June 18th is Father’s Day. I would love to honor my father with some of his great recipes. However, he did very little of the cooking in my family. The day of the week that my father, Larry, cooked was Saturday. For breakfast, we would have pancakes. For dinner, he would cook hamburgers on the Barbecue pit. These are still traditions in my family.
I thought the best way to honor him and all fathers by featuring recipes from the one cooking device that tends to be used more by males than females, the grill. Everyone knows how to cook burgers and steaks on the grill. The following recipes are two different Kabobs and a great South Louisiana grilled fish recipe.
These Shrimp and Garlic Kabobs are addicting. The key to this dish is the boiling of the garlic. Failure to do that will result in the garlic not softening up enough to eat.
Shrimp and Garlic Kabobs
12-16 large Garlic Cloves, peeled 1/3 cup Olive Oil 1/4 cup Tomato Sauce 2 tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar 2 tablespoons fresh Basil, chopped 2 teaspoons Garlic, minced 1/2 teaspoon Salt 1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground Black pepper Pinch of Sugar 2 pounds large Shrimp, peeled and deveined with tail left on
Drop the whole garlic cloves into boiling water and boil for about 3 minutes. Drain and set aside. In a large bowl combine olive oil, tomato sauce, vinegar, basil, minced garlic, salt, cayenne, black pepper, and sugar and stir to mix. Add shrimp and toss to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Remove shrimp from marinade and reserve any of the marinade left in the bowl.
Thread the shrimp and whole garlic alternately on skewers. Put the skewers on a heated grill over medium heat. Grill, turning skewers several times and brushing them with the reserved marinade for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the shrimp turn pink.
Here is a vegetarian Kabob. It is great as an appetizer or side dish at a barbecue. The dressing gives it a wonderful flavor.
Vegetable Kabobs
3 small Zucchinis, each about 6 inches long, cut diagonally into 1/2-inch pieces 4 small Yellow Squash, cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces 1 large Red Onion, cut into 1-inch pieces 2 large Red Bell Peppers, cut into 1-inch pieces 2 large Green Bell Peppers, cut into 1-inch pieces 1 bottle ( 12 ounces) Italian Salad Dressing 2 teaspoons Creole Seasoning
Thread the vegetables alternately on skewers. Put the kabobs in a large shallow bowl and pour in the salad dressing. Let sit, covered, in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Turn severel times.
When ready to grill, drain off the marinade and sprinkle the skewers with Creole seasoning. Put the kabobs on a preheated grill, close the lid of your pit and cook 8 to 10 minutes over medium heat. Turn the kabobs, close the lid and cook for 6-8 minutes, or until the vegetables are just slightly soft.
Redfish are abundant in South Louisiana. By leaving the skin and scales on the fish, there is no preparation to the meat that needs to be done. This recipe also works well with Red Snapper, Drum and Grouper.
Grilled Redfish on the Half Shell
6 (7 ounce) fillets of Redfish, skin and scales on, with pin bones removed 1 tablespoon Creole Seasoning 4 cloves Garlic, thinly sliced 1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1 tablespoon Sea Salt 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped 2 large Lemons, halved
Rinse the fish fillets and pat them dry with paper towels. Place the fillets on a baking sheet, season with the Creole seasoning. Top the fillets with the sliced garlic and drizzle with half of the olive oil. Use your fingers to distribute the oil and seasoning evenly over the fish, then set the fish aside to marinate while you heat up the grill.
Fire up the grill to a medium-high setting. ( If you use charcoal, the coals should be mostly white.) Place the fillets skin side down the hot grill. Cover the grill and cook the fish without moving for 7 to 10 minutes, until it is cooked through; it will flake easily when tested with a paring knife. ( You can also cook the fish on an oiled baking sheet in a 475℉ oven for 6 to 8 minutes.
Using a metal spatula, transfer the fillets to serving plates and top with the sea salt and parsley, a little extra olive oil and lemon juice.
Just one question, why are mother’s taken out to eat on Mother’s Day but men usually grill on Father’s Day. Happy Father’s Day!
