Chef in the House
Winter Grilling Recipes
- Tri-Tip Roast
- Basil Shrimp on a Stick
- Fire and Ice Soup
- Sesame-Grilled Asparagus
- Portobello Mushrooms with Garlic, Parmesan and Pine Nuts
Tri-Tip Roast
Blot roast dry with paper towel, if necessary.
Combine kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, olive oil, and rub generously. Lightly coat the entire roast.
Place roast in plastic bag and put in refrigerator for a minimum of 3 hours.
Remove roast from bag, allow roast to stand at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before grilling.
Pre-heat grill. Use direct medium heat. Place roast on grill until well marked on both sides, about 10 minutes, turning once. Move meat over indirect heat and cook to the desired doneness.
Remove from grill and let rest for 10 minutes.
Cut against the grade at a slight bias angle into thin slices and serve warm.
Optional, sprinkle a finishing salt to salt/spice combination and all pieces.
Basil Shrimp on a Stick
24 jumbo or extra-large shrimp (about 1-1/2 pounds), peeled and de-veined
24 fresh basil leaves
24 thin slices of proscuitto (6 to 7” long)
Rinse the shrimp under cold running water and then drain and blot dry with paper towels. Skewer the shrimp. Place a basil leaf on the back (the formerly rounded part) of each shrimp. Wrap each shrimp in a slice of proscuitto.
Set up the grill for direct grilling and preheat to high.
When ready to cook, arrange the shrimp on the hot grate, placing a folded sheet of aluminum foil under the exposed portion of the skewers to keep them from burning. Grill the kebabs until the proscuitto is nicely browned and the shrimp are cooked through, 4 to 8 minutes in all, turning the kebabs to ensure even cooking. The shrimp will be firm and white when cooked through.
Fire and Ice Soup
Hot Tomato Ice:
1 14 oz can Italian plum tomatoes
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco
Avocado Soup:
4 ripe avocados, peeled and pitted
6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
4-1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cups minced green onions
2 tablespoons diced jalapenos
1/2 cup sour cream
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
In blender or food processor, puree tomatoes with liquid. Strain puree through fine sieve into bowl, pressing hard on solids. Mix in chicken broth, lemon juice, sugar and Tabasco sauce. Freeze in ice cube tray or similar container for 3 hours until firm but not frozen solid. Chop into pieces and blend in food processor until smooth; return to container and freeze for 2 hours longer or until firm. Makes 12 servings.
In medium bowl, mash avocados with lemon juice and cumin. Heat chicken broth to simmering and whisk into avocado mixture. Stir in green onions and jalapenos. In food processor or blender, puree mixture in two batches to avoid spilling. Pour into large bowl. Whisk in sour cream, salt and pepper to taste. Cover and chill soup for 2 hours or until very cold. Ladle soup into chilled sherbet glasses and put 1 spoonful of tomato ice in the center of each service. Add a small sprig of cilantro for added presentation.
Sesame-Grilled Asparagus
1 pound asparagus (the stalks shouldn't be too thin)
2 tablespoons Asian (dark) sesame oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
coarse salt and black pepper
2 tablespoon sesame seeds
Set up the grill for direct grilling and preheat to high.
Snap off the woody bases of the asparagus and discard. Skewer 4 to 5 asparagus spears together, using toothpicks or bamboo skewers.
In a small bowl, combine the sesame oil, soy sauce, and garlic and stir with a fork to mix. Brush this mixture on the asparagus rafts on both sides. Season the asparagus with a little salt and lots of pepper.
When ready to cook, place the asparagus rafts on the hot grate and grill until nicely browned on both sides, 2 to 4 minutes per side. Sprinkle the asparagus rafts with the sesame seeds as they grill. You can serve the asparagus as rafts or un-skewered.
Portobello Mushrooms with Garlic, Parmesan and Pine Nuts
4 large portobello mushrooms (8 to 10oz each)
2 large cloves garlic, cut into slivers.
1 oz Romano, Parmigiano-Reggiano, or other firm cheese, cut into slivers
1 sprig fresh rosemary, leaves stripped off the stem, or 2 teaspoons dried rosemary
2 tablespoons pine nuts
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1-1/3 cups extra-virgin olive oil, or more as needed
12 fresh basil leaves, thinly slivered
Trim the stems off the portobellos. Using a moist paper towel, wipe the caps clean. Using a sharp object, make a series of holes in the portobellos. Insert garlic slivers in some of the holes, cheese slivers in the others, rosemary leaves in others, and pine nut in the remaining holes.
Combine 1/2 cup vinegar and the salt and pepper in a non-reactive mixing bowl and whisk until the salt is dissolved. Whisk in the oil and the basil. Pour some of the mixture in the bottom of a non-reactive baking dish and arrange the portobellos in it, gill-side up. Swish the mushrooms around to coat the bottoms with marinade over the portobellos. Let marinate in the refrigerator, covered, for as little as 30 minutes or as long as 3 hours.
Set up the grill for direct grilling and preheat to high.
When ready to cook, remove the mushroom caps from the marinade. Strain the marinade if the basil looks wilted. Whisk the remaining 2 tablespoons vinegar into the marinade. Arrange the portobellos on the hot grate, gill-side down. Grill for 3 minutes; then invert the portobellos and spoon on some of the reserved marinade. ontinue grilling until the caps are browned and very tender, 4 to 6 minutes, rotating the caps 45 degrees after 2 minutes to create an attractive crosshatch of grill marks. If the caps brown too much, reduce the heat or move the mushrooms to a cooler part of the grill. Transfer to plates or a platter and serve at once.
