Memorial Day weekend is here! Most likely you have a weekend full of plans, spending time outside with family and friends and enjoying good food on the grill. Over the years, we've collected quite a few recipes to share, so I've put together just a sampling of what we have. Hope you find something you like and here's wishing you and your family and relaxing weekend together.
Italian Style Grilled Chicken
8 ounces tomato sauce
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced, divided
3 Tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon olive or vegetable oil
3 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
In a small saucepan, combine tomato sauce, lemon juice and half of the garlic. Mix well. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium; simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and cool, then add the basil and set aside. While sauce is simmering, in a small bowl, combine the remaining garlic, lemon peel, and oil. Mix well. Place chicken in a glass or ceramic dish and rub with lemon peel mixture. Cover dish with plastic wrap and chill for about 30 minutes.
Preheat the grill. Place the chicken on the grill and cook for 8 minutes per side. Brush with the sauce and continue grilling for 4 to 5 minutes per side or until juices run clear when chicken is pierced with the tip of a knife. This is only 5 grams of fat per serving and 408 calories. If you don't have fresh basil, you can add either fresh oregano in it's place or dried, but use half as much if it's dried.
Mexican Grilled Steak
20 ounce top sirloin steak
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. dried leaf oregano, crushed
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. coarsely ground pepper
1/4 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 tsp. cider vinegar
2 orange slices, 1/2 inch thick
Place steak in a shallow glass baking dish. Rub with oil on each side. Sprinkle with oregano, salt and pepper. Sprinkle orange juice, lime juice, and vinegar over the steak. Cover and refrigerate overnight or several hours, turning occasionally. To cook meat, preheat charcoal or gas grill. Drain meat, reserving marinade. Place steak on grill. Top with orange slices. Occasionally spoon the marinade over steaks as they cook. Grill 3-4 minutes on each side, or until as done as you desire. Remove orange slices to turn steak. Replace orange slices on top of steak. Slice thinly and serve. Note: You can also serve this with fresh flour tortillas to wrap around pieces. You can also use this same marinade and method for your favorite individual cuts of steak, doubling the recipe if need be for more marinade.
Grilled Potatoes
1 potato per person, red or white
onion and/or garlic powder
bacon
butter
foil
Wash potatoes and tear off enough foil to wrap each potato individually. Slit each potato with a cross and wrap bacon around each potato.Sprinkle onion powder on the foil with a little butter. Roll each potato up in foil place on grill. Turn over after first 30 minutes. Then add your meat to the grill. Potatoes should be done when the meat is. Note: I also microwave the potatoes for 2-3 minutes in the microwave after making the cross, then proceed as directed. This works when you don't have as much time or are cooking a meat that doesn't take long.
Spicy Grilled Chops
4 boneless pork chops, 1/2-inch thick
1/4 cup hot salsa of your choice
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons orange marmalade
1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt or pepper
In small bowl, combine salsa, water, marmalade and seasoned salt; blend well. Place pork chops in plastic bag or glass dish. Pour marinade mixture over pork, turning to coat. Seal bag or cover dish and marinate about 1 hour, turning pork chops several times. When ready to grill, remove pork chops from marinade, reserving leftover marinade. Bring marinade just to a boil in a small saucepan and cool. Place chops on grill 4-6 inches over medium-high coals. Grill about 4 minutes per side-or until they reach desired doneness, basting with reserved marinade.
Spicy Potato Wedges
6 large potatoes
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
2 tablespoons olive oil
Scrub and slice unpeeled potatoes into wedges. In a small bowl, beat egg and milk. In another bowl, combine flour and seasonings. Dip potato wedges into milk mixture; dust with flour mixture. Place in a single layer on an ungreased baking sheet. Drizzle with oil. Bake at 450 for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown and tender.
Grilled Vegetable Salad
1 cup balsamic or herb vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons shallot, finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1 1/2 teaspoons honey or molasses
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 pound baby carrots
2 red or yellow bell peppers
2 zucchini squash
2 yellow squash
1 large sweet onion
Combine first 8 ingredients in a large bowl; stir well and set aside. Cut vegetables into 1-inch pieces; add to vinegar mixture, tossing to coat. Let stand 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove vegetables with a slotted spoon, reserving vinegar mixture. Place a grilling basket (or foil that you've folded up sides to form a square, and poked holes in the bottom) on grill rack, and cover with grill lid. Grill 15 minutes or until crisp-tender, turning occasionally. Return vegetables to reserved vinegar mixture, tossing gently. Cover and refrigerate overnight. You can substitute other vegetables, using the same quantities.
