I'll Have What She's Cooking

Dinner on the Deck Menu

Shrimp Skewers with Plum Sauce 

and  

Teriyaki Scallop Kabobs 

atop

Coconut Glazed Sweet Potatoes with Toasted Macadamia Nuts

         Impress your guests with this healthy and delicious Asian barbeque menu. While the sweet potatoes require peeling and sautéing, the shrimp and scallops just need to marinate for a bit before being grilled.

Shrimp Skewers (Soak wooden skewers in water before threading shrimp.)

Makes 12 skewers

1. Peel two pounds jumbo shrimp and place in a glass container.
2. Combine ½ cup pineapple juice, ¼ cup plum sauce (available in the Asian foods aisle) and 1 teaspoon ground ginger. Pour over shrimp, cover, and let marinate until ready to grill. Reserve additional plum sauce for basting and presentation.
3. Chop fresh chives or clip with kitchen shears.
4. Thread five shrimp onto each wooden skewer.
5. Place skewers in a grill basket to prevent shrimp from falling through grill.
6. Grill over medium heat on the barbeque, turning skewers to cook both sides, until shrimp are opaque and pink. 

Teriyaki Scallop Kabobs

(Shopping tip: I found bacon-wrapped scallops in the Frozen Seafood aisle. It was so easy to take them off the wooden picks and transfer them to wooden skewers to marinate. Make sure to soak wooden skewers before beginning to avoid burning on the grill.)

Two packages of 30 bacon-wrapped shrimp will make 12 kabobs.

1. Thread 5 scallops onto each wooden skewer.

2. Whisk together  ½ cup soy sauce, ¼ cup dry sherry, ¼ cup brown sugar, 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, 2 cloves minced garlic and 1 tablespoon finely chopped peeled ginger root in a small bowl.
3. Pour over scallop skewers in a large shallow glass baking dish. Cover and refrigerate until ready to grill.
4. Place scallop kabobs in a grill basket.
5. Grill over medium heat on the barbeque, turning kabobs to cook both sides, until scallops are opaque and bacon is cooked.

  Roasted Sweet Potatoes:

1. Peel four long skinny sweet potatoes and slice into ¼ inch slices.
2. Melt I tablespoon butter in large sauté pan over medium heat and sauté sweet potato slices until golden brown.
3. Remove from pan into glass pie plate or baking dish until ready to broil.
4. Just before serving, drizzle ¼ cup Cream of Coconut (in the beverage mixer aisle in the grocery store) over sweet potatoes and sprinkle ½ cup chopped macadamia nuts over the top.
5. Broil about two minutes, removing when nuts are toasted. Serve immediately.

To Plate:

Arrange roasted sweet potatoes attractively in center of plate. Line up a shrimp skewer and a scallop kabob on top of sweet potatoes. Drizzle plum sauce over shrimp skewer and sprinkle toasted sesame seeds (found in the Asian foods aisle) over the top. Sprinkle chopped fresh chives over the scallop kabob and arrange chive blossoms, if available, for garnish.

An Easy Breezy Summer Winner

for Breakfast, Lunch or Even Dinner

Zucchini Basil Frittata

Raid the garden and throw together this flavorful and versatile frittata any time of the day. Serve with a mixed fruit cup for breakfast, add a tossed baby green salad and call it lunch, or top the wedges of frittata with a chunky fresh primavera sauce and you’ve got dinner. Any way you slice it, this frittata is an easy breezy summer winner.

Zucchini Basil Frittata

(serves 6)

Ingredients:

            2 tablespoons olive oil

            2 medium zucchini, thinly sliced into rounds

            5 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled

            6 large fresh basil leaves

            ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

            6 eggs, beaten

            Chive blossoms, for garnish, if desired

            Directions:

1.         Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.         In a medium flat-bottomed frying pan over medium-high heat, heat olive oil and sauté zucchini until lightly browned.

            Do not overcook or zucchini will get soggy.

3.         Sprinkle bacon over sautéed zucchini.

4.         Arrange basil leaves on top of the bacon.

5.         Sprinkle grated parmesan cheese over the basil.

6.         Pour beaten eggs over basil.

7.         Reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking until eggs are set.

8.         Finish in 350 degree oven until top is cooked, about 2-3 minutes.

9.         Remove from oven. Run a table knife around edges and invert onto cutting board.

10.       Slice in wedges and garnish with chive blossoms, if desired.

            Having friends over and it’s too hot to cook? Maybe it’s time to ditch the kitchen and fire up the grill. Dressing up a burger for company is as easy as purchasing southwestern salsa, stirring together garlic chili mayonnaise and doctoring up crescent roll dough with green chilies and cornmeal. Keep this recipe handy, you may be reaching for it again and again this summer.