Side dishes and grilling

[Mandy]

What do you like to serve as a side dish when you grill chicken, or steaks? I often get bored of the side dishes I choose when I grill, and with this heat I've found myself grilling more and more. Please Help!

[kwormann]

Grilled veggie salad with balsamic vinegar and goat cheese:)

Try grilling red peppers, eggplant and zucchini!

[DmOrtega]

Curried Couscous Salad is easy to make and the leftovers taste great.
http://www.cookinglight.com/vbb/showthread.php?threadid=11822&highlight=curried+couscous


Lebanese Fatoush Salad is not only beautiful to look at but has great flavors.
http://www.cookinglight.com/vbb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=8884&highlight=Lebanese+Fatoush

[mightyh]

My broccoli salad.... :) On another thread.

Do you make baked beans? A hot option, but you can do them in your crock pot. Or microwave some Bush's :)

What about a pasta salad? Lots of veggies and some feta?

Though this requires you to turn your oven on (though I'm sure there must be some way to do them on the grill), I LOVE LOVE LOVE baked sweet or not potatoes with steak.

I also have a yummy blue cheese potato salad I make for summer.

I also have a dilled green bean salad that is served cold. It's delicious even to green bean haters.

Let me know if any of these interest you.

[DmOrtega]

Originally posted by mightyh
...I also have a yummy blue cheese potato salad I make for summer.

I also have a dilled green bean salad that is served cold. It's delicious even to green bean haters.

Let me know if any of these interest you.

Can you post the recipes? TIA !

[mightyh]

Here's the green bean recipe... It's from my mom, so the measurements are approximate.

Dilled Green Beans

Boil the following until thickened, stirring constantly:
2 c. sugar
1 c. wine vinegar
4 Tbsp. oil
1/2 Tbsp. onion flakes
1/2 Tbsp. dill seed
1/2 Tbsp. dill weed

Pour over 5 cups whole cooked green beans (you can use canned green beans if you want) and refrigerate overnight. Garnish with rings of sliced red onion.


I'll post the potato salad (also an approximation) in a bit.

[mightyh]

Ok, so it's not exactly light.... :) But lighten as you wish. I usually use the low fat versions of everything.

New potatoes with skins, cooked
Green onions, sliced

Dressing:
1 c. sour cream
1 c. mayo
1 pkg. dry Ranch salad dressing
2 Tbsp. milk
4 oz. dry blue cheese

Mix dressing ingredients together then toss with potatoes and green onions while potatoes are still warm.

Top with crumbled bacon before serving.

Enjoy!

These are two dishes that make me think of summers when I was a kid.

[CathyPA]

Mandy,

Don't know what you usually serve as a side dish, but lately we have been grilling lots of variations of vegtables in foil packs. The other night mixed chunks of red potatoes, vidala onions and grape tomatoes, drizzled with olive oil and sprinked with season salt. Placed these in my "made up" foil packet (doubled layer on bottom so they wouldn't burn. Sometimes it's the potatoes, oil and season salt with fresh rosemary (or tarragon). Other times, different varieties of squash and vidalia onions. Anyway, not hard, but very tasty.

I've used the foil pockets that Reynolds has now (nice weight), but they're kind of pricy, even with a coupon. I use foil packets if I want a moist result. Cooking them on the grill has also helped me keep the oven/stove off in this awful heat.:(

[KathrynY]

Try the Grilled Vegetables with Balsamic Vinaigrette on the recipe finder. I don't stick to the veggies in the recipe, but use the balsamic marinade with whatever veggies I have on hand. Grilled veggies, and a big slice of grilled texas toast are great with chicken or steak.

Cold salads are good. I've been trying different tossed green salads with chunks of mango, raspberries, blueberries, or strawberries and a fruity vinaigrette dressing, perhaps some chopped toasted pecans on top.

If I really want a "hot" side dish like baked beans or rice, I'll make it that morning then reheat in the microwave at dinnertime to keep the house cooler. The Rosemary Potatoes from March '01 are fabulous, taste just like oven-roasted, and cook entirely in the microwave.

[beejayw1]

How about veggie kebabs? They cook right on the grill with the meat and are wonderful. I use mushrooms, small onions (or onion quarters) peppers, thin slices of squash/zucchini and, sometimes, cherry tomatoes.

[gobluem82]

This weekend we made grilled bread. I took some Italian Bread, halved it lengthwise and cut it into sections. Then I used my Misto to put a light coating of olive oil on it, grilled it for a SHORT time (otherwise it will burn!), then put a little more oil and some herbs on afterwards. We had this instead of potatoes or rice since we didn't really want anything hot, and it was great!

Also, I don't bake sweet potatoes in the oven. I cook them most of the way in the microwave, then finish them off on the grill while the meat is cooking to crisp them up a little. I do the same with regular potatoes as well.

