A Summer Dinner ... Al Fresco!

I’m sure I’m not the only who feels this way but one reason why I love summer (and there aren’t many) is for the opportunity to eat a grilled meal outside.  I was raised on the absolute best grilled food known to man!  My pops makes a mean grilled pork chop…sausage…salmon…corn…basically everything! …and it was nothing for us to play outside all day and then meet up in the backyard (stinky and sweaty), on the deck and have the best dinner EVER!!  Oh, man, those were good eats!

So, I’m a full-fledged grown up now and I still enjoy grilled foods, but my skills on the grill fall short.  Sure, I can plan a hell of a summer dinner menu.  I’m very good at creating the house cocktail and I can put a music playlist together that will take you from appetizers to dessert.  But grilling?  …not my strong suit.  In fact, and I don’t share this story with just anyone but...I actually set myself on fire once trying to grill.  Suffice to say I overdid it on the lighter fluid, forgot how fire works and well…the neighbors got a good laugh at my expense.  Stop laughing at me long enough to find out that no damage was done! LOL!

I learned a very specific lesson that day.  Know your grilling strengths, of which I have none.  But like I said, I am a creative soul and to prove it, I will use this opportunity to share what some consider to be a perfect summer dinner menu.

Dinner Al Fresco

·         Grilled Steak Fajitas

·         Grilled Corn on the Cob with Cilantro-Lime Butter

·         Margarita Sangria

·         Grilled Cinnamon Sugar Bananas

Keep reading to see the recipes!

Grilled Steak Fajitas (4 - 6 servings)

Ingredients

·         1 1/2 - 2 lbs flank or skirt steak, trimmed of fat and sliced into 6-inch long pieces

·         6 Tbsp fresh lime juice

·         1/3 cup canola oil

·         3 cloves garlic, minced (1 heaping tbsp)

·         1 jalapeno, seeded, stemmed and minced

·         2 tsp chili powder (preferably 1 tsp ancho chili powder and 1 tsp regular chili powder)

·         1 1/2 tsp ground cumin

·         1 tsp paprika

·         Salt and freshly ground black pepper

·         1/2 cup fresh cilantro, left whole

·         2 - 3 bell peppers sliced into 1/2-inch thick strips (2 for lesser amount of beef and 3 for greater)

·         1 large yellow onion, sliced into 3/4-inch thick strips

·         For serving:

·         8 - 12 tortillas flour or corn tortillas (8 for lesser amount of steak and 12 for greater)

·         Lime wedges

·         Avocado slices or guacamole

·         Pico de gallo or salsa, sour cream, shredded Monterey Jack cheese or crumbled Queso Fresco (optional)

Directions

·         In a small mixing bowl combine lime juice, canola oil, garlic, jalapeño, chili powder, cumin, paprika and season with salt and pepper to taste (I recommend about 1 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper). Set aside 3 Tbsp of the marinade in refrigerator for the veggies.

·         Place steak in a gallon size resealable bag, pour in marinade and add cilantro, working to get some of the cilantro on both sides of each piece of beef. Seal bag while pressing air out, then rub marinade into beef. Chill 3 - 6 hours.

·         Preheat a grill over moderately high heat for about 15 minutes. Brush grill lightly with oil (it works well to soak a paper towel with oil then use long handles tongs to brush grates), remove steaks from marinade and place on grill, grill about 3 - 4 minutes per side to reach desired doneness (an instant read thermometer should read 120 in center for medium-rare and 130 for medium). Remove from grill and transfer to a cutting board and tent with foil, rest 5 - 10 minutes while grilling veggies, then thinly slice against grain.

·         Meanwhile, toss veggies with remaining 3 tbsp marinade, season with additional salt as desired, add veggies to grill (the length of veggies should run opposite direction of grill grates so they don't fall in between. Place onions in hotter parts of grill so they'll finish the same time as peppers) and grill about 5 - 10 minutes until crisp tender. Transfer to a boil and cover with foil while assembling fajitas.

·         To warm tortillas you can wrap them tightly in two batches in two separate sheets foil and grill with veggies during last 2- 3 minutes, rotating once halfway through. Or you can place them in damp paper towels in microwave and heat until warmed.

·         To assemble, top warm tortillas with warm beef, veggies and desired toppings. Serve with lime wedges for spritzing over top.

Grilled Corn with Cilantro-Lime Butter (10 servings)

Ingredients

·         1/2 cup butter, softened

·         1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

·         1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice

·         1 teaspoon grated lime peel

·         10 medium ears sweet corn, husks removed

·         Cotija cheese, grated (optional)

Instructions

·         In a small bowl mix butter, cilantro, lime juice and peel. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator 30 minutes or until ready to use.

·         Grill corn over medium heat, turning occasionally, until speckled with char spots and tender (about 15 to 20 minutes.)

·         Carefully remove corn from grill and serve with butter and grated cheese, if desired.

Margarita Sangria (8-12 servings) 

The combination of a margarita and sangria! Go ahead and double the recipe ahead of time…just to be sure there’s enough.

 

Ingredients

·         1 bottle Sauvignon Blanc

·         1/2 cup tequila

·         3/4 cup margarita mix (non-alcoholic)

·         1/4 cup granulated sugar

·         2 limes, sliced

·         1/2 lemon, sliced

·         1/2 small orange, sliced

·         2 cups club soda, cold

 

Instructions

·         Stir together the wine, tequila, margarita mix, and sugar in a large pitcher. You can cut back on those amounts to suit your tastes.

·         Add sliced fruit to the pitcher. Chill until ready to serve. Before serving, add cold club soda to the pitcher.

·         Serve over ice with a salted or sugared rim, if desired.

Grilled Cinnamon Sugar Bananas

Ingredients

·         5 ripe bananas

·         1/2 cup coconut oil

·         1/2 cup sugar

·         1 Tbsp cinnamon

Instructions

·         Combine sugar and cinnamon and stir until mixed

·         Peel a ripe banana (not too ripe)

·         Dip in coconut oil and cover fully with oil

·         Then dip in cinnamon sugar mixture

·         Place in pan over medium heat and cook each side until brown with grill marks.

Sounds good, doesn’t it?

I don’t know what it is about eating dinner with family and friends in the twilight of a summer’s evening but...man, can that be magical!  The glow of the citronella candles, the purple tint of the almost set sun, the loud laughter and music, the smell of the food on the grill, the way all of the flavors of your meal melt together into one beautifully perfect bite…  For me, that’s what summer is all about!