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Grilled Salad & Chicken + Pork Skewers

Posted on by crusco

Vegetable Salad

Ingredients  

  • 2 zucchini – sliced 1/3 inch thick lengthwise into planks with mandolin
  • 12 mini peppers – rinsed and kept whole
  • 1 red onion – quartered with peel left on
  • 3 green onions – left whole
  • 1 small log goat cheese – crumbled
  • Citrus Oil – recipe below

Directions

  1. Heat grill to high 10 minutes. Oil grates with olive oil. Season veggies with oil, salt/pepper. Once grill is hot, add veggies.
  2. Cook until grill marks are on one side, maybe 7-9 minutes. Turn over using tongs and cook other side for another few minutes.
  3. Zucchini and green onions cook fastest, peppers next and finally the red onion.
  4. Remove all vegetables to a platter. Dress with citrus oil and goat cheese. Enjoy!

Ingredients (Citrus Oil)

  • ½ cup citrus juice (2 lemons/1 orange)
  • zest of one lemon
  • zest of one orange
  • 1 cup olive oil
  • 1 tbsp. ground mustard
  • Salt/pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Place juice, zest, mustard and salt/pepper into a bowl and whisk until thoroughly mixed.
  2. Add oil in a slow drizzle while whisking. Mix until emulsified.
  3. Taste to re-season if needed. Use on grilled vegetables, seafood or as a dressing on salads. Enjoy!

 

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 Chicken + Pork Skewers

Ingredients

  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs – trimmed of excess fat, cut into 1-inch cubes
  • Salt/pepper to season
  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 3-4 slices bacon – cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 10-15 bamboo skewers – soaked in water for 20 minutes
  • BBQ glaze – recipe below

Directions

  1. Heat grill med-high. Toss chicken with salt, pepper & paprika. Cover with wrap &  refrigerate for 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.
  2. Pat chicken dry. Thread chicken onto skewers, rolling or folding meat as necessary to maintain 1-inch cubes.
  3. Thread bacon slices after each chicken cube (each skewer is 3 chicken cubes and 2-4 bacon slices unless more is wanted).
  4. Turn one part of the grill onto low heat. Place skewers onto med-high part of grill, turning one-quarter turn every 2-3 minutes until browned and slightly charred. If flare-ups occur, slide skewers to cool side of grill until fire dies down.
  5. At the end of cooking, brush the skewers with the BBQ sauce. Flip skewers and cook the other side until sauce is brown in spots, roughly 1-2 minutes. Brush second side with remaining sauce. Cook until juices run clear or to be sure an instant-read thermometer inserted in center of meat registers 175 degrees for thighs.
  6. Remove skewers from grill to rest for 5 minutes.
  7. Serve with the grilled vegetable salad. Pass reserved barbecue sauce for skewers separately. Enjoy!

Ingredients (BBQ Sauce)

  • 3 tbsps. Oil
  • 4 tbsps. grated onion – using a box grater works
  • 4 garlic cloves – cut and smashed into a paste
  • 3-4 Bay leaves
  • ½ cup ketchup
  • ½ cup Tomato puree
  • ½ cup Orange juice
  • ½ cup beef stock
  • 4 tbsps.  Worcestershire sauce
  • 4 tbsps.  Dijon mustard
  • 4 tbsps. apple cider vinegar
  • 3 tbsps. brown sugar
  • 2 tbsps. Honey

Directions

  1. Add oil, onion, garlic, & bay to a pot on med heat. Season w/salt & pepper. Cook 3-4 minutes.
  2. Add all other ingredients & simmer over medium heat; cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce reaches ketchup-like consistency and is reduced to about 1 cup, 15-20 minutes. Let sauce cool and use as needed.
  3. When ready glaze the skewers with sauce as they come off the grill. Enjoy!
crusco