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Bountiful Veggie Kabobs
This is the grill version of a stone soup: a way to use up all your delicious vegetables and create side dishes or light lunches for weekday summer meals. Assemble them with friends and this monotonous task will become enjoyable, as you prepare meals in advance.
We didn't put specific numbers on the amount of veggies-use what you've got and make more or less marinade to coat lightly. Most any veggie you like will stay on a skewer, (such as onions, zucchini, squash, tomatoes, potatoes, mushrooms, carrots, green, red and orange pepper).
You'll want to cut the vegetables into chunks and then combine with the following marinade.
Veggie Vinaigrette:
½ cup balsamic wine vinegar
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons shallots, finely diced
Juice of 1 lemon
2 garlic cloves, finely diced
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh herb of your choice, such as dill, basil, or tarragon
Whisk or blend all ingredients for the Veggie Vinaigrette and pour into a large plastic freezer bag. Add vegetables, seal, and shake to coat. Refrigerate for about an hour.
Remove vegetables and place on metal skewers, alternating to create interesting visual patterns. Grill over a medium-high flame for about 20 minutes, turning often.
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Skirt Steak With Herbs and Garlic
Serves 6
This is a simple yet delicious moist rub for steak. After grilling the steak, cut the meat into pieces and create a wide assortment of lunches and dinners.
2 pounds skirt steak, membranes removed
4 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Juice from two limes
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
A few hours before cooking, rub on each piece of skirt steak: 2 crushed garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon olive oil, a sprinkle of kosher salt, juice of 1 lime and a handful of chopped cilantro or parsley. Flip and repeat.
Cover and let sit for a few hours. Grill on medium-high heat for about 10 minutes, flipping once.
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Southwestern Steak Salad
Serves 10
This hearty salad makes an ideal dinner on a hot summer evening. Leave off the steak and it makes a great side for a Southwestern meal.
4 heads romaine lettuce, washed and chopped
1 small red onion, diced
4 ears corn, blanched or roasted, kernels removed
2 avocadoes, diced
1 cup grape tomatoes, washed
1 to 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 can black beans, rinsed
1 bunch scallions, white and green parts, washed and chopped for garnish
2 cups steak (see above) cut into strips
2 cups homemade corn tortilla strips
Combine lettuce, onion, corn, avocado, tomatoes, and cheese. Gently mix in black beans. Toss with honey lime dressing. Lay steak in strips on top of each serving. Sprinkle with tortilla strips and scallions.
Corn Tortilla Strips
Makes 2 cups corn tortilla strips
These tortilla crisps are so easy to make that you'll wonder why you ever used store bought chips.
8 corn tortillas
1/8 cup olive or canola oil
kosher salt to taste
Cut corn tortillas into strips. Heat olive oil in a medium skillet. Pan fry the tortilla strips until golden and crispy (about two minutes) flipping once. Drain on a paper towel lined plate and season with kosher salt. Add to salad after it is tossed with the dressing.
Honey Lime Dressing
¼ cup honey
½ cup olive oil
juice from 4 limes
½ cup chopped cilantro
kosher salt to taste
optional: chopped jalapeno peppers
Whisk all ingredients together.
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Dear Friends,
We love grilling, of course, because it's an easy, healthy way to cook most any type of food. But there are some other hidden benefits to firing it up. The grill is an ideal communal cooking space. Even a small grill is big enough for two people to stand and cook, and bigger grills can accommodate four chefs. We also admire the grill's ability to cut down on the amount of dirty pots and pans at the end of the meal. And perhaps most importantly, just suggesting "Let's Grill" conjures up images of being outside, having fun, and hanging out with the people we like most.
Alison and Shannon
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You Grill, Girl
After years of noticing that in most couples, the woman will prepare the food to be grilled and the man will actually grill it, we encourage our female readers to take charge of the grill. If you regularly cook with your spouse or significant other, switch the roles. We think you'll find grilling is one of the simplest ways to cook.
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One of the best food swaps for this time of year is the Condiments Swap. You'll love giving steak, pork chops, ribs and more a homemade kick with marinades and dressings you've swapped with friends. Some of our winners have included ketchup, barbeque sauce, vinaigrette, ranch dressing, and Asian soy marinade. Here's how it works:
1. Choose a host, day and time for the swap, and send out an e-vite.
2. Team up in groups of two or three, and choose a condiment to make (put your choice on your e-vite response so you don't end up with several ketchups).
3. Cook a big batch (a portion for each person coming to the swap) of your condiment. Put it in individual containers.
4. Bring your creation, as well as copies of the recipe (include suggestions of how to use the sauce), to the swap.
5. Share your homemade condiments, and enjoy the time together! |
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Grilling With Friends,
Let Us Count the Ways
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One is the Grill Party, a social night where you invite several friends or couples to prepare a dish and then make it in your kitchen or on the grill. It's a bit different from a potluck, because you are really cooking together. You can give each other advice, borrow ingredients, and then when the food is ready, sit down and toast the whole experience.
Our other way is Grill Ahead, Get Ahead, which is a way to stock your fridge for the week's meals. Invite a few friends to bring over any veggies, meats and marinades they want to cook, along with any containers or bags they'll need, and set up the grill for a big cook-out. While you are grilling, encourage your friends to talk about how they will use the food, such as chicken in pasta, or steak salad (see our recipe to the left), to inspire ideas in each other.
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Time-SavingTool of the Month:
Circular Steel Skewers
These skewers by Charcoal Companion go from grill to plate with ease and nice presentation. The circle fits on the plate and can curve around a side salad or rice dish. The set is $9.95 for four, available through cooking.com.
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Alison Bermack and Shannon Henry
Visit our web site at www.cookingwithfriendsclub.com.
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