The Absolute Best Barbeque Sidedish Recipes

First off, let's review what a Shish-Ka-Bob actually is. A Shish-Ka-Bob is basically an entire meal cooked and served on a skewer, or stick. They can consist of pretty much any food that your little heart desires, vegetables, meat, or shrimp. They can be simply designed or extravagant in nature. You can marinate them, slather them with a sauce, or just let them go natural.

Shish-Ka-Bobs are a fun way to serve dinner in the summertime and the kiddies just love them. The problem is that when you start mixing all those different meats and veggies, it is difficult to obtain the correct results. Your meats end up too rare. The tomatoes fall off and roll around on the floor. You bite into a Zucchini and chip your tooth. The mushrooms, well actually, the mushrooms usually end up okay no matter what you do to them, but the onions always seem to have a problem. What should you do?

The easiest and safest way to ensure that you will be able to cook each and every ingredient for the proper amount of time is to create Shish-Ka-Bob's that contain all of the same ingredients. Although this may seem pretty boring, cooking each ingredient on its own skewer means that your tomatoes won't get black, while your meat is still red.

After you've grilled all the different ingredients, you can remove the skewers and mix-up all the goodies on a platter, to be served as the main dish. If you feel the need to eat your Shish-Ka-Bob off of a stick, you can always use toothpicks for serving.

Before cooking Shish-Ka-Bobs, always remember to soak your wooden skewers (if you are using them) in water for a good twenty minutes before spearing your meats and vegetables. If you enjoy making and serving Shish-Ka-Bob you might think about investing in a set of metal skewers. They don't need soaking, the food comes off much easier and they are always there when you need them.

For easy clean up of the grill and less mess all around, try covering your grill with aluminum foil before cooking your Shish-Ka-Bobs. Be sure to poke some holes into the foil first. Or else try Release non-stick grill foil by Reynolds Wrap. This stuff works great!

If you are more of a naturalist when it comes to your grilling, use a vegetable oil spray on the grill's surface, BEFORE LIGHTING IT! This will also help to keep your Bobs from sticking.

Always follow fire safety rules while grilling and keep the kiddies far, far away.

Vegetable Shish Ka Bob photo appears courtesy of Velo Steve






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Grilled Vegetables: Preparation and Cook Times
You can grill just about any vegetable that you can think of and they all taste great. The simple formula for grilling vegetables is all in the preparation.

Prepare Your Veggies

For the best results, cut your vegetables into consistent shapes and sizes that will cook fairly quickly and for approximately the same amount of time.

Soak your vegetables in cool water for about twenty minutes before grilling to keep them from ending up to dry.

Pat them dry with a paper towel and then brush them with a good quality vegetable oil. I like to use olive oil but you can use any vegetable oil, including sesame.

Season them with salt, pepper and any herbs and spices you desire.

Cook your Veggies

Cooking time will depend on the texture and type of vegetable that you are cooking. The following are some suggested cook times for vegetables. The size of the vegetable and the amount of heat coming from your grill will determine the proper cook time for your own vegetables.

Most soft-meat vegetables, such as eggplant, pepper, squash and tomatoes will require being grilled approximately two or three minutes per side.

Onions need about three or four minutes per side. Remove the skin and then slice them into circles.

Sliced or whole mushrooms will require approximately four or five minutes per side.

Corn on the cob should be grilled with the husk in place, after removing the silky strands from within and brushing the kernels with butter. It will require approximately six to eight minutes per side.

Potatoes take the longest. You should make a slice down the center without halving the potato, insert a slab of butter or margarine into the hole, wrap them in aluminum foil and then cook them for about forty-five minutes on the grill.

Quick and Easy Broccoli Sidedishes

Broccoli, Zucchini, and Red Pepper Stir-Fry Recipe
Not only is this a delicious side dish but after preparation, this recipe is done in under 10 minutes!

Ingredients:

2 cloves Garlic, minced
½ small white onion, chopped
1 Stalk fresh Broccoli, cut into approximately 2 inch sections
2 Medium sized Zucchini, or Yellow Squash, unpeeled and sliced horizontally
1 Red Pepper, seeded and sliced into strips
Oil for stir-frying
1/4 cup Stir- Fry Sauce (Garlic and Ginger Sauce)

Directions:

Add oil just to cover the bottom of your large wok or fry pan.
Over medium high heat, sauté the onions and garlic for about a minute.
Add the broccoli and red pepper slices to the pan.
Stir-fry for about 5 minutes.
Add the Zucchini and continue cooking for about 2 more minutes.
Add the Stir-Fry Sauce and cook for one minute more.
Makes enough for 4 - 6 people.
Serve hot!