[Gail]

Mandy,

What are your usual sides, so we don't duplicate?

I'm more apt to do rice with grilling (pilaf, garlic-orzo pilaf, rice with cheese and onions, green rice, arroz gualdo, or a fragrant basmati) than pototoes, although once in a while, I do mashed potato cheese puffs. You certainly could do a pilaf using some other grain (barley, for example.) Although I have not yet made it, we were served a lovely couscous by CL at the final dinner. Maelynn posted this for me last week.

Although it is officially Phoebe's job and I don't feel completely comfortable making the suggestion, but what about beans? Since it's in the blood, I like my beans and rice (black beans and white rice, particularly) but they're always nice with grilled foods.

[Mandy]

What wonderful ideas!!!!

This was just the shot in the arm I needed.

My usual side dishes are some sort of rice, or roasted potatoes and a salad.

Gail, I like the sound of your garlic-orzo pilaf. How do you prepare that? Also, I love beans and rice (also for lunch the next day), how do you do yours?

mightyh, your potato salad sounds great, I'll give that a try too.

Thank You!
:D

[Gail]

Ah... so we can post again...

As requested, here are my previously posted recipes (maybe I didn't post the frijoles de lata before.) I'm including the link to the thread regarding the orzo because there were other recipes which may be of interest to you.

My contribution, (from my husband's Aunt Norma, who is an incredible cook):

ROASTED GARLIC AND ORZO PILAF

8 to 12 large cloves garlic(resist the urge to cut down on the amount of garlic. As it cooks in the olive oil, the garlic softens and the flavor mellows)
1 tablespoon oil
1/2 cup orzo
1/2 cup long grain rice
1 14-ounce can chicken broth
1/4 cup sliced green onions
1 tablespoon snipped fresh parsley or more to taste

Peel and quarter garlic cloves. In a medium saucepan, cook garlic inhot oil over medium heat till light brown. Add orzo and cook till light brown. Watch so that garlic doesn't burn. (Gail note: Please don't do this too quickly. Burnt garlic is GROSS)

Stir in rice. Slowly add chicken broth, bring to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 15 to 20 minutes or till orzo and rice are tender and broth is absorbed. Stir green onions and parsley into the pilaf and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 4-6

http://www.cookinglight.com/vbb/showthread.php?threadid=7236&highlight=Aunt+Norma

FRIJOLES NEGROS

1 pound dried black beans, rinsed in cold water, picked over, and soaked overnight in cold water to cover by 1 1/2 inches (remove any beans that float to the top)
1 bay leaf
1 medium size green bell pepper, seeded and cut into quarters.

For the Sofrito:

2/3 cups pure Spanish olive oil
3 to 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 medium size green bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
2 to 3 teaspoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons cider vinegar, optional
1 teaspoon finely chopped seeded aji cachucha (Rocatillo pepper) or green chile, optional

1. The next day, check that the water is still covering the beans by 1 1/2 to 2 inches, and add more water if needed. Pour into a large saucepan, add the bay leaf and green pepper, bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to low, and cook uncovered, until the beans are tender and they have almost cracked open, about 2 hours. Check the beans while they are cooking and if they need more liquid, add some hot water.
2. To prepare the sofrito, in a skillet heat the oil over low heat until it is fragrant, then add the garlic, onion, and bell pepper and cook, stirring, until the onion is transparent, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the cumin, vinegar and Rocatillo pepper and mix well.
3. Add the sofrito to the beans, mix well, and cook over low heat, covered, until the beans crack open, 30 to 40 minutes. Season to taste and serve.

Makes 8 servings

Note: Depending on the quality and freshness, beans will vary in the amount of cooking time needed and the amount of liquid they will absorb.

FRIJOLES DE LATA
(Quick and easy black beans)
1/2 cup pure Spanish olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
1 medium size green bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 large, ripe tomato, chopped, or 1/2 cup chopped and drained canned whole tomatoes
Two 16-ounce cans black beans, with their liquid
1/2 cup Cuban beef stock, canned beef broth or water (I use water and liquid Bovril)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Few dashes of Tabasco sauce, optional
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, optional
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Chopped onion, minced fresh parsley, or minced fresh coriander (cilantro) for garnish

In a medium-size saucepan over low heat, heat the oil until it is fragrant, then cook the garlic, onion, and bell pepper, stirring, until tender, 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook another 10 minutes. Add the beans, stock, cumin, Tabasco, and vinegar, stir to blend, correct the seasonings, and simmer, covered, until heated through, 20 minutes. Garnish and serve with beans hot over Arroz Blanco.


ENJOY!

[Mandy]

Thank you Gail,

I'll be trying some of these next week, I'll let you know!

:D

[SandyM]

Hi Mandy,

Here's a link to a site on epicurious.com that gives a slew of side dish ideas for barbecues:


http://www.epicurious.com/e_eating/e04_summer/sides/main.html