Shortcuts: Mmm ... belated Father's Day recipes

Shame on me! I missed the boat! I dropped the ball! I'm a day late and a dollar short! Please forgive that I did not dedicate a column to dear ol' Dad for Father's Day.

I had a good excuse -- it was beach week for moi! Yes, the weather was perfect, oh, I digress.

I could smell the grills firing up as I drove away from the sandy shore and salty sea air. But, it's never too late to give Dad the credit he deserves.

I read through the saved newspapers, I picked up on the theme of barbequing and seasoning meats.

Immediately, the dry rub recipe found in my first cookbook came to mind.

It's a winner for chicken, ribs or beef! A combination of sweet, hot and spicy, this seasoning appeals to all backyard chefs! (It's great on oven-cooked meats as well!) You'll find it quite easy to concoct with equal measures of six out of eight ingredients.

Massage your choice of meat with this rub the night before you grill so the flavors sink in. (I always make a double batch. Store the extra amount in a shaker to sprinkle on meat after cooking if desired.)

To soothe Dad's sweet tooth, try the grilled banana sundaes below.

Whether you cook out with family and friends or brave the roads with fellow travelers this weekend, have a happy and safe Fourth of July!

DRY RUB

2 tablespoon salt

2 tablespoon white sugar

2 tablespoon brown sugar

2 tablespoon ground cumin

2 tablespoon chili powder

2 tablespoon cracked black pepper

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

¼ cup paprika

Mix all ingredients well. Rub over meat and refrigerate overnight.

GRILLED BANANA SUNDAES

4 unpeeled bananas, ripe but still firm

½ cup chopped candy bars

Aluminum foil

Oven mitt

Preheat a gas grill to medium-high. Cut a ¾-inch-deep slit lengthwise in each banana from end to end following curve.

Pry open each slit just enough to push in 2 tablespoons of chopped candy. Wrap each banana snugly in aluminum foil and grill 5 minutes.

Flip over and grill 5 minutes more or until soft when squeezed with oven mitt.

Serve immediately. Makes 4 servings.

Mary Ann lives in Lake Ridge. Her third cookbook, "SHORTCUTS, TOO," is now available at Salt & Pepper Books in Occoquan. Send questions or comments in care of this paper at P.O.Box 2470, Woodbridge, VA. 22195.