Thursday Thirteen #22

13 side-dishes to grill for your next barbecue.

1. Asparagus Rafts -
1 lb. asparagus (stalks shouldn't be too thin)
2 Tbsp. Asian (dark) sesame oil
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
Coarse salt and black pepper
2 Tbsp sesame seeds
Line 4 or 5 pieces together. Skewer below the head and near the base with bamboo skewers. Combine sesame oil, soy sauce, and garlic and stir with a fork to mix. Brush this mixture on the asparagus rafts on both sides. Season with a little salt and lots of pepper. Grill 2 to 4 minutes per side. Sprinkle with sesame seeds as they grill.

2. Barbecued Cabbage
4 Tbsp (1/2 stick) butter
4 slices bacon (cut crosswise into 1/4 inch slivers)
1 sm. onion
1 med. green cabbage (about 2 lbs.)
1/4 cup barbecue sauce
salt and pepper
Cook bacon and onion in 1 tbsp of butter on stove. Drain and reserve drippings. Crumple a piece of aluminum foil and shape it into a ring about 3 in. in diameter. Cut core out of the cabbage (To core a cabbage: Set the cabbage on a cutting board on its crwon. Cut out the core by angling your knife about 3 inches down toward the center of the cabbage and cutting in a circle that is about 3 inches in diameter. The piece removed should look like a cone. Pull it out and discard it.) Use the ring of aluminum foil to set the cabbage in while it grills. Dice the remaining butter. Stir the barbecue sauce into the bacon/onion mixture. Put butter and mixture into open top of cabbage that is sitting in its foil ring on the grill. Use a basting brush to brush the outside of the cabbage with the drippings. (or save for baked beans or pork chops) Use indirect grilling and grill the cabbage until very tender over med. heat, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Peel off any dried-out or charred outside leaves and discard before cutting into wedges to serve.

3. Grilled Corn
4 ears sweet corn in their husks
6 Tbsp. butter, at room temp.
2 Tbsp. minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 clove garlic, minced
salt and pepper
Pull husks of corn back from kernels, but not off of ear completely. Tie them all together with string to form a handle. Whisk butter, parsley and garlic in a mixing bowl until smooth. Lightly brush each ear and place on grill so that the husks are not directly above the flame. Grill until kernels are browned, 8 to 10 min, turning as needed, brush with remaining butter and serve immediately when done.

4. Grilled Corn (in husks)
Rex Stout says that the best corn in the world is grilled while still in the husk, and as soon as possible after being pulled off the stalk. Grill it until the outer husks are blackened. Then open and cover with butter, garlic, salt, or whatever you most enjoy on corn.

5. Portobello Mushrooms
4 lg. portobello mushrooms
2 large cloves garlic, cut into slivers
1 oz. Romano, Parmigiano-Reggiano, or other firm cheeses, cut into slivers
1 sprig fresh rosemary, leaves stripped of the stem, or 2 tsp dried
2 Tbsp pine nuts
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 1/3 cups EVOO or more as needed
12 fresh basil leaves, thinly slivered
Trim stems off mushrooms and wipe clean with a damp paper towel. Make a series of small holes in the gill side of the caps, 1/2 inch apart. Insert garlic and cheese slivers, rosemary leaves, and pine nuts in these holes. Combine 1/2 cu vinegar and salt and pepper in mixing bowl and whisk until salt is dissolved. Whisk in oil and basil. Pour some of the mixture in a baking dish and arrange mushrooms in it, gill-side up. Swish the mushrooms around to coat the bottoms with marinade. Spoon remaining marinade over mushrooms. Let marinate, covered, for 30 min to 3 hours. Put on grill, gill side down, for three minutes, then invert and spoon on reserved marniade with extra 2 Tbsp of vinegar added. Continue grilling 4 to 6 minutes.

6. Onions
Use skewers to grill all different types of onions, like large sweet onions, red onions, cipollini, pearl onions, banana or regular shappots, green onions, scallions and garlic. brush them with evoo, salt and pepper, or Honey-Balsamic Glaze (1/2 cup balsamic vinegar, 3 Tbsp honey, 2 Tbsp sugar and 1 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce (Bring to boil then simmer until thick and syrupy and reduced to 1/2 cup)

7. Sweet potatoes and yams
If using a charcoal grill, you can roast them directly in the embers. Rake loose coals around them and turn as the become charred. Skins will be charred black when they are done, about 40 min to 1 hour. Cut open and scrape together soft inside. Serve in blackened shell, or in separate bowl. Add touch of maple syrup, 1 tsp ground cinnamon and butter.

8. Garlic Grilled tomatoes
6 ripe red tomatoes
salt and pepper
6 cloves garlic
3 Tbsp EVOO
1 pc. Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (1 to 2 oz)
1 to 2 Tbsp fresh Thyme leaves
Cut tomatoes in half crosswise. Season with salt and pepper. Peel and pulverise garlic. Heat oil in a small frying pan and cook garlic until golden brown, 1 to 2 min. Pour garlic and oil into small heat-proof bowl. When ready to grill, bush oil across grill grate. If using charcoal, toss wood chips on the coals. Place tomates cut side down on the grate and grill until nicely browned. Turn with tongs, spoon garlic over tomatoes and continue grilling until bottoms are nicely browned, 3 to 5 min. Transfer to plate when done and sprinkle with cheese and thyme.

9. Foil-Pouch onions.
Put sliced onions in a foil pouch with 2 Tbsp butter diced and salt and pepper. See packet well and grill with rest of food. Open to serve. Great on hot dogs or hamburgers

10. Grilled Quesadillas
8 flour tortillas
6 oz. Jack or Cheddar cheese, thinly sliced
3 to 4 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
3 to 4 fresh pickled green and/or red jalapeno peppers, thinly sliced
4 scallions, trimmed and sliced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
3 Tbsp melted butter
Arrange ing on half of flour tortilla. Fold in half and refrigerate unitl ready to grill. Place on hot grate until golden brown and chesse is slightly melted, 1 to 2 min per side. Brush outside of each quesadilla with butter. Serve at once.

11. Grilled French Bread
Slice one loaf of French bread and spread with butter, minced garlic, parsley, salt and pepper, and fresh grated Parmesan cheese. Brown slices on both sides, watching closely that it doesn't burn. Serve at once

12. Grilled Coconut-Pineapple
Cut fresh pineapple into rings and dip both sides in cocnut milk and then cinnamon and sugar. Grill until browned on both sides, and serve with homemade vanilla ice cream.

13. Sweet KabobsSlice froze store-bought pound cake into two inch cubes. Slice fresh pineapple into wedges and alternate with pineapple on bamboo skewers. Experiment adding other fruits as well. Grill until browned. Add flavors as desired. Serve with ice cream.

Most of these ideas and recipes are from How to Grill by Steven Raichlen. I highly recommend the book as he goes into great detail about how to prepare the grill, and exactly what heat setting is best for each recipe. Some of the recipes are from my memory or experience.

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