BBQ Vegetables: It's barbecue season! Let's BBQ! - part 4

Alright, how about some vegetables - a healthy balanced diet! No problem, here we go! This is another dish can be cooked on a grill or in an oven!

Part 1 - prepare vegetables:
1 zucchini, sliced
1 butternut squash, peeled and sliced, discard the wider section at the bottom
1 eggplant (aubergine), sliced
1 red onion, sliced
1 sweet yellow corn, cooked and sliced in thick sections

Part 2 - marinade:
100 ml (3.5 fl oz or 2/5 cup) balsamic vinegar
200 ml (7 fl oz or 4/5 cup) olive oil
1 tbsp thyme
salt & pepper

Mix the above ingredients (except oil) in a large mixing bowl, and put vegetables in it. Mix well, then mix in oil.

Note: Since it's unnecessary to prepare this ahead of time, it would be more time efficient to do this after the charcoal is lit.

Part 3 - cooking:
Barbecue!

Alternative: Preheat oven at the highest temperture. Then place vegetables on a baking pan with aluminum foil with the shinny side up. Bake for 10 mins and turn vegetables around. Bake for another 10 mins. Zucchini, onion and corn may need less baking time. When done, serve!

Option: I also like to brush some honey on the food at the end.

Adobo Chicken - a yummy Mexican BBQ dish: It's barbecue season! Let's BBQ! - part 3

In case you think chicken wings are a bit too fattening, here is one with chicken breasts!

Part 1 - marinade:

4 chicken breasts (2 pairs)
1 cup (250 ml or 8 fl oz) orange juice
2 tbsp vegetable oil
0.5 tbsp white vinegar, just the simple plain vinegar that's clear in color.
0.5 tbsp achiote seeds
1 tsp basil
1 tsp cinnamon powder
0.5 tsp cayenne pepper
0.5 tsp black pepper
0.5 tsp salt
1 garlic clove, minced

Slice the thick area of the chicken breasts in half to make thinner pieces. Mix the above in a medium size bowl and then place the chicken breasts in it. Marinade for 2-6 hrs.

Part 2 - cooking:
Barbecue! Once done, slice into stripes and serve!

Thai Chicken Wings - one of my favorites! It's barbecue season! Let's BBQ! - part 2

My Thai friend whom I met in Frankfurt taught me this absolutely delicious dish! It can be cooked either on a grill or in an oven. Remember to marinade them 2 nights in advance!

Part 1 - marinade:

18 chicken wings
12 tbsp soy sauce
8 tbsp sugar
4 cloves garlic minced

Mix the last 3 items above in a large bowl and then place the wings in it. Arrange them to make sure all sides of the wings have the sauce on them. Place in refrigerator. After a day, turn them around so the wings have coverage on different sides. Leave in the refrigerator for another day.

Part 2 - cooking:
Barbecue!

Alternative: Preheat oven on the highest temperature (boil/grill position) for 10 mins. Line a baking pan with aluminum foil with the shinny side up and brush it with a thin layer of oil. After baking for 10 mins, turn temperature down to about 210°C and bake for another 10-15 mins. Serve!

Option: I like to brush some honey on the wings as they are being barbecued, or at the end if baked.

It's barbecue season! Let's BBQ! - part 1

We bought a BBQ grill last year but never had a chance to use it. Originally I thought we could use it in the balcony, which is very common in US. However it's rare in Belgium. Not wanting to offend any local customs, we ended up letting it sit in the balcony doing nothing.

Now the warm weather is back, so I'm looking for opportunities to use the grill. My friend who has a back yard garden is having a birthday party in a week, so I volunteered to prepare a few dishes.

What should I prepare, so I won't have to slave over the grill too long during the party, satisfy everyone, and not break my piggy bank?  Let's see...

Pesto Sauce - a wholesome Italian favorite

for 3-4 people

My American friend in San Diego one day surprised me with this delicious and versatile sauce. She opened my mind to a world of fresh vegetables cuisines!

Part 1 - the sauce:
1 cup basil
1-2 tbsp pine nuts, roasted
1-2 large cloves garlic (roasting optional)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (preferrably a good one)
1/4 tsp salt

If the pine nuts are not already roasted, just put them in a small frying pan and heat on medium heat. Keep stirring to avoid burning. When turn slightly golden brown (yellowish brown), add to blender with the rest of the ingredients for blending.

This sauce can be prepared a day in advance. Once blended, set aside in the refrigerator. When ready, serve over a salad or some freshly cooked pasta.

Option 1: If prefer, heat sauce in a small sauce pan on medium heat until it almost boils or until it reaches a small gentle boil.

