With the three-day Memorial Day weekend coming up, what better way to celebrate than a cookout?

So get out the hibachi and charcoal, pull out the coolers and create a menu of fresh summer salads and side dishes to complement ono grilled entrees.

Broccoli Salad

1 bunch broccoli, chopped into bite-size pieces

1 pound bacon

1 cup mayonnaise

¼ cup sugar

2 tablespoons vinegar

½ red onion, chopped

1 cup shelled sunflower seeds

½ cup golden raisins

½ pound fresh mushrooms, sliced

Microwave broccoli for 1 minute; set aside.

Fry bacon until crispy and crumble into small pieces; set aside.

Combine mayonnaise, sugar and vinegar. Add all ingredients to mayonnaise mixture and refrigerate overnight. Serves 6.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving: 650 calories, 54 g fat, 9 g saturated fat, 45 mg cholesterol, 900 mg sodium, 29 g carbohydrate, 5 g fiber, 18 g sugar, 17 g protein

BBQ Flank Steak

1½ pounds flank steak

» Marinade:

1/2 cup soy sauce

1 tablespoon liquor (such as wine or brandy)

2 teaspoons dry mustard (such as Coleman’s)

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 inch piece of ginger, grated

3 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons flour

Mix marinade ingredients together.

Pour marinade over steak, turning to coat; marinate in refrigerator overnight.

Grill or broil to desired doneness. Slice thinly against the grain. Serves 6.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving: 210 calories, 8 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 45 mg cholesterol, 45 mg sodium, 9 g carbohydrate, no fiber, 6 g sugar, 24 g protein

Lemon Squares

» Crust:

2 cups flour

1 cup butter

½ cup powdered sugar

» Topping:

4 eggs

1½ cups sugar

Pinch salt

½ cup lemon juice

¼ cup flour

1 teaspoon baking power

Powdered sugar

To make crust, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together ingredients. Spread into 9-by-13-inch pan. Bake 20 minutes.

For topping, cream together eggs, sugar, salt and lemon juice. Add flour and baking power.

Pour over hot crust and bake another 25 minutes.

Dust with powdered sugar. Cool thoroughly before cutting. Makes 24 servings.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving: 180 calories, 9 g fat, 5 g saturated fat, 55 mg cholesterol, 100 mg sodium, 25 g carbohydrate, no fiber, 16 g sugar, 2 g protein

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For more recipes from Hawaiian Electric Co., visit www.heco.com.