July 23

A Cookout and Some Cards

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• Rosemary Skewered Shrimp [View Recipe]

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  Ingredients

  • 6 4-inch rosemary sprigs
  • wooden skewers
  • 1 pound shrimp
  • 2 tablespoons vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
  • .25 cup oil
  • 1 clove garlic (smashed and peeled)
  • salt & pepper
  • oil

  Instructions

  We start by putting an inch of water in a 9 inch by 13 inch glass baking dish. We soak the rosemary sprigs in the water for 30 minutes. This will help prevent the sprigs from burning on the grill. Since we do not have enough rosemary sprigs for all of the shrimp, we also soak some ordinary wooden skewers.

  Meanwhile, we prepare the shrimp. In a colander, we rinse the shrimp and peel them, leaving the last part of the shell (by the tail) on the shrimp for presentation. Next, with a paring knife, we cut into the back of the shrimp and devein under running water. The cleaned shrimp are placed in a large resealable plastic bag.

  We clean our hands and the counter. We mix up the marinade in a measuring cup. The vinegar, lemon juice, oil, garlic, salt and pepper are mixed with a fork and then poured on the shrimp. The plastic bag with the shrimp and marinade is sealed and refrigerated for 15 minutes.

  The grates of the gas grill are rubbed with an aluminum foil "ball" which is coated with canola oil. We then preheat the grill.

  When the shrimp have been marinating for at least 15 minutes and the skewers have soaked, we are ready. The shrimp are taken out of the marinade, which is discarded. Then, they are threaded onto the skewers, some onto the wooden skewers, and some onto the rosemary branches, trying to keep the shrimp in the same direction so that they will lie flat on the grill.

  The shrimp are cooked for 2-3 minutes per side on direct heat. We want them just cooked through. When done, they are removed to a clean platter and served hot.

• Spice Rubbed Beef Skewers [View Recipe]

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  Ingredients

  • 1.25 pounds beef
  • 1 small onion
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • salt & pepper
  • .5 tablespoon chile powder
  • .5 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • oil
  • bread
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  Instructions

  We start by putting an inch of water in a 9 inch by 13 inch glass baking dish and soaking some wooden skewers for 30 minutes. This will help prevent the skewers from burning on the grill.

  We put the sirloin cubes in a large resealable plastic bag and set aside. Meanwhile, we prepare the rub.

  With clean hands, we peel the onion and chop it coarsely—we just want it to fit in our minichop. In the chopper attachment of our immersion blender, we put the onion pieces and purée. We have about ¼ cup of minced onion. Next, we smash the garlic cloves with the side of our knife on the cutting board, discard the peels, and add the cloves to the chopper. We sprinkle in salt and pepper, and add the chile powder, smoked paprika and olive oil. We purée.

  We add the onion rub to the bag of meat, seal the bag, and then smoosh the mixture around the meat. We set the meat aside while the wooden skewers soak.

  The grates of the gas grill are rubbed with an aluminum foil "ball" coated with canola oil. We then preheat the grill.

  When the skewers have soaked long enough, we take the coated meat out of the bag, one at a time, and thread onto the skewers. We put 3 pieces to a skewer, leaving a little space in between so that they cook properly, and place on a large plate. When all the meat is on the wooden skewers, we wash up again and take the plate out to the grill.

  The meat is cooked for just a couple of minutes per side on direct heat. We want them charred on the outside and still pink on the inside. We check after 5 minutes and, when done, they are removed to a clean platter and served with bread and <a day="23" label="sauce">yogurt sauce</a>.

• Yogurt Sauce [View Recipe]

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  Ingredients

  • 1 cup yogurt
  • .25 cup scallions (sliced thinly)
  • 1 teaspoon ginger
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • salt &amp; pepper
  • 2 tablespoons cilantro (cleaned and chopped)

  Instructions

  We combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and stir well. We refrigerate covered with plastic wrap for at least 15 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.

• Grilled Corn
• Grilled Vegetable Skewers
• Grilled Wheat Bread
• Chips, Guacamole, and Papaya Salsa