On the Barbie
This is a friendly little reminder that the summer is back and it’s the season to kick back, enjoy the weather and friends, and have some fun as worklife for many of us slows down until September again.
Why not throw a party just because? And when I say party, I don’t necessarily mean a big bash with invitations, kegs, balloons or even cocktail weenies. I’m talking about opening up your home or grill to a few good friends and maybe a few friends of theirs, to enjoy a little time with the grill, maybe a margarita and some easy and fun food ideas. Here are three pretty easy suggestions for your grilling menu.
My friend Bailey makes grilled pizza. Say again? Sounds divine, doesn’t it? He cooks his toppings-topped pizza dough on the grill. No kidding! No pan required. The grill has enough grease on it to keep the dough from sticking. Just put your dough straight on a low grill, and keep an eye on it. It will burn fast if you’re not paying attention.
So have yourself a pizza grilling party! The reason: Just Because. Go out and buy a whole array of yummy toppings for your pies. Think creatively--veggies are a great way to liven up pizza: zucchini, broccoli, and radicchio are great additions to your pie. Add a handful of fresh arugula to the top, right after cooking, for some extra spiciness and a beautiful splash of green. Go to your local Italian market, pick up some interesting varieties of olives, slice ‘em up and throw them on a pizza that’s already loaded with fontina, chunks of gorgonzola, bufalo mozzarella or asiago cheese. The world is your oyster--hey…! I haven’t tried those on pizza! Someone let me know if it works!
If you don’t want to make pizza, try some grilled bruschetta. Slice up some French or Italian bread about an inch thick, brush it heavily with olive oil or butter, add your toppings and throw them on the grill. If you want to make grilled grilled cheese, give it a go. It’s heavenly. Olive tapenade or pesto are also lovely. Or if you want to go sweet, how about grilled peanut butter and jelly sandwiches? Just imagine that hot oozy peanut butter on your buttered bread! I’m drooling as I type!
And my final suggestion for you to try is grilled fruit. There are few things more delicious than fruit cooked on the grill. Choose fruit that will stand up to the high temperatures well, such as citrus fruits and pineapple. Marinate chunks of fruit in some orange or pineapple juice, maybe with a splash or two of Grand Marnier or Cointreau. Stack them onto wood skewers that you’ve soaked in water for a couple of hours beforehand. Throw them on a low grill and turn every couple of minutes until the fruit is tender and caramelized. You’ll have gorgeous shiny luscious fruit that you can deskewer and serve in a bowl chilled, perhaps with some fresh halved berries and a squeeze of lime juice and ice cream or gelato. Or eat them right off the stick! Even easier and less cleanup!
Have a blast grillin’. Experiment and report back. Cheers!
Made with vanilla ice cream, vegetable oil spray, fresh peaches, butter, angel food cake
Serves/Makes: 8
- 4 fairly firm fresh peaches
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 8 slices angel food cake, about 1 inch thick
- vegetable oil spray (preferably butter-flavored)
- vanilla ice cream
Preheat grill with all burners on high, and the lid down, for 10 minutes.
While grill preheats, cut peaches in half, remove pits and brush halves with melted butter. Once grill is hot, turn off center burner and turn others to medium.
Place peach halves, skin side up, over center burner. Close lid and cook 8 to 10 minutes, turning once. Transfer to platter and loosely tent with aluminum foil.
Turn all burners to low. Coat both sides of angel food cake slices with vegetable oil spray. Place cake slices on grill and toast quickly, about 45 seconds per side.
Place grilled peach half and a slice of angel food cake on each serving plate. Top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Made with garlic olive oil, French or Italian bread, fresh basil, Roma tomatoes, red onions, garlic, salt, olive oil, black pepper
Serves/Makes: 5
- 1 pound Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced in 1/4-inch cubes
- 1 1/2 cup diced red onions
- 8 cloves garlic, crushed or minced
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 2 ounces olive oil
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup minced fresh basil
- 1 long loaf French or Italian bread
- 3 ounces garlic olive oil
Preheat the oven broiler.
Combine the tomatoes, red onion, garlic, salt, pepper, olive oil, and basil in a bowl and mix gently.
Slice the bread into 1/2-inch thick slices and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Brush one side of the sliced bread pieces with the garlic olive oil. Place the bread in the oven and broil just until lightly browned.
Remove the toasted bread pieces from the oven. Top each with some of the tomato mixture.
Serve the bruschetta immediately.
Made with parsley, garlic, Parmesan cheese, pine nuts, salt and freshly ground black pepper, shrimp, olive oil, salt
Serves/Makes: 4
- 1 package (.25 ounce size) active dry yeast
- 3/4 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees F)
- 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, plus additional for kneading and dredging
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 teaspoons olive oil, divided, plus more for brushing dough
- 2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- cilantro leaves, for garnish
***Cilantro Pesto***
- 3/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
- 1/4 cup parsley leaves
- 2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
***Grilled Shrimp***
- 16 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- olive oil
- salt
- freshly ground black pepper
In a small bowl, whisk together the yeast and 1/4 cup of the warm water. Let sit for 5 minutes to proof.
Place 1 3/4 cups of the flour in large bowl with the salt. Add the yeast mixture, the remaining water, and 2 teaspoons oil, and stir until combined.
Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead until smooth. Grease a large bowl with the remaining 1 teaspoon oil, add the dough and turn to coat. Cover and put in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
Preheat the grill to medium-high. Once the dough has risen, divide it in half, and set aside half for another use.
Then divide the half into 4 balls. Roll each ball into 8-inch circles. Brush each circle with oil and grill on both sides until golden brown.
Add 1/2 cup grated cheese to each pizza and grill until the cheese is just melted.
Remove from the grill and spread a few tablespoons of the cilantro pesto over each pizza. Top each pizza with 4 shrimp, chopped bell pepper, and sprinkle with cilantro leaves.
For Cilantro Pesto: Put all ingredients in the work bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
For Grilled Shrimp: Preheat the grill to high. In a large bowl, toss the shrimp with enough olive oil to coat, and season with salt and pepper.
Grill for 1 to 2 minutes per side or until just cooked through. Remove from grill and keep warm until ready to use.
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