We are excited to have a guest blogger this week! TEC Infrared Grills very own Purchasing and Transportation Manager, Bernadette Blum, shows us that grilling isn’t just for the guys. You can create a fantastic “Girls Night In” focused around your TEC Infrared Grill. Read on for her party ideas and recipes…
My daughter is a vegetarian and a fabulous chef. She has always been able to create some crafty dishes. Last Saturday we went shopping at the Farmer’s Market for fresh vegetables to cook on the grill for my birthday. We found fresh zucchini, green tomatoes, avocados, red/green bell peppers and asparagus. From the local meat market we selected filet mignon wrapped in bacon, buffalo burgers, shrimp and chicken breasts. We stopped at the local bakery for some pastries but they were closed. BUT! On the sidewalk in front of the bakery was the largest and tallest rosemary bushes I had ever seen. We picked two handfuls for the grill which became our focus for the meal.
Robin prepared a walnut chutney to go over the cooked veggies which was fabulous. She sautéed ⅓ cup walnuts in a pan and then added one grated garlic clove, 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice and about 5 tablespoons of olive oil. This was kept warm and placed over the veggies after cooking on the grill. We cut the zucchini length wise in fairly thick pieces. The avocados were cut in half with the shells on. The peppers were left in large pieces as well. All veggies were coated with olive oil before grilling. The tomatoes were breaded with panko bread crumbs to make fried green tomatoes and they were placed in a flat pan with butter on top of the grill. All other veggies were placed directly on the grill grids. While the veggies were grilling, we placed large pieces of rosemary stems around them so the aroma would blend while cooking. You have to really watch the veggies and flip them constantly! Cooking al dente keeps the veggies firm and tasty, and adding a splash of lemon juice when you take them off the grill gives them a little extra flavor. The meats were marinated with Pirate’s Gold and skewered with rosemary stems soaked in kosher salt seasoned water. As you can see, all veggies were placed in a colorful arrangement, and garnished with more fresh rosemary stems around them.
Homemade sangria was the perfect compliment to the meal. It was all so delicious and tasty, and I look forward to more experiments on the TEC Grill with the girls!
- One bottle of red wine, preferably dry
- 1 can of flavored sparkling water, such as lemon or raspberry
- 1 cup of lemonade
- 1 cup of pineapple juice
- 1 cup of orange juice
- Assorted chopped fruit, such as lemons, limes, peaches, cherries, blueberries, watermelon, and/or pineapple
- Fresh mint sprigs
- Mix the red wine, sparkling water, lemonade, and juices in a large decorative pitcher.
- Add the chopped fruit and stir well.
- Let settle as long you can wait! Then pour over ice and garnish with fresh mint.