Bobby Flay’s Grilled Pineapple with Caramel Rum Sauce

This. Is one of my favorite desserts. Don’t think twice – go get the ingredients! This is adapted from Bobby Flay. He calls for a dollop of whipped cream and maraschino cherries on top, but my whole family thinks this is just as good with the main ingredients.

Ingredients:
2 tbsp unsalted butter
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons dark rum (such as Gosling’s)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 small pineapple – peeled, sliced 1/2 thick and cored (you can get this already sliced and cored at most grocery stores)
1/4 cup canola oil
1 9-inch loaf vanilla pound cake

Directions:
1) Melt butter in a saucepan over high heat. Add brown sugar and rum. Cook, whisking, until sugar has melted and mixture is smooth. Whisk in heavy cream and cook until heated through and slightly thickened – around 2 minutes. Remove from heat and cover with foil to keep warm.
2) Heat grill to high.
3) Brush pineapple with oil and grill about 5 minutes.
4) While pineapple is grilling, grill poundcake on both sides until golden brown – just about a minute or two.
5) Set pound cake on plates.
6) Take pineapple off grill and cut into big chunks.
7) Top each piece of pound cake with pineapple and drizzle with caramel rum sauce.

Thai Grilled Vegetables (Red Pepper, Eggplant and Portobello)

This is a fast, easy, and delicious side dish for a lot of Asian recipes but particularly Thai food.

Ingredients:

Vegetables:
2 red bell peppers, sliced
1 large eggplant, sliced and chopped
2 portobello mushrooms, sliced and chopped

Marinade:
3 tbsp cooking sherry
4 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp sugar
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp white pepper

Directions:
1) Combine marinade and toss with vegetables in a ziplock bag. Marinate for at least 10 minutes.
2) Heat grill to medium-high.
3) Grill vegetables for about 8 minutes, basting with extra marinade.

Cuban Street Corn

My dad and I discovered this gem of a recipe in the tiniest Cuban restaurant I’ve ever been to. It was also the best Cuban restaurant I’ve ever been to. If you find yourself on Prince Street in NYC some morning – go. Corn on the cob can indeed be brunch food. It can be a fantastic side to all sorts of dishes. This is easy. Fast. And will leave you wanting more.

Ingredients:
6 tbsp mayonnaise
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp cayenne pepper
3/4 cup Cotija cheese
6 ears corn
1 lime (cut into six wedges)

Directions:
1) Bring a pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, add corn. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes.
2) Stir the mayo, garlic, salt, and cayenne together in a small bowl.
3) Place cotija cheese in a shallow dish.
4) Heat grill to medium-high.
5) Put corn on grill and grill for about 5 minutes until done and with good char marks. Remove from grill and cool slightly.
6) Brush corn with mayo mixture and then roll in cotija cheese.
7) Serve with lime wedge to squeeze over corn.

Bobby Flay’s Grilled Potatoes with Zucchini, Radicchio, Goat Cheese, and Sherry Vinaigrette

Okay so I lied. I used red cabbage instead of radicchio. But you could use either. They are essentially the same in texture, but radicchio has a much more bitter and stronger flavor. Choose whichever you’d like! We served these with Bobby Flay’s grilled scallops (which I did not make and cannot take credit for). It’s a colorful and bold side dish that would go well with all sorts of grilled meats.

Ingredients:
2 1/2 lbs new potatoes
kosher salt and fresh black pepper
1 1/4 cup olive oil
2 medium zucchini
1/2 cup sherry vinegar
2 tsp honey
1 small shallot, diced
1 tbsp Dijon
1 large head red cabbage (or radicchio), coarsely chopped
6 oz crumbled goat cheese
3 tbsp chopped fresh chives

Directions:
1) Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, salt the water and place potatoes in pot. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until potatoes are tender. Drain and let cool slightly.
2) Heat grill to high.
3) Cut potatoes and zucchini into 1/4 inch think slices. Toss with 1/4 cup olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill about 5-8 minutes.
4) Meanwhile, whisk together vinegar, honey, shallot, and mustard in medium bowl. While constantly whisking, pour in remaining 3/4 cup olive oil until emulsified. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
5) Toss potatoes zucchini, red cabbage, and half of the vinaigrette in a large bowl. Top with goat cheese. Drizzle more dressing as desired and sprinkle with chopped chives and serve!

Baked Eggs with Squash

This would also be a great recipe for brunch or lunch, but I loved this for a healthy, vegetarian dinner.

Ingredients:
1 zucchini, thinly sliced
1 yellow squash, thinly sliced
2 shallots, diced
2 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup spinach
10 basil leaves, chopped
1/2 cup cheddar
1/4 cup goat cheese
4 eggs
red pepper flakes to taste

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 375.
2) Heat oil in oven-proof skillet over medium high heat. Add shallots and garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
3) Add zucchini, yellow squash and tomatoes and reduce heat to medium. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes.
4) Remove from heat. Stir in spinach and basil.
5) Flatten down veggie mixture. Sprinkle with cheddar and goat cheese.
6) Spray with pam, and crack eggs over mixture. Season each egg with salt, pepper, and red pepper.
7) Put pan in oven and bake for 20 minutes until eggs are done and cheese is bubbling.

Lamb & Butternut Squash Pasta

Ingredients:

5 cups fresh cubed butternut squash
2 1/2 tbsp olive oil, divided
8 ounces ground lamb
2 1/2 cups onions, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
2 cups chicken broth
8 ounces pasta
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup grated mozzarella

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 450.
2) Toss squash with 1.5 tbsp oil in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
3) Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with foil, and transfer squash to baking sheet. Roast about 30 minutes until browned. Flip halfway through.
4) Heat remaining tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add ground lame and onions and saute for about 8 minutes. Add garlic, cumin, cinnamon, and cayenne, and stir.
5) Stir in tomatoes and broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the mixture thickens up, about 5 minutes. Stir in the squash and season to taste with salt and pepper.
6) Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook pasta until al dente. Drain, but reserve 1 cup of the pasta water. Return pasta to the pot, and add lamb mixture, half of the cilantro, and half of the cheese. Add reserved pasta water little by little until desired consistency.
7) Serve with remaining cilantro and cheese on top.

 

 

(Adapted from Bon Appetit.)

Honey and Chili Chicken Thighs

Ingredients:
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp chili powder
1/4 cup amber beer
2 tbsp cider vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
10 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (these can be pretty small – I’d allow 2 per person, more if you’re really hungry!)
2 cups fresh cilantro, chopped (divided)
1 cup sour cream
1 lime
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 450.
2) Mix together honey chili powder, beer, vinegar, and oil in a large bowl. Pour into a large ziploc bag, add chicken thighs, and mush around to evenly coat. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to three hours.
3) Place chicken thighs on a foil-lined, greased baking sheet and pour any remaining dressing over top of the chicken. Roast for 25-30 minutes or until done.
4) Meanwhile, make the sauce! Combine sour cream, 1.5 cups cilantro, lime zest and juice, and salt in blender. Blend until the cilantro is very fine and the sauce is a nice light green. Taste test! Add any more salt (I did), lime juice, or cilantro until it’s just right. Put sauce in the fridge until chicken is done.
5) Serve chicken with sauce drizzled on top and fresh cilantro as a garnish.

 

As found on The Kitchn.