Fresh Fruit Salad
2 crisp, tart-sweet apples, sliced, unpeeled
1 banana, sliced
1 cantaloupe, cut up into one inch cubes
1 kiwi, peeled and sliced
1 cup seedless red grapes
1 can (16 oz) pineapple chunks, drained
Honey-Cream Dressing:
1/4 cup lowfat sour cream
1 cup lowfat cottage cheese, (small curd) creamed
1 cup lowfat vanilla yogurt
2 tbsp. honey
2 tsp. lime juice
Combine sour cream, cottage cheese, and yogurt. Mix will. Blend in honey and lime juice. To make salad: combine first 5 fruits with a little of the dressing; garnish with slices of kiwi. Serve remaining dressing on the side.
Pork Spiedini
2 pounds boneless pork, cut into 1 inch cubes
3/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. dried thyme
2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. cayenne
3/4 cup vinegar
4 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. salt
6 thick slices Italian bread
Mix together first 11 ingredients, place in sealable bag and refrigerate 4-24 hours; thread onto skewers. Grill over hot coals, basting with reserved marinade, for 4-5 minutes; turn and grill another 4-5 minutes. Serve on bread. 6 servings.
Shrimp and Vegetable Kabobs
1 1/2 pounds unpeeled medium fresh shrimp
1 8 ounce bottle Italian dressing
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp. dried crushed red pepper
1 large onion, cut into chunks
16 small fresh mushrooms
2 small zucchini, cut into 1 inch slices
1 large green pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
Peel shrimp, leaving tails intact; devein, if desired. Combine salad dressing,cheese, water and pepper. Place shrimp and dressing in a large shallow dish. Cover and marinate in refrigerator for 3-4 hours, stirring occasionally. Drain shrimp, reserve marinade. Bring marinade to a boil over high heat; remove and set aside. Alternate shrimp and vegetables on 8 12 inch skewers. Grill, uncovered, over medium coals or gas grill. 3-4 minutes on each side, until shrimp turns pink. Baste with marinade frequently. 4 servings.
Grilled Fajita Kabobs
1 1/4 pounds steak
1/3 cup Italian dressing
3 tablespoons lime juice
2 green bell peppers, cut into chunks
2 medium onions, cut into chunks
8 medium flour tortillas, warmed
Salsa
Soak bamboo skewers ten minutes. Trim fat from steak, cut into 1 inch cubes. In a small bowl combine dressing and lime juice. Thread beef, peppers and onions onto the skewers, brush with dressing. Grill 10-15 minutes until all is done. Season with salt if you wish. Serve on tortillas with salsa.
Vegetable Bratwurst Kabobs
2 medium onions
2 medium summer squash
1/2 cup oil
1/4 cup wine vinegar
1 clove garlic
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
dash pepper
1 pound bratwurst
2 red or green sweet peppers
Cut meat and vegetables into 1 inch chunks. Combine oil, herbs, vinegar and garlic. Add vegetables and meat and marinate several hours. Drain, reserving marinade. On four long skewers, thread meat and vegetables, alternating order. Grill over medium coals or heat about 15 minutes, turning and brushing frequently with marinade. Makes 4 servings.
Beef and Mushroom Kabobs
1 pound sirloin steak
1 medium green or red pepper
2 tablespoons oil
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
12 large mushrooms
1 tablespoon each lemon juice and water
1 tsp. honey
1/4 tsp. pepper
salt to taste
Trim fat, and cut steak into 1 inch cubes. Whisk together oil, lemon juice, water, mustard,honey, oregano and pepper in large bowl. Add beef, pepper and mushrooms, which have been cut into chunks., turning to coat. Thread onto skewers, alternating. Grill for 9-12 minutes, turning occasionally.
Jalapeno Cheeseburgers
3 pounds ground chuck
2 tablespoons seeded, chopped jalapeno peppers
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
3/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
12 thin tomato slices
12 hamburger buns, split and lightly toasted on grill
In a medium bowl, combine ground chuck, peppers and chili powder, mixing lightly and thoroughly. Shape into twelve 1/2 inch patties. Place on grill over medium coals or heat. Grill uncovered 14-16 minutes until no longer pink, turning once. During the last one minute sprinkle each pattie with 1 tablespoon of cheese. Place on buns with a tomato slice. Serves 10-12
Wagon Wheel Pasta Salad
2 cups wagon wheel pasta
3/4 salsa
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup canned kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup diced Cheddar cheese
1 cup small cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
1 medium bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup sliced green onions with tops
Cook pasta according to directions; drain. Transfer to a large bowl; cool. In small bowl, mix salsa, mayonnaise and salt. Pour over pasta; mix. Add beans, cheese, tomatoes, green pepper and onions. Add more salsa to taste. Makes 10-12 servings (6 cups)
Fresh Salsa
3 large whole tomatoes, or 28 ounce can seasoned diced tomatoes
1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
1 tsp. grated lemon peel
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. oregano leaves, crushed
1/8 tsp. pepper
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Drain tomatoes if canned, chop and seed if fresh. In bowl combine all ingredients, mixing well. Cover and refrigerate several hours to blend flavors. Serve with tortillas chips. Makes 12 servings.
, Lela Nargi, Voyageur Press
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