{"id":21558,"date":"2018-06-19T09:51:29","date_gmt":"2018-06-19T13:51:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/?p=21558"},"modified":"2018-06-19T09:51:33","modified_gmt":"2018-06-19T13:51:33","slug":"on-your-table-summer-is-here-so-start-grilling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/?p=21558","title":{"rendered":"On Your Table: Summer is here, so start grilling"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Cathy Branciaroli<\/strong>, Food Correspondent, The Times<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Skewered Grilled Shrimp with Black Bean and Corn Salsa in Lettuce Wraps<\/p><\/div>\n

Say hello to the heart of grilling season \u2013 those weeks after Father\u2019s Day and into high summer when grilling seems just right for kicking back on a hot summer evening.\u00a0 It\u2019s an easy answer to the eternal question of \u201cwhat\u2019s for dinner?\u201d<\/p>\n

But then the choice gets difficult.\u00a0 Folks either swear by a lovingly tended charcoal fire or the convenience of gas fired flames.\u00a0 There appears to be no compromise between them.\u00a0 Charcoal creates deep smoky flavors, plus there\u2019s the fun of playing with fire.\u00a0 Gas is beloved for speed, control and reliability.\u00a0 I\u2019m flexible and my husband and I own both types of grills.\u00a0 Mostly though, we succumb to the convenience of gas versus the effort needed to achieve that awesome, yet time consuming charcoal flavor.<\/p>\n

And what to grill?\u00a0 The main answer to that seems to be meat in the form of steaks, chops or burgers.\u00a0 Hot dogs even, although technically they are a mix of pork and beef, or even chicken or turkey.\u00a0 Marinades or sauces play a key role too and can transform a Plain Jane cut into a culinary journey.\u00a0 There are so many choices it can make your head spin.\u00a0 Namely almost anything that can be cooked quickly.\u00a0 With all of these dishes come the many benefits of grilling \u2013 cooking in the great outdoors, enjoying a beverage by the fire and savoring the crisp texture and complex charred, carmelized flavors.<\/p>\n

So what might you ask did we do for dinner on Fathers Day?\u00a0 Grill of course but on the lighter side.\u00a0 Having had my fill of grilled meats from Memorial Day gatherings, my taste buds were yearning for something a little lighter, more refreshing. Which is how we ended up serving grilled shrimp with black bean corn salsa lettuce wraps for our Fathers Day dinner.<\/p>\n

To make things simple I marinated medium shrimp and then skewered them. \u00a0Marinating lends itself to boundless creativity.\u00a0 All you need to punch up shrimp on the barbie are a handful of seasonings, an acid and a little bit of the hot stuff.<\/p>\n

Then there is the magic of skewering.\u00a0 After you\u2019ve marinaded or seasoned, poke a stick through and then get to grilling.\u00a0\u00a0 To do this with shrimp, thread an 8\u201d-inch skewer through the thickest part of five or six medium to large shrimp. If using bamboo skewers, be sure to soak them in water for 20 minute so they don\u2019t burn on the grill.\u00a0 Adjust the shrimp so that there is a bit of space in between each one. This allows heat to circulate properly and therefore cook evenly. \u00a0\u00a0Place a perforated tray on the grill, lay the skewers on it, turn frequently and watch carefully because the shrimp will cook up quickly.<\/p>\n

Rounding out our full meal, the shrimp were accompanied by black bean lettuce wraps with corn salsa, which was served with a big dollop of cilantro lime rice.<\/p>\n

Honestly, it was one of the quickest grilled dinners we have made in quite a while, and even better, nearly everything was prepped in advance.<\/p>\n

So if you\u2019re searching for a tasty, quick dinner on the grill, this meal is the ticket.\u00a0 Enjoy!<\/p>\n

Skewered Grilled Shrimp<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Ingredients:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

1 lb med-large shrimp peeled unless you love that charred flavor on the shells\u00a0and thawed if frozen.<\/p>\n

Marinade – 6 tbs soy sauce, 1<\/sup>\u20444<\/sub>\u00a0cup lime juice. 1<\/sup>\u20444<\/sub>\u00a0cup brown sugar, 2 tbs olive oil, 1-2 tbs\u00a0hot sauce of your choice, 1 tbs minced ginger, 3 cloves\u00a0garlic minced fine, \u00bd tsp ground cumin<\/p>\n

Preparation:<\/p>\n

Whisk marinade ingredients in a small bowl. Place shrimp in a glass dish or in a heavy resealable bag and cover with all the marinade.\u00a0 Cover\/seal tightly and refrigerate for one hour.\u00a0\u00a0 Remove shrimp from marinade after one hour and thread onto skewers.\u00a0 Over a medium-hot grill, cook until shrimp is done. This won’t take long, only about 3 or 4 minutes per side.\u00a0 Use reserved marinade to baste skewered shrimp while it cooks.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Black Bean Lettuce Wraps with Grilled Corn Salsa and Cilantro Lime Rice<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Ingredients:<\/p>\n

\u00be cup jasmine rice, cooked per directions<\/p>\n

1 15 oz can black beans rinsed and drained<\/p>\n

3 tbs tomato-based salsa<\/p>\n

\u00bc cup lime juice, 2 tbs zest of lime<\/p>\n

\u00bd cup chopped fresh cilantro<\/p>\n

1 cup corn salsa (recipe follows)<\/p>\n

Bibb or iceberg lettuce leaves<\/p>\n

Assembly:\u00a0 Prepare the rice.\u00a0 Open the can of beans, rinse and drain in colander.\u00a0 Add beans to a small pot with tomato salsa and heat over low for ~ 8\u00a0 minutes.\u00a0 Chop the cilantro and add to the cooked rice with lime juice and zest.\u00a0 To make a wrap, place a scoop of the cilantro rice on a lettuce leaf, followed by the black beans and corn salsa.\u00a0 Sprinkle with reserved cilantro leaves.\u00a0 Serve as a side dish with the shrimp.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Grilled Corn Salsa<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

Ingredients:\u00a0 One package frozen corn, thawed, 2 tbsp olive oi, \u00bd cup diced red onion, 1 diced jalapeno,1 cup diced cherry tomatoes, \u00bc cup fresh cilantro, juice from \u00bd of a lime, Salt and pepper, to taste. If fresh corn on the cob is available, grill in the husks after soaking in cold water for 30 minutes.<\/p>\n

Instructions: Preheat grill to medium\/medium-high heat. In a resealable bag, combine corn and olive oil, salt and pepper. Place corn on a perforated disk and grill till just blackened, tossing frequently.\u00a0 Remove from grill and place on a platter to cool. \u00a0When the corn has cooled, add to a large bowl along with the red onion, jalapeno, diced tomatoes, and cilantro. Squeeze the juice from \u00bd of a lime over the top of the mixture, along with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Stir thoroughly to incorporate all ingredients. Refrigerate until ready to serve.\u00a0 Variation – for simplicity, just use cooked fresh, canned or frozen corn and forego the grilling.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Cathy Branciaroli, Food Correspondent, The Times Say hello to the heart of grilling season \u2013 those weeks after Father\u2019s Day and into high summer when grilling seems just right for kicking back on a hot summer evening.\u00a0 It\u2019s an easy answer to the eternal question of \u201cwhat\u2019s for dinner?\u201d But then the choice gets […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":21560,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[3912,1943,3730,3731,5276],"class_list":["post-21558","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lifestyle","tag-featured","tag-food","tag-grilling","tag-recipes","tag-summer"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21558","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=21558"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21558\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21559,"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21558\/revisions\/21559"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/21560"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=21558"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=21558"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=21558"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}