By Karen Bloom
Labor Day may have come and gone, but there are still opportunities to fire up that grill to savor summer’s waning days before we head into apple picking, pumpkins and all those harvest season delights around the corner.
When it comes to entertaining outdoors, easy yet flavorful dishes that spotlight the season's bounty can keep prep time to a minimum. Plus, they're sure to please guests' palates.
Grilled Skirt Steak with Roasted Corn Salad
1 1/2 pounds skirt steak, cut into 4-inch pieces
1/3 cup Tabasco Chipotle Pepper Sauce
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 large garlic clove, crushed
In a large bowl, combine chipotle pepper sauce, cumin and garlic; add skirt steaks. Toss to mix well; cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes or overnight.
Preheat grill to high. Grill skirt steak about 5 minutes, or until of desired doneness, turning once. To serve, plate steak with corn salad.
Corn Salad
4 ears corn on the cob, shucked
2 large tomatoes, chopped
1 small red onion, diced
1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and diced
2 tablespoons fresh chopped basil
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon Tabasco Chipotle Pepper Sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
To prepare corn salad: Preheat grill to medium. Grill corn about 5 to 10 minutes, turning frequently, until tender-crisp. When cool enough to handle, cut corn from cob. In medium bowl, combine corn, tomatoes, red onion, avocado, basil, lime juice, olive oil, chipotle pepper sauce to taste, and salt; toss to mix well.
Grilled Hoisin Garlic Drumsticks with Tomato-Corn Salad
8 chicken drumsticks, about 2 pounds total
Kosher salt, to taste
Ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup hoisin garlic sauce or hoisin barbecue sauce
3 ears corn
1 pound tomatoes, cut into small dice
1/4 cup olive oil
Thinly sliced basil leaves, for garnish
Season drumsticks with salt and pepper, and rub with about 1/3 cup hoisin sauce, reserving rest for basting.
Marinate at least 30 minutes, up to four hours.
As chicken is marinating, prepare grill for both direct (medium-high heat) and indirect cooking. Discard used marinade.
Grill chicken, starting with skin side down, about 8-10 minutes, keeping lid closed as much as possible and turning chicken once or twice.
Move to indirect heat, cover grill and continue to cook for another 25-35 minutes until juices run clear and an internal temperature of 165∫F has been reached, basting with extra sauce occasionally in last 10 minutes of cooking.
To make salad, boil corn if needed for about 2-3 minutes, then cut kernels off cob.
Toss with tomatoes and olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper and stir in basil.
Serve salad and drumsticks together.
Mediterranean Vegetables
3 tablespoons rice vinegar (seasoned)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt, plus extra, to taste
1/2 teaspoon pepper, plus extra, to taste
1 tablespoon, plus 1 1/2 teaspoons, fresh parsley, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh garlic, minced
1 cup fresh zucchini, sliced into 1 3/4-inch long, 1/4-inch thick planks
1 cup fresh green pepper strips
1 cup fresh red pepper strips
8 fresh stalks asparagus, slicing off 1/4 inch from bottom of stalk
1 fresh portobello mushroom, sliced into 1/2-inch squares
1 cup fresh eggplant, diced into 1/2-inch squares
Heat grill to 375 F.
In large bowl, mix together rice vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper, parsley and garlic to create marinade.
Clean vegetables then place them in marinade in small batches. Toss to coat then place in foil pouch. Pour remaining marinade over vegetables and seal pouch.
Bake in oven or over indirect heat on grill 25 minutes. Add salt and pepper, to taste, after removing pouch from heat.
Chef's tip: Open pouch after 20 minutes of cooking and allow vegetables to crisp slightly under direct heat for remaining 5 minutes.
Antipasto Pasta Salad
1 pound penne rigate
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1 8-ounce package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed, drained and quartered
Provolone cheese
2 ounces (or more to taste) Italian salami
1 cup sliced roasted red peppers
1 cup packed fresh basil leaves
Basil sprig, optional
Dressing:
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Rinse with cold water until completely cooled; drain again. Place in large bowl; set aside.
For dressing, whisk together dressing ingredients in small bowl.
Place mushrooms in medium microwave-safe bowl; cover and cook on high 1 minute, or until mushrooms begin to soften. Uncover; pour off any liquid. Add artichoke hearts to mushrooms; toss with 2 tablespoons dressing and set aside.
Stack provolone slices; cut into eighths to form triangles. Stack salami slices; cut into quarters. Add to pasta along with red peppers.
Stack basil leaves; roll up and slice into very thin strips. Top pasta salad with basil, marinated mushrooms and artichokes. Whisk dressing again; add to salad and lightly toss. Garnish with basil sprig, if desired. For the best flavor and texture, prepare the salad the same day you plan to serve it.
