’s popular with celebrities and business notables because he creates healthy food that tastes fabulous!! He’s a real gem in the kitchen!
Stevie Wilson
Want to leave a comment or ask a question? Please send an email to stevie.wilson@LA-Story.com
________________________DEALS and STEALS(Affiliate Links)
I curate deals that offer bonuses, bargains, and great products –and some are very specifically for this site to feature to my audience because I want my audience to get amazing products from great brands!
Disclosure: some of the links on this post might have affiliate links! It costs you nothing. If you buy something, the brand pays me a small percentage.
If you purchase via my link, I make a very small percentage for that purchase. It does not add any additional cost to the product. The price you see is the retail price (depending on the store or vendor).
Sunscreens Are Essential in Summer: Try Hampton Sun Products!!
Hampton Sun has an amazing array of products that include sunscreens that are from SPF 4- 70. Some of the latest additions to the Hampton Sun family are mineral-based sunscreens. These sunscreens include the Age-Defying SPF 50 Mineral Crème as well as the newest product, Mineral Anti-Aging SPF 30 Lotion. These products are perfect for everyday use because they cover a lot of bases!
Key Benefits:
The best part about the mineral sunscreens is that they don’t leave a chalky residue or a white cast on your skin. They vanish into your skin without being gooey or greasy!
SPF 30 Mineral:
100% Vegan Moisturizing Mineral -Based Formula, Coral Reef-Safe, Chemical-Free, No White Residue,
Broad Spectrum UVA/UVB Protection, Water-Resistant (80 minutes), Preservative-Free & Fragrance -Free, Non-NanoSPF 50 Mineral:
100% Mineral Formula, Chemical-free, Coral Reef -Safe & Biodegradable, Broad-Spectrum UVA/UVB Protection, Water -Resistant (80 minutes), Sheer & Lightweight, Preservative-Free, Gluten-Free, Paba-Free
Sunless Tanning Mist!
For those who want to have a beautiful tan but don’t want to be subjected to UVA/UVB rays, there is another option for you from Hampton Sun: SUNLESS Tanning Mist!
This crystal clear, ultra-fine mist goes on evenly, works at any angle. No-rub application is for the face & body and dries in a flash! All organic Erythrulose, a naturally occurring sugar in red raspberries ensures a longer-lasting non-streaking tan. Infused with our signature Privet Bloom scent. We recommend you layer it on with several applications. The most flawless color – We call it Magic in a bottle!
Featured Ingredients:
Aloe Vera, Witch Hazel, Erythrulose, Sodium PCASo you can have your “cake and eat it too” by using the Hampton Sun SUNLESS Tanning Mist and the Mineral SunscreenSPF 50 or 30 over the beautiful golden tan!! What’s not to love!
You can find Hampton Sun Products at these online and brick and mortar stores:
Hampton Sun: https://hamptonsuncare.com/
Amazon.com https://www.amazon.com/Luxury-Beauty-Hampton-Sun/b?node=8757878011
Beautylish: https://www.beautylish.com/b/hampton-sunHSN:
Net-a-Porter: https://www.net-a-porter.com/en-us/shop/designer/hampton-sun
HSN: https://www.hsn.com/shop/hampton-sun/1230
Neiman Marcus.com + Neiman Marcus Stores: https://www.neimanmarcus.com/c/designers-hampton-sun-cat48080738
Subscribe to RSS headline updates from: http://feeds.feedburner.com/la-story/Bpyd
Powered by FeedBurner
If you are going to feature content from LA-Story.com including images, podcasts, or videos including the accompanying text, please respect copyright provisions. We require a notation of content origination (meaning credit tag), a link- back to the specific page & please email the link to stevie.wilson@la-story.com before the piece goes live.
LA-Story.com, LA-Story Recessionista, Celebrity Stylescope,
