arts & life

dining in

Fire Up The Grill

I

And then comes the

good stuff — sides,

dips and desserts.

n 1776, America severed
its ties with Great Britain
and the American Colonies
became the United States of
America. Though there are vari-
ous dates involved, for the better
part of two centuries, indepen-
dence has been celebrated on
July 4.
And we can already spy fire-
works in the sky. People are pull-
ing out all the red, white and blue
— and no doubt grills around the
country will be hot.
If recent parties I've been
involved with are any indication,
giant kosher hot dogs and good-
old hamburgers, flame broiled,
are more popular than exotic —
and pricier — fare.
So, grill up some dogs, add
some delicious chicken kebabs,
throw in a few sides and lots of
veggies — grilled, roasted or
raw as crudite, served with your
favorite dipping sauce — and
you've got a menu.
Watermelon is glorious in July
and served as a salad, sprinkled
with your favorite cheese (goat,
feta and blue are popular) and
drizzled with balsamic vinegar,
creates an amazing flavor profile.
And instead of (or alongside)
potato chips, try kale chips —
they're easier than you think.
Another variation: Instead of
baked potatoes, try simple roast-
ed sweet-potato wedges.
For dessert, make your favorite
pie into shots — filling and a
great streusel topping are all you
need. Or fill a shot glass with
yummy pudding and top with
appropriate ingredients (coconut
pudding with shredded coconut
is my fave).
Lastly, pour yourself your
favorite cocktail and let freedom
ring.

HERB-ROASTED
SWEET-POTATO
WEDGES
3 large sweet potatoes,
unpeeled
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
4 Tbsp. minced fresh herbs
Coarse sea salt to taste

40 July 2 • 2015

Fresh ground black pepper to
taste
Preheat oven to 425 degrees and
spray a rimmed baking sheet
with nonstick cooking spray.
Slice each sweet potato into
8-10 wedges. Toss in oil until
coated. Season with herbs, salt
and pepper and toss again.
Arrange in a single layer on
the baking sheet. Bake for a total
of 25 minutes, or until golden.
Serve hot, warm or at room tem-
perature.
Makes 6 servings.

chicken, turning the chicken to
coat. Cover the bowl with plastic
wrap and chill for 1-2 hours (you
may also place all ingredients in
a zipper-style plastic bag).
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Thread each skewer with
chicken chunks. Place on a bak-
ing sheet that's been sprayed with
nonstick cooking spray and cook
for about 10 minutes or until just
cooked through (you may also
grill the satays). Serve hot or at
room temperature.
Makes 12-16 appetizers.

KALE CHIPS
1 bunch kale
2 Tbsp. melted coconut oil
Sea salt to taste
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line a rimmed baking sheet with
parchment.
Use a knife or tear thick stems
from kale leaves into bite-size
pieces. Drizzle with olive oil and
sprinkle with salt. Bake until the
edges brown. Remove from oven,
cool and allow the kale to cool
until crisp, about 15 minutes.
Makes 6 servings.

SPICY PEANUT
DIPPING SAUCE
Use this tangy sauce for vegeta-
bles or chicken kebabs.
'/2 cup hoisin sauce
1 tsp. fresh minced garlic
2 Tbsp. creamy peanut butter
1 % cup water
'/2 tsp. dried red pepper
flakes
2 Tbsp. roasted peanuts, gar-
nish (optional)
Combine all ingredients except
peanuts in a small saucepan
over medium-high heat. Bring
to a boil. Remove from heat and
let cool. To serve, pour into a
small bowl and garnish with the
chopped peanuts. Set aside or
chill, covered, until ready to use.

CHICKEN SATAY
2 pounds boneless, skinless
chicken breasts, slightly frozen
16 long wood or bamboo
skewers, soaked in cold water
Fresh chopped scallions or
parsley, for garnish
Marinade:
'/2 cup coconut milk
% cup peanut butter, smooth
or crunchy
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 tsp. hot pepper sauce, such
as Tabasco
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp, chopped cilantro
1 Tbsp. sesame seeds, any
variety
Y2 tsp. salt
% ground black pepper
Slice the chicken breasts into
1-inch chunks and place in a
large bowl.
In a small bowl, combine all
the marinade ingredients and stir
well. Pour the marinade over the

RED, WHITE AND BLUE
CABBAGE-BLUEBERRY
SLAW
For best results, make this slaw a
day before serving.
12-14 cups very thinly sliced
red and white cabbage
1 cup very thinly sliced red or
Bermuda onion
1 cup fresh chopped parsley
1 cup dried blueberries
'/3 cup olive oil
'/2 cup red wine vinegar
3 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
3 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. celery seed
1 tsp. salt
'/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
Cut the cabbage in half and
remove the core. Use a sharp
knife to very thinly slice or shred
the cabbage. Add it to a large

bowl. Add the remaining ingredi-
ents and toss well.
Transfer the salad to a large
zipper-style bag and seal well.
Chill the salad, turning it once or
twice a day for 48 hours or more.
Makes 6 or more servings.

BLUEBERRY PIE
SHOTS
2 pints blueberries
% cup sugar
3 Tbsp. corn starch
3 Tbsp. water
1 tsp. grated lemon zest or
peel
1 teaspoon lemon rind,
grated
Combine 1 cup berries with 3/4
cup sugar in pan over medium-
high heat and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to simmer and cook
for 5 minutes.
Combine corn starch and water
in bowl. Add to pan with blue-
berries.
Cook over medium heat until
mixture comes to full boil and is
clear and thick.
Pour hot mixture into large
bowl. Cool until warm.
Fold in remaining blueberries
and lemon zest.
Spoon into 2-3 ounce shot
glasses and top with streusel
(recipe below).
Makes 14-20 pie shots.

BROWN-SUGAR
STREUSEL
'/2 cup brown sugar
% cup flour
'/2 cup oats
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
4 Tbsp. butter or margarine,
melted
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine dry ingredients in a
bowl and toss well. Add melted
butter and toss well again with
your hands. Spread on a rimmed
baking sheet and bake for about
15 minutes, until golden. Cool
completely.
Makes about 2 cups of streue-
sel.

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