Food Midwest Living July/August 2021 Recipes By Hannah Agran Hannah Agran Hannah Agran is executive editor at Midwest Living, where she oversees travel, food, home, garden and culture content. Born in Wisconsin, raised in Ohio, and now living in Iowa, she's a proud lifelong Midwesterner (aside from that stint in Massachusetts for a B.A. in American Studies from Brandeis University). On her off time, she loves to travel, here and abroad. (A perfect trip involves hiking, art museums and pastries, in equal measure.) At home, she's either puttering in the kitchen or garden--or on the couch with her cat, Clementine, bingeing a good show when she should be reading her book club book. Midwest Living's Editorial Guidelines Published on June 11, 2021 Trending Videos West African Grilled Chicken. Photo: CARSON DOWNING Find top recipes from immigrant chefs, state fair blue-ribbon winners, fresh ideas for watermelon, a jammy blueberry pie and a mouthwatering BLT in our latest issue. 01 of 22 West African Grilled Chicken in Tomato Sauce West African Grilled Chicken. CARSON DOWNING At Okra African Grill in Omaha, Togolese chef Nina Sodji serves this spicy anise-flavored chicken over rice. Her favorite sides: sauteed lightly seasoned bell peppers and Fried Plantains (recipe included). For extra kick, add the West African Green Pepper Sauce. View Recipe 02 of 22 Coffee and Spice Grilled Ribeye Carson Downing In a collaboration with a local coffee roaster that's also informed by his Hmong heritage, Minneapolis chef Yia Vang developed this earthy, spicy steak rub. Resist the urge to trim your steaks, he says. Fat dripping into the fire triggers smoke, which ramps up flavor. View Recipe 03 of 22 Mojito Bars Carson Downing Jacob Van Patten pours a refreshing summer cocktail into his creative take on lemon bars, which took the overall blue ribbon at the Iowa State Fair. View Recipe 04 of 22 Watermelon Poke Bowl Brie Passano This version of a Hawaiian poke bowl swaps marinated watermelon for the raw fish. It's an incredibly light and fresh summer dinner—and so pretty! View Recipe 05 of 22 Bean and Cheese Pupusas Bean and Cheese Pupuas With Red Salsa and Curtido. Carson Downing The standard-bearer of Salvadoran food, a pupusa is a flat, pan-fried pocket of corn dough traditionally stuffed with cheese, beans or meat, then served with mild salsa and curtido (a tangy cabbage slaw). Maria and Juan Vasquez serve them with and without meat at their 3 in 1 Restaurant in Indianapolis. View Recipe 06 of 22 Coconut Chocolate Squares Carson Downing Orange marmalade is a nice surprise in these rich (and ribbon-winning) bars created by Iowa State Fair entrant Marianne Carlson. View Recipe 07 of 22 Watermelon Ginger Granita Brie Passano Fresh lime and ginger take watermelon's flavor up a notch. Make this icy treat when you'll be home all day. It's super easy, but you need to scrape it a few times over the course of a few hours. View Recipe 08 of 22 Syrian Hummus Carson Downing The secret to super-creamy hummus? Ice cubes and cold water, says Mawda Altayan of the St. Louis catering company Damascus Food. View Recipe 09 of 22 Lemon Sugar Cookies Carson Downing The light lemon flavor gives these sparkling sugar cookies a little special twist. Judy Kiburz Harrison's recipe won best-in-class at the Iowa State Fair. View Recipe 10 of 22 Grilled Watermelon and Arugula Salad Brie Passano Two things make this grilled watermelon amazing. High heat draws out moisture and intensifies watermelon's sweetness, and the rub creates additional caramelization for even deeper flavor notes. View Recipe 11 of 22 Grilled Squash in Cilantro, Lime and Fish Sauce Carson Downing Minneapolis chef Yia Vang draws on his Hmong heritage in this simple side, dressing charred zucchini and yellow squash in a sweet-tart dressing that has funky umami notes from fish sauce. (Use it again in winter on your roasted Brussels sprouts.) View Recipe 12 of 22 Harvest Apple Bars Carson Downing Tammy Post's Iowa State Fair blue-ribbon recipe doesn't skimp on apples, which results in incredibly moist and indulgent bars. View Recipe 13 of 22 Birchwood BLT Carson Downing Tracy Singleton, owner of the Birchwood Cafe in Minneapolis, combines summer's greatest hits—heirloom tomatoes, basil and sweet corn—in what she calls "a kitchen sink sandwich." View Recipe 14 of 22 Jammy Blueberry Pie Jason Donnelly The extra steps of prebaking both berries and pastry pay off: The filling is potent, and the bottom crust cracker-crisp. View Recipe 15 of 22 Pepparkakor Carson Downing Kim Van Patten says these Swedish spice cookies are popular at Christmas. Heart shapes are traditional to encourage kindness and sweetness. It certainly is nice that her Iowa State Fair blue-ribbon winners are mixed up in one saucepan! View Recipe 16 of 22 Tamarind Juice Carson Downing This refreshing, delicately floral drink features the tart tropical fruit tamarind, plus rose water. In St. Louis chef Mawda Altayan's native Syria, the drink is a household staple and sold by street vendors. View Recipe 17 of 22 Blue-Ribbon Ranger Cookies Carson Downing Ranger cookies are made with rolled oats and cereal. Judy Kiburz Harrison won best-in-class at the Iowa State Fair for her version, which adds Beer Nuts for a peanutty twist. View Recipe 18 of 22 Curtido Carson Downing This crunchy oil-free slaw is like a quick-pickle and a must-serve with the Salvadoran pupusas that Maria and Juan Vasquez serve at 3 in 1 Restaurant in Indianapolis. View Recipe 19 of 22 Scandinavian Almond Bars Carson Downing Perennial Iowa State Fair ribbon-winner Robin Tarbell-Thomas' buttery best-in-class bars are loaded with almond flavor. View Recipe 20 of 22 Red Salsa Carson Downing This is a mild Salvadoran-style salsa, where most of the flavor comes from tomatoes, so choose the ripest, reddest ones you can find. It is the traditional topper for pupusas, the specialty at 3 in 1 Restaurant in Indianapolis. View Recipe 21 of 22 Fried Plantains Carson Downing Fried sweet plantains are a staple across Latin America and Africa. This method comes from chef Nina Sodji, of Okra African Grill in Omaha. who serves them as a side dish to her West African Grilled Chicken in Tomato Sauce. View Recipe 22 of 22 West African Green Pepper Sauce Carson Downing Be warned: Even with green bell peppers, this condiment, which Nina Sodji serves at her Okra African Grill in Omaha, has serious bite. It's delicious as a dipper for her Fried Plantains or topping for West African Grilled Chicken in Tomato Sauce. View Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit