By Lorie Ham
Summer is almost here and you may be thinking more about BBQing and cool summer salads when it comes to meals, especially on a hot summer weekend. But what should you make and what should you do to prepare for your summer grilling?
According to an article on Heinens website (they are a grocer back east that has been around since 1929), the first thing you need to do is make sure that your grill is clean. Other recommendations on their list of 10 tips to make the most of your summer grilling include, making sure you have the right tools, avoid putting cold food on the grill, and season efficiently.
To ensure that your grilling doesn’t take a nasty turn, the USDA has a list of safety recommendations such as avoiding cross-contamination, checking internal temperatures, and storing leftovers properly. If you are making egg or potato salads with your meal, another safety tip to remember is to not let eggs sit out for more than two hours. And, in general, the FDA recommends tossing perishable foods, including mayo, that have been left out at room temperature for two or more hours.
Now for the fun part—deciding what to cook! Taste of Home has a list of 45+ Easy BBQ Recipes for the Simplest Cookout Ever! These include recipes for Sweet Tea BBQ Chicken, Grilled Pork and Poblano Peppers, Grilled Marinated Ribeyes, and BBQ Meatloaves. Delish.com has a list of 101 recipes to try! If you are looking for summer salad recipes Country Living has a list of 54 Summer Salads to Make And Eat All Season Long! If you like a salad with a Tex-Mex slant to it one of their recipes is for a Casa Wedge Salad with Mexican Cotija cheese. Yum! Another one on their list is a Cherry, Arugula, and Goat Cheese Salad with Toasted Seeds.
There are plenty of recipes out there to keep your family fed all summer long! Another place where you can find recipes happens to be in the back of mystery novels with a food setting. Author Heather Day Gilbert shares a recipe here from her latest Barks & Beans mystery called “Roast Date” for an easy tortellini salad:
Easy Tortellini Salad
-1 package tortellini
-1 small package frozen peas and corn
Drain hot pasta water over veggies to heat, then rinse pasta/veggies in cold water.
-Add 1 cup Italian dressing and chopped pepperoni or soppressata and cheese cubes (mozzarella or cheddar).
-Refrigerate and enjoy!
Mystery author Amy Pershing shares a recipe from her latest Cape Cod Foodie mystery, “Murder Is No Picnic.”
SHRIMP, LINGUICA AND CORN SKEWERS
These yummy skewers are easily grilled in your own backyard or under a broiler and are a lovely meal in their own right. (Tip: If you can’t find linguica at your local supermarket, feel free to substitute another smoked and pre-cooked sausage like andouille or chorizo.) And do make the aioli for dipping – it’s super simple.
(MAKES 4 LARGE SKEWERS OR 8 SMALL ONES)
For the skewers:
16 jumbo or 20 extra-large shrimp, but deveined but with shell on
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
Coarse salt
Lots of freshly ground pepper
3 ears corn, shucked and cut into 1-inch-thick rounds
1/2 pound linguica, cut into 1-inch pieces (16 pieces)
Lemon wedges for serving
Aioli for serving
Combine the oil, oregano, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper in a large, shallow bowl. Add shrimp and corn, and toss to coat.
Preheat grill to medium-high or, if you are using a charcoal grill, until you can hold your hand 5 inches above grill for just 3 to 4 seconds. If you are using your oven’s broiler, let it preheat for about 5 minutes.
Divide shrimp, corn rounds, and linguica among the skewers, making sure you skewer the shrimp at their top and tail to hold them firmly.
Grill, turning every two minutes or so, until shrimp are opaque, 5 to 7 minutes. Don’t worry if the corn begins to brown a bit– that caramelization is delicious.
Serve skewers with lemon wedges for squeezing over shrimp, and aioli for dipping. And do encourage your guests to eat with their fingers!
For the aioli:
5 medium garlic cloves, pressed or minced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Salt
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
In a small, shallow bowl, combine the pressed garlic and lemon juice, spreading the garlic in an even layer. Sprinkle lightly with salt and let rest for 10 minutes to infuse the lemon juice with garlic flavor.
Pour the lemon juice and garlic into a fine mesh strainer over another bowl, and press down on the garlic with a spoon to get all the lemon juice into the bowl. Discard the garlic.
Stir the mayonnaise into the lemon juice, add the mustard and refrigerate until ready to serve.
With these safety tips and fun recipes, you are all set for your summer BBQing and salad making! Do you have a favorite BBQ or summer salad recipe you would like to share? Feel free to post on our Facebook page. Happy grilling and eating this summer!
