Last week I had so much fun looking up unconventional sides to grill that I just had to share more of these recipes this week.
The only downside I can see to grilling your sides is that means you can't make them ahead of time, and they will probably have to wait until you grill your meat, wrap the meat in foil, and then grill your veggies. But the upside is that you're not cooking in the house and getting it all hot, plus all your food will have that nice smoky flavor.
First up, I have a recipe for grilled Portobello mushrooms with spinach and cheese. Here you mix up finely chopped fresh spinach, some garlic, shredded cheddar and cream cheese and stuff it inside of a whole Portobello mushroom cap, then grill it until the mushroom is browned and the cheese is gooey. I'm drooling just thinking about these. These might make a good appetizer, so forget what I said about grilling the meat first, grill these first, then the meat, then your sides. Once they're finished, let them cool just slightly before serving so you don't burn your tongue on that hot cheese.
Second, I found a recipe for grilled broccoli with chipotle lime butter, though the author of the recipe said you can grill all kinds of vegetables this way and top them with the butter sauce and queso fresco at the end. The fresh broccoli gets cut into florets, drizzled in olive oil then grilled for about 8 minutes, turning frequently enough to keep any part from getting too blackened. Then you take it off the grill and toss it with the flavored butter and the queso fresco. What a great way to make broccoli more interesting!
And finally, grilled avocados with lemon and tomatoes. I remember hearing about grilled avocados a few years ago, so I tried it, and I didn't think it was that impressive. But that's because all I did was oil the avocado, grill it and add salt. This recipe takes it much farther by grilling lemons as well, then squeezing the grilled lemons' juice on the avocados, and filling them with halved cherry tomatoes and sliced almonds. This is going to have a lot more flavors and textures that just mushy, smoky avocados, so I'm willing to give them a try again.
I feel like all these grilling recipes have got us set to have a great start to summer, but there's one area we haven't looked into yet: grilled desserts. Come back next week for some great ways to grill your sweets.
Enjoy!
Grilled Portobello mushrooms with spinach and cheese
3 Portobello mushroom caps
1 tablespoon canola oil
4-ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
1 cup grated extra sharp cheddar cheese (about 4 ounces)
1 clove garlic, grated or finely minced
2 cups firmly packed fresh spinach, finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat the grill to medium heat.
Wipe the mushrooms with a damp paper towel to clean off any dirt. Dry well. Do not rinse under water.
Using a spoon, take out the black gills of the mushrooms. Also remove the stems. Using your hands, rub oil onto the outside of the mushrooms.
In a mixing bowl, mix together softened cream cheese, sharp cheddar, garlic and spinach. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste. Mix until combined. Divide cheese mixture between three prepared mushroom caps (easiest with your hands).
Put on the grill, cover and cook until cheese is melted and mushroom is cooked, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish and serve immediately.
Note: Can also be made by cooking in an oven at 425 degrees for 10 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbling.
Source: www.rachelcooks.com
Grilled broccoli with chipotle lime butter and queso fresco
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime
1 tablespoon Tabasco Chipotle Sauce
1 teaspoon honey
1 garlic clove, finely grated on a microplane
Salt
4 heads of broccoli—stems trimmed, cut into large florets
Olive oil, for drizzling
1 cup crumbled queso fresco or farmer's cheese
In a bowl, stir the softened butter with the lime zest, lime juice, Tabasco, honey and garlic and season lightly with salt.
Light a grill. Drizzle the broccoli florets with olive oil and season with salt. Grill over moderately high heat, turning the florets occasionally, until crisp-tender and lightly charred, about 8 minutes.
Transfer the broccoli to a platter and toss with the lime butter. Garnish with the queso fresco and serve.
Make ahead: The chipotle-lime butter can be refrigerated overnight. Soften it at room temperature before using.
Source: www.foodandwine.com
Grilled avocados with lemon and tomato
4 avocados
2 lemons, cut in half
2 handfuls of fresh herbs, such as parsley, basil, thyme and chives
About 2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/3 cup sliced almonds
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
Preheat the grill to medium hot.
Lightly oil the cut side of avocado and lemon halves, then grill until the avocados have grill marks and are heated through, and the lemons are lightly charred and caramelized.
Chop the herbs and then mix with oil and salt. Add almonds and fresh cherry tomatoes. Top the avocado halves with the herbs, nuts and tomatoes, then give the caramelized lemons a good squeeze over them.
Source: Adapted from chimeraobscura.com
