Father's Day Menu Idea

If you want to surprise your father with a wonderful homemade dinner on Sunday for Father's Day, I have just the right menu to help you out. It's easy, and it utilizes fresh, summertime ingredients that are perfect for your family dinner.


Menu:
Parchment Paper Baked Tilapia with a Mango Salsa

Lemon Couscous-recipe below

Strawberry Shortcake in Shooter Glasses-recipe below

Parchment Paper Baked Tilapia with a Mango Salsa
(Recipe from one of my favorite cookbooks-Entertaining with Friends benefitting the Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt)
The cookbook is $35, and includes a variety of colorful and tasty appetizers, entrees and desserts. For more information, or to order, visit www.vanderbiltchildrens.com. The cookbook is also on sale at the Friends Shop at the Children's Hospital.

Pictures from making the recipe:

Couscous Image via myrecipes.com

Lemon Couscous
If you can boil water, you can make couscous--one of the quickest, easiest side dishes.
From Southern Living via myrecipes.com
Yield: 6 cups
2 (5.4-ounce) packages toasted pinenut couscous mix
2 cups fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons butter or margarine
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/3 cup diced red bell pepper (or 4 oz. pimiento)

Remove seasoning packet from couscous package.
Combine broth, next 3 ingredients, and seasoning packet in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir in couscous; cover, remove from heat, and let stand 10 minutes. Stir in parsley and bell pepper.
Note: For testing purposes only, we used Near East Toasted Pine Nut Couscous Mix.

Strawberry Shortcake Shooter Dessert
I love this dessert because it's so easy and has such a fun presentation. It was recently featured in At Home TN magazine (stay tuned for a future blog posting on my Summer Soiree they featured!) The magazine is on newstands now.
Image courtesy of Jonathon Campbell Photography

Ingredients:

1 family-size container Sara Lee pound cake, thawed

1 container Cool-Whip Strawberry crème dip, thawed

Fresh strawberries, hulled and diced

1 container Cool-Whip, extra creamy

Take the pound cake out of the container and cut it into cubes. Place a layer of pound cake cubes in the bottom of the glass, followed by a spoonful of the Strawberry crème dip. Next, place a spoonful of freshly cut strawberries. Top with Cool Whip.

(Cook’s Note: I usually use a pastry bag with a star tip or my Pampered Chef piping tool. I place the Cool Whip in one of this and pipe a decorative star tip to finish off the dessert. You can also use the new Cool Whip in a can to come up with a similar technique)

"My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person, he believed in me."

Fathers Day Quote by: Jim Valvano-Legendary Basketball Coach

Happy Father's Day to all the amazing dads, grandads and husbands out there!

~Stephanie