I know. I know. It's been entirely too long since I've posted and there are a million different reasons I can cite. Family and friend visits, trips to tube down the Guadelope River, the ceaseless attempts to turn this house into a home with cans of paint and trips to TJ Maxx Home Goods, fence staining, and the continual struggle of lawn maintenance for grass that curses every day in Houston and oh, wait - gainful employment. I figured that my dead "air time" would go unnoticed but surprisingly I've many requests to return to the computer. Even though my blogs have been infrequent we've been having more dinner parties than ever and I've been whipping up countless experimental recipes.
Summer is such a wonderful time when dishes can be as simple as a salt and peppered seasoned steak or chicken marinated in Italian dressing, all cooked on the grill with liberal amounts of Summer Ale and Shiner Bock. However, as you may know from here, I think that side dishes are often forgotten and difficult to reinvent. The first dish I'll mention is Brett's absolute favorite side dish of all time. He's truly giddy with delight every time I make it. We're all familiar with the caprese salad and the beauty in its simplicity. This was a huge hit at our first get together. As an anti-mayonnaise girl, I'm frequently disapointed at cookouts when the potato salad is drowning in some sort of white goo reminiscent of Elmer's so I created a version here that eliminates said coagulant and uses the grill to add smoky flavor, texture and warmth. I hope you enjoy both of these sides and that they bring a little life to your next summer meal.
Caprese Salad2 large tomatoes
1 12-16 oz ball mozzarella
1/4-1/2 cup basil, chiffonade or rough chopped
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
salt & pepper to taste
1. Heat a small sauce pan over medium-low heat and add vinegar. Cook, stirring occasionally, until balsamic has been reduce to 3 tablespoons, about 15 minutes. Keep watch over this. Trust me - burned vinegar = nasty smell & pan disasters.
2.Slice tomatoes 1/4 in thick. Slice mozzarella using a cheese cutter or dental floss. Strange, I know but knives & mozz do not a match make.
3. Layer mozzarella and tomatoes. Top with basil and drizzle with balsamic reduction.
4. Salt & pepper to taste.
Serves 4.
Grilled Potato Salad1.5-2 lbs baby yukon gold potatoes, halved
1 red bell pepper
1 red onion, quartered
2 tblsp grainy mustard
2 tblsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil plus 2-3 tblsp
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tblsp brown sugar
1 lemon, zested & juiced
1 tblsp Canadian Steak seasoning or other mixed spice of choice
1. Heat a grill or grill pan to medium heat. Brush potatoes and onion quarters with olive oil. Grill for ~7 minutes on each side until nice char marks appear and potatoes soften.
2. Brush red pepper with olive and grill, turning ever 3 minutes until each side has nice char marks.
3. Remove all veggies from grill and let cool. Meanwhile, whisk together the olive oil and the following 4 ingredients.
1 red bell pepper
1 red onion, quartered
2 tblsp grainy mustard
2 tblsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil plus 2-3 tblsp
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tblsp brown sugar
1 lemon, zested & juiced
1 tblsp Canadian Steak seasoning or other mixed spice of choice
1. Heat a grill or grill pan to medium heat. Brush potatoes and onion quarters with olive oil. Grill for ~7 minutes on each side until nice char marks appear and potatoes soften.
2. Brush red pepper with olive and grill, turning ever 3 minutes until each side has nice char marks.
3. Remove all veggies from grill and let cool. Meanwhile, whisk together the olive oil and the following 4 ingredients.
4. After veggies have cooled slightly, slice the red pepper and toss all veggies with the vinaigrette. Serve warm.
Serves 4-6
Serves 4-6