Option 2: Add some grated white cheese.

Option 3 - shrimps: My favorite is to place some cooked shrimps on the pesto pasta! Cook shrimps separately, and add to the dish. Remember to marinate the shrimps first!

0.5 kg (1 lb) shrimps
0.5 tsp salt
a dash pepper powder
1 garlic clove, minced

1 tsp chicken broth powder, necessary if shrimps are purchased in frozen form

1-2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tbsp butter (optional)

Marinate for 20 mins. Put oil and butter in a frying pan. Stir fry shrimps until well-done.

Stir Fried Meat with Vegetable - a very basic Chinese style

for 3-4 people

Part 1 - the marinade:
300 g (0.7 lb) meat (beef, pork or chicken), thinly sliced

2 tbsp soy sauce
a pinch pepper powder
1 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp sesame oil

Add soy sauce & pepper directly into the sliced meat in a bowl. Mix well, then add cornstarch. Mix well, then add sesame oil. Mix well again. Marinade for at least 20 mins.

Part 2 - the finishing sauce:
1 tsp-1/2 tbsp cornstarch
Just enough water to dissolve the cornstarch

This is a very typical Cantonese Chinese way to finish a stir fried dish (pronounced as "mai xian" in Mandarin Chinese). It thickens the sauce, so the sauce sticks better to the food. Hence the food tastes more flavorful.

Part 3 - cooking:
1-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped or minced
1-2 tbsp cooking oil
4-6 tbsp water

Preheat a frying pan or a wok with oil. Then add garlic. Stir to keep garlic from burning. When the aroma of garlic starts coming up, add the marinaded meat and stir. When the meat is seared (the surface of the meat appears cooked), add some water for sauce. When the meat is cooked, add the finishing sauce.

This can be combined with many different vegetables to create different stir fried dishes (for example, the zucchini dish on the prevous post)!

The vegetable should be sliced and cooked separately in the same way as in part 3, with or without garlic, (for example, napa cabbage, Chinese cabbage, Shanghai pak choi) unless it can be cooked in a very short time (for example, snow peas, paprika, sprouts, tofu, oyster mushrooms). This is not to over cook the meat and toughen it. In this case, add the cooked meat sauce into the vegetable while cooking to increase its flavor!

Option: Before adding the meat into the pan, add a red chilli sliced, with or without seeds, for a spicy version!

Stir Fried Zucchini - a very easy Chinese dish

for 3-4 people

Part 1 - the what's:
1 zucchini (courgette), cut off both ends and discard
1-2 tbsp cooking oil

1/2-1 tsp salt

Part 2 - the how's:
Cut zucchini in half in the long way, then slice into approx 1-1.5cm (0.5") thick sections. Preheat a frying pan with oil in it. Add salt and stir to distribute it over the pan. Add zucchini and continue stirring. When most of the light part of zucchini turned somewhat transparent (similar to the effect of oil getting on a piece of paper), remove from heat and serve!

Par Neng Ner - a very spicy Thai dish

for 3-4 people

Part 1 - the marinade: 

300 g (0.7 lb) meat (beef, pork or chicken), thinly sliced
3 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
0.5 tsp chicken broth powder, optional
1 tsp olive oil
salt, I use none, it depends on how salty the oyster sauce is. I use the Lee Kum Kee brand.

Marinade for at least 20 mins.

Part 2 - the sauce for cooking:
5 red chilli, each about the size of an index finger and deseed for a less spicy version.
4 lemongrass, sliced, cut the bottom off and use only the bottom 10 cm (4") .
2 coriander roots (cilantro refers to the leaves of coriander), try an Asian supermarket but don't worry about it if you can't find it.
2 slices ginger
1 tsp red curry paste
0.25 tsp shrimp paste

Combine them and blend in a blender with a little water just enough for blending.

Part 3 - cooking:
4-5 lime leaves, try the freezer section in an Asian supermarket.
250 ml coconut cream/milk

Add the sauce into a cooking pot and put on medium heat. Stir in coconut cream a few tbsp at a time. Add more as the mixture becomes thicker. Stir frequently to avoid burn at the bottom.

Once all coconut cream is added and the sauce becomes slightly thick, add the lime leaves and the marinaded meat. Keep cooking until meat is cooked throughly.

Option: I like to add some vegetables - either when adding the meat or at the end.  For example, add oyster mushroom along with the meat, or at the end add a zucchini. (Please see the next post for this zucchini recipe!)

Tips: In US and Europe, chilli, lemongrass, coriander roots and coconut cream are often sold in large portions. Just secure the unused portion in plastic bags in usable sizes and keep in a freezer.