If you like, add some cooked chicken and serve over rice as the main course!

Broccoli Parmesan Recipe

Another side dish recipe that is bold enough to be called a main course, Broccoli Parmesan is one of my family's favorites.

Ingredients:

1 Stalk fresh Broccoli, cut into 2 inch sections
1 Pound Cooked, Pasta ( Farfalle, penne or rotini work well)
3 Cloves Garlic, minced
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese (Or Pecorino Romano)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

Boil Broccoli for approximately 5 minutes until crisp tender.
Heat oil in large fry pan over medium heat.
Sauté Garlic in the oil until lightly browned.
Add broccoli to fry pan and sauté about 2 minutes.
Place cooked Pasta into a large bowl and add cooked broccoli.
Top with Parmesan cheese and mix well.
Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Serve warm.
Serves 4 - 6 people.

Black and White Broccoli image appears courtesy of *sam

Pasta and broccoli salad is an easy to make summer salad and a delightful change of pace from ordinary green salads. Pasta and broccoli salad can be enjoyed warm, cool or at room temperature making it the perfect choice to bring to an outing at the beach or on picnic. It doesn't contain any mayonnaise so you don't have to worry about heat spoilage. It goes well with just about anything you want to serve but is especially nice with grilled meats as a barbeque side dish.

The following recipe calls for a stalk of broccoli and a half box of pasta but this salad is versatile and the ingredients can be adjusted to your liking. I normally make this salad when I have leftover cooked broccoli and so my measurements are basically guesses.

Pasta and Broccoli Salad Recipe

Please read directions to the end before starting this recipe.

Ingredients for Salad:

1 stalk cooked (tender-crisp) broccoli, cut into bite sized pieces
½ box of medium sized pasta, cooked al dente, (I like to use penne pasta for this)
1/4 fresh red bell pepper, chopped fine
Lemon Vinaigrette Salad Dressing (recipe to follow)

Easy Directions for Salad:

Combine all ingredients into a large bowl, toss and serve or keep cool to enjoy later.

This one tastes great both ways!

Makes enough for 4 to 6 servings.

Ingredients for Dressing:

1/4 cup Olive Oil (I use extra virgin)
Juice of 1 fresh lemon (approximately 4 Tablespoons, use more or less to taste)
Dash of garlic powder
About two tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions for Dressing:

Thoroughly mix all ingredients in a bowl. Serve over salad.

Note: You can use your favorite vinaigrette dressing in this Pasta and Broccoli Salad recipe but I find that the lemon vinaigrette really compliments the broccoli in this dish.

Pasta and Broccoli Salad photo appears courtesy of paPisc

Grilled Mushroom Recipes

Mushrooms on the grill are wonderful. They cook fast and are so easy to prepare. I couldn't think of a better way to celebrate May being National Barbeque Month than by sharing a couple of my favorite grilled mushroom recipes.

Always start any mushroom recipe with clean, dry mushrooms.

How to Clean Mushrooms

Mushrooms should never be washed in water before serving. To clean mushrooms wipe any gook off of them with a clean, damp/dry, paper towel.

Grilled Teriyaki Mushrooms

I love to shish-ka-bob teriyaki beef and mushrooms on skewers. This recipe gives my mushrooms that same flavor without the beef!

Ingredients

1 pound Fresh Mushrooms, slice stems even with mushroom cap
½ cup Teriyaki Sauce

Directions

Using a locking-type storage bag, marinate your mushrooms in the teriyaki sauce for at least 3 hours.

Grill over high heat for about 10 minutes until mushrooms are tender with nice dark grill lines.

Serve hot and enjoy!

Grilled Portobello Mushrooms

Portobello Mushrooms are quite large so I usually prepare one per customer. This recipe can be served as a side dish or use burger buns to make it into Grilled Portobello Mushroom sandwiches.

Ingredients

1 Portobello Mushroom per serving
2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil (per serving)
1/4 teaspoon Garlic powder (each serving)
Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions

Brush each Portobello Mushroom with Olive Oil.
Sprinkle with garlic powder, salt and pepper.
Grill each side of mushroom, over high heat, for approximately 7 minutes until done.

Serve hot and enjoy!

Corn on the Cob

Boil it.
Butter it.
Serve it.

