End of Summer!

Well the unofficial end of summer is here with the passing of Labor Day. As is tradition, we celebrated the end of summer with an end of season barbecue but wanted something a little different and something that satisfied not only our American side but also our Mexican side of our family. The darling hubby and I got to bouncing ideas around and came up with grilled chicken sandwiches topped with bacon, avocado, and of course ranch. Fries just go with burgers, and while we weren't doing the traditional burger they sounded really good to make, especially since we were burnt out on the normal barbecue sides. Fresh corn will soon be out of season and there's nothing more I love than fresh grilled corn, but thinking about making plain grilled corn didn't have me very excited. I had seen someone make elotes, Mexican street corn, recently and that got my wheels turning, thinking that would be the perfect way to give a shout out to some Mexican flavors with our American main dish. Boy was I right! This meal was just amazing and left everyone stuffed! Make this the next time you are in the mood for a different kind of barbecue and it will be your family's new favorite.

What's cooking in my kitchen this week:
Grilled chicken bacon avocado ranch sandwiches, homemade fries, and elotes

What you'll need:
3 lbs chicken breast
1 lb bacon
1 head bib lettuce
2 tomatoes
2 large avocados
1 red onion
1 package buns
1 package sliced cheese
salt
ground black pepper
onion powder
garlic powder

Ranch dressing
1/2 cup mayo
1/2 cup butter milk
1/2 cup Crema Mexicana
10 oz sour cream
1 clove garlic
1 Tbsp finely minced onion
1/2 tsp ground mustard
1/2 tsp ground Mexican oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
2 Tbsp fresh minced chives
1/4 tsp paprika

Fries
5 lbs russet potatoes
oil for frying
salt

Elotes
8 ears sweet corn
1 cup Crema Mexicana
10 oz queso fresco
handful cilantro
juice from 1/2 lime, plus slices for serving
1/2 cup mayo
1/2 tsp chili powder

How to make it:
First, start by making the ranch dressing so all the flavors have time to marry. I didn't have the traditional dill and parsley that is found in ranch, but I found the substitution of the Mexican oregano held it's own and gave a good twist on a classic. In fact, no one seemed to notice there was anything different. Finley mince few slices of onion to make about 2 tablespoons and peel and roughly chop garlic clove. Put both in mortar and pestle with 1/8 teaspoon salt and grind to make paste. Set to side.

Next, finely mince fresh chives (I love having these in my garden!) and set to side.

In medium bowl combine buttermilk, mayo, sour cream, Crema Mexicana, ground mustard, Mexican oregano, salt, ground black pepper, minced chives, and garlic/onion paste.

Whisk to mix thoroughly and cover bowl and refrigerate. Next, prep potatoes for fries. Peel off skin and cut in half length wise and then cut those halves in half, length wise still.

Take two long slices and put cut side down and then cut again length wise to make fries; depending on how thick each potato will depend on how many cuts to make, usually about 3.

Place cut potatoes in bowl of ice water with 1/2 tsp salt, making sure all the potatoes are covered. Put in fridge and let sit 1-2 hours.

Now it's time to prep the corn. Remove husks and silk, leaving stems on cob. Set to side until ready to cook on grill.

Next, make the sauce to smother the corn in, transforming it into elotes and making the corn oh so yummy! Combine mayo, Crema Mexicana, all but about 1/2 cup crumbled queso fresco,  lime juice, chopped cilantro, and chili powder in sallow bowl or pie pan. Mix until well combined. Cover and put in fridge until ready to serve.

Next, prep all the toppings for the grilled chicken sandwich. Start by fry up bacon making sure not to crowd the pan.

Slice up the onion and tomato and place in separate bowls, cover and set to side. Remove stem from lettuce and separate leaves, putting in another bowl, cover and set aside. Don't slice up the avocado until you are ready to serve, so it is fresh and doesn't turn brown.

By now the fries should be ready to start cooking. We have a Fry Daddy, so it makes frying things so much better than on the stove top. If you don't have one, just get a deep pan and fill with couple inches of oil. Be sure to have a thermometer so you can regulate the temperature of the oil. Heat oil to 300° and cook in batches for 6-7 minutes, until potatoes are just fork tender, remove and let drain on wire cooling wrack over a cookie sheet.

Once the fries are done cooking for the first time, turn up the heat on the oil to 400° to get ready to fry again. Also, fire up the grill and get it going making the flame medium-high. Once oil has risen to new temperature, fry fries again in batches until crispy, about 6-8 minutes. Remove from oil and season will salt.

Once grill is hot, put ears of corn directly on grill cooking 6-7 minutes per side, turning and repeating until done. Corn should have nice char to it, but not be burnt.

When corn is just about done, get chicken breast cooked. Season each side with salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder and grill about 6-7 minutes per side. Remove once cooked and place on serving platter.

Once corn is done, remove and place on cookie sheet and allow to cool about 5 minutes. Take sauce made earlier and smother corn in it, using a spoon to spread evenly.

Place on serving platter, sprinkle remaining queso fresco, touch of chili powder, and a bit more chopped cilantro. Serve with lime slices to squeeze over once eating.

Now that everything is done cooking, get ready to serve! As this was the last barbecue of summer, I did everything family style so they could just come through and grab what the wanted.

See, they really did get grab their own plates.

I'll leave you with my plate, it was too much I couldn't finish it all! Enjoy!

Did you know
On this day in 1882, the first Labor Day holiday was organized in New York City by the Central Labor Union with a parade followed by a massive picnic at Wendel's Elm Park at 92nd St and 9th Ave (the largest park in the city at the time) with numerous speakers. More then 10,000 workers marched in the parade.