Summer Barbecue Tray Bake

Watch me make this on my YouTube Channel!

Yield: 4 servings

1¾ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs

1/3 + ¼ cup barbecue sauce

2 & 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided

3 large ears of corn, kernels removed (cobs discarded), approximately 3½ to 4 cups

2 medium zucchini (3/4 pound), diced medium, approximately 2½ to 3 cups

1 pint (3/4 pound) grape tomatoes

20 (3-inch sprigs) fresh thyme

10 large cloves garlic, peeled and minced

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4-ounces Feta cheese, crumbled, approximately 1 cup

4 tablespoons butter, diced into 16 cubes

1 lemon, very thinly sliced, seeds removed

Set an oven rack to the upper middle position and preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a sheet tray with aluminum foil and then line the sheet tray with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, add the chicken thighs, 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Mix to combine. Add 1/3 cup barbecue sauce and stir to combine. Set aside.

In a large bowl, add the corn kernels, zucchini, tomatoes, thyme, garlic, 1&1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper and olive oil. Stir to combine.

Spread vegetables out evenly on the parchment/aluminum lined sheet tray.

Sprinkle feta over the vegetables. Evenly disperse the butter atop the vegetables followed by the lemon slices.

Place the chicken thighs in the four corners of the sheet tray, with the thickest part of the thighs closest to the edge/corner of the sheet tray. If you have more than 4 thighs, place the thickest portion of any additional thighs closest to the edge of the sheet tray.

Bake for 30 minutes, flipping the chicken thighs after 15 minutes. Remove sheet tray from the oven and spoon or brush on the remaining ¼ cup barbecue sauce on the chicken thighs (side up only). Transfer back to the oven, set oven to broil and broil for 4 to 5 minutes, until tomatoes and lemons blister and the chicken starts to char.

Remove the sheet tray from the oven and serve a spoonful of the lemony feta vegetables into shallow bowls. Top each with a chicken thigh. Serve some extra barbecue sauce on the side to dollop on the chicken.

Note: to make vegetarian, simply sub chicken thighs for extra firm tofu, cut into 1/2-inch slices and follow the recipe as is

Summer Squash Salad with Pecorino Romano and Capers

Watch me make this on my YouTube Channel!

Yield: 6 servings

Vinaigrette:

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 medium shallot, peeled and diced finely (3 tablespoons)

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Salad:

3 small zucchini or summer squash (mix of both, preferably)

Kosher salt, to taste

1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and drained

Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, not pre-grated, for serving

¼ cup roughly chopped fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley

1. In a small container with a tight fitting lid, combine the vinaigrette ingredients, close the lid tightly, and shake well to combine. Or, whisk to combine the ingredients in a small bowl.

2. Using a mandoline or your vegetable peeler, carefully slice the zucchini lengthwise into 1/16-inch thick slices lengthwise. The slices will resemble wide pasta noodles. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

3. Place the zucchini in a medium bowl.

4. Whisk the olive oil into the shallot mixture and add the capers. On a plate, loosely arrange some zucchini slices into a small pile, then spoon some of the caper vinaigrette over the top.

5. Lastly, using a vegetable peeler, top with some shavings of cheese and some of the parsley.

Grilled Zucchini with Pumpkin Seed Romesco and Crostini

We are heading into the time of year when zucchini becomes the front runner of produce – bursting from backyard gardens and farmers’ fields.

With its versatile use, from raw salads to baked casseroles, zucchini offers a lot. One of my favorite preparations/cooking methods for zucchini is grilling. Getting those nice grill marks lends a depth of flavor that you don’t normally get when sauteing or baking.

For this recipe, another drought friendly one, Super Sous and I are grilling the zucchini and serving them with crositini and pumpkin seed romesco. Romesco is a sauce often made with almonds, but since the drought, we are exploring alternative nut/seed options, which makes pumpkin seeds, which take little water to produce, a great alternative. Taste wise, you won’t miss the almonds and price wise you’ll be happy too!

Enjoy this recipe and let us know what you think. Happy cooking!

1/4-inch slices

On the grill

Grilled crostini and zucchini

Grilled Zucchini with Pumpkin Seed Romesco and Crostini

Yield: 8 to 10 servings

 

2 tablespoons grapeseed oil

4 medium-sized zucchini, sliced lengthwise in ¼-inch slices using a mandoline or vegetable peeler

Kosher salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 lemon, cut in half

Homemade Grilled Crostini (recipe below)

Pumpkin Seed Romesco (recipe below)

6 medium-sized fresh basil leaves, stacked, rolled, and sliced very thinly (chiffonade)

 

Preheat a grill to medium-high. Once hot, clean the grill, then, using tongs, lightly dip a cloth in grapeseed oil and wipe to coat the grill rack.