It doesn't get any easier than that.

Cucumbers are a good source of vitamins' C, A and K. They are loaded with potassium and low in cholesterol, sodium and saturated fat. That's all the information you are going to get from me on that subject. These are my own home recipes and I wouldn't know where to start counting their calories. Relax, enjoy the fruits of your labor!

Simple Cucumber Salad

Ingredients:
2 or 3 Fresh picked cucumbers, sliced
1/3 cup of red wine vinegar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons Fresh Parsley chopped

Directions:
Combine the vinegar, parsley, and sugar in a medium sized bowl and mix until sugar is dissolved. Toss in the cucumbers and, voila! This recipe can also be used with fresh tomatoes or for a real treat use both together.

Serves about 6 as a side dish.

Eating outdoors can be challenging for dessert lovers.
Your dessert has to be something that won't spoil or melt.

One of my favorite desserts for outdoor dining is Melon and Berries.
Cantaulope Melon and Strawberries to be precise!

Simply slice cantaulope melon into bite sized pieces and mix in a bowl with sliced strawberries.
Delicious!

Mouth-Watering Eggplant Recipes
Fried Eggplant with Ricotta Cheese
This delicious, versatile recipe can be served as an appetizer, a side dish or as the main course with a side of spaghetti.

Ingredients:
2 Eggplants, peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch round slices
approximately 1 Cup Bread Crumbs (breading ingredients can be altered to size of eggplant)
1/4 cup Flour
Egg
Milk
Oil for frying
1 pound of Ricotta cheese
Your favorite Tomato Sauce.
1 Cup Shredded Mozzarella cheese
Directions:
Mix the bread crumbs and flour in a large bowl.
Mix the egg and milk in another large bowl.
Wet the eggplant slices by dipping them into the milk & egg mixture.
Dredge the wet eggplant into the breadcrumb and flour mixture until well coated.
Fry the coated eggplant in a frying pan of hot oil over medium heat until golden brown.
Drain them on a large dish covered with clean paper towels.
Cover the bottom of a baking dish with tomato sauce.
Arrange half of the eggplant slices on top of the sauce.
Top each slice with heaping Tablespoon of Ricotta cheese.
Use similar size eggplant slices to top. (Like an ice cream sandwich)
Dribble more tomato sauce over the eggplant sandwiches.
Top with shredded Mozzarella cheese.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. Serve warm.

Japanese Eggplant with Mozzarella Cheese
A quick alternative to Eggplant Parmesan

Ingredients:
6 Japanese Eggplants
Salt
Oil for frying
2 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons olive oil
Fresh Basil leaves, about 6 of these
1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
Directions:
Remove the tops of the eggplant and slice down the middle, lengthwise.
Salt the eggplant and let drain 30 minutes.
Fry the eggplant in hot oil over medium heat until golden brown.
Drain the eggplant on a large dish covered with clean paper towels.
In a sauté pan, combine the olive oil and garlic. Cook over medium heat a minute or two until the garlic is golden brown.
Add the tomatoes and basil and simmer for about 15 minutes. Salt to taste.
Arrange the eggplant slices in a baking dish, cut sides up.
Spoon the tomato sauce over the top.
Sprinkle the Mozzarella cheese over the top.
Bake in a 350-degree oven for about 15 minutes until the cheese melts.

Serve warm.

Both of these dishes go nicely with a bottle of wine and a hot loaf of Italian bread.

Fast and Easy Fresh Garlic Mashed Potatoes Recipe

These delicious garlic mashed potatoes have a light garlic flavoring that even the youngest family members will appreciate. Of course if you are a hardcore garlic fanatic you can easily make them spicier by simply adding a bit more fresh garlic to the pot while cooking.

6 large Idaho or Russet potatoes

6 Cloves Fresh Garlic

1/4 cup milk

3 Tablespoons Butter or Margarine

Salt and Pepper, to taste

Peel and cut potatoes into sections approximately 1 inch thick.

Peel garlic cloves and cut in half.

Boil potatoes and garlic together in a large pot, making sure that the water covers the top of the ingredients and the pot is large enough to allow for boiling, for about 20 minutes until potatoes are tender all the way through.

Drain off the water.

Add butter, salt and pepper.

Mash the potatoes and garlic together either by hand, (using a masher) or with an electric mixer.

When almost completely mashed, add milk..

Serve immediately while still hot.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

If you enjoy a heavier garlic taste, add 2 cloves of garlic per potato.