Drizzle 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil over the sliced zucchini. Using your hands, coat each piece evenly with the oil; season with salt and pepper. Taste a piece to see if it needs more seasoning, adding more to taste.

Grill the zucchini with the cover closed until nicely colored, 5 minutes per side. Do not move the zucchini slices for the first few minutes.

Once nicely caramelized, flip each piece and continue cooking until equally caramelized on the second side. Put your lemon, flesh side down, on the grill now.

Transfer the cooked zucchini and grilled lemon onto a plate until ready to assemble. Once the lemon is cool enough to handle, squeeze the juice over the zucchini.

To serve, top the crostini with some romesco sauce and then a few slices of the grilled zucchini, finish with the basil.

 

Homemade Grilled Crostini

1 loaf fresh bread, such as French baguette, sourdough, or ciabatta

Grapeseed oil, for drizzling

Kosher salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

 

Set your grill to high. Once hot, clean the grill, then, using tongs, lightly dip a cloth in grapeseed oil and wipe to coat the grill rack.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Using a bread knife, slice the loaf on a 25- to 45-degree angle (the greater the angle, the higher the surface area) half an inch thick.

Lay each piece, side by side, on the sheet pan in one layer, drizzle grapeseed oil over each piece, then season them evenly with salt and a few grinds of pepper. Arrange the slices on the grill and grill until lightly toasted with grill marks.

Flip the pieces and repeat.

Remove from the oven and transfer the crostini to a plate until needed.

Note: If using a round loaf of bread, be sure to cut the loaf in half first. Then, with the flat (cut) side facing down, starting from one side, cut straight down, making even slices. This method of slicing bread will prevent your slices from being smushed as you slice them.

 

Pumpkin Seed Romesco Sauce

Yield: 2 cups

 

5 tablespoons grapeseed oil, divided

1 medium yellow onion, peeled and diced small

3 large cloves garlic, peeled and minced

¼ teaspoon red chile flakes

1 teaspoon Hungarian paprika

1 14.5-ounce can fire-roasted tomatoes

1 roasted red bell pepper, diced medium

½ cup toasted pumpkin seeds

2¼ teaspoons sherry vinegar

¼ cup grapeseed oil

Kosher salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

 

Add 1 tablespoon of grapeseed oil and the onion to a medium sauté pan over medium heat, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 6 to 8 minutes, until the onions are soft and translucent.

Add the garlic, chile flakes and paprika, stir and cook until fragrant, 1 minute.

Add the tomatoes and bell pepper, stir. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has almost all reduced, approximately, 7 to 10 minutes.

Carefully transfer ingredients from sauté pan to a food processor and add the pumpkin seeds and sherry vinegar.

Process until well combined, scraping down the sides of the food processor as needed.

While processing, begin slowly streaming in the grapeseed oil. Continue until is combined.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Sweet and Spicy Peanut Sauce with Zucchini Noodles

For all you peanut sauce lovers – this one is for you. Plus, this recipe is vegan, vegetarian, raw and gluten free!

Sweet and Spicy Peanut Sauce

Sweet and Spicy Peanut Sauce with Zucchini Noodles

 

Sweet and Spicy Peanut Sauce with Zucchini Noodles

Yields: 2 servings

 

Sauce: (yields ¾ cup)

1 large garlic clove, peeled and chopped roughly

2 tablespoons seasoned rice wine vinegar

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

2 tablespoons grapeseed oil

¼ cup creamy peanut butter

1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger (on a microplane)

¼ cup water

2 teaspoons lime juice

1 teaspoon sriracha sauce

 

Place all sauce ingredients in a blender and blend to combine thoroughly.

 

Noodles:

1 large zucchini (2 medium zucchinis), peeled into long strips with a vegetable peeler or made into noodles

1 red bell pepper, seeded and julienned

¼ cup toasted unsalted peanuts, chopped roughly

¼ cup cilantro leaves

 

Gently toss some of the peanut sauce (to your liking) with zucchini and red bell pepper.

Divide onto serving plates or in bowls and top with chopped peanuts and cilantro leaves.

#grilledzucchini

The grill is on and part of dinner tonight was grilled crostini with my pesto recipe, burrata and grilled zucchini. #grill #greatfoodstartsfresh #pesto #summerishere